Chapter 1: The attack

They came like a thief in the night with no warning. One moment, my Pack were thriving and happy, and the next, it was up in smoke with the screams of the dying rising to the heavens. Rogues have been the bane of werewolves' existence. They were creating havoc and killing the innocent. They are like cancer that won't go away no matter what you do.

Our Pack, the Running Creek pack, is located far south of the state. We have heard about the plague of the rogues in other places, rumours of it encroaching towards our borders, but my father never took it seriously.

His mistake.

My father, God bless him, was an idealist, a man who rarely advocated violence. Our Pack lived in peace and harmony. Everyone was treated equally, whether you were an alpha, a beta, or an omega.

My mother, ruling beside him, was a kind-hearted omega whose love for her Pack was felt by all in the Pack. Her smile was like the sun's touch, and everyone yearned to bask in its brightness.

They were good leaders and have led our Pack for twenty-five years. In all those years, we have never had any issues—not with our neighbouring packs and certainly not with the humans who coexist alongside us.

I was their only heir, and my father did his best to shelter me. I was trained in the ways of the warrior, but along with my training, my father drummed it inside me that violence should be a last resort.

I lived my life firmly in that belief until the night my rosy, enclosed little world shattered. The rogues came on mating night, a festival we celebrate annually so that wolves of age could find their mate. This year, I was one of those looking forward to seeing their mate. I turned eighteen a few weeks before the mating festival.

I grew up under the bright rays of my parents' love for each other and have longed for a mate and something akin to what they have ever since I was old enough to understand what a mate is.

I love my boyfriend, Zach, and I was looking forward to him being my mate tonight. I have made many requests to the moon goddess. I even wished for the shooting star that passed through our sky a few nights ago. I am a night watcher.

What I mean is that I love sitting on the window frame in my bedroom, staring into the night. It doesn't matter if the stars light them up. I love the night, and with my wolf vision, I can see clearly into the night. Another reason I love the night so much is that everything is still and calm. I can hear myself think.

I am a thinker and a daydreamer.

Most of the time, my daydreams involve planning my future with Zach by my side. When I turn twenty-five, I will one day rule my Pack. Dad will step down and hand over the reigns to me. I had hoped to be a good leader for my people like he was. Also, I daydream of having little kids that look like Zach running around the Pack.

That always brought a smile to my lips.

Zach and I have been dating for three years. We started as best friends, and then things evolved from there. We haven't consummated our relationship because we are waiting for the right time—when we become mates.

Sex is so much better when it is with the other half of your soul.

Zach was gorgeous. He was a warrior in training, but what most attracted me to him was his gentle heart. He never lorded his position or strength over anyone and was very protective, especially of the ones he loved.

When I arrived at the ballroom decorated for the ceremony, the first person I sorted out was Zach. Tonight, the moon goddess will allow our wolves to seek out their mate, and it only happens on this night. You must wait for another mating festival if you don't find your mate tonight.

I was a little bit late to the party, and that is because I could never arrive on time for anything. I was combing the mini crowd gathered in the room, comprising my Pack and our neighbouring packs, when I felt a shift in the crowd.

The atmosphere became tense as words of what was happening passed down through the crowd. The people's agitation rose to the ceiling like smoke as the words spread like wildfire.

Soon, it reached me. We were under attack by the rogues. Before I could take in the shocking news, the room was invaded. Rogues poured in like a mass of ants, attacking and killing anyone they could reach.

Warriors started shifting to meet them while others tried to get people to safety. I was a warrior and have been training for this. I have never fought a rogue before, but I will be damned if I don't defend my territory with every drop of my blood.

Fury, like no other, beseeched me as the dying scream of my people echoed loudly into the room. It didn't take long for the room to be saturated with the scent of death.

My blue eyes turned yellow as my wolf roamed the surface, furious as me. I was about to let out when a hand clasped firmly to my wrist, snapping me out of my rage. I turned to see Zach beside me, a solemn expression on his face.

My heart rejoiced at the sight of him. He was alright. "Zach!" I exclaimed happily. He didn't return my enthusiastic greeting but pulled me away from the crowded and messy room.

"Where are we going?" I demanded as we weaved our way through the chaos rampaging the room.

"To somewhere safe."

I stopped abruptly, pulling my hand away from his grip. I wasn't a coward and didn't appreciate that he made me run away when our Pack was in danger. Being the Alpha's heir meant I had to fight, and I clarified that to him.

"I want to fight."

He shook his head. "I'm sorry, Fallon, but the Alpha has asked me to get you to safety."

I opened my mouth to argue with him, but a snarl behind us caught our attention. We looked to find two massive rogues snarling at us, their eyes glowing red.

One thing about rogues is that they operate on their most basic instinct. The animal half is much more in control than the human half.

"You have to go now, Fallon!" Zach pushed me behind him and then changed into his wolf. A massive, beautiful grey-furred wolf that still came short in size compared to the rogues. Zach is one of our best training warriors, but he is still training, and I don't think he could take on two rogues by himself, so I ignored his words and shifted beside him. He growled to tell me he didn't like what I did.

I am an Alpha, which means my wolf is more massive than the rogues and Zach. I took the one facing me, and Zach went for the other.