Prologue.

Thick clouds surround the house and the heavy, pungent smell of smoke is dense in the air. I try to cough out the smoke from my lungs and peek outside, only to find a woman looking down from the bedroom window with an expression of anguish. I see her frown and sense her fear and anger.

"My beautiful Crimson Shadow," she mumbles with a whimper.

I move closer and force myself to call out, "Mom."

The woman stares outside the window, and I notice her lips quivering and goosebumps covering her porcelain skin.

I ask, "Mom, are you okay?"

She turns and shakes her head, faintly smiling. It's warm. I don't find it in myself to even smile like that.

"Everything will be alright, sweetie! Stay put!"

With that, she looks away when the painful screams bring me to reality, and I stubbornly tilt to look over as bright orange flames spring into my vision, consuming everything in sight. Everything is burning red and in ruins. It aches so much in my heart and I feel the anger as the flames flicker and tease me for being helpless, watching my people race to fight the invaders and protect the defenseless while some are injured.

I shiver and subconsciously cry out, "Mom, this is—" My voice abruptly stops, a gasp escaping my lips when a large ceiling panel crashes into the ground, crushing a couple of people underneath. My eyes, filled to the brim with tears, as I sob, seeing them suffer, in misery.

Titus, come back safe.

I hear my mother's voice through the ability I learned when I was only five. I look over and watch my mother clenching her jaw and clasping her hands with tears in her eyes. Suddenly, she falls to her knees with a thud, startling me. I move toward her, but I stay still when my dad's voice breaks as he speaks telepathically to her.

I love you, Maryanne. I will always love you. Come, meet me soon.

Dad?

My mother clutches her chest and whimpers, and I immediately know something is off or... has gone horribly wrong because my tears surprise me by rolling down my cheeks.

I slightly touch and feel the dampness as I stutter, "Mom, what happened?" She quickly looks over and moves to hide me in her embrace, holding me close. The moment she does that, I begin to bawl my eyes out. "Sshh, baby—" she coos, caressing my dark tresses. I whimper, "What did... what did Dad mean by that? What happened to him? Mom!" I look back at her, holding onto her and gently shaking her for an answer.

I know what happened, I just want her to... comfort me, even lie to me. Leaving a soft kiss on my temple, she sighs... she looks defeated. The sight of her breaks my heart, a sharp pain piercing my soul. I've been told that having a mate is one of the greatest accomplishments to have, to share a mate bond with someone who truly, deeply, madly, and completely cherishes and loves you is like finding fucking nirvana! And to lose that, you're only condemned to a suffering, a fate far worse than death itself.

Right now, my very own mother is experiencing that deep, indescribable pain... her heart shattering into a million pieces... because my father just drew his last breath. With that, I just... cry uncontrollably. I let myself weep for my dad, my mom... for me... for all those moments we spent together... and for the moments we won't be spending together.

In denial, I shake my head, tears streaming down wildly. "Mom, D-dad? H-he is coming-g back to us, r-right?" I choke out, feeling his grip loosening on me. I notice her moving toward the bay window, watching the bright flames conquering every single thing she built with the love of her life. Desperately, I shout, calling her out, "Mom!"

And it does bring her back... to me.

My mother blinks, a horrid expression, a guilty one even replaces her pain. "Oh, Emmy," she cries, stepping back toward me, cradling my face in her hands. "I'm so sorry, my baby! How could I even think of dying when I have you?" I place my hand on hers, shaking my head, sobbing. She wipes my tears with a sad smile. "Sshh, dear! You shouldn't cry. Your father wouldn't want you to cry. Alphas don't cry. You must protect our world from those who mean harm—" but she halts, freezing on her spot, and I notice her shudder at a deep voice behind her. "Haha, here you are!"

My frown deepens in confusion. I tilt my head to see, but not before my mother pushes me aside and hides me from the intruder.

She growls in fury. "Stay away!"

The intruder chuckles. "Oh, is she your daughter, my beautiful Maryanne?" he asks, nonchalantly. I can't resist taking a peek, seeing a larger-than-life figure with long luscious white tresses... and bright delightful eyes... only filled with evil and wickedness.

My mother growls again, her red Luna eyes glowing, as she moves to form a protective shield around the two of us.

"Not even in hell will I let you harm my child."

"Oh, my beauty. I have no intention of keeping a child when all I want is you," he smirks, kneeling, lifting his hand to grab her face, but she yanks it away angrily, spitting on his sinful face. "You never had me, and you will never have me, Count!"

"Aww." His face twitches in rage but he pretends to smile as he wipes off the spit, looking at her. "You have always grossly underestimated me." He then forcibly grabs her chin to make her look at him. She glares, and he continues, "Look around, my beauty, your pack is in ruins and your mate just died. I ripped his heart out. I saw him whimper and his soulless face."

She cringes, shuddering, when he twirls a long lock of her brown hair in his finger.

He leans in and takes a whiff, smirking, "No one can stop me from having you now. You have no pack, and if you want—" He briefly glances at me hiding in my mother's arms and then continues, "—your child to see the world, you will be coming with me."

She yanks his hand away.

Ignoring her insolence, the man gets up and looks around. I notice two more people in the room when someone speaks through themind link.

Luna, we're here.

Beta?

Yes, Luna. The Count seems to have deliberately created a situation on the territory borders to separate most of the warriors from the base.

Alpha—Titus is dead.

My mother growls in pain and glares at the back of the man who caused this nasty situation.

Oh, my. Where are you? And Ember?

The woman takes her time while she controls her emotions and her mind.

Take her away. Either I compromise and go with the bloodsucking sponge, or I die fighting. I don't want her to suffer, so take her away.

She glances and smiles at me. It's a sad one.

But Luna?

Titus and I knew that if such a situation arose, we wouldn't want Emmy to be involved. Now it's your turn, Beta. Teach my little girl everything she needs to be a benevolent leader like her father. Don't let anything blind her that would destroy our pack, and make sure she is focused on the bright future she is destined to have.

Luna, please, don't do anything rash. Reinforcements are coming right up. Please endure.

I can no longer endure, not without my mate. Titus died fighting for us. I will gladly accept my death if it means killing this son of the bitch. I have never been a damsel in distress, so let my daughter be—my mother trails off, looking back at me. She cradles my face with a loving gaze, but before I can question anything, in a blink of an eye, I find myself flying in the air.

An involuntary cry escapes my lips and I stare at the smashed window, horrified. Before I fall on something cushiony, the last thing I see is a massive white wolf with sad yet blazing red eyes looking back at me before turning away. In and out of consciousness, I can hear faint voices.

"What is the meaning of this, my beauty? Did you really throw your child out the window?"

Don't you dare, you fucking leech!

The fire crackles and there is an ugly stench of blood in the air and horrifying screams as the background score. An annoying chuckle emanates as someone says, "You really think you can win against me, you mutt?"

I can.

"Well, even if you die here, I can use that child. In fact, I even have a—"

Not a chance. I won't let you, of all people, use my daughter. So, let's get this over with, Count. Let's end it together.

With that, there is a loud smashing sound, and something plops nearby as the fire crackles and sizzles, and the wolves howl and growl. The stench of blood makes me feel weird and I grimace as I open my eyes and realize the atmosphere feels chilly and deadly. I look around, but my eyes widen after locking them with my mother's.

"MOM!" I scream immediately when a burly pair of arms grab me by the waist, lifting my feet off the ground. "Let go! Let me go! It's my mother—" I struggle, watching her burn. "Sshh!" someone warmer whispers into my ear.

I can only cry my eyes out, still struggling to escape and run back to her, and then our eyes lock. A lone tear rolls down that wolf's face, and there is a faint smile before the fire completely engulfs her. "MOM!" I allow myself a loud cry and then slump down on the ground, lifelessly staring at the crackling fire that took my mother away.

Time stops as I look around and find lifeless bodies. Among them is my dad's. They are all dead and if only I were stronger, I would have saved them. I weep and stare until I feel a strange, strong aura radiating from me, and the air howls like never before.

The person holding me has to let me go.

These beings are monsters. I can't let them leave in peace after creating so much chaos. I can feel my brown hair turn silver, and I dance with the wind as my eyes glow red. They ruined my pack and murdered my parents. They don't deserve peace—"Emmy!"

I ignore desperate calls and pleas but notice how everyone else looks at me in a daze as they smell my strength and dominance. They shudder in fear when they lock eyes with me. I have no emotions left. I don't care about anything except for ripping out hearts and drinking the blood of my pack's killers.

A frightened vampire stumbles forward and I sneer at his foolishness. In the blink of an eye, I growl and leap at him. I yank his heart out of his chest, relishing his screams before he dies. The members stare in shock and the remaining gulp in fear, but none of them stop me from tearing our enemy limb by limb.

Blood splatters on my face and my eyes glow in rage and hard countenance as I look over at the pack members when familiar people kneel in submission and yell, "Alpha!"

Everyone else follows suit.