"Please read the warning at the beginning of this book before you continue to read!"

(21 years ago)

It was the darkest of all nights and the hunt had begun.

The glorious light of the moon was shining bright, spreading its silver glow throughout the forest and not a single animal moved for they all knew what was going to happen.

The ground shook as the pack tore through the forest and emerging first through the shadow was the Alpha. His amber eyes glowed and his snout twitched as he breathed in the damp, fresh air. 

He growled a loud howl and in response a hundred other roars were heard.

Then beside him another wolf appeared, blue eyes and the whitest coat of fur - his mate and the Luna of the pack.

Both wolves shared a glance and as their eyes met they shared a conversation.

Are you ready? the Alpha asked.

As ready as I will ever be, his mate replied.

In the darkness of the night and the deadly silence it seemed that the wolf was laughing as his amber eyes twinkled in the moonlight.

Bring me something worthwhile, he added at last before turning to address the line of wolves that had emerged from the forest and stood ready for the long awaited order.

In the glory of the full moon, under the protection of the moon goddess, I, Alpha Kronex, lead our pack the Crescent Moon, on its 113th annual hunt.

A chorus of howls responded to the announcement and a second later both the Luna and the Alpha tilted back their heads and released an echoing howl before they dispersed into the darkness, followed by their pack.

It was custom of the Crescent pack that both the Alpha and the Luna should split and hunt on their own. When the hunt was over they reunited and in front of their pack they would gift each other with the product of their hunt.

Knowing this, the Alpha rubbed his fur against his mate's and playfully bit her neck.

Be safe, he said and she nodded before turning and running in the opposite direction only accompanied by the Beta's Mate.

Both female wolves ran around, playfully knocking into each other and jumping over fallen branches.

It feels good to finally run like this, the Beta female said as she dodged a fallen branch.

The Luna cast her a glance, she agreed. The wind in her fur and the soft forest bed beneath her paws were an indescribable feeling. Suddenly the females stopped when they heard the snap of a twig.

Can you smell that? the Beta female asked as she held her snout to the air. The Luna did the same - rabbit.

Both wolves slowly approached the animal and just as the Luna was about to pounce the rabbit became aware of the danger and sprinted off into a cave.

Damn it.

The Luna followed the rabbit and made her way into the cave, the Beta Female just behind her.

It was just when they noticed the rabbit they heard the cry. It was a piercing sound that tore through the night, clutching at the Luna's heart.

It was the cry of a baby.

Both females looked at each other but before the Beta female could advise otherwise the Luna was gone.

Running deeper into the cave, ignoring the hunt, she followed the cry and before she knew it, she was standing in front of a cardboard box.

Peering through the top she noticed the outstretched little hand, a curled up fist and a mop of dirty black hair. The little child was lying on a piece of cloth, completely naked, and screaming at the top of its lungs.

Unintentionally the Luna shifted and kneeling on the wet ground, equally as naked as the child, she reached into the box and lifted the baby into her arms.

"My god," she whispered as she held the child to her chest.

The baby was ice cold and the Luna wondered how the child wasn't dead already. The infant clung onto the Luna desperately seeking any warmth that it could.

"Alexia!" a voice called and not a second later the Beta female emerged and noticing the Luna on the ground, quickly rushed to her.

"Alexia don't do th-" The woman stopped talking as she noticed the baby in her Luna's arms.

"Samy, this baby wa- she was here in the cold and sh- I don't..." Finding it difficult to even speak she stood up. "We need to get her to the pack doctor."

"Alexia," Samy grabbed the Luna's arm and held her back, "look at her, she is human."

"Exactly and if we don't get her medical help she will die."

Samy noticed how tightly Alexia was holding the child; she noticed the determined gaze and she knew that if she tried to stop Alexia, she was going to lose. So she stepped aside and watched as her best friend ran out of the cave and in the direction of the pack house.

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The hunt had already finished but she wasn't back yet.

The Alpha paced around waiting for his mate to return. The rest of the packs were also waiting and there was a sense of dread as they waited for their Luna. The Alpha shifted and immediately grabbed the trousers that were given to him.

"Where is she?" he growled as he tried for the hundredth time to get through the mental block that his mate had put up. Just as he had decided to return to the forest to search for her, a figure rushed out of the darkness.

"Alexia!" he exclaimed as relief flushed over him. He grabbed a blanket and rushed over to her, only stopping when he noticed what she was carrying.

"Jacob," she whispered as she slowly approached him, but his eyes were solely on the baby bundled in her arms.

"What-"

"She needs help, right now," Alexia interrupted, ignoring her mate and running towards the pack house.

"No."

Alexia stopped and her arms tightened around the child who was turning a light shade of purple, now wheezing, struggling to breathe.

She turned to her mate.

"What did you say?"

Jacob stared right into Alexia's bright blue eyes, the same shade as her wolf's and he shook his head.

"The child is human, Alexia. It has human parents who, when they notice their child is gone will come hunting for whoever took it. And when they do, they will find us and I can't deal with that kind of problem." He apologetically glanced at the child before turning to Jhorn, his Beta. "Get rid of it."

A snarl came from Alexia when Jhorn cautiously took a step forward. She held the child to her chest and her blue eyes glowed as she said, "If you want the child, then you have to go through me first."

"ALEXIA!!" Jacob growled, making the rest of the pack take a step back.

"JACOB!" Alexia screamed back, making the child let out a cry. The Alpha clutched at his dark hair and he closed his eyes.

When he opened his eyes, they were calm and he walked over to his mate and when he was a foot away he reached over and gently moved a strand of hair away from the child's face. The Alpha took in the big brown eyes, chubby cheeks that were purple and her tiny pouty lips before looking at his mate.

There was no way he was going to win this.

He sighed. "Take her to the doctor."

Without a second to waste, Alexia rushed off into the house and the rest of the pack dispersed, realizing quickly that the Alpha had nothing else to say.

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"My Luna, you were an admirable soul out there; however, the child is long past saving. Her vitals are down, her lungs are failing and she has pneumonia. She will die before morning comes."

The pack doctor left, closing the door behind him, leaving Alexia and the baby alone in the medical room.

The child was sleeping inside an incubator with several different tubes attached to her tiny body. It was only now, in the bright light of the medical room did Alexia notice how small the child really was. The doctor estimated the baby to be at least 2 months old however she was only the size of a 2-week child. 

Alexia placed her hand into the incubator and gently wrapped her fingers around the child's fist. She was so engaged in looking at the child she didn't realize her mate standing behind her.

"Where did you find her?"

Startled, Alexia glanced back. She took a deep breath and returned her attention to the child.

"In the cave, in a cardboard box. She was crying; no wonder she must have been freezing."

"Lexi, you heard the doctor. Let's go." Jacob was moving towards the door when Alexia let out a scoff.

"I can't believe you. This child is dying and she has no one and you want me to leave. Why? Is it because she is not our child? Is it because I didn't give birth to her?"

Jacob wrapped his arms around his crying mate and held her shaking form.

"I just don't want you to get too attached. That's all."

Alexia pulls away and wipes her tears. "Fine, you can go but I'm staying with Eve."

"Eve? You named the child? For fuck's sake Alexia this child is not ours. It's human and it will die tonight."

"I know it's not our child Jacob! I know it's not our child because we can't have children. And if that," Alexia turns to point at the incubator, "is my only chance of holding a child and feeling like a mother then so be it. I will stay the night and I will be by her side until she dies."

The last thing she heard was the door slamming behind her as she sat down on a chair beside the incubator and let her tears drop.

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Alexia didn't know how or when she fell asleep but when she woke up she was surprised to see Jacob kneeling beside the incubator.

"Jake?" she whispered. "What are you doing here?"

He didn't bother to look at her and instead said, "I couldn't sleep without you." Alexia didn't comment, instead she turned to the incubator when she saw Eve stir.

"How is she doing?"

"Not too well. Her breathing's faltering and she is boiling." Alexia looked at the clock on the wall.

5:00am.

"But she got through the night. That must mean something." Alexia joined Jacob on the floor just as he exhaled a breath.

"Yeah well we'll find out in a second when the doctor comes in."

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"I have administered the antibiotics and that should bring down her temperature. For now I suggest applying regular wet towels to cool her down."

"But Eve's going to be okay, right?"

"Eve?" the doctor asked, before recognition flashed in his grey eyes. "Eve? Oh what a beautiful name. And for now yes she has got through the night which was the most dangerous part but now it's time for us to see how her body will react to the antibiotics."

(7 years later)

"Eve! Gemma!" Alexia was getting worried; the two girls were supposed to be playing in the garden while she prepared lunch but looking out now she couldn't see them. "Eve! Eve!" she screamed as tears pricked in her eyes.

"Lexi." Hearing his mate screaming, Jacob had run downstairs as fast as he could. "What's going on?"

Alexia ran into his arms, tugging at his shirt. "I can't find Eve. She was out here with Gemma and now sh-"

"Oi Oi! Look who made her mother cry." Both Alexia and Jacob turned to the backdoor where Jhorn jogged in carrying a giggling Eve in his arms while a pink-faced Gemma sat on his shoulders.

"Mummy!!!" Eve screamed in joy as she nearly jumped out of Jhorn's arms.

"Woah. Careful little Miss Eve, y-"

Before he could even finish his sentence Eve was grabbed from Jhorn's arms by Alexia who finally felt like she could breathe when Eve was finally in her arms.

"Where did you go Eve?!" Alexia scolded. "I told you to play in the garden with Gemma."

At first Eve looked alarmed at being told off by her mother and then when tears dribbled down her chubby cheeks, Alexia gave in.

Jacob took Eve from Alexia's arms and gave her a kiss on her wet cheeks. "Where did my little princess run off to?" Jacob asked as he rubbed the tears from her face.

Eve pointed a finger at Jhorn who was holding onto his 7-year-old daughter Gemma.

"Wait a minute. You came to give me the magic potion you made, you silly." Jhorn sounded like a seven-year-old himself and it made both Eve and Gemma burst into fits of giggles.

"Alright that's enough fun for tonight," Jacob said as he carried Eve back into the house. "Remember we have a meeting tonight at 8, be there." Jhorn made a mock salute and with that both him and his daughter bid goodbye to Alexia and left to go back home.

When Alexia got inside the house she smiled as she saw Jacob cutting up an apple into tiny pieces for Eve.

Jacob noticed Alexia and nudged Eve, who jumped off her chair and ran to Alexia, wrapping her arms around Alexia's legs.

"I'm sorry I made you scared mummy." Alexia picked Eve up and ran her fingers through Eve's thick black hair.

"It's alright sweetie, mummy just loves you so so much and when I don't see you I just get really worried."

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Later that day both Alexia and Jacob began to get ready for the meeting.

"Lexi." Alexia turned around as she slipped into a long black skirt. "You need to stop being scared of something happening to Eve. She is fine, even the doctor said so. She is seven years old, she isn't the same sick baby we found." Jacob grabbed Alexia's hands and brought them to his lips. "She is our daughter and we won't let anything happen to her."

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Alexia gently closed the door behind her and kicked off her heels as Jacob thanked Lisa for babysitting Eve while they went to the meeting.

"How was she?" Alexia asked as she clutched her handbag and slowly began to climb up the staircase.

Lisa cleared her throat. "Actually Luna I need to tell you something." Alexia stopped and made eye contact with Jacob who pursed his lips.

"She went to bed quite early because she wasn't feeling too well. And then when I went to check on her she seemed to have a fever."

Alexia didn't hear anything else because she was already running up the steps to Eve's room.

The window in her room was open and her white curtain flailed in the winds. There was an icy chill in the room so Alexia quickly made her way to the window and shut it. Then she turned to her daughter who was still sleeping, the duvet wrapped tightly around her body and the only thing you could see was her inky black hair.

Alexia knelt near the bed and slowly pulled the duvet away and that's when she smelt it.

A thick iron-like scent that clogged up her senses and made her gag. She quickly pushed the rest of the comforter off Eve's body and turned the bed lamp on and the sight she saw made her scream.

The next thing she knew, Jacob was pulling Alexia away from the bed and gathering an unconscious Eve into his arms, before sprinting out of the room and towards the medical room.

Alexia was still on the floor, her eyes still fixated on the bed where the pillows and bed sheets were stained a deep red from the blood that was pouring from Eve's mouth. No. No. No. I can't lose her. I can't lose my daughter.

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Eve died that night.

Well nearly, her heart did stop.

She went into a medically induced coma and was put under 24/7 monitoring. Unlike the first time, Alexia and Jacob were not allowed into the medical room. Them being there, in fact anyone being there, could have killed Eve.

Her body had started to fail, all her organs began to shut down and it seemed the end was inevitable.

Her immune system had stopped functioning and so any small infection would have been the trigger for her death. That night and the night after that and the night after that were torture. Alexia wouldn't stop crying, Jacob couldn't help her and the pack began to mourn for they believed the Alpha's daughter was dying.

3 months it took for her to finally wake up and when she did, it broke her parents' hearts.

They weren't allowed to hold her or to kiss her or to even touch her. She was kept locked up in a sterile room with a glass window which became the only way she could see her parents.

Every day the room was cleaned with disinfectant and every day clean air was pumped into the room. Everything she ate must be cooked using sterile equipment and the water she drank must be purified to the highest degree.

She wasn't allowed outside and no one was allowed in her room. If anyone wanted to visit, they must wait in the other room and talk to her through the glass window.

She had 17 different tablets to take, 5 in the morning, 7 at lunch and 5 in the evening.

It wasn't living, it was surviving.

However, Alexia and Jacob had long before decided that it didn't matter if she was kept locked in a room for the rest of her life, as long as she was breathing and alive, so be it.