Nixon dragged me towards the waterfall over the mud ridden grass of the forest. Every second his hands were wrapped around my thin frame my heart raced with anticipation. He put me down at an entrance near the waterfall that I hadn't noticed before. The terrain was more rocky here so I held onto Nixon's hand as we tread carefully inside.

It was my assumption that the cave would be completely dark inside but I was wrong. The cave was lit up by an opening overhead that made the cave fill with moonlight. We were facing each other with the water falling behind and above our stationary frames. Even though we were far apart I swore that I could hear his heart beating. I shook my head dismissing the foolishness of my wandering thoughts.

"Nixon, why do I feel like this", I asked him incredulously. It was surreal to feel this romantic connection to someone who I had spent so much time despising. I needed time to catch my breath but I was already falling deeper into this bond. "Just last year we didn't know each other but now I want to get to know everything about you", I told him anxiously.

"It is our bond. We are mates so we will be bonded for life. It is our destiny to love each other and grow old together. You are just like us Rowen", Nixon said as I looked at him with utter confusion. I was almost certain that I would know if I were able to shift my shape into an animal form. I shook my head at him denying his words as being the truth. I wanted so badly to believe that I was normal but nothing about my life was normal.

"Show me what you look like. I don't believe you", I told him with a quiver in my tone. "I need to know for sure if I can trust you or not", I said honestly. Nixon didn't hesitate to shift right in front of me without warning. I watched his blue eyes, his black hair and his tanned skin transform in front of me. The moonlight reflected onto his midnight black fur as he stalked towards me effortlessly.

If this was a normal situation I would be running for the hills in fear but I knew this wolf. I recognized those blue eyes that were staring into my being just like Nixon always did. He brushed his midnight fur against my skin which caused those spark to shoot throughout my body stronger than ever. I flinched by his closeness because I was very afraid of what this meant. After I flinched Nixon shifted back into his human form to face me with a nervous glance at my fear filled frame.

"Rowen, please don't be afraid of me", Nixon said pleadingly. I wasn't afraid of him I was afraid that he was right about me being a wolf. I shook my head in response but saw him back away unsure of himself. I walked towards him knowing I couldn't turn away from this feeling ever. I hoped that he would understand the meaning behind my touch as I reached out. He relaxed his tense stance as my feelings finally reached him. It was magical as his hand ran through my fiery red curls to bring our faces closer together.

There was no space between us but I wasn't turning away from him this time. I wanted to face those flames as they devoured me wildly. He pressed a soft kiss against my lips which brought the fire within me to scorching hot. He trailed those lips down so that they pressed against my neck. a deep ache settled into my body so that I bared my neck to him submissively.

"I've been waiting for this my whole life", he said as he sunk his teeth into my neck in a sickeningly sweet way. I wasn't sure what his bite meant but I stayed as still as possible. The unbearable ache inside of me disappeared as his feelings flowed through me.

Every moment we had spent together, good and bad, flashed through my mind but from his perspective. It was the clearest moment in my life as I felt myself emerging from those flames as someone new.

Nixon moved back to lay his head against my shoulder. My eyes were glistening with tears as the pain faded into glee as he patted my head. I reached up to touch my neck in the place he marked me to feel something wet against my fingertips. As the blood from his bite mark marred my hands I started to sway in the night sky.

"Mommy, when daddy marked you what was it like", I asked my mother in a sweet tone. It was a good day today. Daddy hadn't slapped mommy or had a sip of his special flavored drink. Mommy looked dreamy as she stared off into the distance at my father lovingly.

"It was the best day of my life. One day you will meet your mate. You will give him everything to raise your pups together. It will only sting a little bit", my mom said as she patted my head. The door slammed open as my father returned with birthday cake with a bright smile. Mr. Smith came in behind my dad with a little boy who looked very sullen. I wondered if the little boy with the black hair would be my mate when I got older.

"Happy birthday kiddo", my dad said awkwardly patting my head. I wasn't used to his touch being so gentle but I flinched at his touch.i felt him tighten his wrist as he stare down darkly at me. I knew I would be in trouble later tonight but I didn't care.

"It's almost time for your first shift. Tomorrow on the blood red moon. You will be blessed with a special wolf. You must be so proud Alpha", my dad's friend Mr. Smith said in awe. I wasn't sure if I was ready to shift but mommy said it would be extra special. She said she would take me to the place that Skylar showed me to shift in secret.

Suddenly the memory flashed forward to when my birthday cake with the crazy candles that wouldn't go out. I watched my mother smiling as she snapped photographs of me in my awful pigtails. It was surreal to see my father blowing the candles out on the cake with a sickeningly sweet smile.

I remembered every lash of the belt, every punch that landed on my face, and every kick that landed on my stomach that night as he beat me. The other memories combined together until it was all one massive swirl of memories crashing into me. I knew everything that night as I finally emerged from the cocoon I had lived in for too long.

"I'm tired. Let's go to bed" I said as I pulled away from Nixon. Nixon didn't say anything about my spacing off into the distance. Instead we both went inside to sleep in the living room. I watched Nixon doze off into a deep slumber on the ground under the couch.

I was finally alone as the phone buzzed in my hand causing me to almost drop it.

'I need your help' Aunt Tabby text me. 'Can you meet me tomorrow night at the forest. Its time I told you the truth' Aunt Tabby wrote. I knew that it was all one big set up but I didn't care. I was going straight into the wolves den without backing down.

'I will head out early in the morning' i typed confidently. 'See you tomorrow night'. This was war and I wasn't going down without a fight I repeated to myself. I drifted off to sleep in preparation for my early start. Tomorrow was the blood red moon and the traitor would be exposed soon enough.