Prologue

I listened to Willa singing to the radio from the back seat. I smiled and sang along. We were driving back from the art fair at the school. It had been a wonderful morning with my girl. I hated to have to cut it short, but this meeting was important. It was the first step towards true peace in our lands.

The conflict had been going on for over a century, and it has left us with nothing but loss. I wanted to create something better, something more hopeful, for my daughter.

This meeting could be the key to that.

We were on the back road leading back to the packhouse when the hair on the back of my neck stood on end. I glanced in my mirrors, checking for other vehicles, but there was nothing. I took a deep breath and urged myself to stay calm. It was just nerves. Willa’s voice pulled me back to the car. I smiled back at her right before my world started to spin.

There was a sudden bright light and the sound of metal on metal as I was jolted in my seat. The car started to flip, rolling over and over a glass and debris flew through the cab. My daughter’s screams reverberated through my mind as I braced myself until the vehicle came to the end of its momentum.

Finally, we came to a stop. We were hanging upside down with the car on its roof. Immediately I turned back to Willa. She was crying, but she was conscious.

“You’re okay, sweetie,” I said to her. We were both breathing hard. Blood was dripping from a head wound and she had small cuts all over her exposed skin. But she was alert.

“Momma.”

“I know, honey,” I said, reaching back to her. “I’m going to need you to try to climb out of your seatbelt, okay? Don’t unbuckle it or you’ll fall. Just climb out.”

She nodded at me and started to move.

I moved to do the same for myself. I realized what was keeping me in my seat was my leg jammed under the collapsed dash. I took a deep breath and yanked. Stifling a cry so I didn’t scare Willa even more. I put one of my hands against the ceiling of the car and pushed before I clicked the buckle of the belt. I lowered myself down as gently as I could. Admittedly, it wasn’t that gentle. I was dragging myself out of the shattered window when I heard footsteps approaching. The hair on my neck stood up again.

Somehow, I knew this wasn’t someone to come and help us.

I moved faster, pulling myself to my feet just as a hand grabbed my hair and flung me across the ground. I hit the ground hard but continued to roll. I used the force to flip myself onto my feet. My eyes went to the male standing next to the demolished vehicle.

Our eyes locked. I held his gaze, hoping not to draw attention to Willa, who was huddled on the opposite side of the car. I called for my wolf. Needing her strength and abilities even more in my wounded state.

But I couldn’t find her.

My heart rate spiked as I realized something was blocking her.

The male laughed, taking a few steps before lunging at me, claws and teeth bared.

I lunged out of the way, but with my injured leg, I was too slow. He caught my ankle. Ripping me back and tossing me against a tree. I cried out as sharp pain pierced my back. I felt something break as I fell to the ground. I pushed up to see a branch sticking through my abdomen. I cursed under my breath as I tried to stand. If I ran, I just might be able to lead him away from Willa. Giving her time to run.

My gaze darted around. I tried to get my bearings quickly, but he was too close already. Luckily, his confidence made him slow. I dodged an overhead strike, issuing a hard kick to the male’s knee. A yell echoed from his chest as I scrambled to my feet. I yelled for Willa to run as I moved in the other direction. But I didn’t run yet. I needed to make sure his focus was on me.

As I suspected, he recovered quickly. I knew I had broken his knee, but I knew the smell of his kind. That wouldn’t deter him for long. He turned toward me. Rage filled his face, and he shifted into his lycan form. I held my ground, but I was starting to lose what strength I had left. I was bleeding badly from the wound in my stomach. My vision was starting to blur, and I barely made out the body flying toward me.

I felt the razor-sharp claws dig into my gut as teeth dug into the flesh of my neck, tearing at my throat. We slammed into the ground. The creature stood. I choked on the blood that gurgled in my throat. My body quickly went numb. Then coldness flowed through me. I stared up at the male who now hovered over my limp body.

The last thing I saw was a flash of fur – browns, grays, and reds – ripping the male from sight.

Then everything went black.