Chapter 1
Ana
The car would not start. I turned the key again and again, but the engine only clicked and stayed silent.
Outside, the rain poured down hard. It hit the windows like tiny stones, making a loud, steady rhythm that filled the small space. I looked out into the grey world. Getting out now to find help would be even worse than staying here. The storm made everything dark and the ground was very slippery.
"Mummy, see, Alex is being attacked by the big bear," my daughter said from the back.
I turned around and forced a smile. Lily was sitting in her car seat, playing happily with her toys. She had a wonderful imagination. She loved giving every doll and stuffed animal a name and a special story. Right now, she was holding a small bear and a soldier, lost in her own little world.
I reached back and placed my hands gently on hers to get her attention. "Lily, don't play too rough with that one, okay? Hold Daddy’s gift carefully. We are going to surprise him tonight, remember?"
Her little face lit up with pure joy the moment I mentioned the surprise. Her eyes sparkled in the dim light of the car.
"Then will Dad make me a little Luna? I want to be just like you, Mom. A leader for everyone."
I smiled at my six-year-old daughter. She was the best thing that had ever happened to me. Her words warmed my heart, even on this cold, rainy night. She was so full of life and hope.
"You will be a great Luna one day," I whispered.
I took out my phone and called Max. I needed him to know we were stuck. The phone rang and rang, but he did not pick up. For a second, I wondered if he was busy with pack business again. He was always working so hard for the people. Or maybe he had just left his phone in another room. I sighed and put the phone down on the dashboard.
Just then, a loud crash filled the air.
A bright light flashed straight into my face, blinding me instantly. I slowly turned my head, wondering what was happening, but my eyes widened in shock as I saw the metal of a truck coming right for us.
Before I could scream or move, everything happened so fast.
Pain exploded everywhere. It was a sharp, hot feeling that tore through my body. Metal screamed as it twisted and folded. Glass broke into thousands of pieces, flying through the air like frozen rain.
Then, there was a terrible silence.
I slowly opened my eyes. I was lying on the floor of the car, which was now a small, crushed box of metal. I was covered in broken glass. My body refused to move, no matter how hard I tried. Every breath I took felt like a knife in my chest.
I turned my eyes slowly, searching the wreckage for my daughter. My hand finally touched her small, soft arm.
"Baby," I said. My voice was low and weak. It did not sound like my voice at all. She did not move even an inch. "Baby, speak to me. Everything will be okay. Daddy will come save us. Just stay awake, Lily."
I felt my wolf deep inside me. She was scratching at my mind, trying to break through. She was desperate to heal me and protect our child. But the injuries were too bad. My body was too broken. I could not give my wolf the chance to take control.
The pain held me down like heavy chains, pinning me to the floor of the car.
I heard voices outside. People were gathering, their feet splashing in the puddles. They were rushing toward us, shouting instructions. Their voices mixed with the sound of the rain, but I couldn't understand what they were saying.
Before I could call out for them to check on Lily first, everything turned to darkness.
When my eyes opened again, it felt like I had been given a second chance at life. The first thing I noticed was the smell of medicine and clean sheets. I looked around. I was alone in a hospital room.
The steady beeps of machines filled the quiet space, marking the seconds. My mind was foggy. Where was Lily? Where was my child?
I slowly sat up, ignoring the sharp pain that shot through my side. I looked at the tubes and wires attached to my arms. They felt like traps. I pulled them off one by one, gritting my teeth. I stood up on shaky legs, nearly falling over.
My body was still bruised and sore. I did not understand why I was not healing faster. Werewolf bodies usually recovered from accidents in a day or two, but I felt as weak as a human.
I walked out of the room, using the wall to keep myself steady. I moved from door to door, looking through the small windows.
"Lily!" I called out. My voice was cracking and dry. "Lily, where are you? Mommy is here. I’m coming, baby."
I needed to see her. I needed to see her smile and know that the crash hadn't taken her spark away. The hallway felt too long, and the lights above were too bright. They made my head spin.
Just then, a strong hand pulled me back gently.
"Ana," the voice said. "Everything is okay. You need to calm down."
I turned my head. It was Max. His face looked tired, with dark circles under his eyes. He looked like he hadn't slept in days. I quickly pushed against his chest, trying to get away so I could keep searching.
"Where is Lily?" I demanded. My heart was pounding against my ribs. "Take me to her, Max. Now."
He held me close, wrapping his arms around me tightly. It felt like he did not want to let go or say the words he was holding back. At that moment, I didn't care about his hug. I only wanted my daughter. I only wanted to hear that Lily was fine and playing with her toys in another room.
The doctor came in soon after. Max helped me back to the bed, even though I wanted to fight him. The doctor looked at me, then looked at Max with a serious expression.
"She is going to be okay," the doctor said. "But she needs rest and time. She must not do anything that will cause stress, or she won't heal properly. Her wolf is very quiet right now."
I looked at the doctor with tired, pleading eyes. I spoke in a low, quiet voice. "Doctor, where is Lily? Why isn't she here with me? Is she in the children's ward?"
Silence fell in the room. It was a heavy, suffocating silence.
I saw Max give the doctor a small sign to leave. The doctor bowed his head slightly and walked out, closing the door behind him. Max sat close to me on the bed. He took my hands in his and placed a soft kiss on my knuckles.
"Relax, Ana," he said softly. "Everything will be okay. We are together."
I looked straight into his eyes, searching for the truth. "How can I relax when Lily hasn't come to see me? Max, stop being quiet. Where is she?"
He took a deep breath and looked away for a moment, staring at the white wall. Then he turned back to me. His eyes were hard to read.
"Do not panic or do anything rash, Ana. Lily is never coming back."
I stared at him, my heart starting to race so fast it hurt. "What did you say? What does that mean?"
He held my hands tighter, his grip almost painful. His voice was gentle but heavy.
"Lily is dead."
The words hit me like another car crash. I felt my heart shatter into a thousand pieces. It wasn't a quick break; it was a slow, agonizing feeling of everything inside me falling apart.
Tears filled my eyes and spilled down my cheeks. I couldn't breathe. I tried to scream, but no sound came out.
Max pulled me into a tight hug, pressing my head against his shoulder. "Do not worry, Ana. I have you now. You won't be alone. I will take care of everything."
His words were meant to comfort me, but they felt like they were coming from miles away. All I could think about was Lily's smile, her laugh, and the way her little hands looked when she held her toys.
She wanted to be a Luna. She wanted to be like me. And now, she was gone.
A Week Later
A week had passed since I buried my daughter. The weather was clear now, but the sun felt wrong. It shouldn't be shining when the world was this empty. The pain still sat heavy in my chest every single day, making it hard to walk or talk.
I remembered that night clearly. I played it over and over in my head. She had smiled so brightly in the back seat. She told me she wanted to be a little Luna.
If only I had stayed home. If only I had gotten out of the car and found a cab instead of trying to start the engine. The guilt ate at me like a constant shadow that followed me into every room.
I walked into the mansion, my steps slow and tired. My body was still not healing right, and I felt exhausted. The familiar halls felt different now—colder, and too quiet. I stopped suddenly when I reached the grand hallway.
I noticed something that made my blood run cold.
The place where my daughter's photos used to hang was empty. The beautiful framed pictures of her playing in the garden and her first day of school were gone.
In their spot was a large picture of a different girl. I had never seen her before. She looked about Lily's age, smiling happily in the expensive frame.
Confusion filled me, followed by a wave of nausea. Was I in the right house? I looked around at the furniture and the stairs. It was my home. But who would remove Lily's pictures? Who could do something so cruel only a week after she was gone?
Anger rose inside me, hot and fast. It was the first thing I had felt other than sadness. I moved toward the new picture with shaky hands. I reached up, my fingers brushing the frame, ready to rip it off the wall and throw it to the floor.
"Stop."
The cold voice came from behind me, sharp and commanding. It cut through the quiet like ice.
