The midwife urged the princess to push, blotting her forehead with a damp towel. The father paced, anxiously awaiting the arrival of his child. He never expected to be in this position, for she was never meant to bare a child. They decided it would be too risky to birth another girl into his wives lineage. She had to rid the world of this curse and to do this she had to ensure she was the last female of her bloodline. No more magic, and no more immunity. 

The father's wolf ears twitched, as he heard the soldiers getting closer to their home. He knew they hadn't much time to flea, so he temporarily left his wife's side to grab their bags- one for them and one for their child.  He focused on the sounds that surrounded their place of temporary rest. The men were closing in on him, and they needed to move as soon as possible.

He heard his wives labored screams followed by the encouraging words of the midwife. The next moment, his ears filled with the bittersweet sound of a baby crying. The husband returned to the bedroom, a smile displayed on his lips. The happiness was based on the hope that the baby was a male. Their smiles fell. 

"Congratulations" the midwife beamed, holding it up for them to see. The room went quiet as the parents stared at the baby in disbelief. "It's a girl!" 

The father walked toward his wife, scooping her in his arms. The midwife was confused but rushed forward to hand them their fragile child. The father stepped back, looking toward the back door of the cottage. The midwife tried again, stopping as the father rushed toward the door, pushing it open to leave. 

"We have to go my sweet," he said, staring down at his wife lovingly. "Your brother's men are fast approaching."

"Wait," the midwife called after. "What about your baby?" 

"Kill her," he ordered, dropping the bag intended for their newborn baby. "Before those men get ahold of her." The midwife couldn't even blink before he was gone, carrying his wife along with him. 

She too heard the footsteps approaching, so she acted fast. She wrapped the baby in a blanket and grabbed the bag the man left behind, running to her carriage with haste. Her driver whipped the reins next to the horses, causing them to thunder forward. The midwife stared down at the baby, rubbing circles in the back of her blonde hair. 

"Hello, Sarah," she cooed, holding her close to her chest. 

>@<

"You're pretty good" her opponent said, standing to his feet. 

"Thank you, I've been practicing," she mocks, kicking her leg up high and straight. He ducks, avoiding her attack, but doesn't calculate in her uppercut, which knocks him to the ground. 

"You're really something," he laughs throwing his hands up in surrender. She smirks triumphantly, grabbing her water bottle and chugging it. 

"You don't get the title of Lead Warrior by being anything less than something," she breaths, sitting on the bench panting softly. He nudges her, smiling at her with his brotherly smile. The two stood, bickering and batting at each other playfully as they walked to the pack house for lunch. 

"I found my parents," he says, his hands falling to the sides of him. "They live in a the Moon Crest pack, south east of here. I've been debating whether or not to go see them." He rubs the back of his neck nervously, biting his lip.

"Go," she encourages, twisting a strand of blonde hair in her hands. He smiles and nods. She knew what this meant to him. The orphanage was a lonely place for both of them growing up, making it easy to fantasize about their family. When she tried to look for her parents, nothing ever turned up. 

The friends are not paying much attention to the road, completely oblivious to the two cars skidding to a halt as they cross. She jumps in front of her friend, throwing him back and flipping herself onto the hood. She elegantly lands in a frog like position, balancing on the tips of her toes. He hands fly up in the defensive position, ready to fight. 

The back door to the vehicle opens, showing her the face of an angel. He's tall and had thick shaggy black hair, his eyes a radiant blue. He made her heart melt on sight, gooing up every bit of her mind. The connection was subtle, but unwavering. It buzzed around her like a soft static flowing its way into her heart. 

He held out his hand, helping her off the hood of the car. Their eyes never the others and they worked to distance themselves slightly. 

"Micheal," he introduced himself. 

"Sarah," she responded, a smile growing on her face.

>@<

She finished running the water through her newborn baby's auburn hair, kissing her forehead gently.  She placed her down on the changing matt, dapping her gingerly with the towel. She did the basic night time routine, cooing and smiling at her daughter. She had never known unconditional love the day she bonded with Michael and bared his children. 

She cradled the baby, bouncing softly to lull her to sleep. Once the baby fell into a slumber, she turned to place her in the crib. A gasp escaped her lips as she met the face of a strange man. She maneuvered her body into the best attack position she could with a baby in her grasp. The man only chuckled, lowing his hood slowly. 

The first thing she noticed was his radiant white eyes. They watched her intently, stepping forward to fall onto one knee. He bowed his head and sat there for a brief moment before getting up. His eyes fell upon the baby cradled in her arms, a wicked smile crossing his face. 

"You look like your mother," he comments, looking back up to the mother. 

"You knew my mother?" she let her guard down for only a moment, before shifting back into position. "Who are you? What do you want?" 

"My name is Jedediah," he replied. "I'm not here to hurt you, princess. I'm here to warn you." 

"Warn me?" She stepped back, moving the baby to sling over her chest. Her eyes scanned the room, a few items standing out to use as weapons. 

"There is something dangerous coming, your highness," his voice was low, as he looked toward the nursery door. They both heard William's footsteps coming down the hall. He stepped forward, placing his hand on the baby's head. White tribal tattoos began to glow on his skin, as he softly uttered a few words.

"Protect this child," he warned, removing his hand from the girl. "The spell I placed on her will protect him from tracking her, but he knows your alive and he'll stop at nothing to get his hands on your power. Your daughter Iris holds the key to save us all." He said, glancing down at the baby again. He made his way to the window, throwing it open without his hands. She rushed forward and grabbed his arm before he could slip out of it. 

"Who is my mother?" Curiosity got the best of her. He looked at the door as the knob jiggled, fear flashing through his eyes. 

"You can find me at the sanctuary when you're ready to know your truth, Sarah," he answered, disappearing into the night.