Chapter 1

Willow Baker POV

Muffled noises reached my ears.

What was that sound?

I had thought I had lost my hearing when I could no longer hear those monsters or my baby's cries in my final moments.

Had they changed their mind and come back to torment me?

Had they decided to heal me just to break me all over again?

I deserved it. I deserved it for being a failure as a mother.

"Willow." The voice sounded familiar, but I couldn't place it. "Willow, you must hold on. Do it for the baby." My baby. My baby needed me. "Push."

With my head full of cotton, all I could do was obey the voice's command. I didn't know how or what I was pushing, but I pushed with all my might.

A baby's cries cut through the haze, and, for the first time since I regained consciousness, I could clearly see what was happening in front of me.

Asa was cradled in another woman's arms. The sight drove my normally silent wolf mad, and I snarled at the woman to return my baby, my pup, to me.

The woman didn't seem bothered in the slightest and smiled at me. "It's a girl."

She gently placed my baby into my arms, and I completely forgot about her existence as my eyes were focused on my precious Asa. Her black eyes met my own, and my heart swelled with love.

"Asa, mother's here. I'll never let anyone hurt you again," I murmured as I pressed her small body up to my face.

A voice cut through my happy moment. "Willow?"

My dark brown eyes darted from my baby to the woman as I was about to growl at her again when I recognized her.

"Sheila?" I couldn't believe my eyes. "Sheila, is that you?"

Kind, light green eyes shone in my direction. "Yes, it's me." She eased me back onto my back as I clung to my baby. "You should rest. The birth took a lot out of you," she said as she reached out to take Asa from me.

A sudden fear overtook me. I couldn't let her take my baby. I snapped at her. She took a step back, and the sight filled me with shame.

"I...I..."

"Shh, it's okay." When she was certain I wouldn't lash out at her again, she approached me to rub my head. "I'm not going to hurt your baby. I won't take your baby from you."

I knew she wouldn't do that. She hadn't before.

Before? When did this happen before? I only had one baby, Asa. So why did I remember Sheila taking care of Asa while I recovered from the birth?

Completely disoriented, I allowed her to take Asa from me. My inner wolf whimpered at the loss and howled for me to retrieve my baby from her, but I was too tired to fight.

Sheila wasn't a threat. I knew Asa would be in good hands while I rested and figured out why my memories were all jumbled up.

Once I was alone, I stared up at the ceiling. There was no way I couldn't recognize where I was. This was Sheila's home.

Whenever I could, I would sneak away to come here. It didn't matter that I would get punished by Rose every time she caught me leaving her home without her expressed permission.

It was only thanks to Sheila that I could stay sane in this messed up place. She had been the one to treat my wounds and fill my belly with food.

Not once did she raise her hand to strike me or treat me like a slave. She had treated me like I was my own person and loved me as if I were her own daughter.

This place was the only place I had ever felt loved or wanted.

That was until those horrid beasts burned down the place with Sheila still inside.

They had done it as retaliation since Sheila refused to tell them where I had gone. She must have suffered greatly at their hands.

I hadn't even known what happened to her until her husband came after me in revenge.

He had only tolerated me because of his wife. He had always believed I would bring trouble to their footsteps, and he was right.

If she hadn't helped me, if she hadn't cared for me, she wouldn't have died such a miserable death.

She would have still been alive, living happily and ignorant of the horrors behind the Wright family which ruled the Bane Pack.

At least, that should have been the case.

Yet, Sheila had stood before me alive and breathing. Her hands had felt warm and soothing against my damp forehead. There was no way I could mistake her for anyone else.

Had everything just been a long nightmare? Could my fears have manifested into an illusion to haunt me?

There was only one person—or rather, one wolf—I could turn to in my time of need. The question was whether or not she would answer me.

'Winter, do you understand what's happening? Didn't I die? How is Sheila still alive?'

Fortunately, my inner wolf chose not to ignore me this time like she normally would have.

'There's only one possible explanation. The Moon Goddess must have intervened.'

At those words, I sucked in my breath.

The Moon Goddess.

Out of the three deities that once ruled over the world, the Moon Goddess was the only one left. It was thanks to her that the world was mostly ruled by werewolves.

Why would she interfere for my sake? I wasn't a devout follower like some werewolves, and I sired a pup that obviously carried demon blood. I would be the last person she would extend a hand to.

'Who knows the Moon Goddess's will. You shouldn't waste this second chance that has bestowed upon you.'

She was right. Who knew if I would be given another chance if I messed up. This time I wasn't going to waste my life away as a slave for someone else.

'Good. If you dare let yourself be that bitch's punching bag again, I'll kill you myself.'

For now, I needed to recover my energy before I could think about my next course of action.