"Christian! Christian! Come here! Quick!"

Christian ran out of their bungalow, his hands caked in flour and eggs. The mixture clung to his face and dripped from his hair.

Amelia rolled her eyes at the sight. She should have known better by now than to rely on him in the kitchen. Yet, he kept insisting he could learn. Get better. The tomato sauce on the ceiling said otherwise.

"What is it? What's wrong?!" Christian panted, his heart beating erratically in his chest.

He scanned the yard, the tree line. Searching for his favorite little girl, running around on her tiny toddler legs. Amelia stood in the middle of the yard, smiling excitedly as she observed a small pup bouncing around the yard, chewing on stuffed plushies.

Christian frowned. When did they get a puppy, and where was his niece? Emery was never not within Amelia's line of sight. So, where had the precocious toddler run off too?

"Mia, where's Emery?" Christian asked.

Amelia pointed to the pup.

The tiny ball of fluff had silver-white fur with a black stripe running down the length of her spine all the way to the tip of her tail. Her tiny teeth were tearing into a teddy bear, gnawing off its ears at the seams. The small pup finally minded him. Her silver eyes widened, catching sight of Christian. The bear fell from her mouth before she bounded over to him, leaping through the air and into his arms. A narrow pink tongue ravaged his face, licking off the flour mixture.

"Isn't she amazing?!" Amelia couldn't help the squeal that escaped her throat.

Her daughter never ceased to amaze.

Christian pulled the puppy away from him, forcing her to withdraw her tongue. The little pup yipped in his arms, panting heavily, her small tail wagging, shaking her body. He looked from the pup to Amelia and back again.

"Emery?" Christian spoke softly to the wolf pup in his arms.

The small were-pup barked in response, squirming in his grasp. He carefully placed the pup back on the ground. The instant her paws touched the earth, she took off, running for her mother, circling her feet, and jumping up on her hind legs.

"She's only three! How is this even possible?" Christian stammered, his mind racing.

Amelia couldn't help but smile at her daughter.

It wasn't unheard of for a pup to shift between age eight and ten. She and her twin were extremely young when they experienced their first shift at age six, but three years old was unheard of. Unprecedented.

"I don't know. One second she was playing, the next, she was chewing on all her toys." Amelia shrugged. "Isn't she stunning? She says her wolf's name is Hailey."

Christian's eyebrows raised. "She can mind link already?"

"Yes, she's extremely excited to talk to her wolf. She says she finally has a friend." Amelia's eyes darkened as her words faded, no longer sparkled with enthusiasm.

It was their sixth home in four years.

They currently resided in a little town outside of Mexico City. The rogues had managed to track them down to each hideout, constantly hunting them. Relentless mutts. They constantly had to be ready to run at a moment's notice which meant no stability, no friends, no ties. Nothing to hold them back.

Christian couldn't help but toss his arm around her shoulder, providing her with a firm squeeze. Amelia leaned into his large frame, leaning her head against his shoulder.

She remembered once upon a time trying to keep Christian from following her. Insisting it would be too dangerous for him. Not to mention what he'd be giving up. Losing his standing in his pack, quite possibly considered a traitor, and running off with his Alpha's mate—to name a few.

Amelia was grateful he didn't listen to her, for his unfailing support. On more than one occasion, they had barely escaped with their lives, especially when they had a baby to consider, but Christian never wavered, never gave up. He was constantly encouraging her to stay strong, to hold on just a bit longer. Without him, she was convinced she'd be dead or captured by now.

Amelia jerked her head to the side. Rey stirred within her mind as they detected a faint scent blowing towards them in the breeze.

"Rogues," Amelia whispered.

Christian straightened beside her. His body went rigid, glancing around at their surroundings on high alert.

"How far?" he demanded.

"Ten minutes." She bent down, beckoning for her daughter to come. "Come on, baby. It's time to go."

"She can't shift back, Mia. The first shift lasts a few days as she gets the hang of it," he reminded her.

"Fuck," Amelia hissed loudly.

He was right. The first shift lasted a few days as the pup got used to the breach of mind and body. Emery and her wolf would require time to grow accustomed to one another. Time they no longer had. It usually took anywhere from three to five days before a pup shifted back to their human form. Given that Emery had only just shifted, she would stay in her wolf skin for a couple of days at the very least—leaving her no other options.

She watched as Christian ran into the house to grab their go-pack. The one bag they always had at the ready with their forged travel papers and money in various currencies.

The scent on the wind was getting more robust, more distinct, which only meant one thing.

They were getting closer.

Amelia stripped out of her clothes, leaving herself as bare as when she first came into the world. Emery observed her mother taking off her clothes and trotted over to her, her little head tilted to the side. Rey came forward as they shifted into her silver wolf.

Come, Emery. It's time to go. Amelia repeated, linking her daughter.

Are we going for a run? Emery hopped up and down on her four little legs.

Her heart fractured.

How could she explain to a three-year-old, they were in danger? Again.

That this was their life. A never-ending cycle of danger and temporary places to rest their head.

Yes, baby, we're going for a run. It's time to find a new home.

Without warning, Amelia picked Emery up by the scruff, grasping her firmly between her teeth. Emery's little body curled in on itself, her tail tucked between her legs as she dangled from her mother's jaws. Christian came running outside, already shifted into his chocolate brown wolf with a backpack hanging from his mouth.

Not bothering to signal, Amelia took off in the opposite direction of the rogue's scent. Rey struck her paws hard against the soft earth. Christian was on her left flank, keeping up with her long and powerful gait.

Emery curled up tighter on herself, swinging wildly from her mother's jaws.

Amelia leaped over a decayed tree causing her pup to whimper at the sudden jolt. Instinctively, she growled at her daughter, cautioning her to keep quiet.

Her daughter's whimpering turned into a sharp yipe. Amelia halted in her tracks. The toddler cry matured into an agonizing gasp of pain.

Amelia blinked her eyes repeatedly.

She was no longer looking through the eyes of her wolf but through her human ones. Her fingers flexed at her sides, indicating she was in fact human and not running through the woods on all fours. She stood in the clearing behind the London Packhouse.

More of a castle than a house. The carved stone towered over them, intimidating anyone daring to look at its foundation.

Looking around the clearing, she finally found the source of the cry that forced her out of her memories. Emery was lying on the ground near the base of the tree line. Her body was nude. Streaks of dirt coated her skin, and her hair resembled more of a bird's nest, filled with leaves and twigs.

Amelia observed her daughter, lessening the distance between them. As she drew closer, she couldn't note any extensive damage. If it were anyone else, something definitely would have been broken, but Emery had been falling out of trees since she could walk.

Emery was past the stages of toddler wobbles and a lanky frame she had yet to grow into.

The girl that lay in a heap before her was nearing adulthood. Reminding her daily of a childhood that was stolen from her. Left to mature quicker than any other her age.

"You okay?" Amelia asked once she finally got close enough.

Emery glared at the tree she had fallen from. The termite house towered over her, standing tall at over forty feet. She had managed to twist her body just in time to prevent breaking anything serious, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt like hell. Her body had shifted back to its human skin shortly after her body made impact—her wolf allowing for time to rest.

"Yeah, I'm okay. My ass is going to be sore, though," Emery complained, rubbing her backside, trying to stretch out the soreness she was already experiencing.

"What happened?" Amelia asked. Looking up, she searched for the point that Emery had crashed through. Discovering a fractured branch, she found the weak point that sent her daughter hurtling towards the earth.

"I misjudged my jump. Landed too far away from the trunk. It ended up snapping beneath my weight." Emery noted her mother's hand offered in front of her. She took it, pulling herself up off the ground.

"You can't afford to make mistakes. I know this is unpleasant, especially in your wolf form, but we do these drills for a reason," Amelia began her lecture.

"Yeah, I know. Use your surroundings to your advantage. Keep your tail up. It helps support your balance. Stay close to the trunk. The limbs are better equipped to carry your weight. The higher up, the less likely they are to identify and smell you. Shall I go on?"

Amelia glared at her daughter, unsure whether she wanted to praise or scold her.

Why did her child have to inherit all of her stubborn snarkiness?

It seemed Emery was blessed with all her good and bad traits. Not to mention what she inherited from her father.

"I think that's enough for today," she said, glancing up at the setting sun. The horizon was painted in hues of purple and orange. Reminding her of home. "You're going to need some ice for your ass. Can't have you too sore for tomorrow."

Emery groaned as she gathered her robe off the trimmed lawn and enclosed it around her exposed body. "You know most girls my age would be worried about finals or parties, hell even boys, but nope, not me. I get to worry about knife throwing, tracking, and tree climbing."

Amelia snorted, unable to contain her smirk. "You're not like most girls. Besides, who are you kidding? You think I didn't know you snuck out last weekend with the Alpha's son?"

"But-how?" Emery stuttered.

Amelia couldn't prevent her eyes from rolling. "You are my daughter. You think I didn't pull the same crap on my dad? Honey, I was the Queen of Mischief."

"So, it's okay for me to sneak out and go to parties?" Emery raised her brow at her mother.

"That's not what I'm saying, and you know it," she said pointedly. "All I am saying is that I trust you. You're a clever kid. I want you to use your judgment. Don't take any unnecessary risks. Even though I was way worse than you at your age, I also wasn't on the run my entire life. We've managed to live quietly these last two years. I want to keep it that way."

Emery bobbed her head in agreement, lost in thought until she recalled something. "What were you thinking about earlier when I fell? You looked distracted."

Amelia crossed her arms over her chest, pulling her sweater tighter around her body. "I remembered your first shift."

Emery smiled sadly. "With Uncle Christian?"

"Yeah, he was there."

"I miss him so much."

"Me too, baby. Me too."

Chapter 1 of Book 2!!! I can't tell you how excited I am! I never expected Shadow of Twilight to be larger than one book and here we are! Thank you all so much for your support :D

What did you think of the first chapter?

Where is Christian?

Emery is a teenager now, so where is Gabriel?

Don't forget to comment and vote <3