Prologue

Wolves don't play nice. That's the way it is. Any sign of weakness and a target is painted on the back of your head. There is no room for weakness in this world. Not anymore. The wolf population became uncontrollable when the alphas figured out that they could breed with mortals and create powerful Alpha pups. Humanity was chased out with the brutal war to try and combat all shifters. Long story short, Humans lost. Those who are left, they stay hidden. They only come up when it's essential to them.

The Alpha King was dethroned and murdered in front of all the packs. The royal families were all executed down to the young for consorting outside of our kind. Those who were born hybrids who could only partially shift were all hunted down and executed. 

Six pups from the royal guard were allowed to live. These were the pups born of real matings. Mate to mate. These pups were raised in a struggle to remove any or all trace of humanity in them.  Reprograming them to keep the emotional attachments that come with being part human buried. This became a right of passage passed from generation to generation. 

After a few generations, the packs forgot they were part human. They figured after breeding within the race, they were cleansed. There is no room in the new world for humanity. Since the war, there have been six generations. Eight hundred years of a controlled peace. A peace established by fear.

For the past twenty years, that peace began to slip, only two alphas remain now. The major parts of the world were taken back by the glory of nature and all of its beauty. Cities that were once killing the earth were destroyed. There is no pollution or overpopulation. The earth began to heal itself. The struggle now is the fight for survival. A battle to stay alive against the savagery of what we are. This world now belongs to the primal. Although we still have technological advances and medical breakthroughs, some still live out in the world like savages waiting for the next hunt.

In the raids after our alpha had fallen with no heir to take his place, my mother was killed. My brother had been twelve then. After my mother's death, my dad lost his will to live. The only thing that kept him going was the fact that I was six at the time and my brother wasn't prepared to raise a little girl on his own. It's been eleven years since then.

I was thirteen the night I came home from school to find him. I opened the door to our home to find my dad with a rope around his neck. The rope was tied to the banister on the second floor. I don't remember feeling any pain or shock. It was finally over for him. I think I remember feeling relief. I had watched his self-destructive days, liquor, drugs, and women. I knew his torment was over. No more pain. 

Jay walked in after me and covered my eyes. He pulled me out of the house and over to the car and told me to stay where he had sat me down. I know he ran inside and took him down. The pack officers came in later to take our statements and took his body. We had a massive funeral for one of the finest pack warheads. 

That's what my dad was. A warhead. What's that you may ask? Many would claim him to be a soldier but the reality of it isn't that simple. My father was the Alpha's personal assassin. He killed whoever the Alpha pointed to. My brother and I are next in line. With the death of the alpha, the entire pack was at liberty to do as they pleased and that is exactly what everyone has done. Jay had still been in Med-School then.

In the day, he does what any normal person does. As a seventeen-year-old, I go to school. I'm a senior this year. Jay as hard as it is to believe is a pack doctor. A very reckless one at that. Not the career he wanted. It was the one that Mom had chosen for him and to honor her, he performed as expected. Now to keep me fed and under a roof, he works or at least I think he does.

By night, my brother goes out and does what he does best. He hurts people. I once watched him kill a man with his bare fists. Jay and his three best friends take whatever they want. Micca and Miles grew up across the street from us. They're twins. Their mom was best friends with ours. She worked in the alpha's mansion and died the same night he did.

Their dad tried to hurt me and the twins killed him. Those two love my brother, but they can barely glance in my direction. Then there's Leelie. I'm not sure where she came from but she's very important to my brother. Has been since he shifted for the first time. 

"She's Doctor Tyler's little sister," I hear a girl say behind me. 

I roll my eyes as I finish my homework. Doctor Tyler. I hate being known as his little sister. The guy who saves people by day and kills them by night. Half the women in town love him for all the good he's done and the other half love him for all the bad things he's done. There is no in-between. It's kind of hard to love someone who doesn't want to be loved. He's an asshole.

I haven't done anything worth being known as one of the Tyler kids. I haven't killed anyone and I've never saved anyone. I had never been put in a position where either opportunity had been presented. Miles and Micca make sure of that. Do I have the potential to kill someone? I have no idea. Do I have the potential to save someone? I think I'd have to care enough for that. 

    It's hard to care for others in a world like this. The world where murder is acceptable. Don't get me wrong, I'm not some weird void of space who can give fewer fucks about the world. I care about Jay, Micca, Miles, and Leelie. I care about my Weinheimer Ghost. It's everyone else I'm not supposed to care for. My brother made it very clear. These people aren't my friends. They'd kill me given the chance. So here goes rule number one in Jaykob Tyker's Rules of Glory, don't get attached. 

"She doesn't look like much," another girl says. 

"You should leave her alone. I hear the Rider twins killed their dad for her. I don't know about you but those guys are insane," the first girl responds. I shut my book and put my things away. The last thing I need is for the twins to come in here and slaughter a bunch of dumb mean girls. 

"Hey D. How Ya doin', suga?" I look up at Mrs. Katie. 

"Good. Thank you," I reply as she places my burger and fries in front of me. 

 "You wanna refill on that coke, suga?" she asks. I nod handing her the cup. "Be right back," 

I sit back on the chair, taking a fry from the basket, and then take a bite. I can see them outside. Micca and Miles. Micca is leaning against the hood of his car while Miles sits in the passenger seat. They hadn't come in which only means my brother asked them to watch me until I was ready to go home. It isn't uncommon. I like the food here and come often. This is the only burger place in town that uses fresh potatoes over the frozen bullshit everyone else makes. The girls come over, one sitting to my left and the other to the right. Miles climbs out of the car but neither of them comes inside. They just keep their eyes on me.

"What kind of name is D?" One girl asks taking a fry from my basket. She pops it in her mouth. The other one pulls the whole tray towards her and then pushes it off the end of the table. I sigh looking up at Mrs. Katie. I shake my head telling her to stay back. 

"You're going to pay for that," I inform the girl who dropped my food. 

She smiles. Her blonde hair is cut short. The left side of her head is shaved down to show off her dragon mark. A beta's daughter. The one to my right isn't a high rank like her but has a similar haircut. Her strawberry blonde hair falls over her face covering her right eye. Her hair isn't cut short it goes passed her mid-back. I can feel the strength in them both. One has killed and the other is just privileged. 

"Are you going to make me?" she asks. 

 "Do I have to?" I turn my head. She's so close all I'd have to do is pucker my lips to kiss her. 

"You never answered my question," 

"D. is the first initial of my name," I answer. "It shouldn't take a genius to figure that out," 

"Are you calling me dumb?" she scoffs. 

"No. Your actions are proof enough," I glare at her. The other girl laughs. 

"Tell me your name and I'll pay for the food," the redhead bargains.

"If all you wanted was my name you could have asked and you're not paying for my food. She is and it's up to her if I'm going to have to make her or if she's going to do it willingly," 

"You have a mouth on you. D. Tyler," the blonde gets up. She grips the back of my seat and pulls me away from the table. 

"Dagmar Tyler," I say. 

"Your name is Dagmar?" the redhead asks.

"Yes," I answer, standing up to face the blonde. 

"What a stupid name," the blonde sneers. 

"You think so?" I smile. "What's your name?" 

"I'm Danica," the girl with the strawberry blonde hair introduces herself from behind me. 

"Do you know what that means?" I ask looking over at her. She shakes her head, no. "It means morning star," 

"I love it even more now," she snickers.

"Dan, what the fuck are you doing? You aren't here to socialize," the blonde warns her.

"Come on, Gwen. Making friends with a Tyler should be fun," she shrugs. "Pay for her food and let's go," 

"I'm not paying for shit," she proclaims and begins to walk towards the door. I place my hand against the glass stopping her from going any further. She looks at me like she can't believe I stopped her.

"Pay for the food and tip Mrs. Katie for the mess you made," I demand. 

I had already paid for the food and my drink but there is no way in hell she's going to get away with this. It's one thing to mess with me, but Mrs. Katie has never hurt anyone. Not to mention, Jay would kill me. This is a public display of authority and from the day our alpha was murdered, we are no longer slaves to the hierarchy. We don't tuck tail and let them get away with their bullshit anymore and I refuse to be the first Tyler to avoid a fight. Especially against a beta. 

"Do you know who the fuck I am, bitch?" she asks. 

"This is the last time I ask you nicely," I ignore her, calmly. 

"Fuck you," she growls, leaning into me her warm breath fans across my face, the smell of the chocolate milkshake she had been sipping on wafts over me and it's not pleasant.

Using the palm of my hand I shove upward hitting her right on the nose. She falls back onto a table before she slips off and lands on the floor. I go over to her and pick her up by her hair. She cries out as I haul her over to Mrs. Katie and drop her. 

"Pay the woman for the food. Now," I demand, sternly. I might not be able to shift yet, but I make up for it in training. 

"You bitch," she screams. 

She pulls her legs up and kicks me. I stumble out of the dinner letting her come after me so we won't mess up the diner anymore than we already have. The guys just stand there with identical smirks on their faces watching to see what I do next. She stalks out coming over to me her claws extended her eyes flashing a brilliant orange. The eyes of a beta killer. I stand slightly corrected on the privileged part. She swipes at me. I dodge her claws and go low tackling her to the ground. 

Violence is something I'm familiar with. I've watched it, I've had to listen to it, and it had been inflicted on me before. However, I have never executed any form of it in my life. Not verbally and sure as fuck not physically. I don't think arguing with my brother counts because let's face it. That's programmed into us even before we are born.

My family had been bred to kill. From the moment my father's bloodline was established as a Warhead, we were killers. Some say it's in the blood. The thing that drives us. I had believed they were full of shit. Not once had I ever felt an uncontrollable need to kill. Not like Jay had described, but as my fist raises and comes down on this confused girl who had chosen the wrong day to get in my face, I know what he said is true. 

Whatever the hell this is that runs in our blood. I feel it. My fist aches as it connects to her face. The ache fuels this in a sick primal feeling swelling deep in me and I lift my fist again and again to continue to hit her. I'm pulled back and she has the nerve to get back up. I push away from whoever is holding me as she swipes at me again. Her claws cut across my face. I stumble back feeling the aching burn. 

"Stand back," I hear Micca shout. "Fuck. Get Jay out here. She's going to lose her shit," 

Gwen comes at me again her claws digging into my stomach. When she sees it has doesn't affect me, she looks up at me and steps back. I feel something shift under my skin. A power that prickles in my bones. My claws extend and I grip her by the throat pulling her into me. 

"You should have listened to your friend," I whisper. 

"Fuck you," she groans, spitting in my face. I wipe it off feeling the itch get stronger. 

"Dagmar stop," I look over at the car that comes to a stop next to us in the middle of the street. Jay jumps out. "I don't think you know what you're doing, D. Are you sure you're ready to take this step? You kill her and there is no going back," 

"She shouldn't have done it," I insist, turning my attention back to her. Fear is starting to swim in her blue eyes and it feeds whatever this is under my skin. 

"I know you feel it, D. I know it's really strong in you just like it is in me. If you trigger this there is no going back. Once you take a life that's it. It'll define you. Everything you do will feel meaningless compared to the itch this brings. You want things, D. I know you do. Are you giving them up for this stupid little girl who doesn't mean shit?" he presses.

I keep my eyes on her for a moment and then scan the crowd who is watching us. Gwen has her hands tightly around my wrist. The fear on her face says it all. There is no way out of this. Our world doesn't work that way. 

"I can't just let her go," I whisper. He growls. "It doesn't work like that," 

"No one will fuck with you. I haven't allowed it. What makes you think I'd let them now?" 

"You're not always going to be there Jay. You can't keep me like this forever," 

"I want to try. We've been doing this since you were a pup, D," 

"Aren't you tired?" I turn to him. He looks down at his feet.  

"I'd never get tired of this," he says with a smirk. He comes over to me placing his hand on my shoulder. I push her back. 

"Pay Mrs. Katie," I demand, as she chokes to take in deep breaths. She stumbles inside and gives Mrs. Katie a fifty-dollar bill before she walks back out. 

"You weak bitch," she says. I turn my attention to her. I grip the back of her jacket before she can get away. I kick her leg out from under her and slam her on the ground. 

"My brother isn't always going to be around, Gwendolyn Parker. Did you feel it too? Imagine how much stronger I would be once I take your life," I whisper into her ear. 

"You're dead," she cries out when I let go. She scrambles to get to her feet and then takes off running. 

"Are you happy?" I ask looking back at my brother.

"You don't understand," he scoffs, putting a cigarette to his lips. 

"No, Jay. It's you who doesn't understand. You know the rules. No one is an exception. Especially, not me. You trained me to protect myself," 

"Is this what you want? You want to be a killer? You want everyone to know you've lived up to the Tyler name? Is that what you want?" I don't answer. Mrs. Katie comes out and hands me a paper bag and a giant foam cup. 

"He's right, sweetheart. Try to stay you for as long as you can," she says kissing the top of my head. 

"Get in the car. We're going home," Jay orders. She hands him my backpack as I walks around the car and climb in. We don't say a word on the drive home. I take my backpack and then my food. Just as I'm about to make my way up to my room. "Dagmar," 

"What?" I bite out, stopping at the bottom of the staircase. 

"Why did you provoke her?" 

"She didn't," Miles interjects, walking in behind him.

"The beta came up to her," Micca adds. It's odd for them to come to my rescue this way.  

"Why did you respond as you did? You've never done this before," 

"You're blaming me?" I turn around to face him. 

"You're better than that," he shakes his head disapprovingly.

"Am I?" I ask. "You know who I am?" 

"I know you better than I know myself," 

"Tell me who I am, Jaykob. Tell me," I demand, calmly. He looks at me confused. 

"What is that supposed to mean? Is that what this is about? You feel you need to be someone?" 

"I don't. That's the problem. I don't feel the need to be someone. I don't feel the need to do anything. I don't feel," he steps back anger crossing his features. His hand comes up slapping me across the face. My head whips to the left and I fall to my knees spilling my soda everywhere. "Did that make you feel better?" 

"Jay, what the fuck?" Miles growls at him, coming over to me. I push him back and stand up. 

"What? Did you want a reaction, Jay? What am I supposed to do now, huh? Get mad? Cry maybe? Is that what you wanted?" I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand. I spit the blood in my mouth at his feet. 

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Micca asks, looking at my brother. He shoves him back. 

"Don't," I growl, stopping him. "This is my fault," 

"Go to your room. Eat something," Jay instructs, handing me the paper bag off the floor. "I'll clean this up. Someone get her a drink." 

"That's it?" Miles asks. "Get her a drink and this is okay? Look at her face Jaykob," 

"It'll heal," he tries to dismiss him without looking at me. 

"That's not the fucking point Jay. What the fuck man?" Micca pushes.

"Go to your room D," Jay orders this time.

I glance him over one last time and rush up to my room. I look in the mirror to see the massive bruise forming between the claw marks Gwen left in her fit. I lift my shirt over my head and go over to my bathroom to her the first aid kit. 

"Need some help?" I look behind me to see Miles holding a two-liter orange crush. 

"I got it," I say looking down at my belly. The blood is dried up and the wounds are starting to heal. I just need to clean them out. He sets the bottle down and walks into the bathroom anyway. Micca is behind him just watching. 

"I have no idea what the hell is wrong with the two of you," he takes a cloth running it under warm water. 

"We have four months before this completely takes over and I shift," I say looking down at where he presses the cloth.

"What do you mean?" Micca asks. 

"Our parents were both Warheads. My mom was from the eastern region and my dad was from here. I'm a ticking time bomb. Jay doesn't want this for me and wants me to fight it, but it's not that easy," 

"Do you want to fight it?" Miles asks putting Neosporin in the wounds around my belly before he starts cleaning my face. 

"Do you know that they call Warheads before their awakening?" I ask. 

"Leere von emotionen," Micca answers.

"Void of Emotion. It didn't skip me and there is no reason for me to fight this. One day, it's just going to explode and I am going to become what they meant for me to be," 

 "I don't believe that," Micca shakes his head. "You care about us. You do everything for us especially when we're hurt," 

"Because I have to. Can't exactly let you die," I scoff, walking out to get something that wouldn't scrape against my stomach. 

"So, you don't give a fuck about us?" Miles asks as if the thought bothers him. 

"Do you?" I ask. His body tenses up. I feel his anger flare like a power surge through my room. 

"You're the only reason we're here," he sighs and storms out. 

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"  I ask looking at Micca. 

"You're a smart girl, D. You'll figure it out," he smiles before walking out after his brother.