HOWL'S BEFORE DAWN

Parallel Lives

It was a hot afternoon, and the pack alpha of the Greenscape watched the young pack members train. Beside him stood a strikingly tall woman-6"3 with sharp features and a scar across her cheek. She had silvery gray hair and cold black eyes, she stood like a trained soldier back straight and body on high alert, seemingly waiting for an attack.

"You know, there is no reason for you to be here today," Raider, the alpha, said without looking at the women beside him, his voice laced with amusement. "Nothing dangerous is lacking around... well apart from those idiots overestimating their own abilities."

Asher just stared at him, expression blank, "Well, according to pack law, I can not leave your side unless you are inside your house or have either your beta or gamma with you." She then ran her hand over her face, "So until your useless helpers show up, you will be stuck with me whiles you continue to under pay me."

The 28-year-old alpha started laughing, his voice booming across the field and making the heads of the future warriors and trainers turn to look at them. "Oh come on, don't be like that, you and I both know you are here with me cause you have nothing to do and Alex and Ben are not here because unlike you, they would like to find their mates." He smiled at his best friend, "And can you stop saying I under-pay you, you'll make those kids second guess their career choices."

Ash really couldn't find it in her to answer this man, she had known him since before they could walk and by bloodline, she was by default stuck with him for a very long time. So she just shook her head and turned back to look at the yahoos who were no longer sparing but staring at them. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU STARING AT!" She yelled at the teenagers who were quick to look away, fearing her wrath.

The trainees continued with their session as the alpha and the protector watched from the edge of the training grounds.

Ash couldn't help but remember the first time she had stepped foot on this training grounds, she was young, the only girl and by far the smallest of all the kids there. But she didn't let that drag her to the ground, she was determined to be the best and show them that it didn't matter that she was a girl and to make her father proud. You see, Ash came from a long line of protectors, a bloodline of werewolves who's job is to protect the alpha of their generation and served as their sword. And for generation said sword has always been men, the son of the last protector. It's not that all protectors had sons as their first born, but they simply did not see daughters as competent enough and just skipped them for the role. That was until Ash's father, the man who served the previous alpha, who had claimed that his firstborn would succeed him no matter their gender, and stayed true to his word.

So, with the confidence her father gave her she swore she would never let him down and will always try her best to impress him and make sure he never regrets his decision, even in his grave.

Time skip to after training

The sun had started to set as Raider and Ash were on their way back to the alphas home were the Luna was waiting for him and where Ash would be forced to spend dinner and probably the night.

You see, ever since the Luna, Mara, found out that Ash didn't have a mate or any family for that matter she has decided to take it upon herself to make the warrior girl have a place she could consider home, and she didn't think girl minded, which is why she always invites/forces the girl to spend time with her.

The sky was already casting a dark blue light across the sky and stars were starting to show. By the time they arrive at the three-story house, Raider gave his companion a look that read, "Are you ready? " and after receiving a nod, he opened the door.

The moment the door swung open, a small body came flying and threw itself at the alpha. The man smiled and picked up the figure that was his son. To Ash, the scene filled her with mixed emotions, one having the desire to one day be greeted like this when she came home, the other, wanting to avoid this life as it might be the only way to keep the past from repeating itself.

Before she could be dragged deep into these thoughts, a sweet voice called out from deep inside the house. "Can you guys hurry, the food might just go bad because of how long we have been waiting for you."

With that the alpha and protector walked through the door, out of the early night air and into the cozy warm home.

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On the other side of the country lies a medium-sized town that is surrounded by a forest. It had a population of around 50 000 people. And in the town lied a mansion in the forest that belonged to the ruling family and inside in an office study there were three men sitting around the room.

"You should know that you are not getting any younger Kane, the longer you wait the slimmer chances it will be to find her." An old man said this as he ran his hand through his black hair in frustration.

A young man sitting on a leather chair behind the only desk in the room looked at the older man who seemed like an older version of himself. Both had icy blue eyes, a tall muscular build and black hair, though the older man's hair was starting to whiten.

"Can you please stop saying it like that? You make it seem like I'm not even putting in the effort, it's not my fault things seem to pile up every time I try and go out there." The blue-eyed man said as he threw his head back in exhaustion. It had been days since he last slept properly and when he finally managed to get rid of the pack of hellhounds he now had, his father hounding him about finding his mate.

The old man stood up from his seat on the couch, "All I'm saying is that you are thirty now, you should be halfway into settling down, and maybe it will finally stop the proposal from the other packs." He then looked at the third man in the room who has been silent the whole time and added, "I think your uncle should explain to you the importance of finding your true mate early in life, I doubt he'll want any of his future grandnephews to end up like him" He said this as he left the room laughing.

This left the two young men in the office together in silence.

The silence was broken when the one who was referred to as the uncle groaned loudly before moving from his place by the door and threw himself at the couch his brother once sat on. "Does he always have to bring that up?" He said in frustration as he took the pillow from the couch and chucked it at the door.

The man on the couch shared the same icy blue eyes as the alpha in the room with him, but unlike the other two men he was related to, he had long brown hair, his build was slim, and he was not as tall as the other two males.

Kane looked at his uncle, who was more like a brother, and smirked, "Well, I have to admit I did enjoy it when people thought you were my younger brother, your misery brought me joy."

He was quick to duck his head when a book came flying at him, then laugh at the look on his uncle's face.

Cade glared at his nephew for a minute before he decided to leave.

As Kane was left alone in his study he realized the truth in the words of his father and made the decision that starting tomorrow he would go and find his true love.