PROLOGUE

My baby girl was perfect. 

She had her beautiful ten tiny fingers and ten tiny toes. My own little pup had a head full of red little curls, a sign of her connection to her family legacy. 

My little miracle. 

I took a sniff of her warm skin, a scent that would be imprinted in my soul forever. 

She hadn’t cried since I birthed her, she just opened her eyes and stared at me like she already knew I was her mother. 

“You’re here,” I whispered, as I pressed a soft kiss on her forehead. 

Fred didn’t even know he was crying. My Alpha, my mate, the strong and powerful man was reduced to trembling hands and teary smiles. He softly stroked our pup’s head like she was made of glass. 

“I never thought I’d love anyone more than I love you,” he said. “But she proved me wrong.” 

My heart ached with joy at the sight. 

Then the earth shook and the glass on the windows rattled. 

Dust fell from the ceiling and our baby flinched letting out a loud cry, her first real cry. 

I held her closer to my chest, my instincts making me shield her with my body. 

Then a werewolf howled in the distance. An urgent wolf cry. 

My mate was already on the move. 

“Fred… wait,” I said, I panicked. “We just..” 

The front door burst open with force as a grey wolf shoved his way into our home. It was Paul, the Beta. His snout had blood on it. 

He took a look at me and bowed his head low.

“Luna,” he said. “Congratulations but there’s a situation in town.” He said to Fred. 

Fred kissed me hard. “I’ll be right back, my love. Lock the door if necessary and don’t come out unless it’s me.”

“But Fred…”

He shifted, his bones cracked and fur burst through his skin, and in seconds, his red wolf came to the surface. He ran with Beta Paul into the chaos in town. 

And I was left alone. 

**** 

There was an omega with me, a young girl whose hands shook with every explosion. She helped me clean the afterbirth from my legs and neither of us spoke but we both understood that something was wrong. 

As I fed my daughter, another explosion stronger than the first rattled our windows, breaking one. 

My pup paused in between her feed and blinked towards the sound. 

The omega left to look at the chaos, I could smell her fear, if it came down to it, she was weak and her wolf was useless in battle. 

When she returned, her face was pale. 

“It’s the humans,” she spoke but was barely audible. “It’s a war.” 

I swallowed, my body still felt raw and weak. My wolf was quiet and exhausted from the birth, but the smell of burning wood and blood in the air told me I may have to fight. 

I looked at my daughter. She was so small and unaware of the situation. 

“Go,” I told the omega girl. “Find somewhere to hide or run. Don’t come back unless it’s safe.” 

“But Luna Celine…”

“Do as I say,” 

She left. 

I wrapped my daughter in the softest swaddle, then kissed her head one last time. 

“I’ll protect you,” I whispered as I kissed her forehead again. 

As I stepped out through the back door, the night was red. 

There were burning houses and screams echoed through the town. I could see the pack house burning in the distance. 

I crept into the garden between our home and our neighbors, flowers we had tended together. 

My legs trembled, it was obvious I wasn’t strong enough but I’d have to do something until Fred returned. 

My wolf stirred weakly, as I made an opening in the flower bushes and placed my daughter inside it. She just looked up at me with curious eyes. 

“Stay quiet, my heart.” I told her. “May the Goddess be with us.” 

Then I stood up and shifted, passing through the front of the house. 

Pain went through me, my limbs were too weak but I had to do this. 

I noticed a group of people approaching, they were young townsfolk, they held weapons but they were made of silver. 

I had no time to try to understand how a town we had lived for years in unity could be this prepared for a war right under our noses. 

I didn’t snarl, I didn’t show aggression. 

I spoke to them instead. 

“Turn back, this isn’t right. We live in peace, this doesn’t have to happen this way.” 

They didn’t listen to me. 

The first man rushed at me with a knife. 

I dodged him, using my claw to tear at his calf, injuries that could be tended to. I didn’t want to kill anyone, I pushed the next one down before he could attack with his spear, the third threw a firebomb against the side of the house. 

I fought them off now, and I was winning. 

Until something happened. 

There was a sharp pain in my chest. 

My wolf howled, staggering as some strong pain nearly blinded me. 

It was from my bond. 

Fred was hurt badly and I felt it in my bones. I was distracted… they took the opportunity. 

The silver spear plunged into my side and pierced my heart. 

I gasped as the pain caused me to shift back, I collapsed on the floor, bleeding with my mouth still open with a silent cry for my mate. 

I looked to the garden, I couldn’t see my daughter from here but I knew she was there. 

They wouldn’t find her. 

With my last breath, I said a prayer to the Moon Goddess. 

“Watch ov

er her, hide her and let her live.” 

As I closed my eyes for the last time, the only image in my head were her curious eyes.