CHAPTER ONE

"Nicole, did you hear?" Shelby asks me.

"Hear what?" I ask.

"About the new alpha," she says.

I stare at her, confused.

"What do you mean 'new alpha'?" I ask.

"There's a new alpha coming to visit," Shelby says. "One from a neighboring pack."

"That's odd," I say. I'm not sure we've ever had a visit from another pack's alpha.

"I don't know what to make of it," Shelby says.

"Me either," I reply.

"I have to go help my mom," Shelby says. "See you tonight?"

"Of course," I say.

"I'll let you know if I hear anything else," she says, and then she turns and walks down the path toward her house.

I stare after her. I'm not sure why, but this news about the new alphas visit makes me feel very uneasy.

I don't have to be anywhere for hours, so I decide to go for a walk to clear my head.

I walk through the woods behind my house, admiring the tall, strong trees.

It's a sunny day, so the sun shines through the trees, making the leaves sparkle with life.

I reach the clearing near the old oak tree, which is where I always go when I want to think.

I walk over to the huge tree trunk and sit down next to it. I lean back against the trunk. It's much cooler against the bark than it is in the sun.

I close my eyes and enjoy the peacefulness of the forest's serenity. Questions about this new alpha pop into my mind, but I do my best to push them aside.

Whatever's going to happen, there's nothing I can do about it. So there's no point in obsessing.

I shift my focus to the sounds around me. The call of a bird in the distance. The babbling of a nearby brook.

And then, I notice a rustling nearby.

I open my eyes, and to my surprise I see an enormous, dark brown wolf staring at me.

I gasp and jump up.

He steps back.

"Please don't be afraid," a deep voice says.

"I'm not here to hurt you," the wolf says.

I stare. There's something about this wolf that feels strange. Mysterious. But also interesting.

I'm not sure if I can trust him. But I want to.

"I'm here to meet your alpha," he says.

I stare some more. I study him. He's beautiful. His fur is dark brown, with dark brown markings on his face, and his eyes are the same color. They're warm and intelligent, and he stares right back at me.

"I'm also here to meet you," he says.

I cock my head to the side, confused.

"What?" I say. "Why?"

"Because of the prophecy," he says.

Nothing this wolf says makes any sense. I'm starting to think he may be insane. Or that this may all be some sort of elaborate prank.

But there's something in his eyes that seems so serious. So intense. There's something in his eyes that makes me want to trust him.

"Prophecy?" I ask.

The wolf looks surprised.

"You don't know about the prophecy?" he asks.

"No," I say.

"I thought you would," he says.

"Well, I don't," I say. I'm beginning to get frustrated with this-- impatient.

"I'm sorry," he says. "I just assumed.

He shifts back into human form, and I gasp.

He's at least six feet tall, and he is absolutely gorgeous. His hair is dark brown, and his eyes are the same color as his fur.

He has a light smattering of freckles on his nose.

He's wearing a light blue button down shirt, and dark blue pants.

"I'm Gavin," he says.

"I'm Nicole," I reply.

"I'm the alpha of a neighboring pack. I'm scheduled to meet with your alpha later today."

"I heard," I say.

"But the meeting is just a cover," he says. "I needed an excuse to come here. A reason to be invited into your pack's territory."

"Why?" I ask.

"Because I needed a chance to meet you."

I'm still not sure I can trust Gavin. I want to, but he's giving me no reason to. At this point, he's just talking in circles.

And yet, I feel like I want to anyway. I want to trust him. I look into his eyes, and I feel myself drawn to him.

He smiles, and I'm instantly overcome by his charisma. I can't help but smile back.

"What is this prophecy you speak of?" I ask.

"It's very old," he says. "No one is really sure of its origins.

"In the beginning," Gavin begins, "there was the great spirit wolf. He was the king of all the wolves. He ruled over the wolves, the bears, and all the other creatures of the forest.

"One day, he noticed how much the wolves were suffering. They were being hunted, persecuted, and killed.

"He decided to do something about it. He called a meeting with all of wolves, bears, and all the other creatures in the forest.

"He told them of his plan. He would make a new pack, and they would give him their word that they would care for each other and watch out for each other. He would make the pack the keeper of the forest.

"The creatures of the forest happily agreed to this, and the great spirit wolf created a new pack.

"He then secretly gave each member of the new pack one of his great spirit wolves to help protect them."

He stops talking now, and I don't understand why.

"Okay..." I say. "And then what?"

"There's more, but I can't tell you yet."

This wolf is infuriating.

"Well, then, at least tell me what this has to do with me," I demand.

"Can't do that either," he says. "I will, just not now."

"Then when?" I ask.

"In good time," he says. "I apologize for not being able to tell you more, but anything else could compromise the prophecy. I will come find you when you're ready," he says.

And with that, he disappears.