Phoenix

Prologue

 It was a cold, rainy night. In the dim light, you could see a small family of three walking into the woods. The little boy didn't know they were entering rogue territory. He just liked being with his parents. They never seemed to have any time for him. But tonight, was different. They finally had some time to spare on him. He was excited.

 "Are you sure this is a good idea, Felix?" the woman asked, as she held her son's hand.

 "This has to be done, Loretta. He isn't one of us. It will be dangerous for him to stay in the pack. And having him as our son, will only lower our rank."

 "We are the lowest rank in the pack. Omegas. How much worse can it be, Felix??" Loretta asked. She wasn't fully on board with what she and her husband were planning to do with their six year old son.

 Felix, a tall, husky man with messy brown hair and eyes, turned to face her. He took her in his arms and breathed deeply, taking in her scent. "I know how you feel. I've been debating about this too. But we both know this is what's best. For the boy and for us."

 "But to lie and say he was killed by rogues?? Abandoning our own boy....Felix, i-it just seems so extreme..."

 "I know, baby, I know...But if we are to keep ourselves, the boy, and our new baby," Felix placed his hand gently on his mate's baby bump, giving a small smile. "We have to do this. He is not one of us. We've known since the day he was born that something had to be done about him."

 "I know...And I do want to protect our baby...It's just the mother in me, I suppose.." Loretta spoke quietly. A single tear rolled down her cheek. She bent down and looked at the boy. "Darnell, why don't we play hide and seek? You go hide and your father and I will come find you."

 "Ok, mother!" Darnell, a cheerful fiery read head, nodded enthusiastically. He turned and ran off through the trees. 

 Felix and Loretta, a light blond woman, watched their son's retreating figure. Loretta sighed heavily as her hand rested on her stomach. Felix put his arm around her. "This is what's best."

 "I know..." Loretta gave him a small smile. The two then turned away from the direction their son had ran, and hurriedly walked away.

 Several minutes passed, but still, Darnell's parents hadn't found him yet. Darnell frowned and retraced his steps. When he reached the spot where he'd left them, there was no sign of the couple anywhere. "Mother? Father?" the boy asked quietly. He shivered a little in the cold night air, as the rain fell on his messy red hair. He ran through the woods, trying to find his way back to the pack. When he reached the pack's edge, he stopped, his eyes wide. The family car was gone. They had parked there and walked the rest of the way...

 Darnell walked back into the woods in a daze. Finally, cold and worn out, the young boy sat down underneath a tree and cried himself to sleep. "Why...? Why did they leave me? Is it because of my face?? I'll hide it with Mother's makeup! I-I just want to be loved..." Darnell cried out.

 It was true. Little Darnell had been abandoned. Left in the rogue infested woods to die. Alone. Why? Because his parents knew he wasn't a werewolf. They didn't know exactly what he was, but it was obvious, from the mark on his face, he was very different. How was the young boy to survive? Was he just supposed to surrender to the blood thirsty rogues and die?