Lady and the Wolf [Book One, Lady and the Wolf Series] -Published-

Chapter One: Stirred Destiny

Getting over his fit of chuckles, Charlie glanced to the side where his older son, Ian, was still working out how to pitch up the tents. His first-born daughter, Avery, was trying to get Aira into her pyjamas, but the child wouldn't have any of it.

"Mom!" Avery screamed, struggling with her little sister who simply refused to wear the garments the older girl was slipping on to her. "Come deal with this demon-child!"

Vivian sighed and got up from the fold out chair she had curled into earlier. With her cup of coffee still in hand, she narrowed her eyes and snapped, "Avery, you're sixteen for heaven sakes! Can't you handle a six-year-old?"

She sighed as she moved to join the scuffle and convince Aira that her clothes were fine.

Charlie laughed. This would probably be their last family holiday before Ian went off to college. It had been a struggle to get Avery away from her phone for even a minute, let alone three days, so he was positive this was the last time his older daughter would come out with them again willingly. Aira would be a teenager before he knew it and wouldn't need her daddy to fight off a grasshopper for her anymore.

He would even fight off a pack of wolves for the safety of his family.

"Dad, can you help me for a second? I can't get this pole to attach," Ian called as he bent over to hold the steel pole in place.

"Sure, bud." Charlie nodded and went to help his son with the tent that was just as difficult as the three girl's arguing not even three feet away from him.

A howl in the distance stopped any other noise from being made in the wooded terrain. Having camped in this particular spot before, Charlie was used to the beautiful sound of wild wolves calling out to their pack - but this was different. He wondered why the sound was so close to their campsite.

They're closer.

Vivian glanced at her husband, trying to hide the obvious concern that shadowed her face. Her children weren't fazed by the noise, having heard it many a time when they were children, and Aira was too preoccupied with stirring up her big sister to care. Vivian, however, had chills running down her spine.

"Charlie..." she murmured.

"It's okay," Charlie responded, his face all smiles as he secured the large family tent. "They're wild animals, but they won't come near our site. Don't worry, hon."

Vivian could only give her husband a curt smile as she glanced at the other campers situated around them. It was a popular camping ground, so of course they were safe. No wolves came near them in the past.

We're safe.

*******

Her eyes were clamped shut, her upper lip trembled, and her little hand clung to her mother's as they ran. In her half sleep state, Aira could not determine what was happening, only that every other person around the campsite with her family had awoken her with shrill screams and cries.

She wanted her daddy. Where was her daddy?

She whimpered when she heard her big sister, Avery, cry out and a loud thud followed. Her mother, who had been dragging Aira as she ran, abruptly halted, sending Aira smashing into the back of her.

Vivian let go of her youngest child's hand as she ran to the aid of Avery. Aira could only watch as her mother roughly pulled her sister to her feet, screaming at her to keep running. A tear slipped down Aira's little red cheek as she watched her scared mother slap her sister across the face, trying to get the poor girl to stop screaming.