I threw my self to the wolves,
only to learn the tenderness in their howl,
and the loyalty in their blood
---Isra Al-Thibet

A years later

As they tiptoed down the hallway Alexis didn't know what she was more afraid of. The huge grin on Josh's face, or the fact that they were up way past their bedtime. She could almost see the disappointed look her father would give her before laughing and ruffling her hair.

"Why are we doing this again?" She asked her best friend, wait her only friend, as they crept into the hallway, slowly advancing towards the Alpha's Wine cellar as Alexis pondered over the dilemma she was in.

It had almost been a year since the ceremony in which they had found out that the goddess had given Alexis her powers and accepted Alexis as part of her lineage. Not only that, but she could also turn into a wolf at will, which was quite a surprise to her family considering it had never happened before.

Josh, on the other hand, had spoken about his thoughts saying that it was cool she had powers but would have been cooler if Alex had purple eyes, a statement which had earned him a slap from the Luna, saying that everyone was perfect the way they were.

The high ranking witches from neighbouring covens would come from time to time to teach and train Alexis to become better at controlling her powers which were a lot for the young child And while the witches were helping her with the magic flowing in her veins, her father and Alpha trained her to control the beast that resided in her.

Her dad, being the charismatic person he was, also had some friends in the vampire community who would come from time to time to teach her and Josh about the complex training of all the species and how to protect themselves. In between breaks, they would also get to learn more about their ancestry. Which resulted in the vamps becoming better friends of the children than their dads had been with them.

No one except the Alphas family, her Ji family, some of the witches and vampires knew that Alexis had powers which had been granted by the goddess and not stolen or taken from another.

Joshua has also become better at fighting and controlling his wolf which was quite huge, courtesy of being an Alpha's son.

Beast? I would hardly call myself a beast Alexis. Is that how I come off as to other people? her wolf asked in her head, a trait which all shapeshifters received. It was honestly a pain to Alexis since she had to listen to her wolf bicker all the time.

Out of everything, she had to choose to comment on that

"I am going to become Alpha soon, Alex, don't you want to celebrate?" he asked her smirking while trying and failing miserably at picking the lock of the wine cellar with a bobby pin and Alexis wondered if he even knew how to pick a lock.

"But you aren't Alpha right now, we can come back when you are officially Alpha, which you are going to be soon enough," She tells him, trying to make him see reason since Alexis knew this would not end well for either of them.

"Details-Details," he says waving his hands at her like he was trying to swat a fly.

"Don't you want to save your first drink for your mom and dad?"

"I'm sure you'll make a great drinking buddy," he says while standing up and taking her hands in his, warmth enveloping her in whole and she turned red.

"If you wanted to touch me, Josh, you should've just asked," Alexis joked as a red tint spread over Josh's features.

"Maybe you wanted me to touch you, Alex," Josh said in return, his dark eyes in striking contrast with his blonde hair.

Is he really going to be our Alpha? I honestly want another. Now! her wolf demanded but Alexis ignored her. Ignoring me? Well fine, im not going to speak to you now.

She started to shout at him but was stopped when he suddenly put his hands on her mouth, silencing her. His blue eyes blazing as he looked at her.

Use the mindlink idiot, Josh told her telepathically while he rolled his dark eyes at her. His gaze drifting towards the staircase with every move they made, worried that his father would storm down any second. Truth be told, he was more scared than Alexis was. The rush of finally doing something like this had died down and made way for his nerves to come in.

We need to be quiet Alex, our parents might hear us, do you really want to get in trouble the first day your mom comes back? he asked her, guilt enveloping both of them as it finally occurred to them the full length of their action.

Alexis thought about her mother upstairs, her guest room locked to keep her out. She likes to sleep without being disturbed, its nothing like that, she tried to tell herself

As soon as the news of Alexis's power reached her mother, she swore she would be there soon to check on her.

Maybe we shouldn't be doing this Josh, she told him yet again.

Come on Alex, we'll be quick. I'll even let you-, he starts but she cuts him off.

This is a bad idea

But I want my first drink to be with you he said acting like a 5-year-old while pretending to stomp his feet. Which was really childish coming from the guy who didn't like when people threw silly tantrums at him.

Doesn't matter what you want Josh, she huffs as Josh turns to try the lock again but stops as loud footsteps are heard. Doors flying open booming voices making the kids fidgety as they try to find a place to hide.

"I told you calling her here would be too dangerous" They heard a sharp voice say, identifying it as Josh's mother.

Use your magic, god why didn't I think of this before Josh suddenly said looking at her as he frantically pushed her towards the cellars door.

Alexis racked her brain to remember the correct spells. She was better at destructive spells rather than these ones. As the voices got louder, she concentrated on the shadows surrounding them, bending them at her will to provide temporary cover, which was fairly easy since fire and shadows were her patron's key element.

The voices who were probably their parents were almost downstairs. And Josh looked her, scurrying further in the shadow blanket.

"Patentibus" She whispered, her hand coming down to rest on the handle as she opened it, both the children then filtering inside, their ears pressed on the door as soon as they were in.

"It's not my fault that your security is not up to date Arthur" Josh and Alexis heard her mother Emily's voice.

"Harold, knock some sense into your friend and tell him that it was our daughter's fault, not mine," she says again with a bitter tone and they can hear her holding back a sob.

"How dare you say that about our Alexis" Luna Lillian, Josh's mother whisper yelled at Emily, her motherly instincts coming out due to the abrasive way Emily was talking.

"Oh stop acting like such a brat Emily, she might be your daughter but Harold, me and Lillian were the one to raise her and you know damn well this isn't her fault" The Alpha outright shouts at her growling.

"Believe what you want, but if she wasn't born we wouldn't be in this situation" her mother yells back, not backing down from the chance to prove them wrong, as Alexis feels tears build up in her eyes due to how her mother thought about her.

"The rouges are close Arthur, let us not waste time on pointless bickering when we know whos at fault" She hears her dads voice, along with the hurried footsteps of the Alpha and Luna pair and they run out of the packhouse.

"Also, just because you had to lead a little difficult life for a while, doesn't give you the right to wish our daughter was never born Emily. But speaking honestly, I expected this from you," he said again with fury laced in his words before running out himself as her mother stormed out, least bothered about her life and pack.

"Do you think what they were talking about is my fault?" Alexis whispers to Josh while trying to keep her tears from falling. A task proving to be difficult due to the aching in her heart.

"Look, Alexis, I won't lie to you. I have no idea about what they were talking about. But I know that your father loves you. And that he would always forgive you, even if you did something unforgivable" he said, unlocking the door and stepping out.

Suddenly the pack siren starts wailing as they look at each other. Noticing how the night progressed from something as small breaking into a wine cellar, to this.

"The Rouges Are Here," They said as a feeling of dread takes over them, and Alexis can almost hear a crackling in the air.

******