Chapter  one

Jace Callan's POV

Saturday started like any other weekend. I rolled out of bed at 5 a.m. and grabbed a quick bite before heading to the tree line next to our house for my morning run. Leaning down, I tied my shorts to my ankle and stepped into coverage of the trees as I shifted into my dark brown wolf form, Faris. Faris excitedly howled as we raced through the trees, the wind refreshingly blowing through our wavy dark brown fur. 

Derrick Silver's large, ebony-colored wolf, Agnar, raced to my side. "Jace, Faris, what are you guys up to this fine brisk morning?" He mindlinked me as Agnar let out a happy growl. Derrick was the soon-to-be Alpha of the Silver Moon Pack, and I was to be his beta. 

"Nothing. I just wanted to get in my morning run before pack training." I linked as I glanced at him from the corner of my eye. "How about you, Alpha?" 

"I'm not Alpha yet," Agnar growled slightly irritatedly. He thought it was disrespectful of me and Faris to call them Alpha when Reiner, Derrick’s father's wolf, was still acting Alpha. 

"I know you aren't, but you will be soon, and since I'm your beta, you are Alpha to me. That doesn't  mean I think any less of Alpha Reiner." I said, lowering my head ever so slightly respectfully to acting Alpha Reiner. 

"No worries, man. Agnar is just tired because we have been patrolling since midnight." 

We came upon the creak lining the south border of our territory and stopped for a quick drink of the crystal clear water, "didn't you do your patrol yesterday after classes?"

"Yeah, but at 11:45 last night, some rouges were spotted on our southeast border, so Alpha Reiner had me check it out. Me, Garret, and Alfons chased the last Rouge off about ten minutes before I came upon 43."  We walked along the creek bank as a breeze from the northeast blew through our fur, bringing a sweet, sugary scent. 

Both of us took in a deep breath with soft smiles touching our lips as we murmured at the same time, "Mmmm, cookies." We looked at each other in shock, "you smell it, too," we said in unison.

"Want to see if we can snag some before pack training starts?" I questioned as I nudged Agnar in the shoulder.

"Heck yeah!" He exclaimed, his eyes lighting up at the thought of having freshly baked cookies. 

We raced excitedly towards the scent when another smell hit us like a brick wall, notifying us to be on high alert. We slowed as the smell of blood almost wholly consumed the sweet smell of cookies. 

Blood painted the ground along the edge of our pack border, and we found Beta Connor and Alpha Reiner discussing what should be done for the pack's security. 

"Alpha Reiner, why didn't you mind-link me? I could have helped."  Derrick stated as he shifted into his human form and slipped on a pair of silver basketball shorts.

"This happened so fast that it was finished before we arrived." Alpha Reiner stated as he stared at the bloody mess just beyond our border in the Harvest Moon Pack's territory. "And as you can see, most of the carnage wasn't even on our territory."

"So, do we know what happened?" I asked as I pulled my blue shorts on after shifting into human form.

"From what we can tell, the Harvest Moon Pack had a run-in with Rogues, and some of the carnage seeped into our territory." Beta Connor stated.

"Whatever happens, it isn't our concern unless Alpha Ray of the Harvest Moon Pack asks for our assistance. For now, let's double the amount of patrol until the situation is resolved." Alpha Reiner stated as he shifted into his massive black wolf form and disappeared behind the tree line. Alpha Reiner mind-linked Derrick and myself, "Derrick, Jace, I want you guys to lead the pack in their training today; there are some things I need to take care of."

Derrick and I nodded and belted out in unison, "Yes, Alpha." 

After quickly tying our shorts to our ankles, we began to shift when movement caught my eye. A growl escaped my lips as I completed shifting into my wolf form and turned my attention to the direction of the movement. 

"What’s wrong?" Agnar mindlinked. 

"I saw something," I growled and gave complete control over Faris to heighten my senses. 

"Was it a rogue?" Agnar questioned as we both searched the surrounding area.

"I don't think it was because I'm not sensing any danger," Faris said as he took a deep breath. "Cookies."

"What?" Agnar asked as he looked at me from the corner of his eye. 

"I smell cookies."

"Are you thinking about eating at a time like this?" Agnar said as he shook his head and turned towards the pack training grounds. "Come on, we had better hurry. That is if we want to start training on time."

I clenched my teeth, "I know there is something here." I stated as my gaze fell upon the movement once again. "There it is," I shouted as I leaped towards the movement.

When Agnar shouted in mind-link, "Faris, Stop!" Using his Alpha tone, causing me to halt in my tracks, the object I was seeking became clear. 

I tightly clenched my fangs, "But Agnar, it's a child."

"What’s a child?" 

I transformed into my human form and pointed at the crumpled object on Harvest Moon's territory that smelled of sweet, freshly baked cookies and blood. "There lying beneath that rogue." 

Agnar wrinkled his nose angrily, "how did no one see her before!" He bellowed as he cautiously searched the surrounding area. 

"She is barely breathing," Faris angrily hissed. 

"I know, but we can't enter their territory without permission." Anger bellowed off of Agnar as he stared at the small child buried beneath a very large severed rogue. The child's eyes fluttered faintly open as she looked in our direction. Shifting into his human form, Derrick slipped on his shorts once again. "To heck with permission," he growled as he leaped across the water and uncovered her tiny frame beneath the hulking rogue. Horror consumed his expression, "Jace! Tell your mom to prepare to receive a severely injured child!"

I nodded my head, and not even bothering to remove my shorts, I shifted into my wolf form, shredding my shorts in the process as I raced towards my mom's office in the pack infirmary. 

Racing towards the pack hospital, I mindlinked my mother, "Mom! There is an emergency! You have to get as many hands as you can ready to receive and treat a small child with severe injuries!" I shouted as I came upon the turn towards the pack hospital. 

"Understood," she said as she switched off the mind link and began preparations.

In less than 5 minutes, I nearly collided with my mother. I shifted into my human form as she handed me a pair of shorts, which I quickly slipped into.

"Where is the child," my mother asked.

Looking towards the direction in which I had just come from, I saw Derrick racing towards us with the tiny child draped in his arms. "There," I said as I nodded my head towards him.

Catherine Callan's POV 

"This way," I said as I quickly led the way to the hastily prepared room.

I went to work when Derrick laid the tiny child on the gurney to check her vitals. I began an IV drip in an attempt to get some medication to work its way into her severely emaciated body quickly. 

As I frantically worked on the little child, Alpha Reiner entered the infirmary, where I attempted to save the frail girl before me. Derrick must have informed him of what was going on.

Two nurses began cleaning and bandaging her deep gashes in an attempt to stop her profuse bleeding. As we continued working on the tiny child, she flatlined. Alpha Reiner watched silently as we frantically tried to save the girl lying unresponsive on the table. 

"We can't  lose her!" My wolf, Casey, shouted in agony. Flashes of the pup we'd lost flashed in my mind as I helplessly counted my compressions upon the lifeless child's chest.

"Catherine." A muffled voice said as I continued my CPR. 

Tears blurred my vision as someone gently placed their hands upon mine, "Catherine, she’s gone." Alpha Reiner said with tears touching the corners of his ebony brown eyes. 

I crumpled to the ground, crying in agony as the memories of losing my pup flooded back to me. My sorrow was so great with this loss that it became difficult to breathe. Casey howled painfully as Alpha Reiner gently patted my back, trying to comfort me. Then, out of nowhere, there was a blindingly bright flash of light, and the monitor that was hooked up to the tiny lifeless child began to beep with a pulse once again.