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Chapter 1: A Day to Remember

I belong to the Silvermoon Pack, one of the oldest packs in the region. We've lived in this territory for centuries, and our pack has grown stronger with each passing generation. Our pack is surrounded by the Redwood Pack, known for their strength and endurance, and the Nightshade Pack, renowned for their speed and agility.

While the sun rose over the forest, I stood at the edge of our pack's territory, taking in the beauty of the morning. It was a new day, and the pack was bustling with activity.

My father, Alpha Julian, was barking orders to the hunters, my mother, Beta Selena, was tending to the younger pups, and my brother, Kaden, was playing with his friends. I watched as Kaden and his friends chased each other through the trees, their laughter ringing through the forest.

I was content just to observe, to take in the sights and sounds of our daily routine. But as I turned to head back to our den, something caught my eye. A movement in the trees, a flash of fur. I froze, my senses on high alert.

Was it an intruder? A rogue wolf looking to cause trouble?

Before I could react, a figure emerged from the trees, and I let out a sigh of relief. It was Alpha Asher from the Redwood Pack, a longtime friend of our pack. He approached me with a smile on his face, and greeted me warmly.

"Good morning, Mabel," he said, his voice deep and rumbling.

"How is your pack faring?"

I replied that we were doing well, that the pack was strong and healthy. We chatted for a few minutes, catching up on news and events from our respective packs, before he bid me farewell and disappeared into the trees.

As I headed back to our den, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was different. The air seemed charged with energy, and I could feel the eyes of the forest watching me. I quickened my pace, my instincts telling me that danger was lurking just around the corner.

But I just had to free my mind of negative thoughts and keep watching my dad, mom and younger brother closely, I couldn't help but feel grateful for our bond. We were more than just a pack; we were a family. And we did everything together, from hunting to patrolling to just spending time in each other's company.

"Mabel, come over here," my father's voice called out, breaking me out of my thoughts. I trotted over to him, eager to see what he needed.

"Today, I want you to hunt with Kaden and the others while I and you mom prepare meals for our visitors coming all the way from the eastern part of Estonia.

“I’ve observed that you're getting better every day, and I want to see how far you've come," he said, pride evident in his tone.

I couldn't help but feel a rush of excitement and nerves at the prospect of proving myself to my family. I nodded eagerly and turned to my brother, who was grinning from ear to ear.

"Let's go show 'em what we're made of, sis," Kaden said, bumping his shoulder against mine.

We set off into the forest, our noses alert for any prey. As we ran, I couldn't help but marvel at the beauty of our territory. The trees were tall and thick, and the sun shone through the leaves in dappled patterns. The air was crisp and fresh, and the sounds of birds chirping and leaves rustling filled my ears.

"Look, there's a deer up ahead," Kaden whispered, pointing with his nose.

We crept closer, slowly and silently, trying not to spook the animal. It was a big buck, with large antlers and deep brown eyes. I could feel my heart racing with anticipation as we readied ourselves to pounce.

But just as we were about to attack, a sudden commotion in the trees caught our attention. We turned to see a group of strangers, all wearing black clothing, and wielding weapons we had never seen before. They were human, but something about them felt off, almost dangerous.

"What are they doing here?" Kaden growled, his fur bristling.

But before we could even think of a response, they turned their weapons on us. We barely had time to dodge as they fired at us, the sounds of the shots echoing through the forest.

"Run!" Kaden yelled, and we took off, racing back towards our territory as fast as we could go.

As we ran, fear filled my heart. My brother, Kaden, was running beside me, his fur standing on end. We could hear our parents' howls and the sound of the strangers' footsteps getting closer and closer. We didn't know who these strangers were or why they were attacking our family, but we knew we had to fight to protect our loved ones.

"Stay close to me, Kaden," I said, trying to sound brave.

"We'll protect them together."

"I'm with you, Mabel," Kaden said, his eyes blazing with determination.

"We won't let anything happen to our family."

We were almost at our den when we heard a blood-curdling scream. It was our parents fighting to save the visitors from Estonia who hadn't even stayed up to fifteen minutes. We could hear the pain and terror in their voices, and it only fueled our determination to protect our family and visitors even more.

We burst into the clearing to find chaos. The strangers had already reached our family, and they were fighting fiercely. Our father was locked in battle with a huge, muscular stranger while our mother was struggling to fend off two others. We could see blood and fur flying everywhere.

"Kaden, go help Mom!" I yelled, running towards our father.

Kaden ran towards Mom, and together we fought fiercely to protect our family. Our parents had taught us well, and we fought with all our might, using every trick and skill they had taught us.

But the strangers were too strong, too organized, too determined. Despite my best efforts, they overwhelmed me up to the point at which blood was dripping heavily from my nostrils and skull. I watched in pain as my parents and brother, including all the visitors from Estonia were brutally killed before my naked eyes. Immediately I became numb and wild but I had to escape for my dear life with so much sorrow and pain running down my spine.

As I trudged through the dense forest, my mind kept replaying the traumatic events that had led me here. The sound of my family's howls and the screams of the strangers echoed in my head, haunting me. I couldn't shake off the feeling of helplessness as I watched my loved ones being ripped away from me.

The tears flowed freely down my face, and my heart felt heavy with grief. But I knew I had to keep moving, to survive and find a way to avenge their deaths.

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