Chapter 1

NATHANIEL

"Word is getting around, Nathaniel. The demons are getting edgy. They say you're becoming weak," Rozol said as we made our way through the woods.

"They say that all the time. Nothing is new. I was banished from my lair, remember?"

To be fair, they had every right to.

Demons and werewolves didn't exactly mix well together. Toss some vampires and demons together, and everything was grand. Just not the former.

It all stemmed from a war that ensued centuries ago, wiping out thousands of werewolves. To this day, no one knew what had caused the demons to act out, and declare war against the werewolves.

Not one to back down from a fight, the werewolves had maintained the enmity.

When you were born into two feuding species, it was hard to pick a side. Well, it had been hard at first, but I had no such difficulty anymore.

I was the leader over my lair until they found out I was more than a demon. The betrayal had cut deep.

A ferocious beast they'd called me. I was barely alive when they left me and my brothers beaten and broken.

I had a pack now, and they had my back. Of course, that was because they didn't know I was part demon.

They didn't have to, though.

That was a secret I would take to my grave. I didn't want to lose the love and respect these men had for me.

"Your men approach. Until next time, old friend."

Rozol faded into darkness just as I heard their paws hitting the hard ground.

Kai, my Zeta, shifted into his human form, his face etched into a frown. The others behind him remained in their wolf form.

"What's wrong?"

"We have a situation. We found paw prints by our border. That isn't even the surprising part. There is a car a couple of feet away from the border. A couple was found dead inside. They were mauled by wolves. The back door is open, but we didn't see anyone around. Worst of all, the wolves are dead."

"Where is Logan?" I asked, referring to my beta.

"He is there with the rest of the Enforcers. They are watching the border just in case something pops up."

"Good."

I slid my hand to my button, undoing my pants.

"What?" I asked when Kai raised a brow at me. "These are designer pants. The same goes for the shirt. I've ripped a lot of them in the past. These things cost money."

When I was done undressing, I nodded. "Let's go."

We shifted simultaneously, and I picked up my clothes with my fangs before breaking into a run, the rest behind me.

I was zipping my pants when Kai and the rest burst out of the thick trees.

"It's like you get faster the moment I'm able to keep up with your pace," Kai said, panting heavily.

I shrugged. "Not my fault you can't keep up."

"We're racing tomorrow. I need to sharpen up my skills."

"Can you two focus?" Logan cut in, a look of exasperation on his face.

"Where is the car?" I asked.

"I'll take you there," Logan offered. "It made me sick to my stomach to see what they did to the couple."

Logan was by no means a soft man, and he was no stranger to blood and gore. For someone like him to feel that way, the attack had to be brutal.

My suspicions were confirmed when I got to the scene.

The man had his head torn from his body with his intestines hanging out, while the woman's chest was ripped open. Her heart was missing.

I moved to the dead werewolves, crouching down in front of one.

I took its massive head in my hand, pulling its mouth wide open. Blood coated its fang, the strong smell of it making me reach forward to swipe at it with one of my hands.

I brought my blood-stained fingers to my nose, taking a whiff of it. I'd just wiped my hand on the wolf's fur when I picked up a similar scent. It was faint, but I got it.

"There is a third person."

"What do you mean?"

"Come with me."

I changed directions, taking a curve into a thicker part of the woods. Branches scraped at my face as I followed the scent.

The deeper we went, the stronger the scent became.

"Do you hear that?" Logan asked, his ear parking up.

"Yes. There is a waterfall up ahead."

***

AYRA

I had to move faster.

I couldn't let them get to me.

My limbs didn't cooperate with my thoughts, though. The further ahead I went, the more it felt like I was going to pass out.

Blood dripped from my side, but there was nothing I could do to stop it. Shifting to my human form would be a bad idea - especially now that I was more vulnerable than ever with the bleeding wound on my side.

I burst out of the thicket, dropping to the ground as my exhaustion claimed me.

I was thirsty, but I couldn't bring myself to move any further. I was weak to my bones.

Throughout my journey through the woods, I didn't hear anyone follow me. Maybe those two were the only ones who came to attack us.

I'd just closed my eyes when I heard it.

The sound of a twig breaking.

Adrenaline flooded me, and all the strength I thought I lost filled me with a vengeance. I couldn't let them kill me without fighting. If I was going down, then I'd do so fighting.

I forced myself to remain still, straining my ear to pick up any sound that would help me get an inkling of where my attacker was.

I didn't have to wait for long before I heard the masculine voice.

"Over here, Nathaniel. I found a dead wolf."

Good. They didn't know I was alive.

"The blood belongs to it," another man said.

I heard footsteps as they approached. I waited until the last possible moment when one had crouched on the ground before lunging, taking him to the ground.

"Let him go," the other man growled.

The one I had pinned to the ground smiled. "No, Logan. There is no need for the threats."

Was I seeing right? He was smiling when I had him pinned to the floor. Did he think I couldn't kill him?

I bared my fangs at him, letting him know I wouldn't hesitate to sink my fangs into his throat.

I knew I couldn't keep up my stance for long. The adrenaline was gradually leaving my body, and I could feel my body weakening.

I collapsed on the man's chest when an excruciating pressure fell upon my mind. I couldn't decipher what it was, but it was too late, anyway.

I lost consciousness.

***

Regaining consciousness was like I'd been submerged into water, and I was just getting my first drag of air.

My upper body jerked off the bed as I heaved, sucking oxygen into my lungs.

"Welcome back to the land of the living."

That voice.

I knew it from somewhere. I'd heard it before, but as I tried to remember a blinding pain hit my skull.

"Don't force it. Your memory will return once you're settled."

How did he know that was what I'd been trying to do?"

I looked around the dark room, trying to pinpoint his exact location, but I couldn't.

"Your supernatural senses are going to fail you for a few days."

"Where are you?" I asked, not liking that he had the upper hand. He could dash out of the dark at any time and lunge for me without my knowledge.

On cue, the lights came on, and I had to shut my eyes for a brief moment to adjust to the brightness of the room.

When I opened my eyes, I saw the man in an armchair. He was intimidating without even having to try.

The air around him reeked of power, and even with the distance between us, I could sense it.

His black hair was cropped into a buzz cut, leaving the hard lines and features of his face discernible. His thick brows were set over deep green eyes surrounded by gold rings.

Those green eyes of his were calculating as he watched me.

"Well? Are you going to kill me now or what?"

He smiled, the simple action transforming his face from a terrifying mask to a beautiful one.

Don't get me wrong, he was hot without having to smile, but there was an openness to his face that wasn't there when he didn't.

"You'd be dead if I wanted to kill you. You've been unconscious for a week now."

"A week?"

"It's understandable. You were poisoned."

I had no recollection of what he was talking about.

"I already told you. Don't force yourself to remember. Your memory should come back in a day or two."

"Where am I?"

"The Borough."

The Borough. That could only mean one thing - this was the Crimson Shadow pack. I'd heard rumors about how the place was heaven on earth, and it was accessible to the members of the pack.

Set on a magical island of some sort, no one knew how to get there. At least no one I knew did.

"We should get you something to eat. You look skinny," he said, his nose wrinkling in disapproval.

I refrained from telling him that I'd always been skinny. I had no idea how I knew that, but I did.

I placed my feet on the floor, gasping when I saw the marks around my ankle.

"Silver. Will take a while to heal," the man said.

"Who are you?" I asked, wondering if he was trustworthy.

"Nathaniel."

"Nathaniel, can I speak to your Alpha?"

His lips twitched up like he was trying to contain a smile. "Sure. I'll take you to him after you get some clothes and food."

My stomach growled in response. "My stomach agrees."

"What's the first stop? Food or clothes."

"Food."

He grinned at me. "Smart woman."

"Ayra."

He raised a brow at me. "What do you mean?"

"I'm Ayra."