Chapter 1: Prologue

Prologue

"How's my little girl? Are you excited?"

Little Amber is the youngest member of the Santiago clan. The Santiagos are known to produce great pack warriors, and they already have a century-old reputation that has to be maintained.

Little Amber will turn six years old in a few days, but unfortunately, her father won't be present.

Today's her first day in school, as well as her father's deployment to Yalova, the northern border of Akkad—the region where their pack, West Crescent, was located. It goes without saying that she won't get to share the occasion with her father, and she's going to have to spend it alone with her mother.

Of course, she loves her Mama.

But she's a Papa's girl at heart.

"You haven't touched your breakfast, sweetheart?" her Mama commented with a worried expression.

Little Amber's eyes watered in an instant.

Her parents looked at each other, panicking.

"Sweetie?"

Her father lifted her up and consoled her. "What's hurting, little girl?"

"Papa…" she whimpered quietly before bursting into tears.

"It's okay…" he cooed. "I'm here."

She cried into her father's chest with a sad heart. Her mother said that he'd be back in no time, but she's afraid something will hold up her Papa again, and there will be delays after delays.

It happened last year, that's why learning that he's off to someplace dangerous again broke her heart.

Who's going to train her?

Her Mama used to be an excellent warrior, too, but she quit from the force a long time ago. It's her father's wish, and making her a substitute doesn't sound right.

Little Amber doesn't want to tire her out because she already does the chores all day.

And when she volunteered to help before, it was a total disaster.

She broke several tableware, and even made the kitchen explode. For a second, she thought they were going to be homeless. Her poor attempt to help her mother only gave her more work.

Her Mama even said that it was okay, and she shouldn't worry.

Remembering those things made Little Amber cry harder.

"She's especially sensitive today," her mother told her father.

She let out a small hiccup and hugged her Papa's neck tightly, her eyes noticeably red and puffy. "I don't want spaghetti and meatballs…" she murmured softly. Of course, it was a lie. It's basically her favorite dish, and it was specifically served in breakfast to cheer her up for her first day in school.

Her mother leaned closer and kissed her tear-stained cheek. "What does the Princess want?" She stroked her locks adoringly.

A small frown shadowed over Little Amber's cute face. "Papa…" she answered almost automatically.

His embrace tightened significantly. "I'm here though. Do you feel your heart beating?"

She hummed, her eyelids drooping in exhaustion.

"It's because I'm in there," he mused. "Mama, too."

"I don't want to go to school…"

"Oh, no. You've been waiting for this, little girl. Having a change of heart that often can make you sad in the end, so don't say things that you don't mean, okay?"

How can she admit she's only excited thinking that she'd get to experience being sent to and picked up at school by her Papa? Little Amber sniffled quietly, holding onto him like her life depended on it.

He probably won't be home for nearly a year again because of his missions.

Expectations are always high for the Santiago warriors. That should explain her father's strong drive to train and get stronger every day. He wakes up much earlier than people do. He trains much longer than the other pack warriors do.

And he sets a record by himself only to also break it himself.

To her eyes, her Papa's the perfect role model to all aspiring warriors.

"Has she calmed down?" Her mother queried in a hushed tone.

She's no longer wailing, and her Mama probably doesn't want to startle her. Little Amber wrapped her dainty arms around her father's nape, and gave it a tight squeeze—although her strength was just similar to that of a raccoon, and couldn't get her feelings across.

A few seconds later, she felt him still for a moment.

She's too tired to raise her head and look at her Papa's expression, so she laid her head against his strong chest to inhale as much of his scent as she could. They won't tell her an exact date of when he's returning, and she needs to take advantage of such moments to have something to remember by when he's away.

There's a sound of ruffling before he felt him turn her over to her mother. Mild strawberry scent immediately took over her senses, making her stiff body relax considerably.

Little Amber then felt someone pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead, and she sighed in content.

She really doesn't feel like going to school now…

"The Alpha has mindlinked me just now. I'll have to go visit the pack house first."

Her Mama nodded quietly. "We'll be waiting for you."

"Darling, I can't promise a date for now, but I'll make sure to call every day. Is that alright, hmm?"

"I'm used to it, and you already know that I'm not going to stand in your way, right? After all, your commitment to duty is one of the things I've loved about you…" Her mother began swaying her to sleep, she let out a small yawn with spaghetti and meatballs in mind. "The real concern is our Amber. She's not taking this well. You know how attached your daughter is to you, right?"

Her father chuckled knowingly. "Is that jealousy I hear?"

"This isn't the time for your silly jokes, okay…?"

"Jealousy it is."

Little Amber groaned softly when she was enveloped by a familiar warmth as she and her mother got crushed in her Papa's emotional embrace. Nonetheless, she enjoyed the feeling of being held and cared for by her loved ones.

The youngest of the Santiagos is yet to be introduced to their clan. They have to wait until her first transformation before throwing an official gathering.

The Santiagos are a prominent family of exceptional fighters that if an enemy learns they've encountered one of them, they'd immediately flee the battlefield. The Norcross continent is home to almost one-third of werewolves population all over the world, and the Akkad region is so vast that there are still a few packs that are still not named or recognized in the state.

And the West Crescent Pack is one of them.

Alpha Leviticus is currently working on the documents, and sooner or later, a representative from the Capital will come visit their land to officiate a formal meeting.

There's a lot of paperwork involved, and in order to gain the Werewolf King's favor, their humble pack always makes sure to secure victories in any battle for recognition and strengthening of their background.

Once the pack has been officially recognized, a lot of good opportunities will open their doors for them.

And seeking help from the Capital in case that their land suffers from any disasters would be easier.

Alpha Leviticus is a Santiago as well.

And the pack warriors' Commander is Cain Santiago, his brother.

And Little Amber's father.

Lately, rogues have been swarming into their city, causing troubles, committing crimes, and instilling great fear into the hearts of many.

Rogues are either lawbreakers or lone wolves. Lawbreakers are those who've been kicked out by the pack for having committed a serious transgression, and since they don't have an official standing anymore and isn't being backed by a pack, they are most likely to be hunted down by other predators.

Meanwhile, lone wolves are those who choose to run away from their pack for personal reasons. These werewolves are particularly sensitive when it comes to leadership and personal space that they'd rather live on their own in the wild than be under an Alpha's command.

Nonetheless, the common denominator for these two types of rogues are their vulnerability to dangers. Since they're alone, it's common for them to get killed by hunters and predators.

Most packs are hostile to their kind, and a rogue accidentally trespassing a pack land can be subject to the most cruel forms of punishments. The punishments are usually decided by the pack leader—which is the Alpha.

And only in his absence that the person left in charge can decide on his own. Betas are the second-in-command, and they stand as the interim head whenever the Alphas are away on a business. However, hierarchy is highly respected in all werewolf societies, and even if the Betas have the authority to hand down judgments, some of them would actually wait for the pack leader's return for the final decision.

Rogues are treated harshly because of their reputation and ways.

And attacking the city where the Santiago clan resides is imposing a major problem among the pack members. It seems that those rogues have gone mad and fearless which is also alarming as those werewolves' desire to kill can become uncontrollable. They are no longer in the right state of mind, and since they've been charging in numbers recently, it also becomes a worry that they might have formed a duped pack of their own.

But what made them unite all of a sudden?

"Yalova is 800 miles away from here," Alpha Leviticus stated warily. "Make sure you've brought all the essentials with you, and do not make any stopovers unless completely necessary."

Cain grinned at his older brother. "Don't be so anxious for me. My pride is taking that as an insult."

"I seriously have no time for your jokes, Cain. This is a serious matter. The pack is in the middle of a crisis, and you're leaving for a mission today. Talk about bad timing."

In terms of strength and abilities, the West Crescent Pack should be able to hold out until reinforcements from the neighboring pack arrive.

The Akkad is led by one superior wolf called the Werewolf King, and is living in the Capital. Once the existence of their pack has been acknowledged and legalized by the Central Palace, seeking assistance from them would be a piece of cake.

However, they're still in the process of getting recognition, and one mission has been sent out to them. It seems that the Santiagos are slowly gaining popularity in the Capital that the regime is unable to turn a blind eye to them.

Yalova is a small country located in northwestern Akkad, and the contagion of vicious practices there have become disturbing in the past months—to the point that they can't even call them rogues anymore, but savages.

The aim is to provide support and suppress the enemy forces until the main faction finishes its own battle from the other war theatres. The Werewolf King is a greedy man that as long as there's a potential piece of land to conquer, there won't be stopping him from mobilizing the Akkad forces to do his will.

He's establishing an empire which threatens the superiority of other strong regions in the world, and in his desire to become the most revered Werewolf King of all continents, he's already making an enemy out of those other powerful regions by breaking the balance.

Yalova has recently yielded to Akkad, and has now turned into one of its cities. However, the opposing forces there have not been eradicated yet in full, and since the next target of Akkad is Rockwall—a country, rich in minerals and natural resources, the main faction has been assigned there to continue breaking into their land's nearly impregnable defense.

Rockwell is with a fjord between and surrounding its landforms that Rockwellers may use to their advantage for counterattacks. The battle on that theatre has already begun when Yolova suddenly started acting up again. Since the Akkad can no longer concentrate their forces on that country, they thought it was about time for these 'Santiagos' to prove their worth.

It has come to the Werewolf King's attention that among the existing packs within Akkad, there's still a few, newly-established ones who have expressed their cooperation and good will to the monarch. They're waiting for the validation, so that they could stand alone as a recognized system, and at the same time, as the region's ally.

Seeing that they can't pull out their main faction as this might give the Rockwell a chance for an opening strike, the Commanders were finally able to convince the Werewolf King to utilize their available options at the moment—no matter how meager they were.

"Yeah, bad timing…" Cain muttered under his breath. "It's her birthday in a few days, you know?" He tried to hide his own frustration by laughing it away.

"She's not taking it very well, is she?" The Alpha looked him in the eye with sympathy. "Little Amber…"

"She says she won't be little anymore when she turns six. Can you believe that?"

Alpha Leviticus stifled a good laugh. "I see that when it comes to jokes… she takes after her father."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"Don't."

Silence filled the room after that short bicker. It only shows that that both of them are preparing for the worst, and neither of them is ready to talk about that.

"You're bringing twenty with you, yes?"

"That's right."

"I don't want to put your judgment into question as much as possible because I know how capable you are, Cain."

"There's a 'but', I suppose?"

"But are you sure it's enough?"

Cain sighed loudly. "We've discussed this already. Our purpose in Yalova is not to fight, but to stop the fight. You're a worrywart, Alpha," he said teasingly.

Alpha Leviticus growled in response, his bright red eyes darkened.

As an Alpha, his wolf didn't like his authority being challenged.

Even if it was his brother who said it jokingly, he wouldn't take it lightly.

His wolf won't allow him to.

"I apologize," Cain snickered while shaking his head. He bowed his head to show his sincerity before their steely gazes connected once again. "I shall leave in ten."

"Yeah, it's better to leave early."

"I shouldn't be saying this, but let me take this chance just this once…" Cain looked at the Alpha solemnly. "Please take care of them for me."

For he doesn't know when he'll be back.

Or if he could still come back…

Alpha Leviticus smirked. "Acting tough one second, and becoming down in the next…"

Cain scratched the back of his head playfully, still downhearted. "You know me."

"You don't have to ask me that, Cain," the Alpha told him seriously. "Santiagos will be…"

"…Santiagos," he finished with a small smile.

"Go ahead, and show them what you're made of, Commander."

"I will, Alpha."

Their meeting ended not too long after that. Cain Santiago held a short briefing with his men before setting off. Alpha Leviticus could only shake his head in slight amusement. The man didn't even spare even a minute to go back to his home to bid his goodbye to his mate.

He's probably troubled by the thought that he might not leave if Kamila did even the slightest convincing. Thankfully, his brother's got a very understanding mate. It will always remain a wonder to him how those two are able to survive without being by each other's side for a very long time.

Little Amber…

He's going to need to visit that kid as her uncle one day.

Pups that haven't had their first transformations yet cannot enter the pack house.

That's one of the specific house rules of the West Crescent Pack.

A tradition of Santiagos which Alpha Leviticus soon integrated into their pack's system.

Little Amber's first class is Social Studies.

When she woke up earlier, they were already at the school's parking lot with her Mama. She was sleeping soundly on her chest when she heard a familiar tune her mother was singing to her.

As she looked around her surroundings, she realized that they were inside her father's jeep raptor. It was as if she was jerked as she tried to find a familiar face in the vehicle, specifically—the driver's seat.

However, her Papa wasn't there. It's the family driver who always gives her candies behind her mother's back who is seated there.

Her heart sank as she looked up at her Mama's face tearfully.

"Anything that hurts, sweetheart?" she asked softly.

Little Amber snuggled further into her neck. "My pinky…"

"Your pinky?"

"Papa hasn't pinky-promised me today," she whined in a muffled voice.

Her mother stared down at her with a pained expression. The driver also had to look away from the interaction between the mother and daughter he was witnessing from the rearview mirror.

Anyone would be emotional when they realized that there was no permanent thing in this world. Her mother could literally utter all comforting words that have ever existed, and Little Amber would still feel all the same.

As long as it's about her Papa, she refuses to negotiate.

The bond is touching, and as a mother, she isn't jealous in the slightest. If anything, she admired their good relationship.

"Really? Let's scold him when he gets back, okay?"

"No…" she bawled. "He might hate us and not come home often."

"That's impossible, sweetie," her mother replied, chuckling. "He owes you a pinky, and Papa always settles his debts."

The small child perked up. "I'll look forward to that then."

"You'd better."

"Hmm…"

That's why she decided to do her best in school, so her Papa would come home proud of her. She revved up herself and made a self-contract that she'd focus on her studies, and train as hard at the same time.

In that way, she could also lessen her Mama's worries.

Little Amber listened to her teacher attentively—although she envied her classmates who slept through the lessons all throughout. She tried to fight the drowsiness every time she felt dozing off.

Upon noticing this, it didn't take long before the teacher announced they'd be playing a game to wake up all of them. The strategy was a success for all of her classmates participated actively in the game.

The game is called 'Where is the King?'

The color where the Werewolf King resides is predetermined, and each round—the teacher would ask the question, 'Where is the King?'

The teacher would announce two colors as their choices, and they have to choose one, then find that color within the classroom. Only one pupil can occupy and hold the colored item they choose. Those who have failed to find their desired color will be eliminated—and those who have been eliminated will be given a second chance to duke it out with each other.

Those who have picked the wrong color will be out, too.

The winners will be considered one of the Werewolf King's warriors, and they will also receive lollipops as a reward. That's why all of them are thrilled to get the game started.

Little Amber jumped in surprise when one of her classmates held her finger unconsciously. She noticed that her lips were also trembling.

"Hi…?" Little Amber greeted shyly, her cheeks blushing.

She's amazed that she's found a new friend on her first day in school.

The other kid blinked at her in confusion, and when she noticed that she was grasping her classmate's finger, she let go of it right away. "I'm sowwy."

Little Amber smiled at her warmly. "It's okay."

"May I know your name?" her classmate asked, hopeful.

"Amber… It's Amber Santiago."

The kid's eyes shone in excitement. "Your name is pretty, but your surname is hard to pronounce."

Little Amber laughed heartily. The gloomy feeling she felt earlier was slowly dissipating. "And what's yours?"

"I'm Pepper…"

"The one that Mama puts in her cooking?"

Pepper looked at her with a scrunched nose. "I have a twin brother, his name is Salt." She then pointed at the boy who has already formed a group with his friends from a corner. "That's him."

Little Amber studied her brother's features carefully.

They don't look much alike.

"We're paternal twins…" Pepper added proudly with a goofy smile on her face.

She was flushed. Paternal? "F-fraternal?"

"Yes, that's right. How come you don't tease me when I can't pronounce 'r'? Salt is a bully."

"You're my friend. Friends don't bully each other," Little Amber retorted back—as if it was common sense.

"We are… friends?"

"Aren't we?"

Pepper squealed happily, and grabbed her hand. "I like you as a friend."

The youngest Santiago felt her heart flutter. This made her squeeze her friend's hand back.

And the game began.

"Yellow or blue…" the teacher declared the colors. "Where is the King?"

"I choose yellow," Little Amber whispered.

"Eh? It's not blue?" Pepper exclaimed.

Since only one person can acquire an item that shares the same color of their choosing, they have to let go of each other's hands.

"But I don't want to leave you…" Pepper's lips quivered slightly.

Neither does she…

But what can they do when they don't even share the same decision?

"I'll go with you this time."

Little Amber was torn. "I feel like I'm forcing you…"

"Nope," her friend cut her off, popping the 'p'. "This is our friendship's first trial. We have to be in the same boat. My mom said that selfish people can only have two friends—herself and her wolf. Pepper thinks that's just sad."

That's right.

Why does she have to stick with yellow?

There's nothing wrong in spirit of competition, but in abandoning a friend for your own belief—there is.

"My lunchbox is yellow. I'll bring it out."

"Okay."

"Three… two… one…" their teacher finished counting. "Alright, time's up. Kids that weren't able to find their color, kindly come forward and wait in my desk until your next turn."

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Three of her classmates were eliminated from the first round, and two of them started bawling their eyes out in frustration.

Sadly, Pepper's brother didn't make it, and the boy's also grimacing at the sight of his crying friends. Little Amber shifted her attention to their teacher who stopped by each of their position to check their item.

Finally, it's their turn, but for some reason, the teacher had a confused look on her face. "Why are you two holding onto one lunchbox?"

"Because we're friends…" Pepper answered confidently.

To which Salt chortled.

Little Amber's expression was pleading, but the teacher was firm with her decision.

"What's the rule again, class?"

"One color, one item, one person," her classmates recited in unison.

"So, who got her hands first on this yellow lunchbox?"

"Amber…"

"Pepper…"

Huh?

They gave each other a baffled look.

Even the teacher couldn't tell who was telling the truth.

"What's our class motto again?"

"Honesty is the best policy."

"But I'm being honest, teach," Little Amber protested quietly. She was the one who opened her bag, but it was Pepper who brought her lunchbox out. Technically, it was Pepper who got to touch it first, so how come she was being accused of lying?

Her forehead knotted in distress.

The teacher noticed this and ruffled her hair gently. "Okay, we heard you. Don't cry."

So, she nodded her head wordlessly.

Then, her teacher turned to her friend. "Is that true?"

Pepper's response, though, left her stunned.

Her friend shook her head firmly. "I chose blue, and Amber chose yellow. She said her lunchbox was yellow, so I helped her get it from her bag, teach. It's yellow for her right from the start."

"You picked blue, but went with her instead?" It doesn't make sense. The teacher has no idea how to deal with them.

"She's my friend, and we go together."

"But…"

"But we need to follow the rules, okay? You said you chose blue, and you don't have anything in your possession right now that's blue, Pepper."

"True," Salt commented out of nowhere. "Don't push your luck."

Little Amber felt aggrieved just by listening to them talk down to her friend. "We're werewolves, and we live in packs. I'll never abandon a friend just to stand beside the Werewolf King." The Santiagos will never do that. She and Pepper both decided on this, and she refused to accept that her friend would be left behind due to certain circumstances. "We're holding each other's hands, so please treat us as one, teach."

One of the eliminated kids puffed his chest out. "That's cheating. They're bad people."

"Oh…"

"Cheating is bad."

"Don't do that next time."

"Yeah, they're forcing their way out on this one, teach."

Little Amber and Pepper gave each other a somber look and nodded to each other.

Their teacher watched the interaction between the two kids silently.

Afterward, both of them let go of the lunchbox they were holding and looked up at their teacher. "Please consider us eliminated, teach," they spoke calmly with their heads down.

The scene gathered different opinions from their classmates.

Some were touched and felt sorry for them, and some thought it was only right they'd get disqualified for trying to twist the rule. Little Amber even caught a glimpse of Pepper's brother scoffing.

And those who cried were now ecstatic that another two would get eliminated. They're girls, and they can take advantage of that later in the loser's round.

Finally, the teacher let out a huge sigh.

"I'll forgive you just this once since both of you have presented your cases and explained your reasons well." She then gave them a small pat on their heads. "With that kind of outlook in life, I'm sure you'll go places…" she stated sincerely.

Little Amber and Pepper were overwhelmed by the praise, they couldn't help but squeal and hug each other while jumping.

"But this is only a one-time exception, okay?" the teacher reminded. "I do respect your perspectives, but just as you said, Amber…" She then turned to face the class, more determined. "We live in packs—and packs have laws. In this game, the rules were clearly stated, and you had all been informed beforehand. Please honor the rules and laws wherever you may find them. Deal?"

"Deal!" the class shouted happily.

The game ended with Little Amber getting eliminated on the last round. It's the same thing for her friend as well. Nonetheless, they didn't take their losses to heart as they saw it to the end that they enjoyed the game.

As for the loser's round, Salt was hailed the winner, and they couldn't help but admire his unexpected comeback. Pepper's brother wasn't all bad. She saw him handing his lollipop to his sister with a bored look on his face.

Little Amber smiled at them fondly.

She wants a brother, too…

It's been an hour since she waited for her Mama to pick her up, but she hasn't come until now.

Although, it won't be a problem if she were to go home by herself as their house is only one and a half mile walk from school. The sun isn't setting anytime soon either, so it should still be safe being out.

Little Amber sat on the bench, her legs swinging to cure her boredom. She can't wait to share her fun experiences on her first day in school with her mother. She made a lovely friend, too—and they even ate their lunches together.

The most exciting part is…

There's no homework for today.

"Amber?"

She looked up to see the owner of the voice. "Teach…"

Her teacher surveyed the surroundings. "You haven't gone home yet? Where are your parents?"

She beamed at her. "I'm waiting for Mama."

Her teacher looked at her wristwatch worriedly. "Should I walk you home?"

But her mother specifically told her to wait for her because she'd come picking her up.

Her Mama's probably got caught up in something, that's why she's running late.

"It's fine, teach. Thank you for your concern."

"You're such a good girl," her teacher sighed warily. "Don't wait until it gets too dark, okay? Have you tried asking the school guard to contact your mother?"

"I did," she hummed. "Mama usually picks up the phone on the third ring, but when we called her, it just kept ringing. I think she's cooking for our dinner…" she explained with a small smile.

Little Amber felt quite sad and guilty for ignoring her breakfast earlier.

The spaghetti and meatballs were made especially for her, and all she did was call for her Papa…

She can't let her mother's efforts go to waste this time.

"Is that so?" Her teacher gave her an understanding expression. Well, she certainly can't force a child to come with her. She's a Santiago after all. She's gutsier than any normal kid, but she could also see that the kindness in her was deep-rooted. "Be careful on your way home. If you feel unsafe walking alone, you may ask the school guard to accompany you. They're in shifting schedules, so if you decide later on—you might meet a new face. Don't be afraid, alright?"

"Yes, teach. You're so kind. You remind me of…" Little Amber stood up excitedly. "Oh, they're here." She thanked her teacher and ran swiftly toward the jeep raptor while waving her hand at her. "Bye, teach! See you tomorrow!"

The driver went out of the car and bowed his head before picking up Little Amber's bag. The child went to the backseat with a playful grin, but she was shocked to see that her Mama wasn't there.

The shotgun seat was vacant, too.

Hence, she clutched onto the driver's black suit before he could rev the engine.

Her gentle, curious orbs met his agitated ones.

"Mama's not here?"

The driver cleared his throat. "We're going somewhere else today, Ms Amber."

Huh?

Perhaps, a surprise birthday party!?

"Really…?" she chirped happily. "Okay!"

"Your seatbelts please…"

Little Amber's mouth formed an 'O', and immediately complied. The child couldn't stop giggling to herself, her eyes glittering with delight and hope.

She knew it…

Her Papa's not going to leave without saying goodbye properly.

Are they celebrating in advance?

She started singing her nursery rhymes enthusiastically, and the driver would glance at her every now and then—as if to check if she was still there.

And as if she was going to disappear from his sight.

Little Amber noticed that they weren't taking the usual route. They should've passed by a fast food joint on their way home by now, but she didn't see that.

Is there a special venue!?

She couldn't wait…

"Mister, will there be meatballs and spaghetti there?"

"P-pardon?"

She looked at him weirdly. She shouldn't distract him from driving.

"Never mind," she gave him a thumbs up.

Eyes on the road.

Eyes on the road.

Huh?

Something passed by her peripheral vision, but then it was gone in an instant.

What was that?

A wolf going for a run?

Strange…

Normally, they would do it at night. That's what her Papa told her.

To relieve some stress, and with the supervision of the moon, it's better to go for a run at night.

"What time do you go for a run, Mister…?" she asked all of a sudden.

He threw her a glance through the rearview mirror. "Around 4 o'clock in the morning, then next is on the midnight," he answered, slightly confused by the child's sudden question. "May I ask the reason why you're asking?"

Little Amber nodded eagerly. "I think I saw a wolf deep into the woods."

He stepped on the brakes too hard, making her yelp in surprise. "Come again?" he asked, cautious.

"I saw a wolf…" Then, she pointed a finger to the left roadside where giant trees and bushes were inexplicably thick. "He's gray and a huge one at that."

The driver paled at her description. "Are you sure, Ms Amber?"

"Yeah…" For some reason, goosebumps spiked along her skin.

The driver's tone…

Could it be that he was feeling frantic?

But why?

"Is there a problem, Mister? We pulled over…"

As if snapping back to reality, he quickly murmured his apologies and went back to driving the car more carefully.

"Shit…"

Little Amber wasn't able to hear him muttering a cuss to himself for her undivided attention was on their vehicle's left window.

A few minutes later, she dozed off with a serene expression on her lovely face.

When she came to, the first thing that she noticed was the ceiling. It was different from what they had back at home.

And their voices, too…

Someone was weeping…

And there's a lot of murmurs invading her hearing.

She then got out of bed—a sofa rather, and began to wander around in what seemed like a basement that she's only seen in the movies before.

No balloons…

No familiar faces…

What's happening?

Little Amber covered her nose when she unknowingly inhaled a pungent smell mixed with a sickeningly sweet odor. She stopped in her tracks for she suddenly felt nauseous.

'It smells like rotting flesh.'

She knows of it because her father brought a dead animal back to feast on before.

But this one…

The smell is stronger and nastier.

The driver was nowhere to be found, and she was seeing a lot of unfamiliar faces. The basement was huge enough to accommodate almost hundreds of people, and many of them were crying to the…

Bodies?

Bodies covered with a white blanket…

"Mama…" she mumbled absentmindedly.

Little Amber felt her chest numbing from the painful sensation as she hurried over to the area where the bodies laid flat. Her heart was beating erratically with hot tears streaming down her face as she desperately look for something.

For someone…

"Mama…" she cried out hoarsely.

Even her soft cries remained unheard due to the noise brought about by everyone's unrest and mourning.

That's when it finally hit her nose like a brick. The scent was faint, but it was there. It was still there. She ran toward the bodies and checked the blanket's form one by one until she stopped by a familiar figure emitting that particular scent.

Strawberries.

"Mama…?" she muttered tearfully.

With her trembling hands, and while choking on her own sobs, slowly—and carefully, she took off the white blanket over that body, and what she saw made her scream in horror.

And in heartbreak.

It was her mother.

Kamila Santiago.

Lying dead with her eyes gouged out.

One part of her body was still covered in fur, a sign that she was on her wolf form before she died.

Little Amber's heart clenched in fear, sorrow, and unadulterated anger. "Mama!!!"

"Amber?"

"Amber?"

"Wake up!"

"She's murmuring something in her sleep again."

"I can't believe she cut training classes to sleep under this willow tree again."

"It should be fine in her case since she's super strong, okay? Remember, she's our squad's ace."

"Tss…"

"Whatever."

Amber's eyes shot open to glare at the familiar faces before her. "Shut up. Go ruin somebody else's day." She then placed an arm over her eyes.

What time is it anyway?

Pepper pouted a little. "That's harsh, Amber. Is that how you think of me now? Someone who ruins your day?"

"You can't really blame her…" the man's deep voice replied starkly. "You keep nagging all day."

"What?" Pepper exclaimed, hurt. "That's not true!"

Salt clicked his tongue in irritation. "There's a squad meeting with the Commander. Make sure to be ready in fifteen." Then, he gave her body a once over. "And please be presentable," he murmured before leaving the two ladies to themselves.

"He sure is uptight, huh?" Pepper scrunched her nose before taking a seat beside her sleeping form. "Are you okay? Tell me what you really feel because lying is pointless. I've seen your pained expression earlier, Amber."

Amber turned to her side, completely ignoring her concerned friend.

"Hey!" Pepper called out. "How dare you treat your best friend like this? I'm beginning to doubt this friendship, you know?" she said playfully.

Those memories…

Amber closed her eyes tightly.

"I had a nightmare."

"The same nightmare from twelve years ago?"

"Hmm…"

"Does it still hurt?"

She hesitated. "I don't know." Her chest doesn't tighten as much anymore whenever she recalls that certain memory from her past.

It's basically numb at this point.

And she can't seem to find the right words to describe it.

"Let's go now?"

"Salt has given me fifteen minutes."

"Don't take his word for it!"

Amber grunted in response.

She wanted more sleep.

"Let's go!?"

"Where to?" she replied in a bored and sarcastic tone.

"To the path where the Werewolf King has no other choice, but heed our wishes?"

Amber got up, and smirked at her. "I like the sound of that."

"Right?" Pepper laughed.

Her amber eyes swirled with an unknown emotion, mixed with a treacherous will.

The fire in her eyes—it used to be a small amber.

But what started out as a small amber had finally burst into mighty flames.

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