Chapter 1| Invasion of the Great Pack

"Charles, please hide Astrid. Please, protect her at all cost," my mother said to my father's Beta. 

I didn't have any idea what was happening. It was a peaceful night in the middle of the woods, in my father's pack, no other than the great Red Moon Pack. It was called "great" due we've always won in every battle plus the healthy economy of our pack. 

One of the large income shares was coming from agriculture, and my father always focused on that field to nurture it more. His goal is no one would die from hunger and that everyone will eat a fair amount of food every day. That's the reason why the pack became great because the people always did their best to repay my father. After all, my father himself takes care of them very well. I could say he's a true leader.

I simply looked outside the window. I could say there's nothing wrong because all that I could hear was the sound of nature. 

Bugs, night owls, and nearby rivers make a sound. 

A cold breeze of the night makes the trees and falling leaves dance. 

The bright rays of the full moon in the evening sky show the beauty of the forest.

It was so peaceful.

But, from what I've heard and seen how my mother is restless and afraid of something, it seems that something bad will happen.

"Mother... Tell me. What is it?" an eighteen-year-old me asked my mother in a worried voice.

My heart started to beat faster when she didn't utter any words. She only stared at me, and I could see her holding back her tears.

I gulped hard as I felt my heart was going to explode. I didn't like this kind of feeling. It was so foreign to me. I am always confident, and my parents showered me with their love. So, worrying is unfamiliar to me.

"Mother... Don't make me afraid," I said in a cracked voice when fear had already kicked in inside my chest. I ran into her and hugged her tightly.

At the moment I heard her heart beating faster like mine, I bit my lower lip.

So, it is true. There is something bad happening. I wonder what it is. 

But it seems I am not ready to hear it. 

Am afraid to hear it.

"Sweetie, listen to me." She cupped both of my cheeks and stared into my eyes lovingly.

"I love you. We love you, okay?" she said. The emotions that she was holding back earlier were broken when tears flowed in her cheeks.

Why does it feel like she's saying her last goodbye?

"Mother, stop saying that!" I couldn't help but raise my voice. Not because I am angry at her. It was because I'm hella afraid of what's going on.

Our attention got caught from the door when it banged open.

"Catherine!" my father, George, exclaimed.

He stopped in his trance when he saw me. 

He gulped.

For eighteen years of my existence, this was the first time I saw my father get worried.

He shifted his gaze back to my mother.

"The pack is already positioned on the border. We don't have much time," he said and walked closer to Catherine.

"Charles, do what I said. Protect her, hide her," all my mother said and pushed me to Charles.

"Mother... Where are you going? Where is Charles taking me? Mother! Mother!" I started to panic when Charles dragged me out at the back door of our house.

I glanced at George. He didn't even look at me for the last time. I know he was trying to look like he is tough and strong since he's the Alpha of this pack. But in this kind of situation, all I need is his emotional support. At least one more glance because I will never know if I still have this chance to look at each other's eyes as a family.

"No!!!" I yelled when Charles successfully dragged me out of our house. 

Before the back door closed, I heard what Catherine said.

"I couldn't believe that the whole council and the alliance pack betrayed us."

"Come on, Miss Astrid! Get hold back yourself! We don't have much time! We need to run!" Charles said impatiently.

I was still in a shock that made me barely move a muscle because of what I'd heard from my mother.

Now, it's clear.

There was a bloody war.

"Miss Astrid!!! Come back to your senses!!!" Charles tried to wake me up once again.

When he saw no progress in me, he hissed and shifted into his wolf form.

"Ride!" he commanded.

I blinked my eyes a couple of times when I heard the urgency in his deep voice.

Even if I don't wanna leave my parents in this dangerous situation, I have no choice but to oblige them. Plus, I know to myself I ain't strong enough to help them. I might become a burden if I join the war. I just had my wolf last month on my eighteen birthday. It was a painful transformation but worth it. 

But still, my skill couldn't reach the level that Catherine and George have.

When I was already sitting on Charles's back, he started to run. I immediately gripped his fur to prevent me from falling to the ground. He ran so fast that I couldn't see one specific tree in a second. I narrowed my eyes due to the strong wind welcoming my face.

Suddenly, my heart skipped a beat, and I felt numb when the deafening sound of the bombing explosion was heard from our origin. My heart throbbed, and I felt a sharp knife stab my chest as I felt my connection with my parents start losing.

"No..."

I was about to look back at our origin but stopped when I heard Charles growling.

"Don't look back!" he yelled in a deep voice and ran faster. I could feel his muscles shaking. I could tell he was crying.

When things sank in, I cried badly.

"My p-parents!" I broke into tears and sobbed. I buried my face in Charles's neck as I cried my heart out.

My mourning was interrupted when Charles bumped into something.

He growled in pain and fell badly to the ground. 

I lost my grip on his fur, and I fell to the ground as well.

I groaned silently and shut my eyes firmly when the pain kicked in my back down to my waist. 

It was really a bad fall.

"How dare you---" Charles word's were cut off in an instant.

I slowly opened my eyes to see who Charles was talking with. 

I froze when I saw that there was a sword aimed at his neck from an unknown man.

I looked everywhere, and I saw we were surrounded by a group of werewolves.

"Charles..." I called shakingly.

Charles looked in my direction, and I could see the fear drawn in his eyes. Fear not for his life. Instead, fear for my life.

"Miss Astrid, run!!!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. The next thing I saw, the sword aimed at his neck earlier cut his head. His body slowly falls to the ground as his head rolls in my direction.

It stopped rolling when it bumped into the rock near me. I saw his lifeless bloody face, opened eyes and mouth agape in extreme pain and worry.

"N-No..." I stuttered and my body was shaking in fear.

I stood up as fast as I could just to run away.

Before I could take a step away, a strong grip on my right arm stopped me from escaping. I yelped in pain as I looked at the person standing right behind me.

I gulped hard when I saw he was the man who killed Charles. He has golden eyes, tan skin, a pointed nose, a strong jaw, and smooth brown wavy hair. He has this clean beard on his face. 

His gaze was raging as if he was taking my soul away. 

I was looking up at him. He was big and taller than me. It looked like he was an Alpha.

Before I could protest and withdraw my arm so I could run to escape, a refreshing scent of eucalyptus and river lingered in my nostrils. I sniffed it and looked into his eyes.

I could see he was stunned but got back to his senses and firm again in a second.

Then, a realization hit me when my inner wolf, Sarah, exclaimed unexpected words inside my head.

'Mate!'