Re-write, Secrets Beneath the eyes (SBTE Book 1)

Prologue

He could hear them just in front of him, running for their lives. They knew they should never have trespassed but they did it anyway. This infuriated Anton as his mate had just given birth to their son a few days ago and these trespasses had made it so close to his new family. The thought that they could have harmed his son drives him to run faster. He will not let them get away. For his son sake he mustn’t let them escape; if he did then others would think they could do it and get away with it. No he had to make sure that others knew what would become of them if they tried.

The two wolves ahead must have sensed his determination as they struggled to fight the terrain in order to pick up speed. He couldn’t believe it! Only a few weeks remained until his father stepped down from being Alpha and handed the position over to him and the rogues were already testing the packs defenses. Anton didn’t know what to think of their actions, if this meant that the rogues saw him as a weak leader who couldn’t protect his pack or if they thought his father was weak and they wanted to take advantage of them while they still could. He didn’t care which it was all he cared about was the safety of his child and mate. He knew his pack was strong and were in no danger. But his mate who was a healer not a fighter and his newborn son were not as strong. One day his son would be but until then it was his job to protect them.

Distracted by his thoughts, Anton front paw clipped a large tree that had fallen over from a storm earlier that week, he yelped in his wolf form as his body crashed over the tree, branches sticking out from the fallen trunk dug into his fur causing a sharp sting in his side. He allowed the momentum of his fall to help him regain his footing and he continued on only losing a few seconds from what he had gained on his assailants.

 “Pay Attention Son” His father barked at him through the pack mind link.  He grunted his reply back to his father as he forced his four legs to move faster, making sure to pay better attention to his surroundings. He wanted this hunt over with, so he could return home to his son and mate. Gale would be getting his son ready for bed about now and he wanted a chance to see him before he went to sleep.

The sound of wolves fighting and a high pitch yelp up ahead drew his attention back to the hunt. His father and his second in command had caught up to the rogues.

Anton slowed his pace and approached his father who was just finishing off killing one of the wolves. As the rogue lay there dying his father stepped away from it leaving it to die in peace. His father trotted over to where Anton stood and changed back to his human form. He stood there in nothing but the skin he was born with. Anton knew that if he were to change back and stand next to his father that the only difference in their looks would be their age. They both had short black hair and olive skin, their eyes were as black as midnight. It was how they Alpha gene was past from Alpha to his son, the child always looked identical to his father. The only difference was their age and personality. His father was a serious man who believed in tough love, while Anton was a caring person who allowed his heart to rule as well as his head. His father looked down at Anton “That will teach the rogues not to trespass on our lands.” He said.

Anton nodded his wolf head at his father before looking at the dying wolf that had started changing back into its human form. This was a normal occurrence for a werewolf when they die in wolf form.  It wouldn’t be much longer before it would be dead. It was then that he realized the dying wolf was female. He looked up at his father to see if he had noticed, but he was distracted by his second in command who had just finished killing the other rogue. He let out a small whine trying to gain his father’s attention when that didn’t work he pushed his wolf form back and allowed his human form to take shape. “It’s a woman” He said to his father as soon as he had changed. “They are never female.”

He watched as his father’s attention shift back to the almost dead wolf at his feet. Anton could tell by the frown he bore that he was just as confused. They women laid there panting her last breath, her hands clutched something that hung from a gold chain around her neck. Anton frowned at the chain confused that something so delicate had survived the change, as well as the fight. Almost everything on your body was destroyed during changes from human to wolf. Yet the gold chain around the women’s neck was still intact and looked undamaged.

The female’s eyes moved to them, gasping for breath. “You will all pay for this.” She whispered out she started to pant faster fighting to keep breathing before the life in her eyes drained away. Her body laid still. She was dead.

“What does this mean?”  He asked looking at his father hoping he would know.

His father shook his head “I don’t know son.”

They both stood there for a while longer looking at the dead female, neither wanting to move both unsure of what her being there meant. Both unaware that this one action would start off a set of events that would not only affect their lives but those lives of the generations to come.  Curiosity got the better of Anton, he knelt down next to the women prying her already stiffening fingers open he watched the small pendant as it fell from her grasp. His eyes widened and from the sound of his father’s gasp he too had seen what had fallen out of her hand.

“She can’t be” His father said kneeling down beside him.

“That would explain how the chain had survived the change.” Anton whispered softly.

His father stood and turned to his second in command. “I need a pyre built now! We need to burn the bodies.”

Karl frowned at his Alpha’s order since they never burned the bodies, only buried them. But he didn’t question him. Instead he got stuck into the task of collecting tree branches in order to make a pyre. “May the moon goddess save us.” His father whispered.

“I need to get home to my son.” Anton said suddenly not wanting to be around the dead women, he needed to see his family and make sure they were alright.

His father must have understood “Go” Was his only reply. He didn’t question Anton or lecture him on being responsible and taking care of things here first.

Anton changed back into his black furred wolf form and raced back in the direction of the pack house, where hopefully his mate and his son were safely waiting for him. All the while as he raced through the trees he couldn’t get the image of a two headed eagle pendant out of his head. He had so many milestones that he looked forward to sharing with his mate and son, and because of their actions tonight he knew he would never get see any of it.