Somewhere around the Pacific Northwest.
It was night, one that surely did not go as she had planned. She was supposed to be on the road to her mother's in Northern California, but here she was, fighting for her life.
Heavily pregnant and almost due for delivery, she brushed through the thick bush searching for any glimmer of hope or help from someone, but there was none; it was all bushes. She would rather continue running than wait for another attack.
She had been injured badly by what she had seen to be a dog… or wolf.
It attacked her so quickly that before she knew it, she was bleeding profusely from her inner thigh. She wasn't sure if she was going to make it, but she continued anyway. Until she saw a flash of light, she was not really sure who these people were, but they moved with torchlights towards her, like they were already expecting her.
"H… help me, please." She waved one of her hands in the air, shouting, as she supported her injured thigh with the other hand.
"Dogs, wolves," the men hurried their footsteps. "Help." She collapsed before she could say another word.
In the living room of the High Keep mansion, Beta Luke tells Brynn, Alpha of The Foreclaws Pack, about the information on the strange human that was being brought to the mansion. Brynn was with his son as they read books together, "Prepare the trauma room and get the doctor Asap." Brynn said, still focused on the book he was reading with his son.
"They are here, master." Luke sounded loud through the hallway as he rushed to meet Brynn. After he saw the state of the woman, he could only wish for there not to be a delay.
"Okay, now, Theodore, I think that's it for tonight, now go meet your mother." Little Theodore got up and headed straight to meet his mother.
Brynn turned around and headed towards the trauma room, and Luke followed immediately.
Brynn smelled the blood in the air. The woman was lucky to still be breathing, but she was barely alive.
"Now, doc, what do we have here?" Brynn asked the doctor, just as he stepped into the room that looked like an operating room. His hands crossed behind him, but his eyes were assessing the heavily pregnant woman, lying helplessly on the operating table.
"She has lost a lot of blood, she was attacked by a werewolf, and whoever did this probably wanted her to bleed to death. I am quite surprised that she is still alive, adrenaline, I guess." The doctor reported.
"Barely alive, you mean." Brynn removed his glasses and pinched in between his eyebrows, "So what are your suggestions?"
"A C-section, it can save the child, but there is nothing I can do for the mother, it's been too long." The doctor said,
"We can't change her, Luke," Brynn said without looking at Luke, as if he knew what Luke was thinking.
"But why?" Luke asked, feeling sincere pity for the helpless woman on the table.
"She can't be changed with her surgery wounds," The doctor answered.
"And if the change doesn't go well, she is going to be killed," Brynn said.
"She is going to die either way, I know. But we could try." Luke said.
After just a few seconds of reconsideration, "Put a call across to the Moonridge Pack, send in the Beta's wife." Brynn said, and Luke ran as fast as his legs could carry him, while he pressed his phone to make a call.
"Luke, hurry," Brynn added. He did not have to shout; Luke heard him loud and clear, sharp hearing of werewolves.
"Start the operation, you should be done before the witch gets here," Brynn ordered, and the doctor got to work.
"A human inside the pack's house? Aren't you sweet, Brynn?" Bianca, the Luna said to Brynn in sarcasm as he sat down in the living room.
"She is not going to be human for long now; it's either one of us or a rogue. So don't sweat, Bianca." Brynn said. "Besides, I already sent for your friend, the witch." He crossed his legs and gently closed his eyes.
"Hmm," Bianca, looking offended by the "witch" remark her husband made about her friend.
In no long time, the witch and Beta's wife, Elise, arrived, accompanied by Luke; she looked heavily pregnant herself.
She did not bother to see Brynn; she understood the urgency of the situation and went to meet the wounded woman, who was already patched up after the operation.
"She is strong." Elise said as she began to bring out potions from her bag, "I need privacy, please." She said, and she was left alone in the room.
After quite some time, she came to the living room and met Brynn. "It's done, her operation cuts are healed, you can take over now," Elise said as she walked closer to where Brynn was seated.
"Thank you so much, Elise, let me give you both space to catch up," Brynn said, leaving the two women alone, and Elise sat down afterwards.
"Seems like you would be due soon. I can't wait to see my son's future mate," Bianca said, holding Elise's hand, with a smile on her face.
Northern California, twenty-two years later.
Aurora, a human girl, was on the phone with her mother. She now works in a coffee shop after unsuccessful trials of getting a job. She is among the people who don't believe that werewolves existed.
"Mum, let me come visit you, just once, you have been the only one coming to visit me."
"I just want you to stay safe and not to run or walk into werewolves on your way here." The voice from the other end said.
"For the one hundredth time, mum, werewolves don't exist, and besides, I now know a few defensive skills for myself. I am an adult now, and I can look out for myself." Aurora said, not ready to back down.
"But…"
"Pleeeeeaaase?" Aurora said, with her teeth wide open.
The mother obviously lost to her adult daughter, "Okay fine, but you have to tell me about that boy you always mention when you get here, promise?"
"Promise, thanks, mum," Aurora said, and just then she saw Lucius, her long-time crush, the air around her suddenly froze, and time froze along with it, as Lucius opened the door to the coffee shop, and his two friends followed behind him.
"Can you hear me?" The mother called out to Aurora,
"I've got to go now, mum, talk later." Aurora ended the call after, "What can I get for you, Lucius?" She gave a heart-warming smile, unable to hide her feelings for Lucius.
"Cappuccino." Lucius said, "For all of us." He smirked and used his thumb to brush along his lips, staring straight at Aurora.
"Coming right up, and I will be giving you a friend discount today, so if you could please sit and wait a little," Aurora said, pointing them to the empty chairs in the shop.
They left to sit down, and Aurora was blown by how Lucius looked at her.
"How long is this going to continue, Lucius?" One of his friends asked.
"For as long as it can." He answered, sparing a glance at Aurora as she happily made their orders.
"You don't even like her, why not tell her and stop using her?" The second friend said. "Poor girl, foolishly in love."
"She is not even my type, I mean, the fool doesn't even believe that werewolves exist. She is just too trusting and easy to manipulate," Lucius said, and gave a mean smile. "She can try all she wants, but I only got eyes for Ingrid, and nothing is going to change that. Not even a lifetime of free cappuccino can."
"Speaking of Ingrid, I heard she is with Theodore, Alpha Brynn's son." One of his friends said to him.
"Baseless rumors, she is unmarked. If they were in a relationship, she would be marked by now. She is mine, note that."
Aurora soon found herself in the Pacific Northwest. She could not get enough of how elegantly dressed the house workers were; her mouth parted in shock at the beautiful scenery her eyes beheld as she was escorted into the High Keep mansion. She was mesmerized as she walked on the well-polished floor; this was the first time she had come to visit her mother in her place of work, and for once, she thought that her mother might be living a much more comfortable life than her.
"Hey mum," Aurora called out as she was led into her mother's room by a house servant.
"My baby," Moira hugged her daughter, tightly, "Oh my, you have grown into a fine young woman." She added as she gently turned her daughter round for her to see.
"Yeah, grandma tried," Aurora said, smiling and lifting her eyebrows. "Seems like you were on your way out."
"Yes, but don't you worry, stay in here and wait for me, I will be right back. We both have a lot of catching up to do." Moira said as she slowly headed towards the door.
"Okay, mum, come back quick," Aurora said as she sat on the bed.
"I will, honey. See you soon." Moira said, waving goodbye to her daughter.
Three hours gone, and Aurora was beginning to feel bored. She thought to herself that going on a tour would not hurt much; she left her phone and belongings in the room and headed out to see how much more glamour the mansion holds.
She admired the chandeliers, the paintings on the wall that looked ancient, and she walked and soon found herself in a room, too big to be called a room. She had never seen anything like it since she was born. this was wealth; every inch of the room smelled of wealth.
Just when she thought she could see more, a sudden warmth came on her neck, and everything went black.