Prologue

Cartan

My mother emerged from the tent, her cries loud and distraught. She pleaded with the imposing Alpha who held me, begging him not to take me away. Tears streamed down her cheeks, but the Alpha next to her didn’t even acknowledge her presence. He continued walking while cradling me in his arms. His presence had always felt safe and protective, but on that day, a strange energy surrounded him, as if an ominous presence loomed.

“Please, just give him to me,” she implored. “Let him live! There may not be another!”

I was too young to comprehend her words, but the menacing growl emanating from the Alpha holding me made it clear that her pleas fell on deaf ears. He halted, turned to her, and silenced her with a piercing gaze. Her trembling lip and darting eyes briefly met mine before she shook her head. Desperation drove her to push forward and grab his arm.

“Please, just give him to me!”

The Alpha shook her off, growling menacingly once more. Other women from the clan intervened, restraining my mother.

“No! No!” she cried out as the Alpha continued to carry me away. I peered over his shoulder, witnessing my mother’s tears and her futile struggle against the other women.

“Cartan! Cartan!” she shouted after me, but I couldn’t reach her, and the Alpha’s strong presence, despite the underlying tension, comforted me.

More Alphas surrounded us, obscuring my view of my mother. We continued walking until her cries faded, and only a vast expanse of flat, sandy terrain stretched before us. I found the journey exhilarating, having never ventured so far from home. The aura of safety provided by the Alphas enveloped me. I had no idea of our destination until we suddenly arrived at some dark-colored rocks, a small wall that seemed out of place in the flat landscape.

Beside a massive rock, the Alpha set me down gently on the warm sand. I gazed up at him, noticing the coldness in his eyes. I couldn’t recall ever seeing a different expression in them, but now there was a hint of distance I couldn’t quite decipher.

“This is nothing for a true Alpha,” his powerful and somber voice intoned. “Finding your way back should be an easy task.”

I stared up at the Alpha before me, clad only in pants and shoes, his tanned skin exposed to the scorching sun. His dark hair was cropped short, nearly shorn. Every aspect of him exuded power, yet I had never been afraid of him until now, until he regarded me as a disappointment.

“But you’re not one,” he growled. “Therefore, I leave you at the mercy of the Gods. They will determine your fate.”

I blinked rapidly, not comprehending the words fully, but the underlying tone and the look in his eyes instilled fear in me. I backed against the rock, watching as the Alphas began to turn away. They moved once more as a formidable group, but with each step they took, I realized they were not taking me with them.

“Wait!” I called, pushing away from the rock, but one stride for them equaled five for me. Soon, there was nothing but sand before me. “Please!”

My feeble voice held no sway and was quickly lost in the vast landscape. Where was he? Why had he abandoned me? I looked around, hoping to find help, but there was no one in sight.

“Mamma!” I cried. “Mamma!”

But she too failed to appear. I was all alone. Frightened, I hurried back to the spot where the Alpha had left me, curling my small body in on itself. He would come back for me, I assured myself. But as time passed, the sun descended, and darkness settled in, no one returned.