Chapter 1

                               20 years before.

It was late at night when it happened, the trees in the forest kept waving their leaves in response to the wind, the ground was wet, splotches of red could be seen on the moon stone’s battle ground. And then there was the noise, everyone had to wake up to, but couldn’t come out to it, the wail was so loud it pierced through the walls of houses and woke up residents.

He ran through the bushes, his muscular arm drenched in blood, he looked over his shoulder to check up on his chasers, and oh he couldn’t even live to look back ahead as his attacker threw a sharp sword ahead, already marking their target, the sword made of silver pierced him on his neck making sure to splatter a lot of blood. the others didn’t even need to transform to feed on him, he was already dead in a matter of seconds, he was supposed to be the strongest of them all, but he failed them, right from the time he became who he became. “the alpha of the moon stone pack”.

“yes may his soul rest in peace” the doctor of the pack used his hands to close Romero’s eyes. The alpha of the pack was gone, everyone knew he was murdered, everyone saw the sword stuck in his neck when his corpse was carried to the clinic, but it was also everybody’s duty to shut up and not spread the news. They knew who did it, at least they concluded.

“I will make sure to put him far away” said his best friend franklin, and soon to be alpha. The doctor nodded his head, giving him a go ahead. The rest of the council left the room in peace and began their small talks as they walked past servants in the pack house, which mostly consists of women. Women never went to war, women didn’t even have the urge to run around fully transformed, and that was what the regime of alpha Romero did. It became a law, and strangely enough everybody was happy to follow that rule. Well the same couldn’t be said for Charlotte, the defiant kid of the former alpha, as she ran barefoot and quacked the elders in the process, she didn’t even turn back to mutter a sorry, when she reached the clinic room that housed her dead dad, she paused, her mama never cared, her sister never cared too, maybe because they weren’t really related.

“hey, it’s okay, I can help you get him out” one man said to franklin. The council never really liked alpha Romero, he was too tight, made many rules, was antagonistic, but to charlotte he was her dad, and that was all that mattered to her, although she was bitter, although she always had the heart of a fighter, she’s always been kind, and her daddy had thought her that.

“daddy!” screamed Charlotte as she jumped on the bed.

The people around her were set to grab her, their long arms stretched out.

“leave her be” said the doctor, stopping their hands midair. The wolfs looked at each other, their eyes held glee, well except one, Jeremy, he’s been a loyal guard to Romero, and his eyes held tears. 

“why did you die, I thought…”

“I thought you said you were strong” her sobs were disturbing, but they couldn’t bring the dead to life.

“I thought…” a hand shot out and grabbed her. 

“it’s okay Charlie” franklin pats her head.

“it’s okay”

“but my daddy is gone” says charlotte as she hugs him closely.

“he’s gone, and seriously there’s nothing” he pauses “we can do about it”

“charlotte!” screams someone from behind her.

“mom” she hurries toward her mother. Hayes’s smile was creepy; it was supposed to be a cry turned smile. It was only Charlie that held strong tears in her eyes. “it’s okay Frank, just do what you want to do”

“but what about daddy, what are we going to do now mummy” she asks. Even her little hands were shaky.

“we move, charlotte, we have no home here anymore, and although it is painful, we have to go” Hayes may have never loved Romero, but she’d be damned if she didn’t love his little girl, she had the bravery the jaguar women lacked, and each day she found herself becoming more attached to the bundle of energy that is charlotte.

There were a lot of eyes already, the mansion that was once considered to be Hayes’s home, is no more, she could see the treacherous stares given to her. 

“come on let’s go Charlie” charlotte with her eyes still looking back left. But her heart was still with Romero. “come on let’s go get Vicki”. 

On reaching the stairs with their bags, the whole building was already in celebration, it was late, and their car was waiting, but Vicki was nowhere to be found, charlotte still in tears kept hanging on to her rag doll.

“come on wait in the car” said Hayes as she gives her a shove, their bags had already reached their destination a long time ago, all that was left was Vicki. 

She took slow steps due to fear of what she was afraid of hearing, Victoria had always been a fair-weather child, but she hoped, oh how she hoped, she won’t betray her for luxury.

At seven years Victoria already had all the attention she could ever want.

“yes I will have that doll please” Hayes, heard her voice from outside Diana’s room, the soon to be Luna.

Hayes’s poked her head so that Victoria’s back would only face her, but Diana’s heightened sense helped her perceive who was at the door, and so she decided to do what she wanted.

“Vicki darling, aren’t you leaving with your mummy?” she held her chest, Hayes held her chest in fear of what she would say.

Looking down at her doll Vicki said.

“I don’t want to, if they leave here, I am staying here, at least I get to see Andrew, and I get not to see Charlotte” Hayes was about to go when she thought otherwise.

“why can’t you stay with me baby” she called. Victoria turned back and in uncertainty she walked toward her birth mother.

“I don’t want to, I like here!” she screams, Hayes’s heart was broken that night.

“would you choose this over me” she releases little sobs obstructing the proper flow of words.

“mummy I want to stay, please let me stay, charlotte can go with you” she was also in tears.

“but who will read you bedtime stories?” asked Hayes to Victoria.

“I will” a new voice pipes in.

“I will do it” each word was pronounced well from Diana’s mouth. Hayes closed her eyes letting the feeling of losing a child sink in.

“now hurry along to your other child, and let me handle this one will you” for a couple of minutes she stayed on the floor, the small hands of Victoria kept massaging the top of her head in small pats.

“come on Vicki” says Diana dragging Victoria along.

“we have some supervising to do” she says.

 Hayes stayed on her knees for minutes before she had the strength to get up.

She ran as fast as her legs could carry her, not even knowing where to go from here, she sighed, in the midst of tears, there was still lack of strength. That night, young charlotte and Hayes said goodbye to their old life, and welcomed an uncertain future.