Wow, guys! This book is longer than my first work( which I think is total cringe anyway)

Italics- past tense

Regular- present tense

It was a trap, a set up, one I should have seen from the start. She should have went home many days ago, almost two weeks, maybe three. She didn't look panicked as a protector of children should be, in fact, she was calm. Her odd behavior should have warned me as well but I easily look passed it, my concerns of the endangered children was all that I had on my mind at the moment. Those were all the mistakes that had me panicking and drowning.

We headed East, the terrain inclining as we conquered one of mountain ranges. The lack of scents confused me but I pushed it away, telling myself that there is no reason anyone should really want to be here except for patrolling. I could physically feel the border of the pack, my wolf not wanting to leave the territory.

"Why are we leaving?"

"Uh, we were uh, chased by the, uh, by the.."

"The bear?"

"Yes, right, the bear. The kids and I were chased out of the territory. They might be close."

'Uncommon behavior for a bear, I thought. Bears just tend to chase something off, not run after something for such a distance as they aren't much of distance runners. They are more fighters, hence why they have short but power legs and arms.

"What were you doing out here anyway, especially with kids. Spring and fall are the bear seasons."

"We were uh, looking for herbs! Yeah, we were looking for herbs."

"And you decided it would be a good idea to take kids with you? This far outside the pack?" I growled at her.

"I-I thought it would be a good learning experience for them?"

"Who are they?" I asked, trying to pick up their scents. I smelled a few but none were familiar to my pack. "I can't smell them."

"They are from my pack." She rushed out. "You wouldn't be able to identify them anyway but they are Billy and Jenny."

"Why are you back here, anyway? You're pack left a while ago."

"I stayed to help out with the damages." She replied easily, relaxing at the change in subject.

In the distance I could hear the rushing, powerful sound of moving water and I could smell the mist in the air. The forest turned a darker, more lush green as we approached the source of water. The foliage grew thick, blocking the natural light from the sun and the fauna became sparse.

"We are close." Roxy said from behind me. "Just straight ahead."

In front of us stood a wide, fast-flowing river. Jagged rocks littered the sides and wet clay laid around it. Deer imprints could be seen but no small footprints or wolf prints, not even those of a bear. The only other ones I could see were-

Whirling around, I swung my fist in an attempt to escape but they were smarter than this. Instead, my fist my air while my eyes came in contact with ones that mirrored my own. Eyes that did not resemble mine glared at my own, almost black from intense emotion, his body quivering slightly.

"Hello there, dear Malia." His voice cool and void of all comfort. Although we looked nothing alike, we shared blood, blood of an evil man who now cease to exist.

"Icarus." His name rolled off my lips, setting his face into a scowl.

"I don't recall ever telling you my name nor did father." He voice was sharp, as if him speaking would slice my ears. Father. Of course he got to call him father.

"I have my ways." I tried to keep my voice steady, strong. Pushing my shoulders back I stood up straighter, looking him directly in the eyes.

"Malia?" A panicked voice asked in my head, making my heart clench I'm guilt. "Where are? Kai said you never arrived and no one has seen you?"

"East, up the mountain, outside of the pack. I need help, Roxy and-"

"Talking to your mate?" Icarus mocked, slapping my face to break my concentration with him. "There will be none of that."

"Why did you bring me here?" I glared at him, cupping my throbbing cheek with my palm. "I've done nothing to you."

"Nothing?" He growled. "You ruined my life. Because of you, Father and I had to live in hiding, amongst rogues so we wouldn't be killed!" He snarled, his hands shaking at his sides.

"I-I have no idea what you are talking about."

If possible his face turned darker. "You know exactly what you did, the lies you spread about Father. We had to suffer because of you." He snapped downwards as his body began to convulse. Bones slowly snapped and shifted underneath his skin before Roxy stepped out of the trees.

"Icarus! You need to calm down!" I expected her touch to calm him down but it didn't, making me take a few steps back. He all but turned and snapped at her, something that mates wouldn't even imagine doing to each other.

"I'm fine." He growled out and heaved a few deep breaths. Eventually, his bones moved back to their rightful places and he stood up straight, looking me dead in the eyes.

"Just being in your presence angers me. It's hard to control myself knowing what you've done my whole life but now you've killed our own father."

Taking long strides forward, I matched his yet backwards until my heels dangled off the edge of the rocks, threatening for me to fall into the water. Gripped my throat in one hand, he grabbed my hair in the other, making sure I was looking him in the face.

"You killed Father and I'm going to do the same to you, dear sister."

"I-I'm not your sister." I managed to get out, trying to gasp in breaths between each word.

"More lies!" He growled out, squeezing my neck tighter.

"I'm your-" I grabbed at his hand with both of mine, struggling to get and source of air. "Your cousin."

"What?" His face scrunched up and he dropped me onto the wet mud. One my hands and knees, I desperately gulped down deep breaths of air, my throat burning.

"I'm not your sister." I said again. "He was my uncle, not my father." Icarus just looked at me, his face not expressing anything. His eyebrows were pulled together as if he didn't comprehend anything but the glare in his eyes never changed. When he didn't say anything, I took that as a sign to explain myself.

"Your father, my uncle, took me when I was young. He did things to me, bad things-"

"Would you just shut up?" Roxy sneered. "I'm getting sick of this." She stocked towards me, pushing Icarus aside.

"Roxy, wait." He went to grab her arm but it was too late. She had already thrown herself at me, the force knocking me backwards and into the rapids.

The current pushed me further down no matter my efforts of trying to get to the surface. By the time I managed to push my feet of the bottom of the rocky sediment below me and break through the surface, I was exhausted. It was difficult to keep my head above the water and often, I went back under. Sputtering the water out of my mouth, I coughed out some of the water I didn't mean to inhale.

"Malia!" A voice called but I couldn't identify where. The sound of rushing water clouded over my sense of hearing.

"Malia, grab on." The voice sounded again and a large branch appeared in my view down stream. It was long but it was much to close to the embankment as I was in the dead center of the flowing river.

My limbs were already drained and weak but I desperately fought against the current. The branch approached quickly and I was just a hand's reach short of reaching it. I about cried when it lurched forward and smacked the palm of my hand. Grasping my fingers around it, using the other hand to keep my head afloat, I was slowly but surely dragged into the rocky embankment.

Laying flat on my back, I took in quick and shaky breaths. My arms and legs were quivering from over exertion and I couldn't get them to move. Looking up towards my savior, I was met with a head of bright, blonde hair.

"Thank you, Rebecca." I panted.