p e o n y

The moment Peony was born, an earthquake struck the world; it was unable to handle the power and innocence that had just been born.

But as houses crumbled in surrounding villages, their cottage stood strong and unaffected. Her father, Oliver, knew that it was an omen from their gods that Peony was as celestial as she looked and she had to be protected. So, he limited his and his wife's interaction to the world to the very essentials and did all he could to hide his precious flower from everyone.

As she grew, she provided the fresh vegetables and fruit from her numerous gardens and vegetable patches. Her baking skill enhanced every week with her supply of milk and eggs from her cows and chickens - Oliver and Pricilla could not be any prouder. She evolved into a celestial beauty as well; with flowing blonde hair, bright hazel eyes that appear golden and a delicate tan skin.

In short, Peony was perfection.

Oliver walked out of the back of the cottage into the warm, beaming sun that welcomed him with open arms. It was mid-July and there was barely a breeze, just the sound of birds chirping and Peony humming flowed through the air. His eyes watched her lovingly as she sat in the tall, lush grass with a white chicken in her arms whilst she ran one hand up and down the hen's back.

"Peony!" He gently called out, and his sunrise turned her head towards him, her eyes twinkled like blocks of solid gold. "Your muffins are ready!" The smell of her orange muffins decorated the air as you could probably smell them a mile away from the house.

Peony grinned at her father as she delicately placed Lilah, one of her beautiful chickens, down in the soft grass. She sprang up, her yellow sundress flowing as she did so. Peony looked at her father as she skipped over and gave him a huge hug.

"Good morning, dad," Peony greeted him as she had not seen him earlier this morning. She loved her father with all her heart; he was soft, loving and so affectionate. He allowed her to bake all day, garden and dance and she simply loved him.

"Good morning, my beautiful sunrise," He whispered as he hugged her, gently though, as if he was afraid he would crush her.

Taking his hand, Peony let her father lead her inside to where the beautiful smell of oranges accumulated. Oranges were extremely difficult to find in her pack and the surrounding pack, but after Oliver brought Peony an orange for a gift many years ago and she planted the seed. Now, an orchard grows in their sun-doused land.

Rushing to their stove, Peony took out the tray of fresh, golden muffins and smelled the incomparable scent. Meanwhile, her father walked over to the small, carved table, its scratches oozed with wear and use. He took a seat at his usual place, an oak varnished chair that although was identical structure-wise to the other two chairs, Peony's chair was decorated in vibrant flowers.

Like clockwork, Peony took a glass jar from the cupboard which was half full with marmalade. Carefully, she grabbed a sharp knife from a knife stand and began to slather marmalade onto the muffins. As expected, the glaze melted from the heat and drizzled down to a glossy sheen of orange and sugar.

"Mom told me that you're going away again." Peony stated with sadness clear in her voice. She hated it when her father left because of his role in their pack; she wanted him to stay at home with herself and her mother. Peony had been told of the cruelty that was scattered over her world and she didn't want to venture into it.

"Did she now?" He mused whilst his hands ran through his hair; he did not have a choice in reality. Alpha Nicholas Baxter, although a man of frequent mercy, was not a man that a lower rank wolf wanted to upset.

Oliver ran the farms east of the pack, a massive distance away from the centre of the pack. However, every season, he had to leave for four days in order to establish agricultural plans for the season ahead and accommodate for the rise in the pack population.

"I did."

Like a swan, Pricilla glided into the room; her baby blue dress flowed across the floor and her smile appeared to mimic the moon - an under appreciated beauty. She cheekily stole a freshly baked muffin from the plates that Peony placed her muffins on and grinned as Peony narrowed her eyes.

"She has a right to know, Oliver. You're her father, you cannot just expect her to wake up one morning to your absence." Priscilla told Oliver quietly as she sat down at the oak table. She quietened down her voice. "We're her entire world, Oliver. She has never seen another person, ever. There was only ever been us and there only ever will be us; she can't even shift, for goodness sake!"

"I know, I know, but do you think I enjoy leaving you two? You are my world and sometimes I cannot bear to even mention to her that I will have to leave. I hoped that you could have just told her the morning after my departure." Oliver reasoned, a stressed look prominent on his face.

It was true that Peony had only ever seen himself and his mate due to their solitude. It was a part of the contract he signed when he was asked to join the Baxter pack - no one was allowed near or in the 20 miles radius of his land. In return, he would provide the pack with fruits, vegetables and eggs that they were unable to access elsewhere. Alpha Nicholas Baxter stayed true to his word and after a pack member trespassed a mile away from the cottage, he was imprisoned for a violation of pack policy. The only thing Oliver was thankful for was his daughter's faulty genes that did not code for the wolf part of her and therefore, she had no idea about the trespasser.

"Peony," Oliver called out, his hand outreached to his daughter who was humming gently. Swiftly, she turned her head towards her father and made her way over to him. Her smile appeared to be a beam of light bursting out of her face.

"Yes, dad?" Her mellow voice called out. Gold exploded from her eyes as sub rays graced her skin but it was only then that he noticed the milling tears that threatened to depart from her eyes.

"Oh my flower, please don't cry," Oliver cooed as he gently took his daughter into his arms. "I'm sorry I have to go away, but what I do is very important to keeping everyone alive."

"Do you feed the dogs?" Her voice glided out and Oliver and Pricilla's eyes darted towards each other in panic.

"Dogs, my gorgeous? There are no dogs here." Pricilla reasoned whilst a smile flowed from her lips and panic swirled around her eyes. She shouldn't know about dogs, Priscilla thought to herself, she has never seen one before.

"There was a dog yesterday in the orchard and it was almost as big as Fantasia!" Peony gleamed and thought about her beautiful cow that would be frightened of this dog. "I did not know what it was at first but I found some books on other animals like Lilah and Fantasia and I think it's a dog!"

Oliver was panicking. There was only one way she could have seen a dog and that was if it was a wolf but he didn't notice the scent. He was leaving to go to the Pack Centre tonight and was determined to find out who had trespassed on his property and why they had been near his precious flower.