Prologue

Alissa stretched out her toes, feeling the soft grass under her feet, she sighed; content. She wondered if the day was going to be the day. Her brothers had told her to expect burning first. She knew it would hurt, your first time always hurts. Alissa should have been studying about the wolf council but her mum had given her the afternoon off to enjoy the sunshine; her parents were enjoying themselves too. The sun always brought out a different side of them, they were play fighting in the kitchen; giggling like pups. She drowned out their voices focusing on the trees and the birds, the world at peace.

The hairs on the back of her neck prickled. She opened her eyes scanning the tree line, she couldn't hear anything, but something didn't feel right. She scanned harder; nothing. Her mind had to be playing tricks on her. She relaxed her shoulders, feeling the sun on her face. She thought of the pack, she looked forward to joining them. Being the youngest, she would be the last of the family to initiate.

“Alissa, dinner's ready!” She opened her eyes, in front of her were big black eyes. She froze. Big white teeth flashed. The wolf was eight feet away, if he was fit enough he could reach her in one jump. Alissa thought fast, his husky colouring with a dipped grey paw definitely looked unfamiliar. “Do we know you?” 

He snarled in return. 

“Alissa are you-” Her father saw what Alissa saw and ran to protect his daughter, at that moment the wolf pounced. Alissa stood preparing for the bite, but it never came. Her father had got there first. He punched the wolf with all his might. 

“Mum! Help” Her mother sprinted out the patio doors, instantly joining the fight. 

“Baby girl step back!” she screamed at Alissa, catching her daughter's chest. Alissa was pushed forcefully, her back hitting the wooden wall. 

Snarling and thrashing ensued, her dad fell heavily to the ground as Alissa's mum managed to get her arms around the huge husky wolf's neck. Alissa closed her eyes, back against the house. Fear gripped at every fibre of her being. 

She couldn't move. 

Then all was silent. 

She opened her eyes, she saw her mother lying on the ground, her eyes glassed over looking at Alissa. She ran to her, “Mum! Mum!” She shook her. Her hands finding the wounds on her stomach. “No-” she sobbed. 

A cough made her look over to her father. She crawled to him, tears misting her vision. “Dad!” Alissa placed her hands over his chest. Blood soaking his shirt. She found the wound and she pushed on it. He coughed again. Blood spluttering from his mouth. “No, no dad!” she cried, he reached up to her cheek, his hand sticky in his own blood. He tried to speak, in doing so, more blood left his mouth. The light left his bright emerald eyes. His hand fell limp from her cheek. His protective air, gone. 

Alissa laid over her father's body, she screamed.  A high pitched noise pierced the air as her tears mixed with blood on the soft grass. She heard movement behind her, and then hands were on her shoulders. “Alissa!” her brother Michael's voice could be heard. “Alissa what have you done?!” He pulled her to her feet. 

Alissa turned her tear stained face around to her brother. “Me?” She stared in horror.

Michael gripped her upper arm and dragged her from the scene. Alissa struggled against him but she was no match for him, her strength would come but she was as weak as a human. In that moment she despised her wolf for not being there. “How could you!” Her brother spat, his emerald eyes flashed yellow. 

“Michael, please I didn't!” She struggled and his grip tightened. 

Jack's form hurried across the grounds; grounds they all called home. “Alissa? What’s teh matter?” he shouted before skidding to a halt before the pair. “What's going on?” Jack stood taller than his siblings, his proud straight back demonstrating authority as he trained to be the next Beta of the Wuffaman Pack. His chestnut hair and emerald eyes matched his siblings perfectly. 

“She's killed them!” Michael screamed, his eyes wild. Jack stopped dead in his tracks 

“I didn't! It wasn't me!” Alissa begged, her two brother's at least a head taller than her flanked her. 

“Take her to Alpha, I'll look at the scene,” Jack ordered emotionlessly, he set off towards their family home. While Michael dragged Alissa to the main house.