Chapter 1

*Violet POV*

I had one chance to prove myself

I had heard the stories of my father, Alpha Banshul, since I was a pup. He was the leader of the Blue Fire pack, the most powerful pack in the forest of Futi. My father had achieved many great feats and I was proud to be his daughter, determined to follow in his footsteps. I wanted to show him what I was capable of, to prove myself.

I had one chance to make my mark and I was going to take it.

The pack was on a hunt for the rare and powerful Firebird, a creature of legend. I had trained for this moment for months. I was ready.

My father gave me the honor of leading the hunt. I was elated and terrified at the same time. I knew this was a big responsibility, but I was determined to succeed.

I called out the orders, and the pack followed my commands. We spread out, searching for any sign of the Firebird. I was in the front, my heart pounding in my chest as I ran through the forest.

Suddenly, I heard a loud screech. I stopped in my tracks and looked up. There it was, the Firebird! It was perched on a branch in a tree, its wings outstretched. Its feathers shimmered in the light of the moon.

I quickly signaled for the pack to surround the tree, and we slowly crept closer. I could feel the tension in the air. I knew I had only one chance to catch the Firebird.

I lunged forward; my paws outstretched. I could feel my claws sinking into the bark of the tree as I scrambled to grab the Firebird. I was almost there; I could feel its feathers brushing against my fur.

But then, I felt a sharp pain in my leg. I had been too slow. I looked down to see a wolf standing on my leg. It was one of the pack members. I had failed.

I felt a deep sense of shame as I limped back to the pack. I had let them all down. My father had been so proud of me, and I had let him down.

The pack members looked at me with pity in their eyes. I knew I had to prove myself or risk losing their respect. I could not fail again.

I had one chance to prove myself and I was not going to let it slip away.

I watched with my eyes as our guards carried me back home to my father. When I saw him, I felt bad. I had wanted to prove to him that I was as powerful and as noble as he was but I failed him. I watched as he walked over to me and smiled. He looked happy regardless of if I came back with the firebird or not. He said he valued me over everything else. He planted kisses on my forehead as he started to pat my back.

I felt my heart thumping hard in my chest as my father patted my back. His words were reassuring, but I could feel the fear coursing through my veins. I knew it was a lie. I had seen the disappointment in his eyes when I had limped back to the camp. My injury had prevented me from joining the hunt and that meant I was no longer worthy of being an alpha.

Still, I felt a slight comfort knowing that he still loved me, even if I was not yet worthy of the title. I wanted to believe him, and I tried to, as I heard the distant noises that were growing louder by the second.

The pack was starting to panic as the noises grew closer. I could see the members of the pack scrambling around, their eyes wide with fear. My father grabbed my hand and pulled me towards him.

"What is that noise?" I asked, my voice trembling.

My father's face was grim. "It's an attack," he said.

The pack was in chaos. Wolves were running in all directions, trying to escape the impending danger. I could see the alpha of the pack standing at the front, barking orders. He was trying to keep the pack together, but it was a futile effort.

I heard a loud screech and my heart sank. I knew what it was. The enemy had arrived. My father grabbed my arm and pulled me away, dragging me towards the trees.

He was trying to get me to safety, but I struggled against him. I wanted to stay and fight with the pack. I wanted to prove that I could still be an alpha.

But my father was stronger than me and he managed to get me away from the camp. We ran as fast as we could, trying to put as much distance between us and the enemy as possible. The noise of the battle grew fainter in the distance, but I could still hear the screams of pain and terror. I felt my heart break as I heard the cries.

My father held me close as we ran. I could feel his heart beating fast and his body shaking. I knew he was scared, but he was still trying to protect me.

We kept running until we reached a clearing. The moonlight shone down on us, and we could finally take a moment to catch our breath. My father pulled me into his arms and hugged me tight.

"It's going to be okay," he said softly.

We stayed there for a few moments, and I closed my eyes, trying to block out the sound of the battle. I knew that no matter what happened tonight, I would never be the same. I had seen the fear in my father's eyes and heard the cries of pain from the pack.

I learned a valuable lesson that night. Life is precious and it can be taken away from you in an instant. I vowed to never forget what I had seen tonight and to never take life for granted.

My father pulled away and looked at me, his eyes filled with love. "We should keep moving," he said.

I nodded, and we got up and started walking. I felt a strength inside me that I had never felt before. I knew that no matter what happened, I would be okay. I had survived this night, and I would survive whatever else was coming.

My father and I walked on in silence, and I knew that everything was going to be alright. Or so I thought.

We had reached a little over a mile when we heard a voice, "Where do you think you are going? Alpha Banshul? Where are you taking your daughter to?"

We stopped in our tracks and turned, it was none other than the notorious wolf alpha, Alpha Solomon. He was the leader of our rival pack. The Iceland Pack. They hated us for no reason and tried to attack us at every chance they got.

My father quickly shielded me behind him as he stood to answer, "Solomon. I should have known it was you? What is it this time? What has my pack done to you?" My father said as he stood to defend us. I could feel his hands shaking. He was scared, I could tell. This was the first time I had seen my father scared. My heart sank.

"Well. There can only be one Alpha in these woods and that can't be you. One of us must die", Alpha Solomon said as he advanced toward my father. He had a sword in his hands while my father was bare, without a weapon, he only had my right hand in his left hand.

My father tried to be brave. He asked Alpha Solomon to give everything a second thought. He tried to calmly talk to Solomon as he signaled me to run away, in the opposite direction as soon as he gave me a signal.

I waited patiently. My father, Alpha Banshul and Alpha Solomon were talking. I watched them talk for a little while. Solomon said he wanted my father dead and his pack members to be his slaves. My father said that was too brutal to imagine. He suggested another idea.

My father, the Alpha of the most prestigious pack in the woods said he would banish himself and take me, his daughter along with him if Solomon would agree. He also suggested that rather than slaves, Solomon could ask people nicely to join his pack. That was his idea. My father was a very gentle man and it showed even in his reasoning.

Solomon looked at him with distaste. He spat at my father's feet and told my father no. I watched as the conversation they were having turned into an argument and soon, my father and Alpha Solomon were at each other's throats.

I watched carefully and soon; I saw my father give me a signal. He must have thought that I would escape without alpha Solomon noticing me but he was wrong. As I saw his hand move, I ran like my life depended on it. I ran and did not look back.

I had almost been out of their sight when I felt a sharp pain in my chest. I looked down and saw a sword in my chest. It must have been Alpha Solomon's sword. I could not understand what was happening but I felt my knees weaken and before I could call out to my father, my vision blurred and I fell to the ground.

Within seconds, my father had reached my side and was calling out my name, shaking me and telling me to hang in there. I opened my eyes and the last thing I saw was tears rolling down his eyes. My beloved father was crying. He was covered in red liquid which he did not mind as he grabbed me and tried to take me somewhere.

I was about to mutter a word but my lips failed me and within seconds, my eyes closed and all I could see was darkness. I could not hear a sound and I could not move a muscle.

I was dead. Or so I thought…