CHAPTER 1 of BOOK 2

The scents around me tingled in my nostrils and I remembered the time when I ran out on Tiberius after he told me he had a brother and kept it from me.

How childish of me, I scolded myself looking back onto the situation. But then again, it was a major shock.

A few yards from the treeline where I knew the Alpha Mansion could be seen from and the grass perfectly manicured, I stopped and shifted so I could change into my warm outfit. As the steam that escaped past my cherry red lips rose in quick, rolling clouds, I stepped out of the treeline.

Crunch.

Crunch.

My boots crushed the snow below my feet. Only 2 days before Christmas day, and this is how I return; in black joggers, a hoodie, a leather bag on my back and cheap fuzzy boots after being gone for a little over 3 weeks, not a word as to where I went or if I was okay. A pathetic excuse of a mate, best friend, and Luna.

The three weeks I was gone started on December 1st-The Day Of Black, which is when wolves of all packs, ranks, and social status's celebrate the Moon Goddess' anniversary of when she created the 1st Werewolves. Reminiscing how fast the joyous howls as midnight turned into a frenzy of poisoned darts and hurling bodies of muscle, I was then taken in my mind's eye to when I woke up at Blade Connall's Rouge pack house. Meeting Elizabeth and Sarah, the friendly pack member and doctor who were under Blade's control, and seeing Lilly, the young maid for the Alpha Mansion who turned out to just be a messenger for Blade about me.

After escaping the house through a basic knowledge of chemical reactions, I was rescued from near hypothermia from my apparent Uncle, who informed me that Tiberius had killed Haley, my best friend, causing me to become so engulfed with anger and sadness that I refused to ever go back to him again. Traveling back to my home of 18 years in hopes of seeing my brother and mom, I was shook with the realization that they weren't there and were, in fact, kidnapped by Blade per-say a note he left on the front door. Great. Now Haley was murdered by my mate and my family is missing.

Surprising me, though, was when Tiberius mind-linked me yesterday, pleading for me to answer him and come home, that it had been extremely hard to be that long without his mate.

And Haley was alive.

So here I am, stepping out of the trees, out of the cover. Last chance to run again, I mildly bit at myself.

Across the sparkling yard, the Alpha Mansion rose with unmatched beauty. The wooden poles and bricks that supported the log home were accentuated by the yellow light shining from the inside, dozens of windows facing all 4 poles of the earth for maximum light exposure and an amazing view anytime of the year. Following them down, I stopped at the sight of dozens of figures standing around the backdoor and on the porch, two tall and manly figures and one smaller standing out in particular.

Still a couple hundred feet away, I heard the hushed, excited chatter from the group bounce off of the snow to clearly ring in my ears as I slowed to a pause, the snow barely tipping the furry lining and chilling my ankles.

"Where is she? Wasn't she supposed to be here like an hour ago?"

"She'll be here! Any minute now.."

"Our Luna is coming!"

"Quiet you oaf! I think I h-"

The last voice was cut off as they all turned to me. In front, Gail stood on the very right in a blue coat and jeans tucked into snow boots with a smile on his lips, his arm around Haley in the middle, looking perfectly healthy and alive by the looks of it. A huge grin broke out on her face, her pale skin glowing with eyes crinkled at the corners. On the far left was Tiberius in a brown winter coat and dark bluejeans, letting his arms go slack by his sides from being crossed across his broad chest. I've missed that chest. His face gave way from emotionless to radiant, and even at this distance I could see his thick eyelashes blinking away disbelief. Surrounding the trio was pack members from our pack and others around us, many of which I remembered seeing at the party.

No one moved an inch. I was frozen to the spot and ignored the cold, unable to figure out what to do first when a small voice rose above the others;

"Luna Ellie!"

A buried memory fought to the surface at that voice, at the brown headed and blue eyed little girl who waved at me like she was guiding an airplane down the runway. Kara!

"Luna Elliiieeeee!" she squealed, running out infront of the entire crowd and waving crazily at me. Raising my right hand to wave back, that started it all.

Haley bolted from Gail's grasp towards me with Tiberius trailing her, them both hollering like wild children and bounding over the mounts of snow in their paths, her hair and arms flailing all around her body. Everyone from behind her took off as well, sending snow and colors flying every direction. Adrenaline and raging excitement coursed through my veins as I threw off the restricting backpack and started running towards my pack, my other family.

Closer and closer we came together as the yelling got louder and the images seemed to happen in slow motion-Kara was resting on her father's shoulders behind the majority of the hoard and joyously screaming with the rest, Tiberius' moose-of-a-body seeming surprisingly light as he lifted himself into the air and pounded back down the the beating of my heart, and Haley was in the front.

Until she fell.

And everybody else did too.

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I'm BAAACKK!!

Guys, I am SO excited to kick off the first chapter of the second book! I'm terribly sorry for the long wait, but trust me-It was for the best

I have NEW ideas and FRESH DETERMINATION to make this book just as good as the first!

Enjoy reading!

-Lonely_haunter14