Chapter 1

Willow’s POV

My paws pounded against the earth beneath me and the crisp morning air flows through my black, red tipped fur as I took my morning run through the mountain side as I do every morning in hopes to relieve myself from the burden that lays upon my shoulder from being born into this world knowing now that I was unwanted.

More than a year has passed since our Covent fled the town of Canyon Ridge and has since returned to a more peaceful means of life. I was only seventeen at the time that we were bussed to the Red Moon pack for our safety and a part of me feels like it was left there. It was the last time I could remember my family as a whole.

Thankfully the war against Joshua was won before I turned eighteen and I was introduced to what my other side was and had the knowledge given to me of what to expect when my wolf side finally showed herself on my eighteenth birthday. Alpha Conner and his Beta Ethan have been there for me and so has Emma the Beta’s mate and our new High Priestess as I try to adapt to this new revelation of who I am.

Unfortunately, my parents’ marriage did not survive this ordeal due to the fact I was the only child and I wasn’t my father’s. The man that had raised me and loved me turned his back on me and walked out of my life like I meant little or nothing to him for the past seventeen years. A part of me despised my mother for doing this to us but I knew that this was all the work of Joshua and that she was paying for it with the loss of my father.

We were one of the only families that was affected by this since most of the other families had multiple children and the fathers stayed for the sake of their other children. Everything that I had loved was swept away from me with a blink of an eye and I felt like my world was crashing down on me.

Without my father’s income, my mother and I were forced to move into a smaller home and everything that I had loved and cherished as a child was taken from me. My mother got a job at the local grocery store and I went to work at the diner in between my training to help her make ends meet.

I tried my hardest not to let it show how badly the whole situation was affecting me because everyone else around me was adapting easily to the transition of it and after I got my wolf, I didn’t feel like I was alone in this. When I needed comfort, she knew it and would urge me to go for a run and let it all out, but today the run just wasn’t taking all the pain away.

It was my nineteenth birthday and my mother had completely forgotten about it just as she did the year before. It was as if she despised me for being born and taking her beloved husband away from her. As my wolf came to a stop at the top of the bluff that overlooks the town, I looked down upon it and realized there is nothing left here for me. Alpha Chance had told us all before we left Red Moon pack that we would always be welcomed back and I felt like that was my only way out of this town and all the memories that now haunt me. With that thought my wolf willed me to go to Alpha Conner and ask for his permission to be transferred to Red Moon pack.

That evening before training started, I asked Alpha Conner if I could have a word with him once training was over. Thankfully he agreed to speak with me after training. Unlike the wolf packs, the she wolves of the hybrid pack were commanded to train and I was thankful that we were allowed to because you honestly never know when you are going to need to defend yourself especially since I was without a mate. Alpha Conner and the High Priestess thought that it was best that all the hybrids were able to fight in wolf and witch form to ensure that our town remained safe from anyone that tries to take us down again.

After a year of the training, I actually looked forward to our daily workouts as it let me release stress and I loved the feel of my muscles burning. Today’s training was like every other day, and I gave a hundred percent of myself while doing it and I was at the top of my class in combat.

Once training was over, I quickly showered and went to the Alpha’s office like he had told me to do. Knocking on the door twice I heard the Alpha say, “Come in.” And I opened the door and stepped into his office.

“Willow please take a seat.” Alpha Conner said pointing to the chairs in front of his massive desk. I took a seat like I was told to and then the Alpha asks, “What is it that you would like to speak to me about?”

For some reason I found myself nervous to ask him, but I knew the worst case would be for him to say no so I proceeded by saying, “I’d like to transfer to Red Moon pack.”

Alpha Conner looked at me confused and asked, “Is there a reason you’d like to be transferred there?”

There were a million reasons why I wanted to transfer out of this town, but I decided to just give him one and said, “There is nothing left here for me, but bad memories and I would like a fresh start somewhere else.”

Alpha Conner looked at me with sympathy and he knew my situation better than anyone. He knew that my father had left and he knew my mother and I were struggling to make ends meet. He had offered many times for me to move into the packhouse, but I had thanked him and told him no due to the fact that my mother needed the money that I made to pay the bills at home. “I honestly would hate to see you go. You are one of my best warriors, but I understand why you want to leave. I will call Alpha Chance and make sure he is alright with your request.” Alpha Conner said to me, and I was so thankful that he understood me.

“Thank you, Alpha. I appreciate your kind words and for your understanding.” I said to him as I stood from the seat.

As I turn to walk out of the room, I am stopped by him when he says, “Happy Birthday Willow.”

Tears start to pool in my eyes that someone at least remembered. Without turning I said just above a whisper, “Thank you, Alpha.” And walked out of his office before he could see me cry.

Once I was outside, I raced towards the woods and undressed quickly, throwing my clothes into the small duffle bag I had and shifted into my wolf grabbing the duffle bag with my mouth. I needed the help of my wolf to make the tears stop. I needed to feel free from the world around me crashing down on me. I ran until I felt every muscle in my body begging me to stop and I found myself outside the small cream colored house that I called home for the time being.

My mother’s car was in the driveway and she was already home from work. Stepping behind a bush I shifted and pulled my clothes from the duffle bag and slipped them on before I proceeded to make my way into the house. The tears had stopped but my muscles ached from the run as I pulled on my pants.

Once dressed I walked to the front door and opened it. My mother was sitting on the couch with a glass of her drink, jack and coke, watching television. When she heard the door open she looked at me for a brief moment and then turned back to her show. I shut the door behind me and proceeded to head to my bedroom and I stopped when she said, “I need five hundred dollars from you to pay for the rent this month.”

Anger filled my body at her words. It was my birthday and all she could say to me was that she needed money from me and I was done working to support her. She had caused all this herself and I was done being the one blamed for her mistake. Instead of answering her I headed to my small bedroom that resembled a closet and began packing my bags. I wasn’t going to spend another night under this roof with her.

I was just about done when my door threw open and my mother stood in the doorway with her arms crossed as she asks, “Where do you think you are going?”

My heart began to race and I knew I needed to calm myself down before my wolf took over and killed her. I wanted her to watch another person walk out of her life but this time because of her own doing. She wouldn’t have Joshua to blame for this one. She had done all this one on her own.

“Willow, I asked you a question.” My mother then spat at me.

Zipping up my last bag and throwing it over my shoulder I looked at her as I reached down for my other one and said to her, “I’m leaving.” As I pushed past her and into the hallway.

She then grabbed my arm and said, “You aren’t going anywhere. You have no where to go and no one wants you.”

A laugh came from my lips and I knew that it was a coping mechanism before I say, “You are wrong mother. I could have left long before this, but I stayed for you because I felt bad for you. You are the one no one wants not me and you are the one that has no place to go.”

I could tell that my words stung her from the look on her face and then she raised her hand and slapped me across the face and said, “I wish you were never born. You ruined my life.”

The slap stung my flesh but only for a moment as her words stung even harder and I smiled at her and said, “Well I’m not your problem anymore. Find something or someone new to blame your misfortunes on.” And I then began to walk away from her towards the front door.

“Willow, if you leave this house now you are dead to me.” My mother yelled from behind me as she started to follow me.

Opening the front door to the house I turned and looked at her and said, “I have been dead to you since the day father walked out on you and me. I have no feelings left inside of me to care how you feel about me.”

I turned and walked out of the house and I could hear my mother yelling, “How am I going to afford to live?” That was a problem she was going to have to deal with on her own because I was done feeling sorry for her and I was ready to start a new life at Red Moon pack.