The Wolf Prince

Chapter 1

Dark clouds filled the night sky. Not a single star was seen, and the moon was well hidden behind the clouds. Thunder echoed through the forest as lightning flashed through the sky. It was a bad storm and no one should be caught in it.

A muffled cry can be heard from the heart of the forest. A little girl was finding shelter under an old tree, shaking from the cold and the fear. She wrapped her arms around her body to keep her warm and calm. Beside her, was the ball. That was the reason why she was stuck there.

Soon, she heard footsteps. Her heart leaped with joy. She was finally going to be saved. She doesn't know how long it has been since she was stuck in the forest. She tried to get up as the steps got louder. There was a rustling sound at her side, so she focused her attention there. The leaves seemed to part as a huge creature appeared. The ball fell on the ground as her hand clasped around her mouth. It was a creature she had never seen before. Not even in storybooks. It was black, all black, scary black. She tried not to scream. The creature moved closer to her, and she pressed her body hard on the trunk of the tree. She wanted to run, but she couldn't. Her feet were frozen on the ground. The creature continued to move forward , and all she could do was close her eyes and wait for the attack.

But just then, she heard another sound, footsteps again. When she opened her eyes, another creature appeared. But this time it was white, so white, it was almost blinding. The dark creature began to retract its steps. The white creature howled, and the dark creature did the same. They stared at each other, not one moving. Until the dark creature stepped back and disappeared into the forest. She stared at the white creature in front of her. It was moaning softly like talking to her. She didn't know what to do, but her fear disappeared. She felt tired, so she sank back on the ground. The creature moved closer, and sat in front of her. She closed her eyes and began to drift to sleep with the white creature guarding her.

When she opened her eyes, the creature was gone. She then heard voices calling her name.

"Stephanie!!!"

It was loud and clear. She got up and saw people coming from the side of the forest. It was her father, running to hug her.

"Are you okay?" he asked. But she couldn't answer. Her eyes were searching the forest, looking for the creature that saved her.

I woke up with a start. My heart raced under my chest. I slowly got up and checked the clock, 3:45 a.m. It was still too early, but I knew I wouldn't be able to go back to sleep. It's been a while since I had that dream, or actually a memory. I wondered what triggered it. I haven't been in the forest for a while. I used to go there just to check, check about my savior. But for the past few years I haven't seen anything. Sometimes I wonder if it's all real or just my imagination. But dreams like tonight make me certain it's all real. I was saved by an unknown creature.

I moved to my study table and tried to study. I have a test this morning, so I had better get ready. I did some reading, focusing on the words on the paper. The images of my dream slowly fading away. It was almost six when I closed my book. I went straight for the shower. The cold water reminded me of the cold rain that night. I have never been scared of storms after that incident, but it makes me excited. Excited that I would finally meet that creature.

I hurried downstairs after dressing up, and decided to make breakfast. My mom usually makes breakfast for us, but I don't think she's already home. She is a doctor at a town hospital, so she's always on call. I was frying the eggs when my father showed up.

"Good morning, sweetheart. "You're up early."

I looked back at him, "I did some studying, so I was up early."

"That's good. I'll do the bacon, go and wake up your brother.

I did as I was told. My brother Toby is nine years younger than me, but I love him the most in the world.

We had breakfast happily. Talking about school and Toby's crush. He beat me on that one. I'm 19, and I haven't been in love. It's not that I'm looking, but sometimes it makes me curious.

My dad drove us to school. On the way I found myself looking at my surroundings. Forestville is a small town. A town that boasts more trees than buildings. It's quiet and almost everyone knows each other. We passed by the grand mansion, the biggest house in town, and noticed men loading things. I guess someone's finally moving in.

When I got to school, I immediately went straight to my classroom. The morning was a bit cold and I forgot to bring my sweater.

"Good morning, Stephanie" it was my best friend Darren.

"Morning D" he likes it when I call him that. "Ready for the quiz?" I shouldn't have asked. With a brain like his, he is always ready.

"Believe it or not, I'm actually not. I overslept this morning.

I smiled. Even without reviewing, he would still ace the quiz. I wish I was like that, but I'm not on the smart side. If I don't work hard I'll surely fail. Sometimes I wish I was more like my mom. Smart, sociable, independent. But I'm not. In no way am I like my mother.

When the teacher finally came, I was still busy reading, making sure I wouldn't forget anything.

"Class, we have a new student."

Everyone started gossiping. I looked up and that was when I first saw him.