CHAPTER FOUR

Donovan's P. O.V

I am Donovan, the Alpha of the Crimson Moon pack and the head of the Black Hounds, a group of assassin werewolves. Our name is feared throughout the realm, and for a good reason.

When I heard the news of Azrael's reincarnation, I knew that I had to find her before it was too late. The tales of Azrael's destruction and chaos from thousands of years ago still haunt the werewolf community. The ancestors prayed to the moon goddess for salvation, and a divine creature named Duncan was sent to help defeat Azrael. Duncan was successful, but he fell in love with a werewolf and lost his divine powers. He became an ancestor of my family, the reason for our respected name.

Now, I must find Azrael's new body before it causes destruction again. Daciana is a threat to my pack and the entire werewolf community. I began searching for Ana, who was once a member of my pack before she went rogue.

My search led me to the town where Richard and Ana reside. I couldn't let my presence be known, so I sent my Black Hounds to gather information on Azrael, Richard, and Ana.

Ana's P.O.V 

I woke up in a cold sweat from a terrible nightmare. In my dream, a pack of wolves had surrounded Richard, Daciana, and me. I had transformed into a werewolf to fight them off, but they had snatched and devoured Daciana right in front of me. My heart was racing, and I could barely catch my breath.

Richard was sleeping beside me, and my nightmare had woken him up. I told him everything, but he tried to reassure me that nothing bad would happen to Daciana or me. But the fear had already set in, and I couldn't shake it off.

I suggested that Richard should ask his pack for protection, but he reminded me that they would see Daciana as a threat, and they might come after her as well if they found out she was Azrael's reincarnation.

We made the decision to leave town the next morning. I was relieved, and it was the only thing that could make me sleep comfortably. Early the next morning, we started packing our bags, and we felt like we had all the time in the world.

But then, there was a knock on the door, and my heart skipped a beat. Richard went to answer it, and I pleaded with him not to go. I hid under the bed with Daciana, and I heard Richard talking to our neighbor, Alice.

I breathed a sigh of relief when I heard Alice's voice, but the relief was short-lived. As we were leaving, we heard another knock on the door. Richard thought it was Alice, so he told me to take Daciana to the car while he checked.

As I was buckling Daciana into her car seat, I heard a loud bang that sounded like something had broken. I immediately ran back to the apartment to find that the black hounds had surrounded Richard. 

I felt my body tense up as the black hounds emerged, their eyes filled with rage. They were trained werewolf assassins, and they outnumbered us two to five. My husband and I fought hard, but it wasn't enough. Richard mind-talked to me, telling me to take our daughter Daciana and run. I refused at first, continuing to fight alongside him. But one of the hounds pounced on him, pushing him aside and dashing toward the back door where the car was parked. I ran after him, fighting with all my might, but I was already severely injured and getting weaker.

As I struggled, Richard's pleading voice entered my mind again. "Run Ana! Protect our daughter." he muttered. With tears streaming down my face, I finally relented. I turned back into my human form, entered the car, and drove away as fast as I could, not even realizing that I was utterly naked.

I looked back in the rearview mirror to see the fate of my husband. The black hounds tore him to pieces. He let out a loud howl and mind-talked to me once more, "Take care of yourself and Daci, I love you guys forever," he repeated. Then he gave up the ghost.

I left the town with Daciana and drove for hours, my heart shattered into a million pieces. I parked by the roadside and cried my eyes out, with Daciana joining me in my grief. Only then did I realize that I was naked, but it didn't matter. I put on some clothes and consoled my daughter while trying to hold back my tears.

After several hours of driving, we arrived in a small town, the same town where I met Anthony. I felt that going back to him would keep us safe. I knew he loved me, and I believed that he would protect his child, even if she was a werewolf. I knew it would be hard to convince Anthony, but I had hope. Even if he killed me, I would gladly give my life if he would keep our daughter safe.

It was already night when we got to the town, and Daciana was already asleep. I didn't want to wake her, so I carried her inside. I rented a room at a small hidden motel, laid her on the bed, and sat down beside her. I started shedding tears again, the thought of losing my mate, my love, breaking my heart. The pain was too much for me to bear.

After crying for a couple of hours, I finally fell asleep. The next morning, I woke Daciana and gave her a warm bath. I dressed her up and sat her down to talk to her. As I began to speak, she cut me off.

"Who are those people that killed papa?" she asked.

I struggled to control my tears before answering, "They call themselves the black hounds, but you don't need to worry about them. I'm here to protect you. You are going to live no matter what. You'll grow up to be the strongest werewolf to ever live, and you'll kill those who killed your father."

Daciana nodded and hugged me tight. "Stop crying, Mama. Papa wouldn't want to see you crying," she said, her words bringing a small glimmer of hope to my shattered heart.

Daciana's P.O.V

I was sleeping soundly when my mother woke me up very early in the morning. She seemed nervous, and I could see worry etched on her face. We got into the car, and as soon as she ignited it, another car blocked our way, flashing its lights. I knew something bad was about to happen. My mother forced her way out, hitting the car slightly. We sped off, but the other car chased us.

My mother kept driving as fast as she could, trying to lose the hunters, but they were persistent. I could feel my heart racing in my chest, and fear crept into me. She kept assuring me that I was safe, but I wasn't sure. I could see the hunters in the back, their cars getting closer and closer.

Suddenly, we hit a bump, and the car somersaulted, landing on its wheels. I was terrified, but my mother quickly got out of the car and took me by the hand. We ran into the forest, and I could hear the hunters closing in on us. My mother transformed into a wolf, and I could see her fighting off the hunters with all her might. She managed to kill two of them, but the rest shot her with silver bullets laced in wolfsbane. I saw her fall, and my heart shattered into a million pieces.

I had to run. My mother had told me about a man who could protect me, a werewolf hunter. She gave me a kiss on my forehead, told me how to find the cabin, and asked me to run and never look back. I hesitated at first, not wanting to leave her, but I had to do what she said.

As I ran, my thoughts were clouded with grief and pain. I heard the hunters getting closer, but I couldn't stop. I stepped on something that felt like a trap, and suddenly, my leg was in excruciating pain. I tried to shake it off, but the pain wouldn't go away.

Just then, one of the hunters spotted me. He called on the others, and they circled around me. I was trapped, and I didn't know what to do. Fear consumed me, and I felt tears welling up in my eyes.

As the hunters closed in on me, my heart raced with fear. I didn't know what they were going to do, but it couldn't be good. Just when I thought all was lost, I heard a rustling in the bushes behind them. Suddenly, a dark figure emerged from the trees, " could he be the owner of the cabin my mother told me to find?"

As he stepped into the light, I gasped in shock. He was a werewolf hunter too.