Like most girls growing up, I dreamt of living in a big castle with a ballroom and chandeliers, grumpy butlers, and my very own wing where I could wear my princess dresses and do princess stuff. Let's not forget the part where the prince comes to whisk me away to his even bigger castle and we all live happily ever after where I spend his money on dreamy stuff.

Yes, I was materialistic, sue me. But unlike most girls at almost twenty years old, deep down inside the burdened heart of mine, I still cradled that dream like a newborn. Maybe it was a coping mechanism or maybe I was just plain stupid.

As I walked into Zayn's cabin, I knew it was no castle and that Zayn was no prince and I was no princess. Nonetheless, I felt a little strange. I searched within my soul but couldn't pinpoint what it was.

Was it a strange feeling of serenity? Happiness? Peace? Maybe it was all or none, I couldn't tell.

After showing me around, Zayn left me in the Cabin since he didn't live here. I wondered why he even had the cabin in the first place since it had been all dusty when we arrived.

But since I'd rather not look the gift of a horse in the mouth, not that I ever understood what the statement meant. I swallowed my tongue and only vomited it back to thank him when he was leaving the house.

I looked at the cabin and smiled to myself. It was old but functioning. Neither was it a castle but I had it all to myself. I couldn't stop myself from doing a little dance as I looked around the house. Since it was already evening, I ended up in the cute little kitchen to make myself dinner. For someone who had always been forced to do it all the time, I should hate cooking but it was quite the contrary.

Cooking gave me a sense of purpose and made me feel like I was useful, which in turn made me happy.

I fell into a dreamless sleep, waking up every time I heard a noise and since the cabin was in the woods, surrounded by trees and animals, there were quite a lot of sounds. On the night of the second day at the cabin, I realized I had no reason to be scared. My family wasn't coming. I could die and they wouldn't give a shit about me.

This fact shouldn't have surprised me either so I didn't know why I was crying into a pillow.

The first thing I did the next morning was to take a shower. So what if my tears got mixed up with the hot water as it burnt the wounds that hadn't completely healed, even with my werewolf system.

It wasn't just a shower for me, it was washing away the past and getting ready for my future. Or so I thought until I felt a sharp pain in my head and everything went black.

It seemed like my father cared after all since his face was the first thing I saw when I came on to the floor of a cold room covered with a pink bedsheet.

“Who gave you permission to leave?” He asked as soon as he noticed I was awake.

I am a grown woman. I longed to say but the words stuck up in my throat. When I tried to sit up and my head felt like it was exploding, I began to cry.

I wanted to stop it but the tears kept coming.

“Your tears are not going to fool me, girl. You better think with that empty brain of yours before you decide to run next time because, unlike this time, it won't be good for you at all.” My father said to me,

I was about to ask how being hit with a heavy object by your father while you were showering and anticipating a new life was good when I saw the other guy. No, not a guy but a man and he was staring at me. He moved closer to me and I shrieked in fright.

Everything about him from his feral smile to his predatory walk screamed danger.

“This is your mate from now on.” My father said to me.

“What?!” I screamed. I was sure I didn't hear him well. I mean there was no way I heard him well.

“I'm not going to repeat myself. Get on your feet.” My father said instead.

“Don’t scream at her. I believe she has ears, no?”

I heard the man say and I blinked. He had a voice that reminded me of the stream behind Zayn’s cabin. It sounded calming and deep, but it could also bring you to your demise.

I took another step back, ignoring the look in my father’s eyes.

“You can’t take me. The Alpha wouldn’t let you do this.” I told him.

The man scoffed, looking at my father.

“She talks too much. You didn’t mention that when you offered to use her as collateral.” The man said.

Collateral? I thought. My father wouldn't be that cruel to me, would he? I asked myself.

“You sold me off to him as collateral?” I asked my father just to be sure I wasn't mistaken. My father ignored me and just turned to the man.

“Alpha Leo, we can decide to knock her out. It seems the last beating failed to shut her up.”

My father said instead of replying to my question which gave me the answer I needed. I looked up sharply as my brain reconnected to the name it heard my father call. Alpha Leo? The Alpha rumored to be so heartless even his Luna couldn’t control him? How on earth did my father get involved with him?

“I see my name precedes me since there is fear in your eyes. Do I trust you would come quietly now?” The man asked in a quiet menacing tone which added to my fear. I glanced at the window behind them. If I run fast enough, I can get Zayn. I can’t let my father do this to me. I returned my gaze to the Alpha and smiled prettily.

“Of course, your honor,” I told him when I had no intention of following him. He tsked as if he could read my mind, then he snapped his fingers at my father.

“Knock her out. I can’t have her awake for the return journey.” He commanded my father who moved towards me, but I was faster. I broke through the window and ignoring the shards of glass stuck to my skin, I ran. I heard my father behind me, and I channeled my inner wolf to increase my speed.

Moon goddess, if you truly exist, please let me shift. Please. I was too busy praying I didn’t see the man in front of me or the rock he used over my head.

Julian POV.

“Hold on.” My beta said as he ran a hand over the back of the horse. “I still don’t get why you are traveling to meet Leonardo. I thought you two hated each other.” The man said and I laughed as I got off my horse.

“We do,” I responded. “But, remember I told you he might be messing with the spirit codes?” I explained to him how some of the warriors had caught some Blueblood wolves with some crates just a day earlier. When I was done with my explanation, my beta, whose name was Holden, gave me a droll stare.

“Knowing Leonardo, his warriors can’t be that easy.” He told me.

“They didn’t tell us they were from his pack. It was the emblem on their crest that gave them away.” I explained to Holden.

“And now you want to pay him a visit because you suspect foul play?” My beta asked with a laugh.

“If you are going to keep being a jokester, I can ask Niamh to come with me instead,” I told him. Niamh was Holden’s mate and my omega as well.

“I never said I didn’t want to come, Julian. Chill.” Holden told me. I ignored the look on his face and gave him a pointed look.

“You know what to do,” I told him.

“Fine. I will prepare for the journey.” He replied and gave me a sly grin. I waved him off, heading out of the stable. I ran into Niamh at the council house and she hugged me.

“Is Holden home too?” She asked and I nodded, smiling at her.

“Yeah, and he doesn’t know this yet, but you are coming with us to Leo’s pack,” I told her. I watched as her eyes grew serious. That was why I liked her, she never joked about anything which concerned me or the pack.

“Is this about the crates?” She asked and I nodded. "Let's hope it's just a misunderstanding though," Niamh said after I nodded.

I smiled at her as I thought about her character. Niamh was one of the people who saw the good in everyone. It came with its disadvantages, but it also proved useful when dealing with clan issues.

“You have not spoken to him in many years and the last time you did, you both nearly killed each other.” She reminded me and I winced, the scar Leo left on my back suddenly aching.

“I am sure if I diplomatically approach him, there wouldn’t be much of an issue,” I told her, and Niamh’s brow arched.

“Isn’t that what you both told each other before you decided to cause a clan war with your fight?” She asked and I gave her a grin as I remembered the conflict she was talking about. I explained to her that we were both older and more mature. Besides, I also had stronger warriors so a war was out of the question.

“But we are going to be on his land.” She reminded me. I patted her cheek and her eyes narrowed.

“Do not worry, Niamh. I promise to be on my best behavior.” I promised her. She opened her mouth to talk but I gave her another pat. I told her where she could find Holden and went inside the packhouse. I ran smack into my little sister.

“Oh, Julian. You are here.” I said and immediately noticed the hickey on her neck. “What the fuck is that, Jane?” I asked her in anger. Her hand covered it and she laughed uneasily.

“Uh, I have no idea what you are talking about.” She said in a nervous tone.

“Do not make me repeat myself,” I shouted at her a little.

“He is a nice guy!” She shouted at me.

“Oh, so it is a guy? Just what have you been doing in my absence, little sis?” I asked her.

“I am not little.” She barked at me.

“You are 18. So, you are little.” I retorted.

“I am a grown woman.” She countered.

“Did he tell you that?” I asked and rolled my eyes as she turned red. “How old is he?” I asked in a calm tone.

“Twenty-one.” She answered. I bit back the words I wanted to say and asked her another question instead.

“Is he in the warriors? If not, what is his job in the pack?” I asked her. When she answered that he was a soldier, my mind went to the recruits and I remembered that we only have five of them. Out of the five, only two were above twenty. “Tall?” I asked her again in an attempt to filter who her lover was. Jane narrowed her eyes and her arms landed on her hips in a pose that screamed 'don’t fuck with me.'

I gave her a warm smile.

“I know you are weeding him out in your head.” She said in an accusing tone.

“What? Me? Never.” I told her in a very serious voice.

“Don’t play with me, Julian.” She warned.

“Just tell me his name then. I just can't wait to see the man who is giving my little sister a hickey and have a little talk with him.” I told her.

“Just like you talked with Raef?” She asked and I held up my palms.

“It isn’t my fault Raef was a scaredy-cat. I just talked to him.” I answered her.

“You showed him your wolf. That’s not just a talk, that is intimidating.” She accused me and I grinned, dropping my palms.

“Tell me his name, sis. Let’s see if this one has balls.” I told her. She opened her mouth but she was cut off by the entrance of Finn. Finn was Holden’s little brother and he was also his assistant. He was also 21 and was a deputy general soldier.

“Finn!” I told Jane and her eyes widened. She stepped on my foot rudely.

“Stop it.” She said and pointed a finger at me.

“You just confirmed it, baby sis,” I told her, ignoring the stab of pain her shoes had caused. Jane grabbed my arm and started pulling me outside. “I just remembered I have to show you my garden.” She said, dragging me away.

I turned back and saw that Finn’s eyes were trained on Jane. I read nothing but devotion and admiration all over. I halted in the walk which made Jane look afraid.

“It is just a talk, Jane. I am not going to bite his head off.” I assured her.

“Promise? I like him.” She told me. I grinned at her and nudged her cheek.

“I can see that and I can see that he likes you too,” I told her. I held back in the gag that came when I saw her face change.

Finn was still by the steps of the clan house but before we could reach him, Holden and Niamh reached us.

“One of the Bluebloods talked. The crates were being taken to another kingdom.” Niamh told me.

“Another pack we suspected, but they refused to talk after that.” Holden had his serious face on as he spoke. The one that spoke nothing of the joker he normally was.

“Our trip to Leo’s pack has to be sooner than ever now,” Niamh said to me and I nodded. I let go of Jane's hand and watched as she rushed over to Finn.

“Prepare everything we need. We leave at dawn.” I told both of them.

Julian POV

We left early for Leo's pack without letting him know that we were on our way. We should have informed him of our intending visit but we didn't want to give off any vibe that we were coming to investigate him. Alpha Leo was my brother but we had been enemies for as long as I could remember. I always thought of him as a selfish and greedy person who didn't care about others. He was the reason why I was not a part of our father's pack but I was grateful to him for that since I would have been under his governorship now if I had remained at the pack due to the will my father had written down before his death.

But, just because I left the pack though didn't mean that I didn't want to claim my father's throne as the first child and this could very well be the chance I needed. To hear that he was messing with the spirit codes was more than enough for me to ruin him and claim my father's throne once and for all. Only a crazy person would dare to mess with the spirit code.

Before we left the pack, we had devised a plan. Holden was to investigate while I distracted my dear brother for a while. I already told Holden that I wanted to know what was going on in that pack of his. It was clear something strange was going on in there, the mysterious crates being moved to another kingdom. Everything going on was uncertain but I was sure Leonard's pack was involved. When we got to the borders of my brother's pack house, our cars were stopped by the patrol guards for inspections. Holden and my guards became tense and were ready to attack if anyone made the wrong move,

“Do you have permission to enter?” A blond guard asked me.

“Do I need permission to enter my brother's pack?” I rose to my full height to question him.

He realized his error quickly and bowed in apology.

“I am sorry alpha Julian, I will tell alpha Leo that you are here.” He said as he kept bowing.

“Very well,” I replied and signaled to my guards to stand back as they let us through the gates.

We drove past the gates towards the structure of buildings Leonard had erected. My brother was standing right in front of one of the buildings, looking formidable with whom I guessed was his beta. I got out of my car and headed to meet him for formality sake when all I would like to do was punch the smug out of his face.

“Ah, alpha Julian, it's nice to see you here." He greeted me.

“Alpha Leo, nice to see you too,” I said in response.

“Come, let us head into my office and talk.” He suggested.

I told the guards to hang back while Holden and I followed him to his study.

“So what brings you to my territory, brother? I never expected to see you here again.” Leo said to me with a smug smile on his face when we got to his office. Ugh! That look.

“Well, we are still brothers, so I came to see how you are doing. I will be staying for a day or two.” I told him

"Very well then, I will tell the luna to make provisions for you." He stated.

I had been about to look around the office but his statement stopped me. I was shocked beyond words. Did he get a mate? Since when? Alpha Leo found himself a mate? Is she even real?

“Thank you,” I told him, masking my surprise well.

He sent his beta to call the Luna to get to the study immediately and we waited patiently as she took her sweet time. My wolf was beginning to stir inside me, he was trying to tell me something. I breathed in to control myself. I could feel the presence of someone at the door even without turning.

Enticing. My wolf muttered to me and I could suddenly feel the delicious scent of whoever was at the door. I breathed in greedily once more. I wanted to wrap myself around this intoxicating scent forever. My chest felt hot and a burning desire coursed through me, making my wolf bounce around in my head. He barked, tail wagging feverishly as he stared down the door with an overwhelming sense of urgency. My finger itched to open the door and see the one who is causing such a reaction from me. The closer the scent got, the faster my heart pounded.

Finally, the door opened and the most beautiful woman I had ever seen came into the room.

Her presence filled the room with so much light. A gush of her scent hit me straight in the face.

“You asked for me?” She asked in a tone that sounded like a melody to me.

I felt a shiver run through me from the soft yet sharp polite tone of her voice. My wolf whined in my head. I too was losing my sense of reasoning like my wolf was. All I wanted to do was wrap my hands around her slender body and claim her.

Wait! Mine? My mate was Leo's Luna?! How? That couldn't be remotely possible even for a second. I kept asking myself.

“Please prepare a place for Alpha Julian and his guests,” Leonard said, gesturing to me.

She turned to look at me...

Surprising brown eyes pierced into my blue own with no intention of letting go. The scent that had me going off the rails since I stepped foot into the study. My wolf was going crazy, his gaze narrowed in on her like the predator he was and the rest of the people were pushed to the back of my mind as I continued to stare at her. She demanded my attention without even asking for it, my eyes trailed the rest of her. The creamy skin hidden under the dress she was wearing screamed at me to tear it off her. The tease of seeing how smooth her skin was in that dress woke up so many desires in me. I wanted to mess up her hair so I could watch her come undone. To run my hands through her luscious hair and watch it fan out while she was under me.

“How would she look under me?” I asked my wolf and groaned internally as I realized that my thoughts were going haywire. I looked back at her face and saw the soft brown eyes that were paired with long lashes still staring at me which held me captivated. Her soft parted lips did wonders to the most reactive parts of my body as my arousal hit.

Of course, I knew claiming her was going to cause another war between our clans but I couldn't stand the thought that my real mate belonged to my dickhead brother. She was going to be mine one way or the other. My hands tightened into fists, I couldn't help but sit there and look stupid. I was already losing common sense when it came to her but I couldn't waste any more time, especially not with my brother.

We concluded for the day and I headed to the room prepared by her. I later found out that her name was Olivia. It was as pretty as the woman who bore it. I told Holden that I needed to talk to him in my room privately and he agreed to come up with me. I paced up and down the room we were in, looking for the perfect chance to say something about my plan to him. Deciding that I couldn't say it in any way except being direct, I spoke up.

“I am going to kidnap Olivia” I pronounced. Holden fell off his chair in shock.

“Shhhh, you can't blurt out things like that. At least not while people can hear.” He cautioned. I was both surprised and chastised by him.

“You are not going to ask me why?” I asked him.

“Oh, please Alpha, it was a good thing Alpha Leo didn't notice the gooey eyes you were making at his mate.” He teased.

“Shut up,” I told him without heat.

“So what is the plan?” He asked me.

“I don't know, I was hoping you would direct me,” I told.

After he made a plan with me to stay for a day and watch her activities, Holden left while I battled with my wolf.

Go to our mate. Go to our mate now. We need to claim our mate fast. He chanted in my head.

“I know. Very soon, we will be with her. Very soon.” I assured him. He seemed to be okay with that for now.

~~~

We had been at my brother's place for a few days and I had learned that my brother's Luna pretty much kept to herself as she was mostly indoors reading a book or sleeping. It was either she was avoiding me or she didn't know that she had found her mate. I wonder what she was doing when she chose Leo to be her mate. A knock sounded on my door and Holden let himself in.

“Alpha, can I talk to you?” He asked.

“Mindlink,” I told him and he nodded, showing that he understood why.

“I found a way we can make it work.” He said into my head.

“Make what work?” I asked him, confused.

“The kidnap.” He answered.

“Oh right, what about it?” I asked him, point-blank.

“It's safe to say that Luna is not an outdoor type. So why don't we just take her from inside?” He suggested.

“How do you suggest we do that?” I asked him.

“So, in the middle of the day, Leo is out and his guards are always at the borders, so we can kidnap her, dress her as one of your guards. No one would suspect a thing till after we've gone far away.” He explained the plan to me.

I made a show of thinking it through, meanwhile, I was already sold on the idea. There was no other way we could pull this off without alerting the guards and causing a war between clans except doing it so much quieter. Then, the chances of getting caught would be zero. Since we are leaving for the SilverCrest tomorrow, that would be the best time to kidnap her without anyone knowing or suspecting anything.

Olivia POV.

I flipped through the pages of my book as I tried to grasp what the book was talking about but I failed. My mind was stuck on the man I had seen a day earlier in Leo's study, the blue-eyed man that had made me shiver with just a look. I had to control myself back then because I knew how territorial Leo could get. But seeing the way the man had looked at me had made me feel powerful and hopeful for a better chance at life. It has always been from hell to a hotter hell for me. Never-ending suffering all through my life but it was going to be over soon. He was leaving today and I hadn't even gotten a chance to talk to him to take me with him since I was scared Alpha Leo might see us.

There went my chance at being free from Alpha Leo out the window.

I suddenly wanted to go for a walk, the book was not helping and neither was me sitting around. I wrote a note for Leo telling him I went for a walk so he wouldn't worry and I headed out into the woods where there was peace. I would be able to think properly about what to do there. Squealing tires ripped me away from my thoughts, I tried to ignore the car but it got closer to me. I increased my pace a little. The faster I walked, the more the car tried to come closer. I was almost convinced it was Leo trying to keep an eye on me till I remembered that he had no idea where I went or what I was up to. Soon the car was right beside me and I began to run, looking for ways to escape. I heard a door slam shut which told me they were on foot now. I ran even faster.

“Who thought it was a good idea to go for a walk?” I asked myself as I ran.

“An idiot, that's who.” Someone behind me said.

I had only taken a few more steps before I felt hands drag me back to the car. Before I could scream, a hand covered my mouth preventing any sound from coming out. I tried so hard to fight back but it was futile. I resisted the person as much as I could before they threw me into the van. It was so dark inside the van I couldn't see anything and that made me scared that this was going to be the end of my life and suffering. I didn't want to die but just wanted to live a good life. Since fate wanted to decide otherwise, I don't mind falling into the pure bliss of darkness reaching out to me.

~~~

Back at the packhouse, Alpha Leo and Alpha Julian were chatting one last time before Julian set off to leave for his packhouse. Alpha Julian sat there with Holden knowing the plan was being taken care of and they were just stalling Alpha Leo for some time to accomplish their mission. When Niahm's mind-linked him that they were done, Julian got up.

"Well, I will be taking my leave now," Julian said to Leo with a smile.

"Alright brother, till the next time," Leo said with a snicker.

They shook hands and parted ways as Julian climbed into his car with his beta and guards and they zoomed away. Julian had a big smile on his face because he knew he had succeeded in both missions and he was pretty damn proud of himself.

Before the spirit codes formed, there were seven tribes who lived happily in their territories.

Crescent moon.

This tribe was the most reputable because of the large number of people in the tribe. They wore white garments everywhere they went and they were feared by all and nobody could come close to them in terms of number, and with numbers came strength and for this reason, they were held in high regard.

The Crescent moon tribe were always at the forefront whenever it came to music, Music was inculcated into their living and they loved it because they believed it helped them live healthy and elevated moods, they all loved it because they knew it lessened stress and symptoms of depression. Every family knew how to sing and they had a ceremony called will yank where they could showcase their talent.

During the moon goddess worship, they would sing beautifully and channel the goddess in the most ethereal way possible.

Red blood.

The Red blood Tribe were made mostly of warriors, they were brutal with an average number of fighters that could die for their leaders. This tribe lived mostly on the hills and did not believe in wearing garments, they said they did not want to betray their ancestors and for that reason, they walked around close to being naked. Married women had a unique way of distinguishing themselves from young ladies and that was covering their boobs. They planted their crops and hunted in the mountains for that was their territory.

Far north were the Red Candles, they had numerous scholars from this tribe, and they had the highest number of scholars; Their strength came in knowledge and for this reason, every family in this clan made it incumbent upon themselves to learn and teach their werewolves everything that was needed to be known about the laws of this world. Fathers boasted about how much they had learned about this world amidst their pairs, girls always held a special affinity for the most brilliant boys. But the Red candles had a major problem And that was how to transform their Knowledge into wealth. They could talk but rarely took action.

Nethertheless, in the whole town, they were also respected and whenever there was a problem that needed to be handled critically, the red candles were usually called upon.

Fislow Ward was known commonly for their blue garments, they walked with elegance and Pride even though the women in this tribe were the most powerful, they were seen mostly on the farm trying to meet ends means and they further went ahead to harvest and sell their crops. The women struggled to make money while the men sat down and did nothing during the day waiting patiently for the night. When the long-awaited night finally approaches they will collect some of the gold coins made by their women, to take their favorite drink which is the Kotas. The men of the fellow tribe had a very beautiful belief about the Kotas drink, they said the one father away from their house was always the sweetest and for this reason, they traveled a few kilometers to enjoy themselves, in every bar, a man in a blue garment could be found.

The Dark Knight consisted of mostly Assassins, they lived and survived on the water.

The Dark Knights built their houses on water and made a fascinating living on the water. Whenever a baby reached the age of ten, he/she would be thrown into the water. This tribe believed they were acquitting the baby with the water who would be his best friend, they could also fight on land but nobody dared to come close to them on water. The Dark Knight was very un-materialistic and lived mostly on basic things and made a beautiful living.

The Night bliss was the wealthiest of all the Seven tribes, they had magnificent buildings with mind-blowing architecture. They were very good Merchants, The Night Bliss did business both day and night, did not care about the weather nor Season, they were always traveling with their Caravan; trying so hard to be the wealthiest in their community, with money came pride and respect and every individual in this tribe needed to have immerse money to be respected. Their Women tried to keep up with the men and for this reason, they were also seen as very expensive to keep but they were beautiful so nobody cared about the money and only their tribe could take in a woman from the Night Bliss. The Alpha of the Night Bliss was a huge handsome Alpha named Killian, his urge for power was something that could not be ignored, he tried so hard to be better than the other Alphas.

He had asked for help on how to lead the seven tribes altogether and he was told he had to find 'the special one'

And who was this special one?

He had no idea but his witch gave him a name. Alexander Firdaus.

He had asked where he could find him and he was told, The solar tribe.

The weakest amongst the seven.

The Solar tribe lived in a remote area, where trees shielded them from the sun, irrespective of their setbacks they were happy, Children could be seen jumping from one place to another, they knew they were the smallest but in their hearts, they were the happiest, they always had fun in the night, they would light a fire and sit round it. The older men will tell tales about their ancestors, folklore or maybe about things they had encountered In the past and how they bravely navigated through it. Some of them were lies, others had elements of truth in them either way, they were joyous of all the tribes.

The Solar tribe would talk about the benefits of Folktales, they would say it played an important role in their clan. Because stories reflect their group's cultural identity, preserving the stories of Werewolves would help preserve an entire culture. Storytelling affirmed pride and identity in a culture. In this amazing town of theirs, stories were created by and for the tribes telling them. Different groups in their town had different rituals or ceremonies for storytelling, which created a sense of belonging to a cultural group. To outsiders hearing a clan stories, it provided an insight into the community's beliefs, views, and customs. For people within the community, it allows them to encompass their group's uniqueness. They showed the werewolves' desires and fears of a group, such as love, marriage, and death.

The Solar tribe would always say, Folklores are also seen as a tool for education and entertainment. They provided a way for children to understand the material and social environment. Every story had a moral to teach people, such as goodwill prevails over evil.

For entertainment, stories were set in fantastic worlds. Even though folktales were for entertainment, they brought a sense of belonging and pride to their communities. The Solar Tribe had an amazing culture that treated women equally to men, they showed everyone was equal and everyone deserved to be respected, Their women were also blessed with long and curly hairs that always touched their backs.

Killian thought about the tribe and laughed. To him, all those things they prided themselves in was hopeless. He wondered why the so-called special person would be in a tribe as lowly as Solar.

But when he thought about the advantage he would have if he found the special person.

His heart raced with excitement.

With that, he vowed to find the special person.

***

Alexander Firadus, a wolf born into the weakest tribe out of the seven, was not content with his life because he could not do the things he wanted to and honestly, he did not know what he wanted to do.

He just existed, not lived.

But how could he live? He did not recognize who he was or how he wanted to live.

It didn’t help that he was born under the Solar tribe. According to the tribal markings, Solar Tribe was considered lesser and they were often used as slaves or servants due to their incapability to match with the other wolf tribes.

Alexander knew he was different from the very first day he was born. Even the skies declared his presence on the day he was born.

The skies had shone with a dust of blue called Exarela, an occurrence which one could only see once in his lifetime, or never and wasn't sure he liked being different.

He had extraordinary strength and poise. He could do what average werewolves couldn't, and his capabilities surpassed that of vampires and witches.

He became both feared and respected in his tribe, but Alexander had a little problem. His memory was becoming more fuzzy as days passed.

He didn’t exactly know when it began, or how it came to be, but he knew it was a problem that had to be fixed.

He couldn't keep sitting around, hoping the moon goddess would take pity on him and cure his memory problem.

Deciding on a long hike through the icy mountains, with his traveling gear on his back, Alex set out for the solution to this increasingly annoying memory failure. He spent several nights in the thick woods, eating the food he’d carried with him, until it ran out. On the sixth day, Alvin stayed under a large tree with so many branches which stretched out as far as the eye could see. The roots of the tree branches in several directions, and served as a resting place.

Even his surroundings were thick with fog, and Alex couldn’t see a damn thing. But, he heard the snap of a tree branch a short distance away, and it sent the chirping birds parking from their nest on the top of another tree. Alex’s ears perked up immediately, and he reached for the gun nestled beside his lean legs. He couldn’t risk changing to a werewolf when he had no idea what was out there. Gun on steady, he navigated through as much of the ice as he could, some of it covering the front of his high boots, and soaking his skin, but he didn’t mind. His wolf instinct snapped at him, urging him forward, further into the thick fog. Alex mistakenly stepped on a fallen tree branch, and it crunched under his weight, the only sound in the stark quiet of the morning.

“Who’s there?” Alexander dared to call, darting behind a sturdy bark. His breathing was soft and uneven, and Alex could feel his heart beating faster with each passing minute. Cocking the rifle he was holding, he listened for any out-of-place sound—an indication that he wasn’t the only one here in these woods. Everywhere was still as it had been when Alex woke up under the tree. But when Alexander turned back to where his things had been, they were no longer there. Whoever took them must have known the area pretty damn well, and Alex didn’t discover any foul play. Foot tracks had been properly covered. Letting out a low growl, he tried to fight his wolf form from kicking in. The hairs on his arm were standing at attention, and his eyeballs grew wide.

He couldn’t hold it any longer. Alexander allowed himself to transform, gritting when the pain tore through his skin like a knife wound. It wasn’t usually this painful, and Alex had to battle with his wolf. In the end though, he won, but he was so weak his body collapsed on the floor, and his vision faded into darkness.

When Alexander woke up, a few hours later, he saw that he was in a strange place. An old cabin from the looks of it. There were several holes in the walls which had been boarded up, probably from the outside. A small table, a wooden chair, and shelf overflowing with dusty books, were the only thing Alexander could see. That was apart from the bamboo bed he was lying on, still in the same outfit from the previous day.

Alexander couldn’t remember what had happened, or how he ended up in this enclosed space, the last he could recall was holding a gun. And bam! Here he was. Alexander rolled over to the side of the tiny bed, and a sharp pain pierced his skull. It felt like he’d been asleep for days, and Alexander didn’t want to even think about it. He was on a mission to find the cause, and solution to his memory loss, that was what he needed to focus on right now. Alex pushed through his lethargy, and with each step he took to the room door, he kept on thinking if he’d been doing the right thing, heading out in the woods. It wasn’t because he was afraid of being ganged up and beaten by other big bad wolves who envied the amount of power he had, on the contrary, he was only scared of dying, with his body left for the vultures to feed on.