Chapter 1

Prelude

My name is Samantha Strong. I am the top she-wolf warrior in the Dark Night Pack. My father is the male top warrior. His name is Patrick Strong. I also have an older brother, Patrick Jr. Or “Rick” as well call him, and a foster brother named Damon.

Damon Donahue came to live with us three years ago because his parents were killed during the last attack from the Red Moon Pack, it was the same attack that killed my mother.

Alpha Vincent McKnight is my alpha. His son, Vincent Jr., or “Vin” as we all call him, is my future Alpha. Vin and I are good friends and love to spar with each other. Sometimes we flirt too but neither one of us are old enough yet to find out mates. We are both still seventeen.

Today is a special day in the Dark Knight Pack. It is the first pack run of the year. It is also a pack run for all the wolves who had their first shift this year.

I was standing in the clearing outside of the tree line of the forest that surrounded my pack.

I was there with all the 14-year-old wolves from my pack who were going to participate in today’s pack run and their excitement was palpable. We had been practicing all week for this run.

I felt myself bend down on all fours and watched as my hands turned into paws. I felt my tail shootout from my tailbone. Lastly, my fur erupts from my skin.

I hear Alpha Vincent shout through the mind-link for us to run. I took off at a good speed and felt members of the pack rush by me as I began to merge into the group with the fourteen-year-olds in toe merging in behind me.

I ran for about ten minutes until I noticed the lake and the waterfall that was located on our pack lands.

Some of the young wolves darted out of the group and ran towards the water. They wanted to see what their wolves looked like in the water’s reflection.

I ran over to them to hurry them back into the group. That is when I slipped on the wet rocks and fell backwards down the waterfall.

I released a howl as I felt myself fall down the waterfall and land into the lake below. Darkness took over me.

A few minutes later I opened my eyes to see I had made it to dry land.

My father stood over me crying. He thought I had died. “Daddy,” I spoke. My father opened his eyes and both joy and relief filled his eyes as he saw that I was alive.

I looked over to the lake and saw that my wolf had a faint white glow all around her. The light vanished after a few minutes but by then many of the pack members had arrived to see what happened. They saw the glowing white light, and all began to whisper, “gifted wolf.”

My Alpha, Vincent McKnight, and his son, Vincent Jr., or “Vin” as most called him, had arrived on scene, and began to speak to my father.

He told my father that he would have to notify the Elders and that they would need to evaluate me to determine my gift.

We already knew that I was able to heal myself very quickly, but they wondered what else I could do and how it may benefit the pack.

Vin offered to run beside me and escort me back to the packhouse. I accepted his offer because I did not want to offend him.

Vin escorted me to his father’s office. His father had not yet returned to the packhouse, so Vin stayed with me and stared at me with interest.

“See if you can heal the scar on my back,” he asked. Reluctantly, I stood up to place my hand on his back, I hesitated for a moment, not sure if I wanted to touch him.

I took a deep, calming breath and put my hand over top of his scar. I watched as his scar quickly healed with a few seconds following my touch. “Wow, that tingled.” he said, “Did it work?” he asked. “Yes, “I told him. “Your scar is gone.”

Excitedly he ran into the in-suite bathroom inside the office. He looked at himself in the mirror and yelled, “Whoa, this is so cool.”

His father arrived at his office with my father in toe. He saw Vin in the bathroom and asked him what happened.

Vin told him that I had healed his back scar with my touch. He lifted up his shirt to show his father that the scar on his back was now gone.

All three men became both shocked and excited by my new powers until something donned on the Alpha.

He said with a concerned sigh to the room, “My only concern is; since her gift is healing, it may foretell that a war is coming.” I will call the Elders and have them come as soon as possible. She needs to be fully evaluated before rumors begin to spread around the pack.