Chapter 1: Prologue

The moon is as ancient as time itself

and still no older than a month.

I am trying to learn from her the art of growing,

without ever losing my child within.

~p a v a n a

Leaves fell against the pushing wind as the force of the breeze rustled them aside.

Collecting and creating a pathway for the three figures as they made their way out of the forest.

They emerged in a backyard. A clearing surrounding them as the woods pressed on their backs and a great house loomed ahead.

The tallest- and oldest of the three- his role obvious as he stopped to let the two small children catch their breaths, looked around.

His deep blue eyes glanced up at a window that could be seen opened to the second floor, a small smile playing on his lips that the two children were unaware of.

He turned back to them then, his smile growing into one of deep affection as he watched the boy regain his breath first.

“Did you like it, Vincent?”

The boy nodded his head vigorously, his floppy brown hair falling just short of his eyes.

The man turned to the girl and frowned slightly that she still had not regained her breath.

“I- liked it- to, dad,” she said, her voice catching slightly on the words as she fought to make them clear.

“That’s good, Soraya.”

He walked over and patted her head, the black hair and deep blue eyes matching his own as he bent down to be eye level with the two.

“Everything I showed you- was pack land. Alba Rosa pack land. And the Alpha protects that land.”

“And you’re the Alpha!” Soraya said, her eyes shining in excitement as she looked at her brother to take in his reaction.

The boy though had a slight scowl on his face, “duh idiot.”

Soraya’s excitement though was not deteriorated by the lack of Vincent’s.

She turned her eager eyes back to her father, “when I grow up, I want to be Alpha!”

The man smiled at the child, “really?”

The girl though was interrupted by a sudden jerk, as the boy pushed her, sending her body falling to the ground.

The man watched the interaction, a slight frown on his face as he quickly barked out, “Vincent!”

The boy flinched at the angry tone but continued glaring at the girl.

“You can’t be Alpha. I’m the one who will be Alpha.”

“But I want to be Alpha too!” she protested, rubbing the side she had hit in her falling.

“Enough.”

Both children looked down from the commanding tone in their father’s voice.

“Vincent, your sister can be Alpha if she wants to be.”

The boy opened his mouth to protest but his father cut him off, “it’s a challenge. Whoever challenges and beats the Alpha in a fight is Alpha. I did it with your grandpa as he did with his father.”

The girl rose from the ground and grabbed her brother’s hand, excitedly waving it around, “we can both be Alphas, Vincent!”

The man took a step forward as he watched the girl fall back to the ground again.

“Only one person can be Alpha idiot,” the boy glared at the girl and made a motion with his leg that further harm would be done but was stopped by the large hand of his father as it landed squarely on his chest.

“I said enough.”

The girl rose once more and looked up at the conflicted stare of her father.

She knew better than to hide behind him.

She clenched her small hands, waiting in anticipation for the words she knew would come next.

“If you are going to fight your sister, then do it fair and square.”

A large grin spread across the boys face at the words as he turned to face the girl.

She looked up at the male, and he felt a drop of ice slide down his back at the solemn expression she held.

At the fire of determination that blazed within her eyes.

“I’ll win this time,” now it was her teeth that joined her hands in the process of tightening together.

But the small boy just laughed.

“You never win. Grandpa told me about great aunt jewels. How she was Alpha and then her position was taken away by a male challenger. Right, dad?”

The male hesitated a look of intense conflict on his face, before nodding.

The triumphant grin, if possible, spread even wider across the boy’s face as he turned back to his sister.

“See? You’re not an Alpha. You’re a Luna.”

“Its whoever defeats the Alpha,” the male said in a tired voice, “if Soraya wants to be Alpha she can try Vincent. Just as you and Leo may try.”

“How can you beat dad when you can’t even beat me?”

And before the girl could say another word the boy was on her, his fist colliding with the soft flesh of her stomach, causing her to fall to the ground, for a third time.

The boy laughed and looked at his father, waiting for praise from him.

But his father only nodded and pointed to the house.

A frustrated sigh left the boy as he cast one last glare at the girl before leaving her behind.

The male approached the girl and softly lifted her within his arms.

“I’m sorry dad,” her words were whispered and filled with pain as she continued to cling to her stomach.

He smiled and softly kissed the top of her head, “don’t worry Soraya.”

“I want to be Alpha.”

A pained expression entered the male’s face as he watched a tear fall down her face- from the pain or frustration- he didn’t know.

“You know...being a Luna is a great honor Soraya.”

“I’ll be a Luna?”

The male nodded, “you have a long line of Alpha blood running in your veins Soraya- your mate will be strong.”

The girl was quiet for a few seconds, a thoughtful expression having entered her face.

“Do I have to have a mate?”

“What?” the male stared at his daughter, clear confusion on his face as he slowly started walking towards the large house.

“I want a bird instead,” was all she said.

Atlas threw his head back, laughter escaping from him as he shook his head.

“Hopefully it will be a while before you meet your mate.”

The male stopped short at the sight of the woman as she opened the back door, arms crossed- a frown marrowing her face as concern etched into her features.

“Why do you keep doing this Atlas?”

The male sighed, “this is how it’s done Lexie.”

“But she’s just a little girl Atlas,” the woman approached them, gently prying away Soraya’s hands to raise her shirt and inspect the angry red stomach.

“Mom, mom, I almost had him this time.”

A thin smile crossed the woman’s face as she glanced up at Atlas.

The male did not have the heart to tell the truth to the woman, in saying that the little girl had not even been able to place a finger on her brother.

The mother leaned down and kissed the stomach, “healing kisses.”

The girl gave a giggle and shook her head, “your kisses never work mom. It still always hurts.”

An uncomfortable sensation filled the two adults chest as they both took a deep, shuddering breath from the girl’s words.

“Let’s wait until you’re older, before you and Vincent fight, okay Soraya?”

The girl glared and looked away, “I’m so close,” she whispered, her voice still heard by the two as they stared at each other with a look of intense worry.

“Being impatient isn’t good. You’ll get stronger when you’re older-,” but the woman was cut off by the glare her daughter cast her.

“I was this close mom,” to demonstrate this point, the girl held two fingers closely together, squinting her eyes at the effort of trying to not make them touch.

The woman just smiled and affectionately brushed aside a stray piece of hair from the girl’s face.

“Do you want to paint?”

The girl shook her head and looked up at her father, “teach me how to beat Vincent!”

The male closed his eyes to block the others from seeing the pain that had spread through his body as the image of the girl falling to the ground replayed over and over within his mind.

“Later,” he whispered, “go paint with your mother.”

“I don’t want to,” she crossed her arms and wriggled inside her father’s grip, showing that she wanted to be put down.

The two adults looked up at the sound of the back door opening once again, and the sight of a smiling middle age female emerging.

“Why don’t you come help me in the kitchen deary?”

Atlas smiled in relief as he set Soraya down and gave her an encouraging push forward.

“I hate cooking,” the girl whispered, but all the same still reached up and grabbed Sandra’s hand- allowing for the woman to led her away.

Lexie moved closer to Atlas, watching the deep sigh leave him as he shook his head, “I know. I know.”

“Why do you keep making them fight?”

“It’s how it’s done, Lexie.”

“Wait until she’s older- I hate seeing the bruises on her...,” Lexie allowed Atlas’s arm to encircle her as she looked down at her paint-splattered hands, taking in the different shades of blue that stained the skin.

The male paused before nodding and kissing the top of the female’s head, “Okay.”