DIANE

A lone tear escaped my left eye as I stared down at my mother's grave.

The graveyard was empty and devoid of life. The sun had long been replaced by the moon in the sky. Fog floated around the place and reduced one's ability to see what laid beyond.

My father who was the Alpha of the Dark Knight pack stood beside my kneeling form. I did not have to look up at him to know he was crying too.

My mother had passed away a year ago due to a strange illness and it had been the darkest time for our family and pack. She had been the nicest person in the world and always concerned herself even on the matters of the youngest person in the pack. She was loved by all and blessed by all. She had left the pack empty and void in death.

Although, the others had learnt to live without her. Except for my father and me. I was at the stage where I needed my mother a lot. It was okay to get bullied, mocked and laughed at by some kids my age.

But adolescence was a very hard phase for the female werewolf and it was easier to survive with a mother to safely guide my path. But I was robbed of her too early.

I raised myself off my feet and looked up at my father. He swiftly wiped the years away from his face and smiled at me.

"Are you ready to leave?" he demanded.

I nodded my head in response. I had no wish to live. I knew that my behavior worried my father but I was too deep in grief to care. The world felt ugly without my mother.

He led the way forward and I maneuvered my way through the many graves that lined the place. Until we reached my father's men.

"We're leaving now," he instructed the head of the guards.

He nodded his head and went to get the carriage. My father cleared his throat and looked down at me. I believed myself not a child yet my father towered above me.

"I've been wanting to tell you something important," my father began.

I blinked twice as I looked up at him. His smile never faltered yet there was something about his pale green eyes that bothered me.

"What is it, father?" I demanded.

"I've noticed the way the absence of a mother is affecting you. I've heard of the men bullying you even if you've refused to speak of it to me," my father began.

I parted my lips at him. "I can fight my own battles. You do not need to interfere," I stated.

My father shook his head at me. "I'm not trying to interfere. I'm only trying to make it easier for you to bare," he explained.

"What have you planned, Father?" I demanded. I was beginning to get a bad feeling about where this was going. I wondered what it truly was that my father had planned for me. Somehow, it scared me. I hoped that he had not arranged a mate for me.

Father sighed and placed a warm palm on my left cheek. "I have decided to find a new mate for myself. A new mother for you," he revealed.

I gasped and jolted away from his hold. I stared back at him in disbelief. I could not accept what he had just said to me. My cheat rose and fell with my heavy intake of breath.

Father noticed the hostile glare I was giving him. Concern took over his face immediately.

"What is wrong? Did I say something bad? Did I hurt you?" He demanded.

"You want to replace my mother with somebody else!" I screamed.

My father looked taken aback by my harsh words. That was the last thing he had expected from me.

"Don't get me wrong, Diane. I only want what is best for you. Look at you, you're only in the adolescent stage. How will you survive it without a mother?" he questioned me and approached me this time. He touched my cheek. "Look at your face, all the color has drained from it. There is no joy in your eyes any longer. Every day, it feels as if you're slipping away from my fingers. How am I supposed to save you? Do you really think that I will just sit here and watch you fade away? I'm your father! Not your enemy!" Father exclaimed.

Tears filled up my eyes at his words. I understood that he had a point and that I needed a mother. I dipped my head in defeat. I was just not ready to let another woman take my mother's place.

"I know it feels strange for you knowing that I will be taking a new mate but it is what needs to be done. This will help you move on and grow into the woman you were supposed to be," Father explained.

So I welcomed my father's embrace. It was warm and soothing. It calmed my troubled mind and helped living without my mother a tiny bit easier. Father ran his hands through my hair. Then he planted a small kiss on the top of my head.

As if on cue, the head of the guards came around with the carriage. He stopped it before us.

"I will need you to go back with, Dave. I'll be leaving immediately," Father explained.

I frowned slightly. "You're leaving now?" I asked. He nodded his head in response.

"But Father, it's already so late. Let's go back home. You can always leave in the morning," I suggested.

Father patter my head. "I need to be there by morning. Traveling through the woods at night is nothing. It is completely safe. Don't worry about me. Go on back to the packhouse with Dave," Father protested.

I sighed. I was getting a bad feeling about everything but my father was a stubborn man and when he put his mind to something, he would never stop until his wishes were fulfilled.

I mounted one of the horses the head of the guard had brought with him. The supposed Dave stepped forward and mounted the other horse.

Father gave me one last big smile before getting into the carriage. The head of the guard took the reins and drove my father away. As I watched them leave, I wished that the moon goddess be with him and protect him on his quest.

Then I turned to the way forward; home.

"Yah!" I exclaimed as I waved the reins of my horse.

The black animal let out a loud neigh before racing into the trees. Dave did the same and followed me. We rode through the woods in silence. It was not like the guard was allowed to speak to me anyway. His job was only to protect me only.

Suddenly, I got that nagging feeling again. It pierced my heart and made it hard for me to breathe. I suddenly felt so uncomfortable that I slowed my horse down.

"Milady? Are you okay? What is wrong?" He demanded as he brought his horse to a stop and tried to examine me.

"Something bad! Something bad is about to happen! I felt this way too on the night of my mother's death!" I screamed.

As Dave was about to make meaning of it, a loud roar rang out through the woods. The roar sounded strange and inhuman. It was not something that belonged to a regular creature. In fact, I could not identify it but I immediately understood what was wrong.

"Shit! My father is in danger! We have to go help him!" I screamed.

"We don't know what that thing was. I have to get you to safety first then I promise to go find your father. Besides, Craig is there. He's the strongest man I have ever seen. He will protect your father," Dave assured me.

Again, I felt the piercing pain hit me again and I cried out. I had to go now. I had to save my father.

"My father needs me now!" I screamed and pushed him away from me. It caught him off guard and he fell off his horse.

"Diane! Wait!" He screamed but I was long gone.

I hit the sides of my horse and pushed it harder. I forced it to go faster than it was already going. I noticed that I was close when I caught the scent of blood and my father. There was fog up ahead and I slowed down.

It was when I entered the area of the fog that I saw the carriage. It was beyond ruined. I got off my horse immediately and checked the ruins.

I found blood pooling under the carriage and I followed it to see Craig dead. I gasped and flinched away. I could not find my father inside.

I suddenly heard a cough and I followed it. He was sprawled on the floor with a high gash in his stomach. He was bleeding out.

"Father! No! No! No!" I screamed as I applied pressure on his injury.

My father kept moving his mouth in an attempt to speak. I brought my ears closer.

"R- run!" he managed to say.

Another roar rang out and this time, it was very loud and very close. Tears spilled down my eyes. I did not want to leave my father alone here. He would not survive it. He needed help.

I turned to look behind me and I saw red glowing eyes. That was when my fear took over. I got to my feet and began to run through the woods. The heavy and thudding footsteps that I heard coming after me were enough to make me know that I was been chased.

My entire body trembled and I thought I was going to wet myself. My heart thumped hard against my chest and at a point, I thought my heart was going to explode from running nonstop.

Suddenly, the beast reached out and gave me a hard swipe. I hit a nearby tree hard and within seconds, I was bleeding. The world began to spin and breathing became hard. I fought to stay awake. I tried to get back on my feet and run. I fought to move but I was too weak. All the energy had been drained from my body.

My vision began to blur as remained rested against the tree. The footsteps continued getting closer to me. I started to believe that this was where I would die too.

As red crimson eyes approached me, darkness crept upon my vision. I only remembered it's hot breath upon my body as I blacked out.