Chapter 1

AMY “Run, Amy! Run as fast as you can, my love!” my mother yelled as she pushed me away. “Mom!!” Warm tears graced my cheeks as I refused to move. At the same time, the howls of the rogue wolves filled the air. They were closer to us. “Run, Amy!!” she begged, even though the night had sunk deep, I could see her tears of pain glistening in those gray eyes. “I love you, darling,” she whispered as she caressed my cheek one last time. I felt a heavy pain storming through my chest like a herd of horses. I didn’t know whether it was the fear of being killed by the enemies or because of her pleading words; all I knew was that I started running. My nine-year-old self brushed past the thick leaves of the forest. I couldn’t bring myself to look back as my mother fought the wolves off. I just kept running. “Amy?” Clara’s voice jolted me back to reality. I had been so lost in my thoughts that I didn’t realize I was daydreaming. Clara and Gabriel had been my foster parents since I was nine. “What’s wrong?” she asked worriedly, staring back at me while Gabriel drove. “She misses our former home, that's what’s wrong!” Blake, their son, blared beside me. I was nineteen and he was eighteen, but most times he always acted like the eldest one and he could be very annoying. “I mean, who the fuck moves from Rose Hills to Lilyview?” “We’ve talked about this several times, Blake—” Gabriel calmly intervened. “I know, I know,” Blake cut him off abruptly. “I just don’t want to accept it. Just because your job posted you here doesn’t mean you had to move the entire family to this town! Rose Hills is my life, how can I settle for this place!” He was right, though. Rose Hills was an interesting city compared to this small town surrounded by a thick forest. “We’ll only be here for a while. A couple of months maybe. Besides, Lilyview is a beautiful place. I’m sure the two of you will love it.” She smiled happily at us but I couldn’t bring myself to return that gesture. Blake hissed and she heaved a light sigh. “You could use today’s town fair as an avenue to meet new people, and make some friends,” she said. “Especially you, Amy. You never can tell, maybe this environment might be what you need after all.” I nodded slightly, looking out the car’s window a bit intrigued by the houses we drove by. Although my foster parents were the best, they kept their tight security on me mostly because I‘d always entertained the idea of running away to find the bastards who took everything away from me. Every day, that painful memory kept playing in my head. How my pack members were slaughtered by rogues, my father’s disappearance, and my mother’s tears. My palms curled into fists as anger burned in me like brimstone fire. If only I knew the bastards who did those things, I would have my revenge. “We’ve arrived!” Gabriel announced as we pulled into the parking lot. As I alighted from the car, the sun’s gentle beams welcomed me as my long silver hair danced to the tune of the gentle breeze. Something about this place was oddly refreshing and this was a feeling I hadn’t had in a long while. As I closed the car door, it reflected my red hoodie, big blue jeans, and white sneakers in a blur. One thing Clara complained about was being too casual. “Come on!” Clara pitched excitedly. “This should be fun,” Blake sarcastically muttered before heading across the field where the town fair was set up. “I’ll watch over him, don’t worry.” Gabriel smiled at Clara before leaving us. I exhaled deeply, looking at the large field where people both young and old had amassed. There were white canopies, each hosting different sections. One of them housed clowns I could sight far off entertaining the little kids. The mighty Ferris wheel spun, filled with people screaming with ecstasy. I was still looking around when Clara’s voice interrupted my review. “Are you going to keep staying here or have fun?” She chuckled before pulling me along into the field. My gaze darted to the people cheering from a corner about an animal race in action. “A piglet race?” I laughed at their small legs scurrying along the track. “Of all animals?” “Wanna check it out?” I shook my head while our pace considerably slowed. “I know it’s moving from Rose Hills to this place. But I hope this city is the catalyst for you,” she intoned with so much worry. “You have so much potential waiting to be unlocked but I feel you hide them, you withdraw from us. We’re your family Amy. Blake might be a pain in the ass but he loves you. We all love you. I want you to know that.” “I know,” I whispered just loud enough for her to hear. I was about to say something else when — “Amy!!” Rose, our neighbor’s daughter, screamed a few meters ahead of us, smiling as if she had just won the lotto. My smile faded instantly and I wished I could just disappear. “Don’t give that look. She’s your friend,” Clara remarked as Rose scurried towards us. More like a girl who'd been trying to force a friendship with me. “Amy!” She beamed as she reached us, dressed in a red and white floral sundress that perfectly complemented her blonde hair. She was only a year older than me, but she looked so petite compared to me, the curvy one. “Hey, Rose.” I fake smiled. “Mrs. Lockwood,” she greeted Clara. “I’ll leave you two to your fun, and please watch over her, Rose,” Clara said. “Of course, Mrs. Lockwood.” I almost cursed watching Clara leave me. “I didn’t think you would come,” she chirped. “Clara forced me.” “Well, that’s good! 'Cause I’d like you to meet some friends of mine; they’ve been dying to meet the new girl of Lilyview.” She pulled me along like I was a child, weaving through the crowd till we arrived at the center of the field, where nine people dressed in red and black danced glamorously to a band who played from a raised stage. Their dance steps were quite funny but they had a touch of beauty to them. This fair brought back those old memories of how joyous my pack used to be. We used to hold our own fair too. “You know, they say this is a cultural dance that this town has celebrated for years. Many say it brings the town good fortunes but I say, they need a touch of pop culture to spice it up,” Rose remarked with a giggle. We watched them for a while before she took me to the other side till we arrived at the food vendors, where the overwhelming smells —pizza, corn dogs, cotton candy, and various fried delicacies— flooded my senses. Between that and the music blaring, the chatter of people, the kids screaming in excitement, and the snorting of the pigs, I almost had a migraine. I guess this was one of the downsides of being a werewolf— our senses operate on a much higher scale. Oh, I should have probably mentioned that one detail about myself. “John!” Rose squealed as we reached one of the food stands. The man was dressed in a white t-shirt and a black apron, with tattoos lining his forearms. I found myself admiring those clear blue eyes of his. He smiled. “Rose, you’re back." “This is Amy.” She pointed at me and his eyes held mine so intently, as if he were trying to read my mind. “You didn’t tell me the new girl was this beautiful,” he commented and I couldn't help smiling. “I’m John by the way.” “I love your tats,” I replied. “I love your eyes,” he answered while Rose cleared her throat. “You know, they call me the chef around here,” “Are you trying to impress me?” I smirked. “Maybe.” He bit his lower lip. “But you should try my cuisine for yourself. On the house.” He winked and I smiled. Maybe this place wasn’t so bad after all. “You didn’t give me that seafood for free, you jerk!” Rose lamented while he carefully arranged some on a paper plate for me. “She’s special,” he laughed. “For you, mademoiselle.” He held out a plate, and I won’t lie; the scent was already enticing enough to make my stomach growl. I was about to take it when I heard another voice. “Amy Lockwood.” It was more like a growl with a cold intention behind it. I looked back and all I saw were people going about their own business. I looked again until my eyes caught him. He was a few meters back, but that predatory look was clear to see— and solely focused on me. He was tall, dressed in a black shirt and jeans. My heart started to thump and my breaths came out in short gasps. I looked away, focusing on John and Rose again. “Thank you,” I whispered while I had a taste of the fried fish. “What do you think?” he asked and, although it was delicious, my skin crawled in fear. I could feel the eyes of that guy on me. I looked back again. This time, he was closer, smiling at me with his fangs bared in the open and his eyes briefly flashing golden yellow. “Fuck!” I gasped. He was a werewolf, too. For the first time in so many years, I was seeing another one. How did he even know my name?! “Is it bad?” John and Rose queried immediately with worried frowns. “No, no.” I fake smiled. “I was expecting less, but this, this is wonderful.” “I wasn’t bluffing.” John smiled while I looked back again. He wasn’t there. I should have been relieved but my fears broke new heights, I knew he was somewhere around watching me. My wolf was restless, and my heart wouldn’t stop pounding hard as several questions raced in my head. Who was that man? And how did he know my name? I wasn’t going to get my answers standing here. RUN was the obvious thought screaming in my head.