Chapter 1

When my mate and the Alpha of the Silvermoon pack, Ares Hamilton, was forced to choose between saving my mother or retrieving his lover's late mother's keepsake, he chose the keepsake without hesitation.

By the time Ares finally learned that my mother, Celia Hale, had died, he wept and begged for my forgiveness. But by then, I was long gone.

…

To the left, beneath an overhang in the rock wall, Mom was cornered by three Rogues with her back jammed against the stone.

Even worse, a boulder wedged in a crack above her head had been loosened by the Rogues' heavy blows with a steel pipe. Now, bits of stone were breaking off and tumbling down.

One jagged chip grazed Mom's ear, opening a cut along her cheekbone.

To the right, two Rogues hacked at an iron chest that held Margaret's keepsake.

Lillian Parker gripped Ares' arm as her whole body shook. "That's… That's my mom's keepsake."

"Ares! That rock above my mom's head is about to fall!" I shouted.

I had no patience for Lillian's feeble plea. My throat tightened as I grabbed Ares' arm and tried to drag him to the left. "Let me through! Even if all I can do is shove that rock away from my mom, I have to try!"

Ares caught my wrist, his knuckles whitening. "Your wolf is too weak. You'd just get in the way."

His eyes swept over the fight, and he frowned. "We have to save them both. Wait a little longer."

"Wait?" I said incredulously.

I watched a steel pipe smash into Mom's arm. She stumbled and slammed into the wall.

The boulder above her shook again, the crack widening another half inch. My eyes welled with tears. "Wait for the rock to crush her? That chest is just an object. My mom is alive!"

Ares didn't answer, but he suddenly barked an order toward the rear, "Send half the team to protect the chest! If Margaret's keepsake gets smashed, no one will hear the end of it! The rest of you…"

His eyes shifted to the two young werewolves in the group. They had only recently awakened their wolves and were barely three months into training.

Just yesterday, they couldn't even hold a dagger steady during sparring. Now, their faces were ashen as their hands shook around their blades.

"You two, go get Celia out of there," Ares ordered.

The two young werewolves turned as white as sheets, their knees almost knocking from their shaking.

"Ares, are you out of your mind?" I wrenched free from his grip. "They can't even protect themselves! You're sending them to their deaths with my mom!"

"We're short on warriors." He pulled me back, his voice cold and unyielding. "Margaret's keepsake can't be destroyed. It's all Lillian has left to remember her mom."

"What are you saying?" I stared at him in disbelief.

On Mom's side, one of the Rogues kicked at the wall. The boulder above shuddered with a heavy rumble, scattering more debris.

I tried to rush over, but I was yanked back again.

A vein throbbed at Ares' temple. He was clearly losing patience. "Evelyn, stop! We'll handle it in order. Once the chest is safe, we'll get your mom."

"In order?"

I saw the two young werewolves being shoved forward by their comrades, inching toward the rock face.

They had barely gotten within 30 feet when a shower of stone chunks fell from above. They immediately crouched and covered their heads, too scared to move.

I looked back at Mom. She was gritting her teeth, trying to sidestep, but a Rogue kicked her in the knee and slammed her into the wall.

The boulder above lurched hard. The crack now nearly split it in two.

I forgot everything else. My knees buckled as I clutched Ares' jacket, my voice breaking. "Ares, I'm begging you! Please! Save her! She's the only family I have left. Please save her…"

He glanced down at me. Something flickered in his eyes, but Lillian's choked cry cut through. "The chest!"

The Rogues seemed convinced it held something valuable. They hammered at its metal sides again and again.

Ares' brow twitched. He charged over with a team.

On Mom's side, a Rogue, apparently irritated, swung a steel pipe at the rock beside her.

With a deafening crash, the boulder finally gave way and plunged downward.

"Mom!" I cried out.

I could only watch as the boulder crashed down over her.

I bolted forward in a frenzy.

Ares secured the chest and took down the Rogues. He held a trembling, nearly fainting Lillian in his arms as worry etched across his face.

"Lillian's shaken. I'll take her back first."

With that, he left, and the rest of the warriors followed.

I barely heard him.

In front of me, Mom lay sprawled in the rubble. Her back was torn open where the boulder had hit, and blood soaked through her shirt. Her breathing was shallow.

My hands shook as I rolled her over. She forced her eyes open and looked at me.

Her lips moved, but no sound came, and only a froth of blood at the corner of her mouth appeared.

"Mom! Hold on!" I clutched her tight, my tears falling onto her face. "I'm going to get the pack healer! I'll go right now!"