Prologue

The world of darkness where there are deep forests, skyhigh mountains, ever flowing rivers, misty mornings and mysterious creatures is called Etherea. One of the mysterious creatures that hold the biggest part of Etherea are werewolves.

The number of werewolves have been increasing over the years. They are known to be extremely dangerous, their eyes can see everything and their ears can hear everything. Their claws can tear the skin from the bones from just one swipe.

When humans look at the sky, all they see is the blue heights, they don't see what lies behind. They don't see the velvet shadows of the dark realm and several others like it, just beyond the skylines.They don't know about the treaty that their ancestors had signed with the creatures of Etherea but some of them did. The ones who were descendants of the thirteen families, The thirteen human families which had joined the creatures for signing the treaty that had banned the two realms from laying harm to each other. It was a long time ago, more than a thousand years. Now the humans who are unaware live their lives knowing nothing about the legends, prophecies and the mighty creatures that still howl at the luna as it takes its place in the night sky. 

Nesta’s POV:

I watched the luna high in the sky and bathed in its soft soothing light. There weren’t any clouds in the sky tonight. Standing in the balcony alone, I was reminiscing the memories of my sister 

Louisa had gotten married to her mate with a huge ceremony in her mate’s house- I laughed. Who am I kidding? It was a freaking mansion.

Louisa's mate was none other than Daniel Spencer, alpha of the midnight howl pack. He was lucky to get my sister. I sighed and braced my arms on the railing. 

She used to live with me in the cottage and now that she's gone it's just me and the furniture. I scowled at the trees lining my property and pulled away from the railing. I needed to do something or else the loneliness would drive me mad. 

I walked inside the house and headed straight to the kitchens. I was hungry. Werewolves needed to eat a lot, so it was just natural for me to stop in the kitchens for a midnight snack. I snorted as I pulled out the frozen roast meat out of the fridge and thumped it loudly on the marble platform.

"Just a light midnight snack." I mocked myself as I pulled open the microwave door and slid the plastic container inside. 

I hummed as I extracted the dish out of the oven and bumped the door closed with my hip. I poured a glass full of wine and carried it all to the living room. 

I didn't even need the lights to see what I was eating, werewolves were blessed with great vision and I couldn't thank the luna enough for that.  

I sighed as I sipped the cool wine, rolling its rich taste on my tongue. It was an October brew and I was lucky to get the supply from my brother-in-law, the rich bastard whom I hated just as much as he hated me. 

Just as I was about to stuff a large piece of roasted meat into my mouth the screen of my mobile flashed and the sudden light almost blinded me. 

I cursed and picked up the phone, nearly dropping it as I saw who it was. 

Rhain Winterlash was calling.. me?

I decided to answer it and held the phone to my ear. 

"Nesta Rivera." I said. 

"Rivera. There's a case coming your way. Are you in the condition to report?" He asked, his scratchy voice sounded serious.

This was no joke. Something was wrong.

"Yes I am, sir." I answered without any hesitation.

"Good. Report at the headquarters." 

"Yes, sir." 

"Right now." He said and hung up.

"Yes. Sir. " I gritted out on the phone.

The high handed old wolf. Someone needed to replace him. 

I gulped the rest of the fine wine and wrapped the meat in a foil as I shoved it back into the fridge. 

Running into my room, I pulled out my uniform and quickly got dressed. I pulled my hair into a messy ponytail and stuffed my feet into the boots. I grabbed the gun lying under my bed and after some thought I picked up the tranquiliser gun, I had a feeling that it was going to be a long night. 

I ran down the stairs and into the parking area and palmed my key into the lock of my pickup. The old, rusty pickup started with a buzz as I stepped on the accelerator and sent the car gliding down the steep concrete platform and onto the road. 

The sailor birds croaked grimly and flapped off the long trees and into the air. Nights in Etherea were never safe. I was prepared for anything though so I didn't mind making a wild ruckus as the tires of my car screeched because of my crazy driving. Louisa, you were right, dear sister. They shouldn't have given me a license. I grinned to myself and focused on the road.

***

"Miss Rivera. This is agent Felix Cash, it's his first night on duty. Since you're the best we have, we deemed it suitable for you to accompany him on the case." Agent Winterlash said. I trampled the urge to raise my eyebrow at the old wolf. The best we have, eh? First compliment from him for sure.

"Agent cash." I nodded to the lean bodied, werewolf. He grinned and I almost thought of packing him up and sending him back to where he belonged. He looked too inexperienced. God, was I going to be stuck with an infant? 

"The details, if you please. Sir." I said to Winterlash. He nodded and signalled us to follow him to the computer room. It was actually more than just a room full of high tech computers. It was a room from where the office kept watch on all the realms apart from Etherea. I worked for the Foreign Realms Investigation Organisation (FRIO). It was my third year in FIRO, as an official investigator who also acted as a spy for the office. I first joined when I was just 18. After my parents’ death. My father was deemed as a traitor, he was expelled out of the pack and just after that both of my parents had died in a house fire. It had left me and Louisa alone to fend for ourselves. 

"Agent Rivera? What do you think it will be?" Felix asked, eagerly running his hands through his thick red hair. 

"It could be anything from fire breathing dragons to flesh eating ghouls, Agent Cash." I said bluntly, it was the truth after all and the baby-face should know what he was getting himself into. I suppressed a grin as his face paled. He lagged behind and I had to stop as well to make sure he followed us in. 

"Do hurry up, Agent Cash. Winterlash is known for firing agents for reasons as insignificant as getting late." I warned, my eyes twinkling as he hurried along.

We walked into the lift and waited as it reached the underground bunkers. 

"Hemsworth is in the office." Winterlash said under his breath to me. Gregory Hemsworth was the head representative of FRIO in Etherea. His being in the office set off alarm clocks in my head. 

"What's the stiff neck doing at the office?" I asked Winterlash, careful of Agent Cash standing in the corner. 

"He wants to talk to you."

"Tonight?"

"Afterwards." He said. His face was unfathomable. 

"But why me?!" I whispered furiously at him. His dark eyes flashed at me and I stopped but not before shooting a damning glare at his old weathered face.

"Agents." Agent Winterlash said as the lift door opened and we walked out and through the dimly lit corridors. The crisp smell of paint entering my nostrils. I wanted to sneeze. It was a pure torture for a werewolf, as our noses were sensitive we were bound to get irritated by the strong smell of paint. 

Agent Cash sniffed loudly and wiped his eyes on his shirt sleeves. Poor thing. I could relate to that as I was trying hard to control my own tears. One look at the old wolf said that he had no problem with it whatsoever. He was walking with his back straight and his eyes in the front. 

He stood before the retinal scanner and the metal doors slid open. We walked inside the air-conditioned room and I breathed the clean air in relief. The computer room was huge. Its shape a curious hexagonal. The walls were lined with floor to ceiling screens that were showcasing the portals to different realms. The number of red ticks showed the creatures of other realms entering etherea and the green ticks showed the ones exiting Etherea. Agent Cash was staring at the screens, open mouthed, his eyes reflecting the light. 

"What is this room?" He whispered in awe.

"It's the computer room." Winterlash said firmly. He then went on to explain the working mechanism of the program which was installed in the computers. Felix listened avidly, his interest snagged by the word 'latest technology'.

"Boys." I muttered as I waited for the lecture to finish, when it did Winterlash went on to discuss something with the young werewolf sitting at the small cubicle who was typing away furiously on the keyboard. 

"What you're going to see agents, is your case for today." Winterlash said as the screen changed and a scene flashed before us. A very large and gruesome looking creature with hammer like fists was beating away at the lonely car near the portal, from which he had apparently entered Etherea. 

"What's that?" Cash asked softly. 

"It's an ogre." I answered.

Winterlash grunted and handed us a pair of tranquilliser guns. I handed mine back and patted the buckle strapped to my thigh where my gun was. 

"Don't harm it. Just call the cleaning services when you're done." He said.  

I gave him a nod and started to walk out of the room when I heard a squeak. "What about me?" And I remembered with a curse about Agent Cash. 

As we drove over to the portal I couldn't help but see that he was nervous, he was sweating profusely which was making me uneasy. It was a thing among werewolves; when any wolf was in distress, its body released fear inducing hormones that messed with every other wolf in the near vicinity and which was why I tried to lighten his mood.

"It's going to be fun, Cash. Just use your gun wisely and keep it pointed away from me." I teased. He just scowled at me which caused me to snarl at him. Forget about helping anyone, I could as easily kill him myself. 

"Sorry, it's my first day and.. I am nervous." He said after a while as we got out of my pickup. I gave him a raised eyebrow and handed him the tranq which he had carelessly tossed on the backseat. 

"Just stay quiet next time." I warned him and we both stared at each other as a loud bellow echoed around us, the growled animalistic sound travelling up my spine.

He cracked a smile, we both laughed in excitement just before we headed off into the night darkened woods. 

***

"You did well." I told Cash as we walked into the office at what seemed like four in the morning. Our clothes were caked with mud and I could tell from the shocked glances and disgusted looks of our colleagues that we smelled as good as goblin dung. 

Cash had surprised me with how good a shot he was. All his shots had landed on point and he was quick. Cash grinned broadly at the compliment and bowed, looking utterly foolish. 

"Rivera!" The sharp voice jerked me into going for my gun. "No need for that." Winterlash said as he neared, his lips turning down as he took us in.

"The ogre is on his way to the Rehab. I talked to Joarin. He said the creature would be taken back to his realm in a week's time." I reported to him. 

He merely blinked, which made me scowl. We spent hours without sleep, fighting a bloody ogre and he didn't even spare a word of praise nor a simple okay!

Cash coughed, reminding me that I was not supposed to damn my superiors with my glares. 

"Hemsworth is waiting for you in his room." Winterlash said.

In his room? Was the man trying to act as if he were royalty? I gritted my teeth and set off in the direction of the guest rooms which were used by officials visiting for a short time. 

I rejected the thought of kicking his door and settled for a brisk knock. The door opened instantly and I looked into a pair of hazel eyes. The werewolf was no older than my father would have been if he were alive. Werewolves aged slowly; they could be a hundred years old and look like 20. 

"Miss Rivera. Come inside." His crisp voice rapsed. I walked in, surveying the room thoroughly. 

"I am Gregory-" 

"I know who you are." I cut him off. "What do you want?" I asked him bluntly. 

He frowned at me, his eyes flashing. He was a short tempered wolf then. 

"You're rather loose mouthed, aren't you?" He quipped. 

"I say what I think." I replied calmly. 

"Well, that could land you in trouble with some people." He warned, his lips forming into a smirk. 

"I can handle that." I said with a shrug.

"Okay then. I will get to the point. I need you to spy for me." He said. 

I stiffened "I don't take work other than what I do for the office." I whispered. Unnerved by his laugh. 

"Oh, it's for the office too.. but there is a small private motive of mine. I want you to find someone." He said. His eyes were rich with emotions. 

"Who?" I asked. 

"My nephew. His name is Devon Knight. He is an agent but way above in rank than you. He was last heard from when he was in the human realm, his message was cryptic and it just got us his location." He explained. My eyes were glued to his as my curiosity rose, I slowly grinned at Hemsworth. 

"Devon Knight." I tasted the name. 

It would be fun tracking you.