Chapter Two

William's POV

William woke up and looked at the clock. Tia had already left for school. He tried to get up but did not have the energy. The room started to spin again, so Will laid back down. It was clear he was not going anywhere today. He had not been feeling well for the last week, but today was by far the worst. So he figured he would rest a while longer and then stop by Dr. Milfords office.

He woke again hours later but in no better shape. Will felt as if an elephant was sitting on his chest, and he was having a hard time breathing. He could not even lift his body to get up. Panic and pain set in as William reached for his telephone on the nightstand. He dialed 911.

Tatiana's POV

As the bus pulled up to Tatiana's driveway, she noticed the ambulance. Her breath caught in her throat as she hurried out the door. As she stepped past the ambulance, She saw her father wheeled out of the house on a stretcher.

"Dad!" She called, forcing the EMTs to look in her direction.

She ran up to him, and he reached out for her hand. He was pale, and his grasp was weak, but he forced a smile and tried to reassure her that he would be ok. She looked imploringly at the EMTs.

"What is wrong? Where are you taking him?"

One of them guided her off to the side, out of earshot of her Dad, and said, "We think your father has had a series of heart attacks, and we need to get him to the hospital right away. We are bringing him to the local clinic, where he will be airlifted to Seattle. Do you have someone who can come stay with you will he is gone?"

No! Tia screamed inside her own head. He is my whole world. He is all I have. Finally, however, she forced herself to nod. "Yes, my mom will be home soon."

He nodded, "Once he is stabilized, he will have access to a telephone to call you."

She nodded as tears welled up in her eyes. She bit her tongue to force them back. The EMT hopped into the back of the ambulance and pulled the door shut behind him. It slowly pulled out of the driveway, leaving Tia standing. She felt more alone than she had ever felt in her life. The dam finally broke, and tears streamed down her face. She dropped to her knees and sobbed. He looked so weak and so human. She looked back at the house but could not get herself to go inside. She could smell the sickness within. Blinded by tears, she made a run for the tree line. She shed her clothes under the nearest log and shifted before crashing deeper into the forest. The trees around her blurred. The only thing she felt was overwhelming fear and loneliness. She tried to outrun it, but it stayed with her every step. What if he never came back? Where would she go? She would have no one. What had she done to the Moon Goddess to be forsaken like this? Her fear switched to anger, and she pushed forward faster and faster. Talia's muscles burned, but she kept running. She had no idea how far she had gone or in what direction, but as her wolf finally entered a clearing, her fur stood up on her neck. On the other side of the clearing stood a sandy-colored wolf with amber eyes on her. His ears perked up, and his head cocked to the side. They just stared at each other for a moment. She had never been this close to another wolf before. He was beautiful. Tia could not take her eyes off him. The wolf watched her a bit longer before turning as if he was going to head back into the trees, only to stop again and look back. Tatiana wobbled slightly on her heavy legs and moved toward the cover of the trees. As she turned and took a few steps, she heard an earth-shattering snap, and pain rolled up her left leg. She collapsed and looked down at her leg. It was caught in a trap. Her white fur turning red as blood seeped from the wound. Forgetting about the other wolf, she let out a tortured howl. She stabbed at the trap with her free paw, whimpering and whining in pain. Her head rolled back as the pain threatened to render her unconscious. It was then that she noticed the wolf again. He had moved across the clearing and was now standing above her, and this time he was not alone.

Dante's POV

Dante's nose twitched into the air as he picked up an unusual scent. It was pleasant, but nothing he had ever smelt before. He quietly stepped away from his pack mates and entered a clearing just as a stunning white wolf burst out of the tree line. Her violet eyes coming to rest on him. She was panting and appeared exhausted, but her whole body perked in interest at the sight of him. She was definitely the source of the scent, and she was not from his pack. He did not think she was rogue because he sensed no aggression or fear. The wolf stumbled a bit, and she turned to head back into the woods. Suddenly Dante heard the sickening snap of a trap. The wolf howled in pain and collapsed in the tall grass. The sound brought Dante's packmates running in his direction. He had been out on the run with his human Duncan's parents. Alpha Bran burst out of the trees first but slid to a stop next to his son. Relieved at the sight of Dante standing before him, Bran growled, "Hunters!"

Dante darted off in the direction of the white wolf, calling over his shoulder, "She is over here." Alpha Bran and Luna Carina trotted off after their son.