Chapter 1

“Lock your doors. Hide your self. Alpha Kaden roams the streets of Moon Pack tonight,”

As I listened to the old town crier's warning from my window, a chill ran down my spine. Alpha Kaden was out tonight, prowling the streets of Moon Pack.

Why was he here? Had he come to wipe out every single last one of us?

Fear gripped me.

Kaden was the cold-hearted Alpha of the Blood Moon pack one of the most feared and respected pack in all of the lands. He was a ruthless killer, known in every pack for his brutality.

He was a beast, a savage monster.

I couldn't forget the rumors I had heard about Kaden being responsible for the deaths of many innocent wolves. People went missing during the dark hours after being attacked, and there were stories of how he raided homes, killing anyone who stood in his way and taking everything he needed.

Now that he was in our pack. Only heaven knew what he was planning. Would he show mercy or unleash his wrath upon us?

I peered out of the window, scanning the streets for any sign of movement. Moon Pack was usually a peaceful place, but tonight it was eerily quiet. The only sound was the soft rustling of leaves in the gentle breeze.

Suddenly, a howl pierced through the silence. It was Kaden's signature howl, a chilling sound that made my blood run cold.

I knew then that there was no escaping him. We were at his mercy, and all we could do was wait and pray that he wouldn't harm us.

“Elena,” my father called from his study. I quickly ran towards his voice. I knew he must have heard the warning. Maybe he was making a plan to keep us safe.

As the Alpha of our pack, my father was responsible for our safety. He was a wise and courageous leader, respected by everyone in the pack.

My father's study was at the end of a long hallway, filled with hunting trophies and family pictures. As I reached his door, I could hear his deep voice murmuring in hushed tones with my brothers, Finn and Asher.

“We all need to be on our best behavior,” Father spoke. His face looked like he'd been through hell and back, and his words didn't exactly help alleviate the situation. “Alpha Kaden is here.”

“I know that.” I said taking a sit next to my brothers.

Finn, the eldest among us looked like he was about to punch a wall. He was the future Alpha of our pack and was going to take over after Father’s death.

But Finn was always hot-headed and impulsive, and I knew he wouldn't be able to keep his emotions in check around Kaden.

Asher, on the other hand, was calm and collected, always thinking before he acted. He was the smartest of us three, and I had a feeling he had a plan already in motion.

“We need to stay low and avoid any confrontation,” Asher said, breaking the silence.

“Agreed,” Father nodded, “We don't want to provoke him.”

“But why is he here Father?” Finn asked angrily. “Haven’t we be paying the taxes he forced on us? Haven’t we been following all his rules?”

“We have,” Father replied, resting his back against the black leather chair he sat on. His eyes were tired and filled with worry and his next words didn’t seem to alleviate the situation.“He’s here to find his mate. According to what I heard Alpha Kaden thinks his mate is in our pack.”

“What?!!” I shouted. My heart seemed to stop for a moment as I processed the news. Kaden was here to find his mate, and he thought she was in our pack?

Finding one's mate was a sacred bond in the werewolf world. It was said to be a connection that ran deeper than anything else, an unbreakable bond that tied two souls together. If Kaden found his mate, he would stop at nothing to claim her.

“What if I’m his mate…” I muttered. The thought of it was too much to bear. I couldn't imagine being tied to someone like Kaden, a ruthless killer who had no qualms about taking innocent lives.

“Never!!!” Finn said almost immediately. He stood up from his seat and turned towards me. “You can never be Alpha Kaden’s mate. Over my dead body will I allow that. And if by the moon goddess you are, we can never let him claim you. We'll find a way to keep you safe.”

“I agree with Finn on this one,” Asher added placing his hand on my shoulder and I leaned on it. “I don’t care if his mate is any other female wolf in our pack, but if it’s you, we'll make sure he never gets to you. We'll fight and protect you with our lives if we have to.”

A single tear fell from my eyes, not that my brother’s words weren’t reassuring enough for me but because I knew what Alpha Kaden was capable of doing first-hand.

He was the reason my mother, Luna Mira was no longer with us.

She had gone hunting one night and had taken me along with her but unfortunately for us, we had stumbled upon Kaden. My mother tried to reason with him, but he showed no mercy and killed her right in front of me. I was able to escape but not without being scarred for life.

I had never forgotten that night, and the fear and anger still burned deep within me.

If Alpha Kaden was my mate I would never in a million years would I let him claim me. Even though, I have always dreamed of having my own mate, someone who would love and protect me. But not Kaden. He was a monster, and I could never love someone who caused so much pain and suffering.

I would rather die than be with him.