ALARIC'S POV

    I still find it hard to believe my father's Beta ganged up against him with the Rogues and killed him. Now they are after me, trying to kill me too just as they stabbed my parents in the back with silver.

    Since I am the next Alpha of the 'Silver lining' pack, the powers our blood clan had transferred to me. The problem is that I have not really practiced with my father how to use the powers since I am the last child and only 20.

    The moon goddess might have been high on some sort of heavenly drugs that she made me the Alpha when I have four elder brothers. She didn't choose the first or second but skipped them all to me, the LAST CHILD!!

   It all started when I was fifteen and noticed sudden changes in my body every morning. The natural tattoo of a wolf bite on our wrist began to show silver lining just as it was supposed to show on my brother's wrist.

   My human eyes that always had the dull color of Hazel changed to mint green while my wolf eyes that were usually black changed to silver.

   I can erase my smell so other wolves would not smell me and I can smell from afar, more than what a normal wolf can do. I can read the minds of every other except the royal bodies or anyone claimed by them. It's the same thing my father has, different from any pack Alpha king I have seen or heard of.

   He can not also read my mother's heart since she is the Luna of the pack, but if she allows him, he surely can. One other thing the Alpha can do is compelling.

   The last thing I wanted is for war in my family so I hid my powers as secret, and since I have the same powers as my father, he could not read my mind to find out I was hiding something all this while.

    But today, my 20th birthday, It was just so unfortunate that my elder brother, Akiva found out about my powers and became a Rogue immediately out of anger and pain.

   I tried to talk to him, I tried to tell him that I will go far but he refused to believe and tried to kill me immediately. I ran to my father who told me he knew about my abilities since birth but was afraid to tell me for my safety.

   He couldn't get to tell me why he kept it a secret until I felt his mint green eyes go red as a human. Immediately I knew what it is, it's our mother his mate, she is dead.

   I looked behind my father to see Aron my eldest brother backstabbed my father with a silver stake. Immediately, my father's eyes rolled to the back of his head and he died instantly.

   A strange tattoo that was on my father's body began to appear on my skin. It was carved into a drawing of a black wolf, my black wolf. My father had the drawing of his while mine appeared on my body. I had always thought it was just a mere tattoo until now.

   I don't know how it happened or what my father death had done to me but I can feel my back. As in I could feel what was happening behind me and in front of me at the same time.

   While watching Aron pulling out the stake from my father's body and the crown from his head, I can still see Ameer run towards me from behind with a silver dagger. I panicked and did what I have never done in my life, I disappeared.

   I appeared beside Avan who held my mother's heart in his bloody palm. His other hand held her hair holding her standing while her heart was in his hand.

   "Avan!!" It came out roughly as I gasped, I felt a sharp pain in my back. Without turning I saw Akiva stabbed with an ordinary dagger.

   I felt I would die as something more than I vibrated in my body and came out as a blast. It was powerful and yet mild as it sent my brothers flying in different directions of the Palace.

    I ran to my mother, pulled out her ring, and dragged her necklace from her neck before running. Without what I have, they can never be Alpha but just rulers.

   I can hear their fast footsteps and smell them as well as I ran the woods. The Silver Lining pack is located in the woods far from humans since they have decided to hunt us from the time of our founders, which was literally decades ago.

   I noticed they were catching up with me since I was still in my human form. I switched into my wolf Apex and began to run faster than I can.

  The smell of other unfamiliar Rogues filled the air, my brothers had asked for help from other Rogues and they have outnumbered me.

   Deep down I want to give up but my mother's ring kept giving me hope, strength, and reason to survive. I had expected it to have changed back to two Wolf's until I see my mate, place it on her palm and have it turn back to the original version.

   Apex grinned as the ornaments turned into what I had expected and we smirked. Now it's closed, my people will never accept my brothers or any other person as their Alpha as long as I am alive and with this.

   Smelling that they have surrounded the whole woods, I switched to my human form and waves my left palm in the air, erasing my scent. I suddenly went invisible as two Rogues pass me.

   "You can't run forever, Alaric" Ameer sounded as he walked behind them "I will find you and I will kill you" he sneered.

   I and my wolf choose to ignore my brother since he can not see us and he had passed. Talking back it trying to challenge him is something we want to avoid.

   "This is awesome!" Apex smirked "I never knew being an Alpha will give you such power"

   I refused to answer as I was getting weak, my human is very weak and I never noticed all this while!

   "The dagger!" Apex cried "It's silver!" He whimpered.

   My eyes went wide open, I was more than shocked because I looked at it myself and it was an ordinary blade. The witches must have done something on that blade and it's killing me more than I can imagine.

   I lose my invisibility and fell to the ground, I tried to get up but could not. All my bones are weak, sending odd powerful jolts all over my body.

   "Get up we have to find a hiding spot!" Apex whispered.

   It's still surprising because, in cases of injuries, our wolf gets hurt not the body because we can heal. I didn't feel any opening in my back as I have healed but I still can't get what had happened to me.

   Slowly I shifted and let Apex lead me. My eyes were closing but I can't afford to pass out here. Soon we were near a cabin and I can smell human and their strange food.

   I can't afford them see me like this so I shift back to my human form, naked. Immediately I got closer to the door I stretched to knock, unfortunately, everything went blank and I fell.

  :-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

   I blinked to find myself in strange surroundings, a piece of cloth was also over my body and I was laying on a small bed. The window was wide open and something came into my mind.

   "Don't even think about it" Apex snapped.

  I flinched causing the bed to make cracking noise and I fell. I had no idea how my wolf could stay awake when I am out and still refused to leave when he loves hiding. The worst part of it is that I just broke their bed and they are coming.

   I panicked and stood, I was expecting myself naked but they had worn me something nice. The boxers had bright pink colors and small flowers, I turn around to notice I am in a girl's room.

   "You just broke barbie's bed" Apex teased and I growled.

   Too much pink everywhere and lots of gowns, mere looking you will know the person is still a young girl, maybe a teenager and hates to keep her room too neat.

   I picked a cloth from the floor and stared at it in surprise, my wolf too was more than surprised as it made me stare at the cloth for more than expected. Slowly I noticed I was raising the cloth to my face.

    "Apex?" I mumbled, "What are you doing?" I asked in a harsh whisper.

  "Please sniff it" Apex blurted out.

I moved back throwing the cloth, there is no way I am sniffing this humans dirty cloth when I can smell three people not far away from where I was.

   "That's disgusting!" I hushed and my wolf became sad "Don't do this" I warned "You know I hate to see you sad"

    I could feel my wolf retreat further and it broke my heart. I felt like I am been too ungrateful for he had been awake all this while to watch over me even if I don't know how it happened. Sluggishly, I bent and pick up the pieces of cloth.

   "Just one second" I whispered harshly and my wolf agreed immediately.

  Immediately the cloth touch my face I felt something I have never felt before, it felt like a very strong connection to the owner.

   "This can't be!" I told myself as I sniffed more of the cloth.

   It smells of Peppermint, sunflower, and rain. The smell is calming and it's all I need to survive at this moment.

   With my eyes closed, I drew in another deep breath from the cloth, my body jolted and my eyes snapped open. They were silver and red mixed together and I knew my wolf was trying to take over but I refuse to let that happen.

   "Be calm" I whispered "Do not freak out the humans" I advised.

   My wolf would not listen, it keep trying to come out until I had to lock it in which I discovered I can do a year ago. It went low and very sad as I stood still waiting for the people at the door to open the door.

   "Our mate!" Apex cried out.

  "I know!" I said immediately.

   With the cloth pressed to my chest, I waited patiently for what seemed like an eternity.

   "Open up!!" Apex grumbled.

   I can see three people standing outside the door but my mate is not one of them. Maybe I am just overreacting as I held my breath and waited for the door to finally review the three people I have seen earlier.

  A young boy that should be about my age stood ahead of the elders that seems to be his parents.

   "You are cold?" The younger boy said as he removed his jacket and handed it to me "You were on fire when Mira found you" he lowered his hands with the jacket.

  "Thanks," I said dryly.

  The woman smiled and moved away from her the elderly man. A sweet smile was plastered on her face as she took the jacket from the boy and put it over my shoulders. She tapped my chest twice and looked at the bed.

   "This is my son, Jeremy and that is my husband" she introduced "I knew you would break Mira's bed, I told them that you are too big for it but they ignored me," she said with a weird expression on her face.

  My heart basically skipped a beat on hearing my mate's name again. Well, I wasn't sure if Mira is my mate but she should because my wolf jumps for joy each time he hears her name.

   "Honey, did you see that?" The man yelled as I pulled his wife back.

   The woman just smiled and placed her palms together, her lips curved into a faint smile as she moved closer.

   "My daughter has the same color of eyes as you" her voice sounds really sad "After she saw you, she said she touched you and a strange tattoo appeared on her wrist and she is freaking out"

   She paused for a while and stared at my face in silence. Her husband drew her back and hugged her but Jeremy remain mute, his hands were crossed over his chest and I was sure he wants to fight me.

   I smell anger and a small smile appeared on my face, such a cute family, even the big brother want to fight the big black wolf for his sister.

   Jeremy's eyes kept moving all over my body and I could tell he hates me so much already.

   "What did you do to Mira?" He snapped.

   The smile vanished from my face as I dropped the cloth. The worry on their faces shows that something had happened to her and I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I eventually happens to be responsible.

   "I did not do anything" Apex whined "Well, just a little" he whispered.

  I felt him cry and beg to come out, at least he should be able to sniff her hair directly. Honestly, I want the same but I do not want to scare this sweet family.

   "I have done nothing to Mira" I forced myself to say what my wolf wanted me to say "If you can let me see her, I would be very grateful," I said the last part in a whisper.

  The parents seem a bit calm but Jeremy was not buying it, he moved to me and touched my right wrist. He raised it up to my face and stared at the wolf bite tattoo.

  "She says she felt something like a fang bite and this tattoo appeared on her right wrist" he voiced sternly "With these odd tattoos on your body, I feel you are evil, like a gangster" he added.

   Yeah! I know what he is saying is complete rubbish but I want to stay and see Mira first. Her mother looked out the door and signaled her to come in and she did.

   My wolf kept jumping for joy but she wasn't what I was expecting, she is still a child. I opened my palm and she slowly walked to me and placed her small hands in mine, in the instant I know she is a human.

   I stared at her beautiful face, long honey brown hair, Mint green eyes balls, and her wrist tattoo! The problem is how is come does she have the wrist tattoo only Luna wolves have.

    With a faint smile on my face, I decided that I have to go for the main time. Since the moon goddess has provided me with a younger mate my work is to hang around and protect her from my Rogues brothers.

   "How old is she?" I asked.

  "She is just twelve," her mother said "Today is her birthday, can you stay with us?"

   I ignored my wolf that kept jumping and begging that we should stay. We have to stay low and watch out for my brothers and the rest of Rogues if I want to be the next Alpha and make Mira my Luna.

   With a smile on my face, I left her hands and walked to the parents.

   "I have to make something right for my father" I bowed slightly "Thanks for your help, I promise to repay you next time we meet"

  The last thing I want is for them to come across my brothers and get in trouble so I did what I could think of at that point. I compelled them to forget about me, it was just like I never came to their life when I am already part of it.

   I don't mind waiting for 6 years when I can legally claim my mate, I am just twenty and still a young Wolf. Normally, some male wolves don't get to meet their mates too quick and I am just lucky.