Fearing Fate

DAYA POV My feet hit the forest floor over and over again- taking me away from the place I have called home for the last 12 years. I breathe in the crisp morning air as it stings my nose and lungs with each inhale I take. I dodge branches, hop over roots, and rip through freshly spun spider webs. I am not sure how long I have been running, but the sun is not up yet. There is a calmness in the forest that I try to take in to still my own nerves. I reach a clearing and look up to the morning sky as the sun begins to make its ascent. I let out a deep sigh and look back in the direction from where I ran. I wipe the sweat from my brow and tighten my ponytail. Time to head back and begin my last day here with the Eclipse Pack. Tomorrow is the first day of my journey to take back mine and my sisters’ birthright- our original territory. Everyone wonders if supernatural beings are real- we are. We live amongst humans and blend in like any other person you would see on the street.

DARIUS POV It’s late morning on Saturday and I’m already elbow deep in paperwork. How is this my life? I fucking hate paperwork. I’ve been Alpha for 11 years and I have yet to figure out where all this paperwork comes from. It’s a cruel joke by the universe. I swear, eighty-five percent of being an Alpha is signing your name. The other fifteen percent is a combination of going to meetings to discuss the things that were written on the paperwork, and defending my pack when threats arise- I could do without that portion. It seems like there are always threats looming and I can never take a breath. I stare up from my desk and look out the window. A fresh coating of snow covers the ground. My wolf is pressing beneath the surface, eager for a run in the snow. We both enjoy the feel of fresh snowing being kicked up into clouds of white dust under our paws. It is such a magical feeling, disappearing into a cloud of white dust. I wish I could disappear some days. I never wanted, or

DARIUS POV Dinner is over and I have about an hour until this Diamond chick arrives. Gives me enough time to shower and look more presentable. I walk over to my personal cottage within the pack. There is a packhouse where my office is located. Most alphas and ranked wolves usually live in the packhouse, but I like my privacy. Plus, the extra rooms in the pack house are great for the younger pack members to use until they can afford their own places. While they stay in the pack house, they maintain it and share duties like cooking for the pack members who stay there, and general cleaning around the packhouse. It’s good for them and teaches them some responsibility, while giving them a sense of independence. I get inside and let out a big exhale. I’ve never been one for extravagance. My pack’s main source of income is a construction business that has been doing really well the last few years. I’d rather put that money into maintaining the pack and helping my pack members. I b

DARIUS POV It’s been a week. One week since Diamond has assumed her role as lead trainer for our female warrior squad. To say we got off on the wrong foot is putting it lightly. I was ready to send the girl packing. I’m glad I didn’t because the women fucking love her as their trainer. I have been hearing nothing but positive feedback from our female warriors. Even Justin has mentioned that Daya is running a great squad. I haven’t spoken to her much this last week, except the morning after she arrived- after her morning training session, she asked me for a meeting. I thought she was going to tender her resignation- which would have been fine with me. Instead, she apologized again and then she told me about some friend of hers from some pack in California who is apparently some genius when it comes to strategy and pack safety and defense. At first, I wanted to tell her to fuck off and save her favors for somebody who needs them. But I bit my tongue and let myself consider

DARIUS POV A rat. A fucking rat. How could this happen? Why was this happening now? My pack members seem happy. Nobody complains, but then again, if people were unhappy with me, would they truly bring it that complaint to me- probably not. It felt like a knife was being driven into my back. I guess, metaphorically, I am being stabbed in the back. But by whom? Who amongst my pack members would stoop so low to associate with rogues and offer my head to them? And on top of that, endanger the rest of our pack. Rogues are unpredictable wolves. Not having a pack to call their own can make them become wild and feral. We have been lucky that we haven’t lost any pack members this last year during the rogue attacks, but many have been injured. Several of our warriors were close to losing their lives. And a few of the females were targeted as well- it’s common for rogue wolves to kidnap young and unmated she-wolves to force mark them and rape them. This ties the she-wolf to that rogue under the