Chapter 1

UNKNOWN POV

It’s hard to say when the defining moment is as a child. The moment you sway to one side of a divided household, usually composed of so many small moments that you’re unaware you’ve even been swayed.

For as long as I could remember my mother would tell us stories, and not bedtime stories, stories that she fully believed contained the truth. When I was younger, I found them entertaining, especially in the way she was theatrical and captivating when she delivered them. She spun the simplest details into a web of questions that drew me in, and her eyes would light up as she spoke of myths, legends, and prophecies. 

As I got older, her tone would get more serious, they became less story and more warning in nature. The way she introduced us to our world gave us appreciation for other species, but a deep pride for our own. She was always driven by her curiosity, her love for possibilities, and her love for her children. She wanted the very best for us, and to her, that meant wanting us to follow our dreams and passions.

My father’s idea of the very best for us was giving us more status, more wealth, more admiration from others. He was power-driven and gave little thought or merit to what my mother tried to instill as he pushed me, leading as an example of what he wanted me to become. 

An oracle had visited once when I was fifteen, and my mother of course had taken full advantage of the opportunity. Her only request was for the oracle to tell her children something, anything, she deemed important enough for us to know about our futures. 

“When there is more dark than light, your soul will become complete, but tread carefully, as only your heart will make you worthy of your destiny.”

Oracles were never easy.

While her words elated my mother, this was the one time my father chose to intervene. He waited until we were alone and told me that those afforded to dream and instill happiness, were only afforded those luxuries from someone who protected them from the reality of things.  

He didn’t need to say much, I could see how distracted my siblings already were by my mother’s antics. While they lived in ignorant bliss, my father worked tirelessly behind the scenes to build our life and their false sense of security.  

Though I’m sure my mother intended the opposite, this was the moment I realized that stories are just that. That one’s destiny is in their own hands, a series of choices that we make that allows us to take the risks we want in life, and position ourselves for greatness.

*Author's note: This book is a stand-alone and can be read without the others, however, for those wanting the full storyline this is book 2. This book contains spoilers for Timber Alpha, as it takes place after and will give you a peek into book 3 that will be added onto the length of Timber Alpha, not as a stand alone.