Prologue

She had watched Vienna the fox swiftly move through the forest, avoiding all species that were roaming the land. It did not take long for her to find the small cabin where the alphas had planned their secret meeting. Even she was impressed at the young fox's skills. It did not take the fox long to learn the details of the meeting, where it would be, who it was with, and most importantly, what it was about. There was a reason she had personally asked Vienna to look into the dealings of these alphas.

Of course, Vienna did not know that it was the Goddess herself who hired her.

Vienna had only been banished from the Fox's court for two weeks before she started wreaking havoc on anyone that crossed her path. Stealing, lying, cheating was all it took for Vienna to gain a reputation for being a trickster. It took Vienna five weeks to realise that her talents of wreaking havoc was of interest to others. Soon every creature around the world knew that if they were desperate enough, they could hire her to do their dirty work.

The Goddess had watched Vienna for months as she was hired by all types of creatures to do any sort of job. One of her first jobs was to steal a Lion King's gold for a group of laughing hyenas. She turned an entire pack of wolves against one another, so another pack could take their territory. She had poisoned a flying hawk of nobility to fall to the ground to be captured by his enemies. Doing all for a hefty price.

They thought she was driven by selfish greed, but the Goddess saw her true intentions. Before Vienna ever excepted a job, she

knew everything about it. Vienna always knew what she was getting herself into. The good and the bad. Vienna knew the kind of people she was dealing with. The Goddess knew as well. As for everyone else, they only knew what Vienna wanted them to know.

She may have been the Goddess of the Unknown Creatures, but Vienna was the Queen of tricks. That was what she let them know. That is what they called her.

She let them know that no matter how powerful they thought they were, she could reach them. It did not matter where they came from, or what species they were, they could be beaten. No one was untouchable. That nothing was untouchable.

Vienna let them believe that if she knew their name, she also knew every one of their deepest, darkest secrets. That she was not afraid to reveal their deepest, darkest secrets. For the right price.

The Goddess was most impressed that Vienna had accomplished her reputation in such a short time. She was now in her fourth year. She was young when she was banished. Most children her age, male or female, would not have survived. Vienna was young, but she was good.

They did not know her age. She did not let them know her true age. The Goddess knew though, the Goddess knew everything.

She watched the young silver fox creep closer to the cabin, not making a sound. The young fox waited, listening intently from outside. Vienna's silver ears directed to the source of the low murmuring of voices the Goddess could not understand due to some sort of power that blocked her own. The dark power did not let her own power see inside the cabin, not in the way she normally could.

The cabin was located in the middle of no man's land, the middle of nowhere. A territory that was not claimed by any creature. In the middle of an unknown forest, trees older than the Goddess herself protecting it. The cabin was a small wooden rectangle with a high pointed roof. The cabin was inconspicuous and barely noticeable. No one would assume it would hold such horrors.

The alphas had chosen to have the meeting at midnight under the cover of darkness, where no one would accidentally stumble upon them.

Only a couple of trusted guards for each of the four males inside. Proving Vienna's information correct that only a few creatures knew about the dealings that were taking place. Vienna had guessed that most of the guards did not even know what was happening inside that Cabin.

The noise in the cabin grew louder as if someone was yelling. Yelling what? Only Vienna would know. The powers that blocked the Goddess's were old and dark. Something she had not come across in a very long time.

That was why Vienna was so important. Vienna could hear exactly what was happening on the inside because no one was expecting a white fox to come around. This way the Goddess could watch the meeting take place from inside her hidden castle.

As the yelling grew louder, the Goddess knew that soon it would be time for Vienna to act. With a bright light, Vienna shifted into her small female form. Quickly and quietly she slowly opened the window on the side of the cabin. A job she would not have been able to accomplish as a fox. She did it so gracefully even the wolf guards standing at attention did not notice her presence. Neither did the males inside the cabin.

Without a squeak from the window, she opened it wide enough for her small body to fit into. Only after checking to make sure the coast was clear, she shifted back into the safety of her fox form. The bright light flashing.

Vienna listened to the growling that came from inside the cabin. The sound was more muffled than it should have been from the dark power surrounding it. Waiting for the perfect time to make her move.

The Goddess did not want to make a scene. She did not want the rest of the unknown creatures to know about the war that was so close to destroying everyone. A war that would affect every unknown and know creature that lived on the planet.

Four alphas believed that Wolf Shifters were the strongest. Wolf Shifters were the smartest. They were the most powerful. That the Wolf Shifters deserved to rule. They believed that all the other creatures meant nothing. They deserved to either die or be slaves. It did not matter if they were a land, air, or a water shifter, none of them had a purpose.

Four alphas decided that they would start a war. A war between the Unknown.

They would unite the wolves and destroy any creature that got in their way. Every pack would join. The wolves who did not see the world as the alphas did, would perish along with the rest of the creatures that tried to stop them. They would mutilate the world around them. The ones who bowed would live to be their slaves or playthings. That is what had Vienna learned.

The Goddess had sat on the sidelines for long enough. The Unknowns had decided long ago that they did not need her anymore. Yet when her back was turned, they all turned their backs on each other.

Creatures hated other creatures. Mothers and fathers could not keep their families together. Shifters plotted against other shifters. Sister tried to slaughter sister. Brothers stabbed their brothers in the back, over and over again. They did not share, nor care about anyone but themselves. There was no love between them. They were not the creatures she once knew.

Now a war was brewing, and it was almost too late to stop it. The Goddess learned long ago that to win a war, you ended it before it could take effect. That was what Vienna was here to do. That was what the young alpha of the Viribus Pack inside, was going to do.

They did not know about one another. Who they were to each other. The Goddess had made sure of it. They could not know, not yet. That was why she took away his senses for Vienna. Vienna would not understand what was happening, who he was to her. But he would definitely understand. He would do anything to keep her safe. To keep her with him. But it was too early. They were too young. Neither of them were ready. The world was not ready.

Inside the cabin, the fighting started. Vienna used her powerful legs and jumped onto the windowsill. She watched the three men as they attempted to kill the fourth because he was not what they wanted.

They wanted a clone of his father. A clone of the father the young alpha had killed only a few weeks previously. They wanted a murderer, someone willing to start a war between the worlds, so the Wolves could be on top of it.

He was another soul who let the world believe he was someone else. The world thought he killed his father for the alpha position. For the fame and glory, only the alpha of one of the strongest packs in the world could get, but that was not why he did it. The young alpha had killed his father because of this meeting.

He learned his father's plan to bring destruction to the Unknown World. He knew that these alphas were truly greedy and cruel. This is why he killed his father, to save the rest of the world. He kept it from them to save them from the panic. He became what they believed he was, only to save them.

He would not stop with just his father. That is why he was at this meeting. He knew the three other alphas were hoping he was like his father. They hoped to coax him into playing his father's role. But he was there to kill them.

The young alpha planned to take them all out by himself. Kill them to end the war. Finish it before it began. He was strong, stronger than any male she had seen in a long time. But he was young. She feared that when the fight began he would not make it out alive. The young alpha was smart, but he was not a trickster.

He did not know that the Goddess was watching him. That she had sent Vienna. Vienna was his backup, the backup he did not know about.

All Vienna knew was that she was hired by an unnamed creature to stop this war. To end three old alphas. To keep the young alpha alive.

Vienna watched on her windowsill as the three alphas fought the young male. She waited at first to see if the young alpha could handle the older males by himself. The Goddess could tell that Vienna was impressed by his skill.

He was good, but the older men were cautious. They knew he was stronger than them, and they knew that there was a chance he would not see the war the same as they did. They had set up tricks just in case.

They had not planed for Vienna, the Queen of Tricks, to be watching though. Every trick they laid, she saw coming. They used old ones and new ones. Ones with dark power, ones with fists, and ones with wits. When Vienna decided that the young alpha could not handle it by himself, she moved to action.

With the window open, the dark power was weakened enough that the Goddess could foggily see inside. The cabin was one open room with two small windows and one door. With pillars and beams running from the floor to the top of the roof holding the cabin in place. It was mostly empty except for a couple of chairs and a large table that was in the middle of the cabin. The four men stood on the far side of the open room growling at each other.

She watched as Vienna jumped into the small wooden cabin to stop the old alphas tricks and start her own. She quickly scratched away any traps that were written with dark power on the ground that could stop him from moving. She disabled any secret weapons they hid under the large tables.

The young alpha was not fighting the way he normally would. He was weaker, his punches not making as much of an impact as they should have been. He was slower, not able to dodge their attacks. The young alpha was not thinking straight.

The Goddess knew that somehow the alphas had injected the young alpha with a mild form of wolfs-bane that would weaken him.

One alpha moved faster than the young sluggish alpha could manage, as his elongated claws ripped open the young alpha's chest.

The alpha roared with pain but did not stop fighting. For most wolves that scratch would have been their undoing. Even with the wolfs-bane, it did not faze the young alpha. He kept on fighting, clawing, roaring, promising death for them.

While the males were occupied with fighting one another Vienna crawled across the old beams that held the cabin together. She crawled right to the top where the unsuspecting spy sat with a bow and arrow aimed for the young alpha's heart. In a flash, she disarmed the spy letting her fall to the ground.

For a second the alphas froze from their fighting as the body hit the ground. She used that time to pour the vile of purple syrup on the skin of the young alpha to reverse the effects of the wolfs-bane. Vienna had anticipated that the old males would use such dirty tricks.

The old alphas watched as the wolfs-bane slowly evaporated from the young alpha's system. Once the syrup had touched his skin he felt his true power come back. The Goddess watched as the fighting began again. The young alpha dodged, blocked, and hit. One of the old alphas got too close, moving too slow, as the young alpha was able to get his arms around him, killing him insistently.

The two alphas knew now that the younger one had his strength back, defeating him hand to hand would be impossible. They both went to grab the weapons they hid inside their coats. The one chose a short dagger, one side sharp and lithe, the other side cut up like a saw. The other alpha went for a long machete type of blade. They both advanced on the young alpha who bore no weapons besides the ones he was born with.

Vienna noticed that the dark power that surrounded them was stopping anyone from shifting inside the cabin. The alphas could not shift into their wolf forms, and she could not shift into her human form. That was why they brought their weapons. Most wolves did not carry weapons. They would lose them when they shifted, their wolf form being the only weapon they needed.

The Goddess watched as Vienna made sure to stay far away from the fighting between the wolves. She was used to tricking people from a distance. Her hand to hand combat skills were not up to par with the experienced alphas.

Vienna jumped down to one of the lower pillars. Right above the alpha with the machete type blade. His weapon was not much help in such a cramped room, he seemed to be having a harder time fighting than his companion. Using her snout she grabbed another vial that was tied around her neck. She slowly dripped the yellow syrup on top of the alpha. It was a similar type of wolfs-bane they had used on the younger alpha, but much stronger. Vienna was not above using such dirty tricks. The yellow syrup was one of her favourites. It did not kill, it was paralysed.

Almost at once, the old alpha started to sweat and shake, slowly losing all feeling throughout his body. Falling to the ground, the shaking stopped until he was dead. The wolfs-bane would paralyse someone until they were given the cure. Only a few people knew the cure. The Goddess knew that the alpha would be paralysed for a very long time. Forever if she could help it.

Only one wicked alpha left. He had watched the silver fox from the low beam in the ceiling as she had poisoned his friend. He knew who she was the moment he saw her. In the corner of his eye, he watched as she climbed down the beam to the floor behind him.

The Goddess watched as the old alpha set his sights on the fox. In only fluid motion, he threw his wicked blade straight for the foxes abdomen. It would rip her apart.

The blade was fast, but she was ready. Narrowly missing the blade it slammed into the wall behind her. There was just enough time for her to look him in the eye. The Goddess could have sworn Vienna smirked. That was when the old alpha knew it was a trap.

She had let the old male see what she had done to his companion, let herself be known to him. It distracted him just long enough for the young alpha to take control of the fight and kill the last alpha on the spot.

With the action over the two of them froze. With two alphas dead, one paralysed, and a dead spy laying on the ground, the young alpha and the young fox stared at each other.

The Goddess made sure she blocked any feelings they had from themselves and each other. Yet, they still stared.

Then the fox turned her head, jumped through the open window, and ran into the dark forest. Leaving the young alpha with three and a half-dead bodies, and twelve unsuspecting and unaware guards outside.

The Goddess laughed to herself. Their future was not going to be boring.