Repetition is all it takes to grow comfortable among the thorns. Twelve months of a utopia where the world seemed blissful and peaceful.

It was as if there was a bubble around Snake's Canyon, protecting it from the harsh wilderness.

The outside world was a dangerous place and the harder it was to pop their bubble, the safer the pack was.

It had been an entire year since Alisa had finally taken the plunge and accepted who she was. She was a wolf, not a witch, and Snake's Canyon was her home now.

She felt safe within the pack lines and with the pack. The night Alpha Ryker had announced her acceptance of his offer, the pack had welcomed her with open arms.

Only a selected few had trouble grasping the concept of a rogue joining them but their opinions softened over time.

To hear their claps ring around the pack house, warmed Alisa's once cold heart. The more she had accepted their customs and regulations, she had even grown quite fond of it too.

She enjoyed shapeshifting, the way the change made her feel inside. It gave her an excitement her old life never could.

Things were never planned, always spontaneous and ridiculously fun to boot.

Her heightened senses made playing with the other wolves exciting and challenging. It took her a while to get used to the sounds, as previously they used to make her ears ring for hours.

But the more the positives outweighed the negative, the more she felt herself give in to their way of life and surrender herself completely to their loyalty.

For instead of casting her out, they spared her and offered her refuge among them like she were an old friend.

The night Alpha Ryker began the initiation into the pack, her entire life shifted, and nothing was ever going to be the same again.

The full moon hung in the sky, illuminating Snake's Canyon, where the pack bear witness to the initiation of a new pack member.

Alpha Ryker stood at the front of the alter, preparing to gift Alisa to the Moon Goddess. If it were her will for Alisa to join the Sabor Tooth pack, the patch of damp grass in front of him would light up in flames.

He only hoped that the child would be welcomed into the pack and the choice be blessed by the goddess herself.

As a way to silence the chatter among the wolves, Alpha Ryker held up a hand.

All noised ceased that instant.

Slowly, he had put his arm down before clearing his throat once more.

"As we all know, Alisa stumbled into our world unexpectedly one day. She has struggled and still come out on top. She is a fighter, through and through," he began as he threw a smile over at her.

"Our way of life was strange to her, but she quickly grew accustomed. A long way to go for her, but hopefully the Moon Goddess believes it's alongside us."

There had been very few times where the Moon Goddess hadn't agreed with the Alpha. It was as if they were connected in spirit, and she was guiding him along her destined path.

Alpha Ryker, in other words, was her humble servant.

"Alisa, come here child," he smiled, gesturing for her to stand beside him.

He picked up a bowl of water as she came up next to him. He dipped three fingers in the water before lightly placing it on her left shoulder.

The wind began picking up a fraction, leaving a chill in the air.

He slowly carved ancient symbols on it as the silence in the air began to chill them too. As he moved away, he looked back at his pack, praying for the Moon Goddess to give the child a chance to grow.

She had immense potential; anybody could see it from a mile away.

No one had rivalled Ryder in a fight before.

She had strength and courage, the perfect combination of a Sabor Tooth pack member.

"If you, Moon Goddess, will for Alisa to be one of us, let it be known."

Everybody held their breath, as the wind began growing stronger and more powerful.

It didn't seem like the greatest of signs which worried everybody.

If there was smoke and no flame, she would be denied refuge and a home. But if the Moon Goddess smiled upon her, a tiny flame would grow in its place.

As time ticked on, Alisa grew fairly worried.

'What if I have no real place in this world?'

The thought of doubt crossed her mind for a fleeting moment.

Until it happened – the flame began burning, bright and hot.

A chorus of howls filled the air as excitement grew in the hearts of many. If the Moon Goddess willed it, how could the choice ever be wrong.

Alpha Ryker nodded, letting all know that the branding would begin.

The Beta, Levi, walked over with a long, jagged spear.

Her blue eyes widened and she swallowed, knowing this would be the hardest thing to bear in the ritual.

She had survived up until this point. She finally learned to shift and control it among the other things she'd learned over the past thirty days.

A branding couldn't be any worse than all she'd learned to overcome despite the doubters and her own concerns.

Levi smirked a fraction as he put the spear near the fire, and all watched the flame transfer to the weapon. He was to brand her in a way her healing abilities could never hope to fix.

A permanent mark to show where her loyalties lie. If she were to betray the pack, they would cut it off her.

They were advanced in some ways, yet in others, they still behaved like true barbarians.

Alisa hoped that could one day change too.

As she sucked her breath in, preparing for what would come, he had then begun burning their symbol into her left shoulder.

Her screams could have been heard from miles, enough to keep up the illusion Snake's Canyon was indeed a dangerous place.

After the mark finally scarred nicely, it was time for the Moon Goddess to bestow a role upon her.

Behind Alpha Ryker, lay many different tools. Each item symbolised the role in the pack she would have.

Gifted by the Moon Goddess herself.

On the far-left side there was a small blade which symbolised hunter. Then beside it was a make shift hammer made out of stone and wood, meaning a builder.

After that, there was a bowl which represented healer. Then the map which symbolised explorer. The next in line was a pen which represented leader.

The last, but not least, was a spear that represented warrior.

Out of habit, Alisa walked towards the bowl, feeling the familiarity of being a healer. She loved to help others and being a healer was always a way to give back to a community for its' hospitality.

She slowly walked towards it with her hand just a little bit outstretched as she reached for the bowl.

It only made sense.

Alisa could use her previous skills to help them in various ways.

At the very last second, just before her fingers barely brushed it, the spear began rattling vigorously to the side and it was known the choice the Moon Goddess had already made for her.

Alisa faltered, staring over at the spear.

'What? Why?'

"The Moon Goddess has spoken," Alpha Ryker bellowed.

"Alisa will train to be a warrior until she is ready to join her fellow pack members in battle."

The majority of her days were filled with training following that night but other times, she spent them alongside her new friends.

A word that had been once forbidden to use but not in this new world.

Today had been a day off from training, and the five of them were swimming in the river on the east side of Snake's Canyon. The birds chirped in the tress as the group laughed amongst themselves.

The calm before the storm.

One moment they were sharing stories of their childhoods, the next the pack was in mass panic.

Howls of warnings could be heard for miles.

People were running, attempting to find any kind of shelter. Then the screaming began alongside the loud bangs. The growling from the pack house grew loud, alerting all of the present danger that awaited them.

With a flash of brunette hair, Alisa was off to do what she was born to do – fight like a barbarian.

"Where are you going, Alisa? It's too dangerous!"

Parker shouted after her, waving his arms frantically.

Maya rolled her eyes, "This is so her. Too many emotions and not enough thought put into her actions."

"She wants to protect the pack like any one of us," Cora fired back in defence, before she shook her head, "This was the role she was born to play."

Cora, on the other hand, was an explorer in training. She was still learning the do's and don'ts of exploring the land around them. She knew if she wasn't careful, she'd never come back from a mission.

She wasn't a fighter by far but had some survival skills and instincts. She thought things through at least.

A woman of many talents but action wasn't really one of them.

The hunter in the group was Maya. She often thought things through, calculated from every angle, before attacking. She was good at landing her target.

The best back up for Alisa's brashness.

She wasn't far behind her, ready to fight alongside her new friend.

Family looked out for one another.

As Alisa jumped over a stray log of wood, she shifted in mid-air and landed promptly in front of an intruder. 

The intruder felt familiar and it made her falter for a moment, forgetting her training in the process.

It was in that moment of confusion, she stumbled, and the person landed their first blow, sending her flying backwards.