Chapter 1

TWO YEARS AGO

Ember’s POV

I held my brother tightly against my chest, his fifteen year old body trembling against my eighteen year old one.

“I’m so cold, Ember,” Caden said to me, his teeth were chattering violently.

“I know,” I whispered, even though my voice trembled more than I wanted it to. “Mum will be back soon, okay? Just hold on.” I ruffled his hair and rubbed his back, hoping the small gestures would bring him comfort, or at least distract him.

The truth was, I was worried. Mum had left us to hunt hours ago, long before the rain started pouring. She had no hat, no umbrella, nothing to shield her from this storm. My eyes kept darting to the tent’s entrance, half expecting her to appear, soaked but safe.

The tent flapped wildly in the wind, its thin fabric offering us little protection. Every so often, the entrance slit would fly open, letting in cold rain and streaks of mud. I had tried to secure it, but the pin was too weak against the force of the wind.

Caden’s arms tightened around me suddenly, and I felt his body stiffen. “Do you hear that?” he whispered, his voice shaking in fear.

I froze and strained to listen. That’s when I heard it, the distant pounding of hooves. My stomach clenched.

“Who are they?” Caden asked, his voice barely audible.

“Shhh,” I said, holding him closer. “They’ll pass by. Just close your eyes.” I tried to sound calm, but my chest was already tight with fear.

The hoofbeats grew louder, and then, to my horror, they stopped right outside our tent.

Men’s voices broke through the rain, laughing and jeering.

“No,” I whispered as I pulled Caden closer, as though I could make us both disappear.

The tent flap was torn open with a sudden violent rip, and the icy air flooded in. Three men stood there, their faces shadowed but unmistakably cruel and wicked. One of them stepped forward and grabbed Caden, yanking him out of my arms.

“Leave him alone!” I screamed, lunging after him.

A heavy boot struck my leg, and I went down hard, my hands sinking into the mud. The wet earth stung my eyes, leaving my vision blurred with a murky brown haze.

“Well, well, well,” one of the men said, his tone mockingly cheerful. “What do we have here?”

I tried to scramble to my feet, but a large hand grabbed my hair and yanked me upright. Pain shot through my scalp as the man dragged me forward, his grip unrelenting.

“Look at this one,” he said, his lips curling into a grin. “What a sweet little thing. Don’t you think, Sirius?”

“Sweet enough,” another man replied, his voice laced with amusement. “Bring her here, Draven. Let’s have a closer look.”

“Leave her alone!” Caden screamed, his voice cracking with desperation.

He stomped hard on the foot of the man holding him and the man cursed loudly, releasing Caden for just a moment. But before my brother could reach me, a massive fist swung through the air, striking him across the head.

“No!” I screamed as Caden crumpled to the ground. “Caden!”

Tears blurred my vision, but I couldn’t look away from him as he lay face down in the mud, motionless.

“Stop it! He’s just a boy!” I yelled, my voice breaking as I twisted in the man’s grasp.

The man holding me chuckled, a deep guttural sound. “The girl’s right, Sirius,” he said to the other man. “You’ll break him.”

“Please,” I begged, choking on a sob. “We don’t have anything. We didn’t do anything. Just let us go.”

“Oh, but you do have something of value, love,” the man said, his tone dripping with malice. “You can work. You can dance. And you’re a woman.”

The other men laughed, their amusement cutting through the storm like sharp knives.

“No,” I whispered, shaking my head as my knees gave away. “Please…”

The ropes bit into my wrists and ankles as Draven tied me up, his movements rough and careless. I couldn’t stop him. I could only watch as the other men spread through our small clan, ripping open the tents and dragging people out into the mud. Screams echoed all around me, but they didn’t care. They didn’t stop.

I was hoisted onto the back of a horse like a sack of grain, my body limp with exhaustion and fear. Draven mounted behind me, his hand holding me in place as the horse began to move.

I twisted my head, straining for one last glimpse of Caden. He was still lying in the mud, his small body was curled in on itself. One of the men kicked him, and I saw him clutch his stomach weakly in response.

Tears spilled down my cheeks as the distance grew, and soon, the only thing I could see was the rain.

I lost consciousness with his name on my lips, wondering what mum would do when she came back and found us gone.

*****

TWO YEARS LATER

It’s been two years since I last saw my mother and brother. After the attack, I woke up in what resembled a concentration camp. Humans and werewolves from different raided places were crammed together in horrible conditions, their faces painted with despair. Fortunately for me, I didn’t stay there long.

The very next day, I was dragged out of the camp and shoved into a filthy old van. From snippets of conversation among the traffickers, I learned that a hundred of us had been sold to Alpha Thorne, the most feared and revered Alpha in the plains.

“They say he’s so cruel and evil, no other Alpha dares to challenge him,” whispered Kaya, a wiry human girl I’d met at the camp. Her bright blond hair was so long it nearly dragged on the ground. So I’d braided it into one thick plait for her to keep it out of the way.

“I’d kill him if I had the chance,” I muttered in a flat tone, glaring at the men outside.

“Shhh! Keep your voice down,” Kaya hissed as she glanced around nervously. “You don’t want that kind of attention.”

“I don’t care,” I snapped, although my voice was low. “I don’t know where my brother is. I’ve watched everyone here, and he’s not among them. He’s my only priority.”

Kaya’s green eyes softened, but her voice was stern. “Then don’t die. How will you find him if you make the traffickers angry and get yourself killed?”

She was right. As much as I hated admitting it, I couldn’t afford to let my anger get the best of me. I had to stay alive, for my brother, for my mother. Worry stung my chest but I kept my face blank, locking my emotions away.

“Stop right there!” a trafficker’s bark cut through the air suddenly.

Everyone turned in the direction of the commotion. A young man had bolted from the group, sprinting toward the tree line in a desperate attempt to escape.

The tall man perched on top of our cage jumped down without a word. As he gave chase, his body began to twist and contort. His bones snapped and realigned, fur sprouting from his skin. Within seconds, he had transformed into a massive brown werewolf.

Gasps erupted from the humans around me. For many of them, this was the first time they’d witnessed a shift up close. The werewolf’s strides were impossibly fast, and in mere moments, he was upon the fleeing man. With a bone crunching bite to the neck, the escapee fell limp on the ground.

Kaya gripped my arm, her nails digging into my skin. I turned to her and saw tears streaming down her face.

“That’s what happens when you try to run,” one of the traffickers sneered, his laughter cutting through the group’s silence.

“Each of you is worth a hefty sum,” he continued, pacing slowly in front of us. “Don’t think you can escape so easily. That boy? He was sold to Alpha Thorne. And trust me, the Alpha doesn’t take kindly to disobedience.”

The werewolf trotted back to the van, blood still dripping from his jaws. He was enormous, his head was level with our knees even as we sat caged. He growled low, then rammed his massive shoulder into the side of the cage as a threat. The impact sent most of the group scrambling to the opposite side, huddled around each other and trembling.

But I didn’t move.

The truck came to life, and we began our journey. The werewolf ran alongside us, his pace steady and relentless.

Hours passed, and he never slowed.

“He’s so strong,” Kaya whispered, with awe in her voice. She tilted her head up to look at me. “Can you run like that?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted quietly. “I’ve never turned.”

Her eyebrows shot up. “Never? Are you… a runt?”

The word hit me like a slap, and I snapped my head toward her, my eyes narrowing in offense.

Kaya’s face turned pale. “I’m so sorry. That was rude… I shouldn’t have, sorry.” She stammered, shrinking away from me.

The rest of the ride was silent.

By evening, the road signs began to change, the simple black squares with “THORNE” printed in bold letters made my stomach twisted with unease.

When the truck finally stopped, we were greeted by the sight of Alpha Thorne’s massive estate. The towering iron gates loomed like monster teeth, daring anyone to enter.

My skin prickled as a chill crept over me, this was his territory.

The man who killed my father.

And I had no idea what awaited me next.