CHAPTER 3

"You two, stay put don't leave the house no matter what," Phillip ordered. "Noah, you're in charge, protect your sister." 

Noah nodded and they both watched as their parents left.

The pack sprang into action, converging on the border where the rogues were attempting to breach their defenses. It was a fierce battle, with teeth and claws flashing in the moonlight as the two sides clashed.

Phillip was in the thick of it, using his strength and agility to take down as many rogues as he could. He felt a sense of exhilaration that he had never experienced before, the rush of adrenaline as he fought to protect his pack.

But as the battle raged on, he began to realize the true cost of war. He saw pack members falling, injured and bleeding, and felt a pang of guilt for not doing more to protect them. He saw the fear in the eyes of the younger wolves.

As the battle continued, it became clear that the rogues were stronger than the pack had anticipated. They were well-organized and well-prepared, and they managed to breach the pack's defenses.

In the chaos of the battle, Phillip and Maria were separated from each other. Phillip fought bravely, but he was badly injured in the process. Maria, on the other hand, found herself face to face with a rogue who was twice her size.

Despite the odds, Maria fought fiercely. She dodged the rogue's attacks and struck back with all her strength. But just as she thought she had gained the upper hand, the rogue caught her off guard and struck her down.

As Maria fell to the ground, she cried out in pain. Noah, her son, heard her cries and wanted to go outside to help. But his younger sister, Mia, was scared and tried to stop him. "Noah, no! It's not safe out there!" she pleaded.

Noah shook his head. "I have to help Mom and Dad!" he said, determinedly. "You stay inside, Mia. I'll be back soon."

With that, he left the safety of their home and ran through the woods, searching for his parents. As he ran, he heard the sounds of battle getting louder and louder. He knew he was getting closer.

But just as he thought he had found them, he was attacked by a rogue. The rogue was bigger and stronger than Noah, and he found himself struggling to keep up. But he refused to give up, fighting with everything he had.

Meanwhile, Mia couldn't stay inside any longer. She had to help her family. She left the safety of their home and ran into the woods, searching for her parents.

As she ran, she saw a werewolf attacking her mother while her father lay injured on the ground. For the first time in her life, she felt a surge of power within her. She knew what she had to do.

With fierce determination, Mia transformed into a werewolf for the first time. The rogue attacking her mother turned to face her, surprised. But Mia didn't hesitate. She launched herself at the rogue with all her strength, teeth and claws flashing in the moonlight.

For a moment, the two werewolves were evenly matched. But Mia's determination gave her an edge, and soon she gained the upper hand. She tackled the rogue to the ground and pinned him down, teeth bared. 

Fear lingered in the eyes of the rogue, he got on his feet and ran off. Maria was wearing a shocked expression, she was surprised to she her daughter Mia shift, and at that be strong enough to beat a rogue. 

Mia went to sniff her father, he was dead. Maria was losing blood rapidly and even her super-fast healing couldn't save her. 

Just then, other members of the pack, including her brother Noah jumped out of the thicket. 

The scene they beheld was that of a strange wolf they'd never seen before sniffing Philip and pure shock on Maria's features. Noah growled and leapt forward, knocking his sister to the ground. He bit her severally until she transformed back into her human form. 

Everyone was shocked, Maria was immediately taken away for treatment. 

Mia had never been so cold in her life. The damp stone walls of the dungeon seemed to seep into her bones, making her shiver uncontrollably. Her arms were wrapped around her knees as she huddled in the corner, staring blankly ahead.

The sound of footsteps echoed down the hallway, and Mia's head snapped up. She couldn't see who was coming, but she could hear the familiar click of boots on stone. As the figure rounded the corner, Mia's heart sank. It was her older brother Noah.

Noah was a towering figure, with broad shoulders and a stern expression. She had always looked up to him as the perfect elder brother. But now, as he stood before Mia, his face twisted in anger.

"You murderer," he spat at her, his voice cold and hard.

Mia's heart skipped a beat. She had never been accused of anything like this before. "Noah, please," she begged, her voice trembling. "I didn't kill father. It was the rogues."

But Noah didn't want to hear it. "You expect me to believe that?" he snarled. "You were the only one near him that night, you had blood in your mouth. And now he's dead."

She shook her head, "it wasn't his blood I swear, it was the blood of the rogue I fought."

Noah tilted his head backwards and let out an ugly cackle. "Even I couldn't fight off the rogue that attacked me and you expect me to believe that a 10-year-old did that? Mia, you're a pathetic liar."

Mia felt tears welling up in her eyes. She couldn't believe what was happening. How could her own brother accuse her of such a terrible crime? "Please, Noah," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "You have to believe me."

But Noah just shook his head. "I don't have to believe anything," he said. "All I know is that you're a murderer, and you deserve to be locked up in here until the council make their verdict, hopefully, you'll be murdered in cold blood as well."

He turned on his heel and strode away, leaving Mia alone in the dungeon. Mia felt a surge of anger rising up inside her. How could he do this to her? How could he accuse her of something she didn't do? But the anger quickly gave way to despair, and Mia began to cry.