Prologue

*Warning! Dark start, description of death. Skip this chapter if you are a sensitive reader*

-Anastasia-

As the house erupted in chaos, I covered my ears with my hands. I had been told I couldn’t scream. I had to be as quiet as the dead. But I was so scared. My small heart pounded in my chest, and tears streamed down my face. I bit my lip to stifle any noise, but small whimpers escaped anyway. The screams and growls filled the house, and I squeezed my eyes shut.

“Please… go away…” I whispered.

I knew I shouldn’t speak, but I just wanted it all to stop. I wanted everything to be quiet… I wanted my mom. I longed for her safe arms and for my dad to come and tell me everything would be all right. But neither of them came. Time passed… so much time passed. Then, suddenly, everything went silent.

I couldn’t understand what had happened. I stopped rocking back and forth and slowly lowered my hands. I glanced around the dark closet before finally taking the chance to push the door open and peek out. No one was there… but as I crawled out and moved past my bed, I saw a body.

I screamed. I couldn’t help it. I scrambled backward, pressing myself against the wall, my breath coming in ragged gasps. I couldn’t stop staring. It really was a dead body… The woman was from my pack. I had never spoken to her, but I had seen her many times. The woman’s cold, dead eyes stared in my direction. Her chest had been torn open, blood everywhere…

I couldn’t stop it. I threw up all the food from dinner. It hurt—violent and uncontrollable. I coughed and coughed, thinking I might choke. It took a while before I could stop. Then I slumped against the wall, trembling, drenched in sweat.

Where was my mom? Where was my dad? Where was my brother?

“Mom…” I cried softly.

I was too scared to move from the floor. I felt so cold, but I knew I had to find her. I had to find them all.

“Mom!”

I didn’t stop to think if the lycans had left. All I knew was that I needed to find my mom. I pushed myself up, my legs shaking, but somehow, they managed to carry me out of the room. I took just one step outside my bedroom before I froze. I wanted to scream, but only a small, pained whimper escaped as I took in the carnage before me. The massacre. Bodies… parts of bodies… blood everywhere, splattered on the walls. It covered everything, and they were all… dead.

“Mom… Dad…”

I cried, forcing myself to move through the house, trying not to focus on the death that surrounded me.

“Mom! Dad!”

I ran down the hallway toward my dad’s office. I rushed through the open doors, but neither of them was there. I sprinted away from the room and into their bedroom. That’s when I saw her.

“Mom?”

She was lying on the bed, her dress torn, barely covering her. It was so red now—her dress had been white.

“Mom!”

I leaped onto the bed, crawling toward her, desperate to see her face. She was turned away from me. I gently rolled her over, but her body was limp. She didn’t move. Her eyes stared blankly into nothing.

“Mom? Mom!”

I shook her, tears streaming down my cheeks.

“Please… no! NO! NO! NO!”

My cries turned into screams as I shook her harder, as if I could somehow wake her up. I needed her. I needed her so much.

“Mom! PLEASE!” I screamed. “PLEASE! NO! Don’t leave me! Mom! Wake up! MOM!”

I screamed until there was nothing left in me. I collapsed, hugging her, rocking back and forth, sobbing uncontrollably. I didn’t know what else to do but hold her and hope it was all a nightmare. That none of it was real. That I would wake up soon. I had to wake up.

“It’s going to be okay,” I whimpered. “We’re going to be okay… You’ll come back to me.”

I stroked her hair, clinging to her as if my life depended on it.

“You’ll be okay. We’re all okay,” I whispered.

I buried my face in her hair. Even though her body was growing cold, she still smelled like her. She still smelled like lilies.

“Please… I need you…”

Suddenly, a new scent hit my nose—smoke. I sat up straighter, fear surging through me again. I turned around and saw smoke billowing into the room. I jumped off the bed and ran into the hallway. That’s when I saw it: the flames. They were spreading across one side of the house, roaring hungrily.

I rushed back into the bedroom, back to my mom.

“Mom! Please! We need to go!” I grabbed her arm, trying to pull her with me, but I was too weak. Too small.

“Mom! Please!” I dragged her inch by inch, but I couldn’t leave her. I wouldn’t leave her.

“Please! Mom!”

The smoke thickened, the flames grew stronger. Would I die here?