The Alpha's Heir Forbidden Mate

(PROLOGUE) (Kiara) "Run, Kiara!" Papa's voice came from somewhere behind me, but I couldn't see him anymore. Mama held my hand as we ran through the trees. I wanted to turn around and find Papa, but Mama wouldn't let me stop. "Don't look back," Mama told me. "Keep running, baby. Whatever you hear, don't look back." A scream came from behind us, and I knew the voice. Elias had stayed with Papa because he was old enough to train with the warriors. I tried to turn around, but Mama pulled me forward. Our pack had been attacked while most of us were sleeping. Papa woke us and told us to get dressed before taking us outside. Wolves I didn't know were already running through Silvercrest. Papa said they were rogues. He told Mama to take us and leave. Elias refused because he wanted to fight beside Papa. Zaria came with us, but a rogue found us before we reached the trees. Mama shifted and attacked him. Zaria grabbed my hand and pulled me away. I kept looking back because I was scared Mama wouldn't find us again. Another wolf came after us. Zaria pushed me behind a tree before shifting. She ran at the wolf while I covered my ears. Her scream came seconds later. "Zaria!" I tried to run toward her, but Mama grabbed me. Blood covered part of her face when she shifted back. She picked me up and ran. "Mama, we have to get Zaria." Mama didn't answer me. I wrapped my arms around her neck and cried. I wanted Papa, Elias, and Zaria to come with us. Mama carried me until she couldn't anymore. She put me down and took my hand. We kept going through the trees. Something inside me hurt. I didn't understand what was happening. It had happened several times since the attack started. Every time it happened, I knew someone from our pack was gone. Then it happened again. "Papa." Mama kept running. "Papa is dead, isn't he?" Her hand held mine harder. She didn't answer me. I started crying because I knew what her silence meant. Another pain went through me. I stopped. "Elias." Mama turned back to me. "Elias is gone too." Mama picked me up again. Tears covered her face now. She still didn't tell me I was wrong. "Where are we going?" "To another territory." Mama looked ahead. "Their border isn't far." "Will they help us?" "They have to." I rested my face against her. I didn't understand why anyone wanted to kill our pack. Papa always said Silvercrest was our home and everyone there was family. Now I could barely feel any of them. Mama put me down again. "You have to run, Kiara." I nodded. She took my hand, and we started moving again. I could hear wolves somewhere behind us. Mama heard them too. She looked back. "Run." I stayed beside her. "Kiara, run!" I ran. Mama followed behind me. My feet hurt, and branches caught my clothes, but I kept going. I remembered what she had told me. Don't look back. "You're almost there!" Mama called. The trees started to clear ahead of me. Mama had said another pack's territory was close. I only needed to reach it. Then I couldn't hear her anymore. I stopped. I turned around. Mama stood several feet behind me with her eyes wide. Something was sticking out of her chest. Blood came from her mouth. "Mama?" She looked down. An arrow had gone through her. "Mama!" I ran toward her. "No, Kiara!" I stopped. Mama tried to walk toward me. She made it two steps before falling to her knees. I ran to her anyway. I reached for the arrow. "Don't touch it." Mama caught my hand. "Wolfsbane." I pulled my hand away. "Get up, Mama." She looked at me. "Please." "I need you to listen to me." I shook my head. "I don't want to leave you." "You have to." A wolf howled behind us. Mama looked toward the trees before turning back to me. She kissed my forehead and held my face in her hands. I could see blood on her lips. "Run and don't look back." "No." "Kiara, you are a Vale." Mama pulled me closer. "You are your father's daughter." I cried harder. "Remember that." Another howl came from behind us. Mama pushed herself onto her knees. She grabbed me and used what strength she had left to push me forward. I stumbled and fell. "Run!" I looked back at her. A wolf came through the trees. "Mama!" "GO!" I got up and ran. I screamed for her as I went. I didn't know where the border was. I only knew Mama had told me to keep going. Then I felt it. Something inside me disappeared. I stopped. "Mama?" I couldn't feel her anymore. I turned around, but a large wolf came through the trees behind me. I screamed and ran again. I passed a stone marker with a symbol carved into it. The wolf stopped. It didn't cross the marker. I kept running. Several wolves appeared ahead of me. Men came from between the trees behind them. One caught me when I tried to run away. "Let me go!" I kicked him. "My mama is back there!" Another man walked toward us. The others moved aside for him. I knew he was an Alpha. "Who are you?" he asked. "Kiara." "Kiara what?" I remembered Mama's words. "Kiara Vale." Something changed on his face. "Vale?" I nodded. "My papa is Garrick Vale. He's the Head Warrior of Silvercrest." The Alpha stared at me. "Rogues attacked us." I pointed toward the trees. "My papa is dead. My brother and sister are dead too." He didn't say anything. "My mama got me here." I started crying again. "She said your pack would help us." "Where is your mother?" "Back there." I pointed again. "She got shot." "What was she shot with?" "An arrow with wolfsbane." The Alpha looked at two men. "Find her." They shifted and ran toward the border. I stayed where I was. A boy came toward us from the direction of several houses. Behind him stood one huge building, much larger than the smaller homes around the territory. He looked older than me. "Father?" The Alpha turned. "Cassian, go back to the pack house." The boy looked at me. "Is she hurt?" "No." He came closer. "What's your name?" "Kiara." "I'm Cassian." I wiped my face. "My mama is hurt." Cassian looked toward the border. "My father sent someone to find her." I nodded. The Alpha looked at him. "Go back inside, Cassian." Cassian didn't argue. He looked at me once more before leaving. The two wolves returned soon after. They shifted behind some trees and came back dressed. One of them walked over to the Alpha. "We found her." I waited. "She's dead." I screamed. I tried to run toward the border, but the man beside me grabbed me. I kicked him and called for Mama. He wouldn't let me go. The Alpha watched me. I didn't know his name. I didn't know why his face had changed when I told him mine. I only knew Mama had used her last breath to get me into his territory. She believed I would be safe here.