CHAPTER ONE

LUKA'S POV

28 YEARS EARLIER

From the day I was born everyone knew who and what I was meant to be. The Alpha. The highest honour in a pack and the one role that takes determination, dedication and a hell of a lot of perspiration to fulfill. And I was ok with that, it is in my blood to be ready for the Alpha title and I wanted it. More than anything it was the one thing I truly desired. And one of the biggest decisions an Alpha can make next to choosing his mate, is choosing his Beta.

Naal Ryon was always a quiet kid. He respected his elders and always did as he was told. His father and mother were enforcers and damn good ones at that and so he was raised to be an enforcer as well, but I saw something else in him. He had a loyalty and bravery in him that surpassed the rank of enforcer. His wisdom and discernment were way beyond his years. We were only four years old when we met but we were so linked it was as if he was my brother. And at that time I wasn't sure if my parents were going to have another child as there were complications with getting pregnant for my mother. So I treated Naal as my blood brother and he did the same with me.

We were inseparable and I knew then, at the age of four that there would be no one else that could be a better Beta for me than Naal. He was reliable, fun to be around and was always by my side to help me make important decisions, though at that age the decisions were choosing between going outside to play or staying inside and playing a video game. Regardless he was there. And I always appreciated that. We went to kindergarten together at the elementary school on our territory and walked home together. We even rode our tricycles together. He was my best friend.

A few months later my mother gave birth to my younger sister Willow and I was overjoyed. Naal was an only child so when he heard that there was going to be another sibling he was just as happy. Most children at my age didn't understand what a miscarriage was or how hard it was for women to give birth, but I did. I was to be the Alpha; I had to know these things. Even though it was hard to say out loud and my mother cried every time it was mentioned. So when my mother gave birth to my sister I made a vow that night to be the best brother I could be for her. I would love her, respect her and cherish her for as long as I could and in turn she would grow up to be a strong female Alpha and find a mate that was worthy of her.

Every night I was making vows to my sister that men would make to their mates. I was protective of her because her life is as precious to me as it is to my parents. I was a serious kid and very protective of my family. My father couldn't be any more proud.

For five years I helped to take care of my sister, along with going to school, hanging out with Naal and learning what it takes to be an Alpha. By then I was nine years old and in the third grade and I began to like girls as did Naal. One time there was a girl Naal really liked so he asked her to play at the park with him and she said yes only if I came too. I didn't know that a lot of the kids favoured me more than Naal because I was the Alpha's son. I only wanted to be treated fairly. It was how I was raised. After that girl Naal and I made a pact to never let a girl get in-between our friendship because we were brothers and brothers always stuck together. Funny how things can change overtime...

There was peace and prosperity in our pack and my father strived to keep it that way. He was a peaceful man never prone to anger and never swift to judge harshly. He was what I always wanted to be. All of the packs liked him and respected our land and boundaries. He was kind and dutiful and packs liked that but I loved it because he was the best example of a strong Alpha. He's the best Alpha ever... ok that's really my inner child saying that but in truth my father really is awesome. He would handle everything with thought and strategy instead of speeding through. Even at home father was fun and smart and so cool. He's the one who taught me how to play video games and different sports. Just as much as he was the Alpha he was also our father and a husband/mate and he made sure to stick to it no matter the circumstance. It was rare if father ever let anything pack related get to him when he was with us. He'd always remain calm and smiling assuring us that everything was ok as to not worry us. That's how life was.

But things in the pack house began to change when my father introduced me to Christopher and Jerri Dawson and boy was I shocked to learn that they were humans.

Sure I knew about humans as we learned their history in school and of course I had heard stories of life outside the pack, but I had never seen one up close before. Now with school we had only associated ourselves with wolves. Our teachers were wolves as were the students so humans were around somewhere I'm sure but I just never saw them. Or maybe I've always seen them and just never realized because much to my surprise they seemed quite normal. They looked exactly like we did but their scents were different, cleaner in a sense like soap compared to pine needles which obviously meant they had no wolves. Wolves had a tendency to smell like pine with the forest surrounding us and all, but humans didn't smell like that. Their scent was like soap and gasoline because they are always near or in their cars and something else to define that person a peculiar scent that marked them separate from the rest. For these two people the woman smelled like cooking, baking to be more specific like cookies and pie. Mrs. Dawson had a sweet and comforting scent to her that seemed to match her happy appearance. The man had a interesting scent to him, it was like pine but with a mix of something smokey like a campfire... it was weird to experience but fascinating all the same.

My father explained to me that these people were old friends of his that would be visiting the pack often to deal with business and family affairs. I understood enough to know that business meant protecting the pack but I never understood what he meant by family affairs, yet as the good kid I was and the leader I was to become I did not question him on it; instead I chose to ask him later. But it was at times like these when I wished I was able to mindlink.

Mindlinking is a gift blessed to us by the moon goddess. It allows us to speak with each through our brainwaves, on a central link formed and maintained by the Alpha. A wolf receives the gift of mindlinking when they first shift. It's all so cool to learn. When the first shift happens you can hear your wolf talking to you and you feel so different and it's just so... cool! Anyways I wanted to seem mature to my father and say yes in front of the humans but then mindlink him and learn the truth... but not yet. Just one more year until I finally shift.

The humans and my father speak about pack boundaries being small but comfortable. They speak about new treaties and new Alphas and other things that are important for me to know so I listen and learn as much as I can.

When my father tells me to wait outside so they can talk in private I do not protest, I just leave the office and wait outside his door. What I found though, was a little caramel skinned girl playing with a daisy she must have picked from my mother's garden. It was perfectly bloomed and whiter than snow. The yellow centre looked like tiny pieces of corn and the little girl kept petting it.

She was cute, in a childish way. Her hair was big, brown and very curly; she's wearing a light blue dress that reaches her knees making her legs look long as they kick under her chair and her scent was... pretty and nice. Just a really pleasant scent. But my first instinct was to scold her for taking something that didn't belong to her and find her parents. It was what I thought was best, but when she looked up at me with those bright blue stunning eyes I found I couldn't move. I felt paralyzed as this little girl jumped down from her chair and walked over to me with a big smile on her face.

"Hi! I'm Raelynn Grace Rose Dawson! What's your name?" I guessed by the sound of her voice and her height that she was around the same age as my sister and a fierce protectiveness came over me.

I took her little hand in mine and examined the daisy she was holding. Her skin was so soft and creamy and her eyes... oh her eyes. I let go of her hand and bend down to her height.

"My name is Luka Garretson. I am the future Alpha of this pack. It is a pleasure to meet you." Her beautiful blue eyes go wide before she looks around the hallway and back to me.

"Pack? Like a backpack? Or like a package? Or maybe to pack something? What do you pack?" A small smile touches my lips as I listen to her innocence. She's adorable, just like my sister. I take her by the hand and sit on the chairs across from my father's office.

"I will tell you what a pack is Raelynn. But you have to listen carefully, ok?" She looks at me and jumps off the chair. My arms immediately stretch forward to make sure she isn't hurt but she just skips to her little backpack and places the daisy on top of it before coming back to me.

"Ok I can listen loud and clear." She sits beside me and I begin to tell her the history of werewolves. From time to time her eyes go wide or she will smile at me but the entire time she doesn't interrupt. When I finish she continues to nod her head and looks at the floor.

"So can you change into a wolf?" I frown and look down as well.

"No, not yet. Most pups do not shift until they are twelve or thirteen. But Alphas are able to shift earlier for protective purposes. So I should be able to next year." She kicks her legs out and counts on her fingers.

"So that means you will be ten years old when you change?" She asks showing me her hands. I laugh lightly and nod.

"Yup." Her hands fall to her lap and she plays with her skirt.

"Will it hurt?" She asks me as she pouts and pulls on her skirt.

"Yeah..." My voice is barely a whisper in response.

"Can I be there when it happens? That way if you're hurting I could help you. I will be six years old then and that makes me bigger." Her question makes me smile and I feel my mood become lighter.

"Maybe." She smiles wide and squeezes my hand.

"Ooh you can't just say maybe! You have to say yes or no because maybe isn't a straight cut answer. That's what my mommy says." Her smile is still plastered on her face but it's her eyes again that captivate me.

I get off the chair and go down on one knee in front of her. Her beautiful little smile fades and she begins to frown as her head tilts to the side.

"Watcha doing?" She asks tucking her feet under her chair. I take her hand and smile softly.

"I can't promise you that you can be with me when I am blessed with my first shift." Her frown deepens.

"And why not mister?" I laugh softly and squeeze her hand.

"Because it can be very dangerous for you and I would never want to hurt you Raelynn." She nods her head making her brown curls bounce. "But I can promise you that once I have control over the shift I will not only show you how I do it, I will also allow you to touch me too." Blue eyes meet Hazel and we both smile together.

"Ok... but you have to seal this promise." She jumps off her chair and lands in my arms.

"What do I have to do Rae?" It was the first time I ever used her name in that term and though at the time it seemed like an easy way of pronouncing her name, we both knew that it would always be a term of endearment between her and me.

"You have to pinkie promise." She holds out her little finger and curves it to lock with my own. I lock my pinkie with hers and she shakes it up and down. "Great! Now have you seen my mommy and daddy? They said for me to wait here and I have but I'm getting hungry." As soon as she asked me the question her parents and my father step out of his office. I stand up straight and unknowingly push Rae a little behind me in a protective manner.

"Ahh Luka I see you have met the Dawsons' daughter Raelynn." My father smiles down at Rae and she smiles back softly. I don't know why but I want to protect her from the prying eyes of my father thus me keeping her behind me. My father notices this and something flashes in his eyes before he holds out his hand for Rae to take. She looks to her parents for permission first before moving around me and taking his hand. I have to force myself not to pull her back behind me as my father lifts her up in his arms.

"You have grown so much since we last met little miss." Rae's nose scrunches up in confusion before she responds.

"I don't know you mister." Her mom smiles at her comment and Mr. Dawson just claps my father on the back.

"Be careful Gannon when she gets attached to you there's no turning back. She'll latch on like a leech."

A small growl resonates around us and my father shoots a glare in my direction. I don't know why though... it's not like I growled... did I? Rae squirms in my father's hold and he lets her go. As soon as her feet touch the ground she runs to me and my arms open to hold her. Three pairs of eyes watch us curiously but I dare not say anything on the matter because I don't know what to say.

"Gannon?" I hear my mother's voice down the hall and see her carrying Willow towards us. I've always loved seeing the look on my parents' faces when they see each other. It shows the true love and devotion a mate holds for the other and it's a look I want to be able to share with my mate one day. My father meets my mother halfway and takes Willow into his arms. She seems to have just woken up from her nap and when she sees me and another girl in my arms she pouts.

"Chris, Jerri you both remember Keira don't you?" Mrs. Dawson runs to my mother with her arms open and they embrace each other like the best of friends. Immediately they begin to talk animatedly and my father frowns slipping away from the two. With Willow still in his arms she wiggles to get free and runs to me.

"Wow Gannon have you lost your charm with kids already?" Both men laugh and shake their heads.

"It looks like my son is becoming quite the ladies' man." I look up to him confused but ignore his comment and focus on the two glaring little girls in front of me.

"Luka who is this?" Willow asks innocently her big brown eyes wide and curious. I smile down at her and kiss the top of her head.

"Willow this is Raelynn, her family will be visiting the pack often. I believe you two are the same age."

Rae walks forward to give Willow a hug and she accepts it awkwardly. I should have noticed the jealousy brewing then but I was only nine at the time and both girls were four... Who would have guessed?

"How about we all have dinner? You guys are more than welcome to stay over the night." My mother says returning to us with Mrs. Dawson arm in arm with smiles on their faces.

"That sounds wonderful doesn't it Chris?" Mrs. Dawson asks. Mr. Dawson looks at his wife the same way my father looks at my mother and smiles.

"Of course my love. Why don't we all catch up and let the kids get to know each other better." My mother smiles down at me and points me towards our entertainment room.

"Do you mind bringing the girls there?" I shrug my shoulders and lead the way with Rae taking my right hand and Willow taking my left. I didn't see the faces they made to each other behind my back.

For a few hours I did my best to entertain the girls. It wasn't easy as it seemed they wouldn't stop fighting and I had no idea why. It was either they didn't like the show on TV, or they wanted to play with the same doll and wouldn't share or they wanted a piggy back from me at the same time. It was crazy!

When dinner time came I was more than happy to get away. Usually Naal would spend dinner with us because I had chosen him to be my Beta but my parents said that tonight is special so he wasn't allowed to come. But they didn't know the torture I had to go through with those girls, I needed some backup! But again I respected my father's wishes and sat in-between the two bickering girls. The end of that day couldn't have come faster and I was more than happy with the peace that my room gave me.

The next day I slept in later than usual but it was a Sunday so I was allowed to. I woke up to the smell of pancakes and bacon and I rushed to get ready. On Sundays my family takes the time for each other. We don't deal with pack issues at all unless absolutely necessary and we play games or watch movies for the whole day. My father said it's needed to keep the Alpha family closely knit, so that nothing could tear us apart and spending time together was essential. Oddly enough I was excited to see little Rae this morning and ran down the stairs to greet her. Only she wasn't there. At the table sat my family but not hers. I was sad at that moment but I wasn't sure why.

"Come eat Luka." My mother pulled out a chair beside her and I sat down. My plate was filled with all of my favourite breakfast foods and yet I wasn't very hungry. My mother noticed my mood quickly.

"What's wrong sweetheart?" I looked around the table and frowned.

"Where is Rae?" I know I should have asked for her entire family but at that moment I only cared to see those eyes, and that smile, and that big bouncy hair.

"Oh I'm sorry sweetie we didn't wake you. The Dawson family goes to a human church on Sunday mornings, that's why they aren't here." Church?

"What's a church?" I asked scratching my head. My father chuckled and flicked some water at me.

"How about you eat your food first and I will take you there later on today." My heart jumped at the thought of seeing Rae again and I nodded my head furiously. I don't think I have ever eaten so quickly in my life. When I finished my food my father told me to go upstairs and dress as if I was going to an important pack meeting. So I put on my dress shirt and my cool black jeans and waited at the front door.

When all of my family walked downstairs looking very important I knew that this church thing had to be a big deal. It took us almost an hour to get to the place and from the outside it looked really big. The inside was even more fascinating. The walls were white with blue lining them that stretched all the way to the ceiling. The windows were painted bright colours and the light looked like a disco ball through it. There were people in white and blue robes at the front of the room singing but then they would stop and wait for the man with glasses talking at a stand to tell them to continue or not. He was human I could tell very easily and seemed to have some kind of power over the people in this place. Everyone seemed so interested in everything he said and listened quietly. Maybe he was the human Alpha? My parents ushered us to the back row and sat down. My eyes scanned the room but I couldn't find Rae and I was beginning to get frustrated. I pulled on my mom's dress and whined.

"She isn't here." My mother looked down at me the same way my father did the day before and smiled. She pointed to a room to my left and winked pushing Willow towards me as well.

"Ask the lady for the Children's Ministry and she will show you two where to go. Behave and wait for your father and me to pick you up later on. Ok?"

"Yes mom." I took Willow's hand in mine and scooted off the row.

Taking a deep breath I smelled a lot of humans in this big place and some wolves. That surprised me. If I didn't know what a church was then why did these wolves know? Was church a big secret that even the Alpha's son couldn't know? When we reached the lady I realized that she was a wolf as well and frowned. She had the same scent as members of our pack and she knew about this place too? Now I was just getting upset.

"Welcome Alphas, I presume you would like to go to the Children's Ministry?" I couldn't speak! She knew who I was? How could she know me and go to this church thing? Why haven't I been told about this place? This isn't fair!

I nod my head still confused and slightly upset and she leads the way. My senses aren't as strong as they will be next year when I experience my first shift, but there was no mistaking her scent. It was flowery and soft but sweet with a hint of spice to it and it drew me to her like a moth to a flame. Rae. I ran past the woman and into the door to my right, straight to the little human. She was sitting with her legs crossed colouring a paper. She wore a yellow sundress and a white jacket over it. There were yellow bows in her hair that matched her dress making her look like sunshine. I couldn't help smiling. Willow ran to my leg and scowled at all of the little kids in the room. It was easy to guess that this was more of a nursery than a playroom and I wasn't in need of being here... but I wanted to.

"Be nice Willow." She looks up to me with those adorable eyes and I pinch her cheek. Slapping my hand away she smiles and runs into the room. Rae sees her and looks over to me.

"Luka!" She runs into my arms and I welcome her embrace.

"Hey Rae." The blue eyed child pulls my hand towards her drawing and she smiles.

"Do you like it?" Now I am not a liar. I was raised to be truthful at all times, so when I saw her picture; the variety of colours, the neat structure, the intricate detail she put into giving each person their own unique eye colour, I was shocked. She was merely 3, how was it possible for her to have drawn something so amazing?

"It looks fantastic Rae. Wow." She nods her head agreeing and continues to draw. It takes her a few seconds to realize that I haven't moved and when she sees this she turns towards me with her hands on her hips.

"You are too old to be here Luka. You have to go to the other room. That's what the teacher says." I bend down to her level and pout.

"But I want to stay with you. Won't you let me?" She shakes her head no and points to the door.

"It's the rules Luka! See you when church is finished." Dismissing me Rae turns back to her picture and I stand up to leave. I don't want to leave, but I won't bother her any longer. Instead I went to the room assigned and spent time with the other human children my age. It was a fun experience.

Once the day was over my parents picked Willow and I up and we left for the pack house. It bothered me that Rae and her family weren't coming but my father said they had a home of their own. In truth I wanted to spend the day with her and only her for reasons I couldn't explain. It was as if a part of me was drawn to the 3 year old girl. I didn't want to be away from her and the panic I felt when I realized she wasn't still in my home earlier in the day... it was something I never wanted to feel again.

I didn't know it then but Rae had become a vital part of my life.