Prologue

Juniper, 12 years old:

Run.

           That was all I could focus on, running, getting to the safehouse where my siblings would be along with the other non-shifted children of the pack would be.

Just keep going.

           A growl. That’s what pulls me out of my thoughts and causes me to stop in my tracks, my chest heaving from how long and fast I had been running. A twig snaps to my right and I slowly back away.

Daddy, I don’t think I’m going to make it to the safehouse. I mind link my dad; I may not have shifted into my wolf, but all children have the ability mind link their immediate family.

Where are you, Junie? My dad asks.

I’m near the edge of the forest, not sure how far the safehouse is—

           My mind link is interrupted by another growl and that’s when the scent of decay and death hits my nostrils…a rogue. I whimper, frightened of what was going to happen.

“Oh, tiny pup. Are you the one we are looking for? Hmm, you smell like a hybrid to me.” A man says.

           A man steps out from behind the brush and a mangy-looking grey wolf comes out behind him, the smell of them was overwhelming.

“I don’t know what you are talking about.” I whimper, knowing that I wouldn’t be able to outrun fully grown and shifted wolves.

“You smell like the Royal Beta’s daughter, so you must be the hybrid.” The man says.

           He’s tall, not as tall as my daddy but still, he’s huge with big muscles and a scraggly beard. It looked like he hadn’t showered or washed his hair for days, maybe even weeks, it was so greasy. I start to back up once more, and the wolf growls, stepping toward me.

“I think this is the one that Alpha wanted us to take care of.”

           Alpha? How could they have an Alpha if they were rogues from the Rogue Lands? There are no Alpha’s out there, that’s WHY it’s called the Rogue Lands. The wolf growls as if asking a question to the scary looking man in front of me.

“Yeah, get her Jasper.” The man says.

           The wolf lunges at me, I scream but couldn’t take more than a step away from him before he was on top of me. His claws dug into my shoulders, where he was pinning me to the ground and his hot breath was on my neck.

“DADDY!” I scream, over and over.

I need you, daddy. I whimper in the mind link as the wolf’s teeth pierce my throat.

           There was a loud growl as the wolf’s teeth pierce my flesh again, there’s a giant sandy blond blur of fur that throws the mangy grey wolf off me. I keep trying to stay awake as I hear the snarling and snapping of two wolves fighting, and a man yelling for the rogue to leave. The thundering of paws sounded throughout the forest, and I knew then that I was safe. I gave in to the darkness that had been threatening to come over me after I pray to our Moon Goddess to look over my family.

Beep

Beep

Beep

           The beeping sound is really annoying, it’s been going on for forever and it won’t stop. I can’t open my eyes which means I can’t turn this stupid thing off. If this is Annwn, it’s stupid and I want to go somewhere else. Auntie Morrigan was the Goddess of War incarnate and she told me what Annwn was like when she ferried souls of warriors to the God, Arawn. The Moon Goddess should talk to her about lying, it’s not nice.

“When is she going to wake up?” I hear my mom’s voice.

           That’s weird. I shouldn’t be able to hear my mom’s voice.

Come on, stupid eyeballs, open up!

“We don’t know, ma’am. It’s amazing that she even survived the attack. She doesn’t have her wolf and even with her Siren side, her healing is still slower than normal.” A female voice says.

“It’s been over two weeks now!” My dad shouts.

“Beta Killian, I understand that you are frustrated about the situation but the only person who knows when Juniper will wake up is Juniper. You need to give her time to heal.”

           I hear a door open and then close before my mother starts sobbing and I feel a big warm hand on one of mine.

“Oh, my precious little Junie Bug. Daddy is so sorry that he didn’t get to you in time. Please, Junie Bug, if you can hear me squeeze my hand.”

           I can do that! I try and focus everything I have on squeezing my dad’s hand. Nothing happens. I try again, and I feel my fingers move! Praise the Moon Goddess!

“Junie Bug!? Do it again baby girl. Come on squeeze daddy’s hand. Florence! She squeezed my hand!”

           I hear footsteps running toward me, and I feel a soft, delicate hand on my other.

“Baby? Mommy is here too! Can you squeeze both our hands?” My mom whispers.

           Well, they were asking quite a lot, weren’t they? I just got the chance to squeeze dad’s hand and now they want more? Moon Goddess give me strength for this. I focus on both hands doing what my mom wanted. I couldn’t squeeze them both at the same time, but I squeezed my mom’s hand first and then my dad’s. My mom howls in happiness, sobs wracking her body and the door is slammed open.

“What happened!?” A stranger shouts.

“She is squeezing our hands!” My dad shouts, the joy evident in his voice.

           Okay. Squeezed their hands, now gotta open my eyes. Come on, eyeballs, open…nothing. Okay. Umm, open sesame? Again, nothing. STUPID FUCKING EYEBALLS OPEN UP! Whoops, I’m not allowed to curse. I don’t think I should tell my mom or dad about that. Suddenly, I’m looking up at the white ceiling of a room I don’t recognize.

“JUNIE BUG!” My dad shouts, coming into view.

“Daddy.” I try to say but there’s something in my mouth and, from the feel of it, down my throat.

“Hold on, sweet girl, we need to remove the tube, and then you can try and talk.” A soft voice says, and a pretty nurse comes into view before she goes running out of the room.

           A woman in a white lab coat comes running in, with the nurse following in her wake.

“Oh! Juniper! Let’s get that tube out, okay? This is going to be uncomfortable, but it’ll be over soon, okay?”

           I try to nod but I can’t seem to move my head. The doctor and nurse pull the tube from my throat, and I can’t help but cough, and it fucking hurts! Shh, don’t tell my parents that I cursed okay!? I couldn’t help the tears that flowed down my face at the pain that I was experiencing after the tube got pulled.

“Okay, Junie Bug. Let me hear that pretty voice of yours.” My dad says.

“W-wh-what…” I didn’t even finish my question.

           My voice. My voice wasn’t the same. It sounded scratchy and weird.

“Oh. My baby.” My mom cries.

           I don’t understand why she’s crying.

“Is this permanent? Is this how she will sound for the rest of her life?” My father asks the doctor.

“Unfortunately, Beta Killian, I think it will be. She doesn’t have her wolf, and her Siren side isn’t healing her for some reason.”

“She won’t be able to sing.” My mother sobs.

“I don’t believe so, ma’am.” The doctor says.

Not be able to sing!? No! That can’t be! I need to be able to sing! What Siren, even a hybrid, can’t sing!?

           I couldn’t help the sob that wracked my own body, and tore through my throat, the burning intensified.

“Calm down honey, it’s all going to be okay.” My dad says, stroking my hair.

No, it won’t be. Why couldn’t I have just died in the attack? Why did I have to be saved? I think to myself.