Chapter 1

Ryder's P.O.V

That girl will be the death of me still. What have I gotten myself into?

Thinking of simpler times I tried to get everything into the little cottage that will be me and Mary's home for the next month or two before we would need to move on while also trying to finish the breakfast before she woke up.

She never understands that I am doing this for her, to keep her safe from everyone and everything.

At least that is the excuse I use whenever she asks me. I painted this picture of a group of bad men that are following us and that they want to take her away from me to somewhere where she would be sad.

It's been working so far but I do for a fact know that I would need to get a better story together because as she gets older she will be asking more intelligent questions and won't be falling for this stupid story anymore.

All she wants to do is go out and play and make friends but I can't risk anyone seeing and recognising her for who she really is.

One would think that after being together for the past 5 years that I would have gotten used to her but no. I'm still a little useless in the child care department, and the kitchen, and a few other departments as well but...

"Dad, DAD..."

Why is she screaming?

When I looked down and finally came back from all the thoughts I saw why she was screaming.

I had burned the eggs AGAIN.

"Ugh, I can't seem to do anything right today. Sorry love.

Let me just start over and then we can eat.

Here have a sausage so long."

I handed her one of the sausages that by miracle was perfectly cooked while I started with the eggs for the third time this morning.

This is what happens when you are in a new place and haven't even packed anything out because you stopped at two in the morning and just wanted to get the five year old in bed otherwise you were going to be sitting with a cranky toddler and for that I don't think I have the patience especially between the moving.

At least I have learned not to get too comfortable and keep only items we absolutely need and use and move that along with us, not carrying anything unnecessary with us.

Good thing that these small town folk are also very trusting and don't mind letting out furnished cottages and small apartments.

Its best to stick to the small, middle of nowhere places as its a lower chance of Mary getting recognised.

Genes have never been more against me in this situation. She is already starting to look the same as her mother at age five so I don't want to know the similarities as she gets older.

Her mother is... was...

A little poke made me focus again. Just on time or I would have had to start with the eggs for a Fourth time and for that I'm really not patient enough.

After breakfast and clean-up we moved the rest of the clothes and boxes from the car into the cottage.

Planning to start unpacking afterwards and get everything in the place it needs to be.

Living near the forest definitely has its perks.

Nobody usually comes out this far and I don't have to worry about Mary wandering too far in her search for friends because she is a little scared of the shadows that creep around as the wind blows.

Carrying the last box into the cottage I hear voices.

Not just little Mary's but another child's voice.

Did she really already have someone to bother me with?

Running out I smell werewolf and its not little Mary's masked scent. It's another one.

Panicking that we have been found out I ran out to see the two playing around in the dirt with her doll and his little toy car.

When he saw me he smelled the air and then scrunched his nose.

That's how I knew we would not be staying here long.

You see I am a werewolf and little Mary also but we are classified as rogues as we don't have a pack affiliation and move along quite a lot because I want to keep little Mary safe.

She doesn't know what we are. To her werewolves and vampires and such are just stories and theory that people made up to pass their time.

The little boy made a weak excuse and left while I started packing again to leave before he had the time to get back to their pack lands and notify his Alpha of our presence.

Although we are on neutral territory he might still try and pick a fight with me.

I'm good but not that good.

Alpha blood makes them so much bigger, faster and stronger.

My warrior status wouldn't be enough to beat him.

"Mary, come and help me pack. We need to leave now."

I don't have a place in mind as I thought I would have a little more time here to decide.

I asked around and there wasn't any mentions of a pack living here in the area so they must be of the old ones choosing to not be known.

That in fact makes them even more dangerous than any other pack.

They don't follow the laws of his Majesty and go their own way.

You could get beheaded or killed for looking at someone the wrong way.

This is exactly another reason why I don't want to have a pack affiliation and also why I am keeping this from Mary.

I have just seen too many good people being punished or die for absolutely no reason.

" I don't want to leave. I want to go and play with my new friend. Plwease daddy?"

I knew once she started using that little voice of her that I would be done for so I would need to be strict here and now and get this conversation over with.

I could always hug her later and explain that we were in danger and that's why we had to go again.

Explaining right now wasn't an option.

"Mary, please just pack. We really do need to go before the bad men come for us again. They caught up to us."

After she heard this she dropped the frown and I wiped the tears from her eyes.

She packed everything up and asked if she could leave a sorry note for her friend so he doesn't worry when he comes looking for her to play.

I told her as long as I could see it before she left it it wouldn't be a problem.

Just needed to make sure that she doesn't leave him anything in the letter.

Not that she knows where we are going, hell even I don't know where but still.

Can never be too safe especially...