Prolgue: His Dream

Two years ago

It was the early hours of the day Shane Callahan, the son of the Alpha of the BlackMane pack, turned eighteen. Shane looked forward to this day because his father had mentioned countless times that this would be the day he would officially become a man. The day he would seize to be seen as an ordinary boy but as the next alpha of the pack and it's also the day the moon goddess will reveal his mate. He had lived through the past year speculating how wonderful and amazing this day would be, but little did he know that fate had a different story in store for him.

As dawn approached, Shane, still sleeping peacefully, fell into a dream...

He found himself lost in the middle of the forest, surrounded by a thick canopy of trees and a dense bush. He looked around and tried to find a way out of the woods, but there was none. Coupled with that, it was eerily silent. Not even the chirping of birds could be heard. Suddenly he heard a soft whisper of his name in a barely audible voice from the opposite direction. At first, he was sure it was the wind and his ears playing tricks on him, but then the voice came again, a little louder and clearer this time.

"Shane, help! Please help me",

It was a soft female voice.

As soon as he heard the words, his heart skipped a beat, pounding hard against his chest and he let out a deep growl but the voice came again, this time with a loud scream of pain and agony. The sound tore through Shane's heart and brought his sleeping wolf to life as it let out a deafening howl, growling and snarling. His deep forest green eyes locked in the voice's direction and stared past the tall trees and thick bushes while trying to distinguish where and who the sound was coming from.

Shane moved closer to it and focused all his senses on the path of the sound but suddenly he sniffed and the pleasant scent of fresh jasmine wafted into his nostrils. The next thing Shane heard from his wolf, was the word:

Mate.

Before Shane could realize what was happening, he began running, transforming into his wolf form, and tearing through the bushes, trotting past the trees, following the scent of jasmine as it drove him deeper into the forest and closer to the wails of the person they've recognized as their mate.

The further he ran into the forest, the stronger the scent she released and he howled in response to her cries for help, announcing his presence and hoping she would hear him. A warm fuzzy feeling spread through him, his heart surging with deep affection as her wolf pulled him closer, but suddenly there was a loud bang in the distance, snapping Shane out of his dream as his eyes snapped open.

"Alpha Shane, you're needed in your father's chambers,” he heard the familiar male voice say with a tone of urgency.

Blinking away his sleepiness, he looked at the doorway to see one of the Sentinels guarding the packhouse standing by the door, an alarmed and fearful expression etched on his normally stoic face.

"Zack?" Shane asked, rising to a sitting position.

"It's I, Alpha Shane. Your father is in a terrible state as we speak",

Shane frowned, still lost in the memories of his gradually fading dream, while trying to comprehend the waves of fear emanating from the man.

"He collapsed at a meeting with some pack elders this morning and was taken to his quarters. The pack doctor was summoned, but the Alpha demands your..."

As if a switch had just been flipped in Shane's head, he suddenly stood up and ran to his father's room before Zack could complete his statement. Shane walked in and saw his father lying on his bed, his eyes closed and the sheets covering the rest of his body from the neck down. At first sight, his heart dropped and his eyes grew wide. He blinked back the fear that was gradually sipping into him and averted his gaze to meet the pack's doctor, Dr. Mark, who was bent over the Alpha, examining him. Shane took a few steps closer to the bed, with his heart hammering against his chest and the doctor chose that moment to straighten his stance as Shane stood next to him and the bed

"Doctor, what's wrong? Will he be fine? Shane asked with an undertone of panic and fear.

The Doctor looked at Shane, but his gaze returned to the Alpha and he sighed heavily.

"I can't tell until I run the necessary test, Alpha Shane but the way I see it, his condition is serious and it may take a while for him to recover. I don't want us to think negatively until the test results come in.”

Shane nodded absentmindedly, but he was already contemplating how difficult his life was about to become. His father falling ill on his eighteenth birthday hadn't been part of his plans. If the Alpha's condition worsens, he will be left to run the activities of the pack and will have to temporarily serve as the Alpha of the BlackMane pack until his father can take his place.

Shane was scared of this reality because he had no idea what to do. The more he stared at his father’s pale feeble body, the more his apprehension grew. His anxiety was beginning to gnaw at him as he began thinking of the best way to handle the affairs of the pack until his father would regain his health and consciousness but nothing came to mind. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that he wasn’t qualified and capable of shouldering the responsibilities that were about to be heaped on him.

How would he manage the affairs of the pack without his father's help and support? Without a Luna by his side, would people take him seriously? And to make matters worse, he was only eighteen and knew nothing of the pack’s businesses or even his family’s businesses. Everyone knew he was unqualified. Would they even trust him to hold the temporary position of their ruler?

All these questions ran through his mind as his fearful eyes stayed on his father, but suddenly he noticed his body moving under the covers. The doctor quickly removed them, but his face paled.

"I think his condition has become more serious than I expected. I see a stroke coming."

All of Shane's hopes and belief that his father would heal quickly died at the doctor's words and in place of his fears, the harsh reality of his situation began to glare at him.