Chapter one

Amber’s point of view

He looks so much like his dad, I thought to herself while watching Elias play.

People often stared at her son, because he didn’t resemble her boyfriend Brian. When they moved to the Crimson Moon pack, only a handful of people knew who Elias' real dad was.

Alpha Drake was a fair Alpha, one of a few words but he always made the right choices. His pack respected him more than they feared him. Alpha Drake was the one who told me to keep the identity of Elias’s father to ourselves.

I still noticed some pack members wonder about how Elias got his looks. How could they not, Elias had my curls and caramel skin. But his eyes were bright blue and his hair wasn’t raven like mine, but almost gold. Brian was short and very average build, with brown eyes and a mousy grayish hair color. While Elias was already the tallest in class at 5 years old.

Our life was okay, we had a house and I worked as an omega at the Alpha’s mansion. Elias was in school and so happy learning and training. Training started as soon as they could walk, but it was mostly playing and learning to use your body to defend yourself. When the kids were ten the real training started and at sixteen most of the students could help when an attack occurred. Which luckily wasn’t often.

Brian and I chose this pack on purpose, we all wanted to feel safe again after what happened at our previous pack. Brian lost his mate during a rogue attack at our last pack, they had just marked each other the month before and they were still in the honey moon phase. Losing your mate feels like losing half of your soul, I can’t even imagine how much it hurts. That’s why I sometimes ignore his drinking or insults or the smell of other women on his skin. We all deal with pain in our own way.

We have a relationship based on necessity, not one on love. He needs someone to help him with chores and to take care of him when he’s too depresses to eat or get out of bed. And I need someone to pretend to be Elias’s dad so we avoid any danger.

At least we all feel safe under Alpha Drake, I even started training and gaining some muscles. Women weren’t allowed to train at the previous pack we lived in. Brian’s mate was not able to defend herself when the rogues attacked her and he doesn’t want that to happen to me or Elias.

Elias was not born yet when I met Brian, we both were in a very bad place. I was homeless and living in the abandoned shed in the forest, searching through the trash at night for things to eat. That’s when Brian saw me. We never interacted much before, but he went to school with one of my older brothers.

I am the youngest in a family of six and some of my older sibling had already found their mate and had moved our by the time I was born. My parents weren’t that excited to have another pup, most of their kids were grown and they were looking forward to an empty nest. They weren’t horrible parents, but they didn’t show much interest in my life.

My older sister Claire took care of me until she found her mate in a neighboring pack. Luckily by then, I was old enough to make my own meals and do my own laundry. My parents only started to care when they noticed my growing bump and they could smell the pup inside.

They kicked me out when I refused to mention who the father was. They were already unhappy having to care for me, but the thought of another baby in their house made them loath me. They made it clear, I could either live with the wolf who impregnated me or I could live on the in forest by myself. They wanted no contact with me ever again, I was a disappointment in their eyes who should have saved herself for her mate. A child they should have never have had, a mistake.

Brian’s point of view:

When I found Amber I was so depressed, I was looking for a way out. Any way out, even suicide had crossed my mind. I was aimlessly walking around trying to find any way to ease the pain when I smelled her.

When I saw Amber I notice she was pregnant. I couldn’t just leave her there, but living at our pack was too painful. Everything reminded me of Susan. When that rogue attacked Susan, I could feel her pain and after a few minutes, I couldn’t feel the bond anymore. The most excruciating pain filled my heart and I cried out for her.

Every night since then I wake up reliving this moment, waking up in cold sweats and remembering she is gone. So I walk at night, to avoid the pain and memories that haunt me. I had no sense of future, no plans without Susan.

But suddenly, there was Amber, I knew she was the baby sister of a classmate of mine back in high-school. He wasn’t my friend, but he wasn’t unkind to me like so many others.

Suddenly a plan came to mind, I could leave and take Amber with me. I had a much better chance of finding another pack to take me in when I had a pregnant girlfriend. I knew she would accept the offer, anything was better than how she was currently living. We could help each other. Suddenly my heart hurt a tiny bit less, I could have a future. I could have a purpose.

Amber pov:

When Brian offered me a way out I took it with both hands. I instinctively knew he wouldn’t hurt me, honestly he looked so distraught and tired that he couldn’t hurt me even if he wanted to. And I needed a better life for my pup. We asked a few packs in another county.We didn’t want to stay too close to our pack, the further away the better.

When Alpha Drake accepted us we were both so relieved. Brian and I left in the dead of night, we didn’t know what Alpha Alistair would do. Where Alpha Drake had the respect of his pack, Alpha Alistair had fear. No-one dared to go against their Alpha, his cruelty was known throughout the werewolf community and his ways of punishment were infamous.

Women were expected to behave and obey their mates, to be seen not heard. Alpha Drake had always hated Alpha Alistair, so the idea of having two of his members change pack intrigued him, I suppose. Maybe he thought we could provide information on his enemy pack.