Chapter One

I stared ahead at the empty seats of the cafe that used to be filled with fun and buzzing people as I waited for my co-worker to come and take over as my shift had already ended.

I quietly packed my bag while glancing over at the woman at the far end of the cafe. She had been the only one in the cafe. I compiled my check for the day as I would be heading over to my boss's house to submit them.

As I waited, Damien strode in wearing a long face which was so unlike him as the customers loved him because he was always cheerful and carried an aura of happiness around.

"Oh, there you are", I said as he approached the counter. He looked at me, I could sense something was not right. "Are you okay?" I asked him again, this time coming closer to take a closer look at his face. "I can help you cover your shift if you are not feeling okay". I didn't mind covering up his shift, because he had done so for me a couple of times.

"We need to close up. Our boss died this morning. I am just coming from his house and his family requested that we close up and bring the keys to the house", Damien said.

I was lost for words as I sank into my chair. This illness is spreading faster than we can imagine and we are losing more people in our packs daily. Tears spilled out of my eyes as I realized that I would never see the face of my boss or hear him make funny jokes that would fill the cafe with laughter. I sat there moping at Damien as if he was some kind of alien from a different planet. 

We were distracted by the customer at the end of the cafe who had finished her business and was leaving already. She tipped us and waved us goodbye but we couldn't care about the tip as we were so occupied with a lot going through our minds. We packed up in silence, covering the tables and eastern wares as this was going to be our last time here as we did not know when next the place was going to be opened by my boss's family.

Within thirty minutes, we were done packing and clearing up everywhere. As I locked the door of the cafe. I handed Damien the keys to take to my boss's house as I headed home.

My house was just a few blocks from the place where I worked, the streets were so empty with few people who were in a hurry to get home. I smiled at a few faces which I had recognized. As I rounded the corner, I got to a square that was always filled with people who were either eating or drinking and having fun after a long day. The square was partially empty as people no longer visited it.

It was weird how things had taken a different turn in a space of weeks since the illness broke out. The pack had gone from being a bubbly and productive pack to one in which the pack members live in fear and dread unsure of who next would catch the strange sickness. Nobody who had gotten the sickness ever survived. They always die after two or three days of contact. This sickness was not contagious as it affects random people. The pack doctors have not been able to find a way around it as the pack keeps losing its members and living in fear of who else is to be taken by this illness. The Alpha of the pack had reached out to the best doctors in the other packs under them to get a solution to the matter, but none of them seemed to have a solution. So the pack members kept living in fear and dread.

As I got to the house before mine, I heard a scream coming from the house. I figured out that they must have lost someone. That was the new routine in the black wood pack. I shuddered at the thought of losing one of my parents or both of them. Don't worry, you won't lose them. A voice said. I looked around to know if I had company or had been speaking loudly but I found no one. I heard a chuckle in my head. Who are you? I asked, feeling confused and lost at the same time, I am your wolf, bri, and I was stunned. How come I was speaking to my wolf when I haven't shifted yet? Is this some kind of prank?

I was so excited, I couldn't wait to get home and tell my parents about my wolf. "They are going to be so excited", I said. No, they won't, because you are not going to tell them that you can talk to me! The voice said, 'Why' I asked, unsure of why she doesn't want me to tell people about her. Because you are not supposed to be able to do this until you shift! She said in a mean tone. 'Alright', I agreed. Not sure what this is supposed to mean and why I can communicate with my wolf before I shift. My parents had been anticipating my shift for a long time since I turned 18. They always wanted me to join them in going for morning runs in my wolf form but there was no pressure attached to it.

My mother was particularly interested in me shifting because it means that I would finally meet my mate. I was not particularly interested in all that stuff. I loved my simple and easy-going life with my family. I did not have a lot going on in my life as I just loved staying at home with my mother, hanging out with my best friend, Emma,  whom I had known since I was a child, and working at the cafe. My family was not one of the richest in the pack but we lived comfortably.

My father was the beta of the pack. These past few weeks have been hard on him because of the illness that was on the verge of wiping out our pack. 

As I stepped into my house, everywhere seemed quiet as I found my parents, crouched up looking down at a paper.