chapter 1
I would always remember that day, the day that my nightmare began. I was celebrating my fifth birthday with my family when a group of rouges suddenly attacked our pack.
My two older brothers prepared beautiful wreaths and dresses for me, but the next moment, they were dyed red by the blood. The cream cake made by my mother, Luna · lrene, was overturned on the ground. I saw a gray wolf bite my mother’s neck from behind. I was shivering in my mother’s embrace. I was too young to fight against those rogues. I could do nothing but look at the white cream being polluted by the red blood, like strawberry jam, but the taste was totally different, gross and acrid.
My father was the Alpha of our pack, Alpha · Walker. He was the first one who fought against the rouges. I heard him called “Attention”. He told me to hide, but I was too afraid to move.
My eldest brother Kylin was determined to become an excellent pack warrior, my second brother Billu hadn’t shifted yet. I saw my father being scratched by a brown wolf. I saw the wolf had many scratches caused by my father under his fur, which was dark brown, nearly black. But even the strongest Alpha couldn’t manage to survive under the attack of so many rouges.
My father told us to run away. “Go, quickly run away. Never come back before you are strong enough!” I heard his shout.
I felt strong arms lift me up and carry me out. The arms held me tightly. Kylin broke the window, we jumped out. Unfortunately, the rouges noticed us. Soon some rouges came out to hunt us.
My father was still fighting in the room. He looked at us. Mixed emotions shadowed in his eyes, I knew he was saying that he loved us forever.
Fire, everywhere was fire and screams and howls. I closed my eyes because of the heavy smoke, but my hearing became more acute with my eyes closed. I could hear someone shouting for help, I could hear the harsh laughter of the rouges, I could hear the orders from the warriors, they were trying their best to protect women and pups.
I couldn't even run on my own, some liquid trickled down my face. I knew that was my mother's blood, she tried to protect me.
The Alpha blood made Kylin and Billu strong from birth. They ran very quickly, the smell of smoke faded away. I opened my eyes and found that now we were at the territory line of our pack.
There were three scratches on Kylin’s back, deep but not fatal.
He had been receiving strict training at a very young age, he was the soon-to-be Alpha · Kylin. He was just seventeen years old, but he had already shifted. He looked like our mother, and his wolf also had a similar appearance to mother's. He had curly black hair and amber eyes. His wolf was black, and his fur would glow brownish red in the sunset.
Billu was just 12 years old. There was still a long time before his shift, but he was the most talented among all the reserve warriors, now he had calmed down.
Only me, young and weak, I didn’t have what it took to fight. The whole family spoiled me like a princess. Father always said that he would protect me from any hurt. My two brothers also claimed that I didn't need to worry about anything. Although my mother was worried that I might be bullied because I was too weak one day, she finally was convinced by my brothers.
“Kylin, what should we do now?” His breathing was labored, he held me in his arms all the way, and Kylin was responsible for killing the rouges that were hunting us.
Kylin was still in his wolf, we didn’t have clothes for him to shift now.
He squatted in front of me and rubbed his head against my face, his black fur was hidden in the dark night, his voice was gentle but convincing: “ Don’t worry, believe me, and also believe our father. He is an Alpha and he had the strongest wolf in Blue River Pack. He could deal with the current situation, calm down, honey.”
I admitted I was comforted by him. He always had the power to convince and appease people. His strength and gentleness were the main reasons that he could be admitted by the whole pack.
I stopped crying, and then I heard a cold and cruel laugh, just like the coldest ice on the high mountains.
My hair stood on end. I was carried away from my place. Billu held me in his chest. Though he was just 12 years old, he had already had solid muscles.
Once again, the disgusting smell that brought my nightmares attacked me, fishy mixed with sweet, making people gross.
“Kylin!” I heard Billu’s loud shout, the low howls of his wolf came from his throat.
The forest was so dark that I could not see anything clearly. I could only smell the dust mixed with grasses. And the smell of Kylin’s blood. Although I couldn’t see, I knew it was Kylin’s blood. It was different from the vile smell of those rouges. Kylin’s wolf was full of the smell of sunshine, so was his blood.
We retreated step by step and gradually left the forest. Under the moonlight, I could see clearly that Kylin was wet all over his body, and his black fur stuck together in clusters, which exposed his dark red wounds.
I saw that rouge, I recognized him because of the new wound in his left eye, the wolf that attacked my father!
I screamed at him: “ Where is my father, our Alpha, where is he now?”
There were also many wounds under his dark brown fur, some new wounds appeared before the original ones were cured. Now he was standing in front of us.
There were other wolves behind him, their fur was thin and dim, mouths were long, teeth were dirty and yellow. The yellow wolf replied: “ Stop daydreaming, no Alpha in Blue River Pack.”
The dark gray wolf added: “ No Luna, even no the next Alpha.” His eyes stared at Kylin, full of blood-thirst.
I wanted to fight, but I didn’t have sharp teeth or paws, the princess’s sudden caprices would only kill the knights.
I heard Billu whisper in my ears, his voice was very low, “Listen to me, Aniga, we need to get out of here. The Blue River Pack is destroyed now.”
I couldn’t believe what I heard. A drop of water fell on the corner of my left eye. It trickled down my face to my mouth. I licked it unconsciously. The salty taste told me that he was crying.
Billu looked like our Alpha. Only he had a similar appearance to our father, dark blue eyes like ocean, short beige hair, it’s nearly white. My father had gold hair, his wolf was yellow, which was nearly gold.
This was the first time that I saw Billu cry. He bit his lower lip and tried his best to restrain his emotions. I guessed he wanted to fight against the rogues, tear them apart. They attacked our pack, killed our parents. But Billu had to protect me.
Kylin couldn’t even stand stable now, he began to shake from side to side. The time seemed to be infinitely prolonged. I watched Kylin jump up and then he was hit by the claw of the one-eyed wolf. He immediately bounced up and pressed the neck of Kylin.
“Run! Billu! Take Aniga and run as far as possible, right away!”
The wind roared in my ears, I could hear that the rouges were chasing us. The sound of claws rubbing against the soil and rocks was harsh. Billue was still holding me in arms, we would soon be caught up. We were really bad-luck. There was no road ahead. The cliff was high, we would definitely die if we fell off.
The wolves behind us can’t wait to rush forward. I held Billu's neck in my hands and tried to stop shaking.
Billu held me in one hand and touched my head with the other.
"Don't be afraid, Aniga. I won't let go of your hand. Trust me."
He turned his back to the cliff and jumped down with me.
