Sierra has worked hard to fit in at her new school. She's dating Reese, the star quarterback, and turning her hobby of designing jewelry into a small business. Her grades are better than they've ever been, and she hopes to attend college one day.
But Sierra's life is far from perfect. After nearly being killed and learning she's part of a supernatural world where wolves are her allies and mankind is the enemy, she realizes she has no control over her destiny. She was born to protect the wilderness, but her life is on the line. Someone wants her dead and won't give up until she's six feet under. She turns to Reese for comfort but finds herself drawn to Evan who insists on guarding her. The closer she tries to get to him, the more he keeps his distance, hiding behind a wall of secrets.
When danger strikes again, Sierra learns her life is connected to an ancient curse. The stakes are higher than she ever imagined, and she doesn't trust anyone. Except the wolves...
PROLOGUE
Eighteen years ago...
Sam Wright froze in his tracks, his heart pounding. Trapped in the forest, surrounded by wolves the size of ponies, he barely dared to breathe while a madman carried his infant daughter deeper into the wilderness. The wolves stared at him from every direction, an intense look in their eyes. Silence filled the air, sending a shiver through Sam. He'd give anything to hear his baby cry as he pictured her in the arms of the tattooed stranger who'd appeared from out of nowhere, his eyes glazed over as though high on drugs. Every second Sam spent watching the wolves and contemplating his next move, he was losing time, risking the chance to see her alive again.
A breeze whispered through the leaves, and sunlight flashed overhead. The autumn forest glowed with gold and red fall colors, but Sam couldn't appreciate the beauty. Instead, he remained still, paralyzed with fear, his heart shattering into pieces. A cry sounded in the distance, and he looked ahead, trying to see beyond the branches when silence returned.
Sam shifted his gaze to the white wolf with amber eyes, then looked back at the black one with green eyes. He studied the others with fur ranging from light brown to marbled gray. Everywhere he turned, they were watching him, and he swallowed nervously, expecting them to charge him at any moment.
Not one of the wolves made any sudden movements. The gray ones behind him inched closer, forcing him to take a step toward the white one, but he hesitated, not wanting to get any closer to a wolf that stood nearly at eye level with him. The black wolf gave him a subtle nod before flashing a knowing look at the white one. They whipped around and took off up the hillside, disappearing over the top in seconds. The remaining gray wolves closed the circle around him before one of them trotted up the hill in the direction the black and white ones had gone.
Not sure what to do, Sam started running along the base of the hill when a brown and white wolf ran around him and cut him off. He tried to stop, but nearly slid into the beast. Fearing for his life, he fell to his knees before standing up and brushing himself off. The wolf stepped toward him, a soft look in its eyes. Sam blinked, wondering how this could be possible. The wolf didn't appear threatening, and Sam realized he had no other choice but to trust it and the rest of the pack.
The other wolves began heading up the hill but stopped and turned to look at him. They swept their heads toward the top, and when Sam glanced back at the wolf by his side, it walked toward him and nudged him in the direction of the pack. With a deep breath, Sam sprang into motion, running as fast as he could up the hill. The gray one at his side followed behind, as though making sure Sam stayed on course and didn't lose sight of the pack. Not knowing what the wolves wanted or why they seemed to be trying to help, Sam realized they were his only hope to see his daughter alive again.
As he approached the top of the hill, he heard a baby cry out in the distance. He slid to a stop, kicking up leaves at his feet as he held his arms out for balance. He paused, hoping to hear her again, but silence lingered and he took off after the wolves again. The gray ones trotted ahead of him, their slow pace allowing him to keep up with them while the black and white wolves charged full speed ahead, their shapes a blur in the distance as they weaved around the trees.
Sam pushed himself as fast as he could go, ignoring the branches that scraped his arms. Nothing mattered more than saving his baby girl. His heart raced at a furious pace, adrenaline pumping blood through his veins. As he pressed on, he worried they'd be too late even with the wolves leading in the distance. He didn't think for one moment that the wolves would hurt her. Something told him to trust them, that they wanted her back safely as much as he did.
He heard a loud growl up ahead, then a man's voice. "Hey! Get out of here!" he yelled. "Go on! Get away beasts!"
Sam ran faster, hoping he'd have a chance to save his baby girl. Up ahead through the branches, he saw the tattooed man facing the white wolf while the black one lurked behind him. Each time he tried to run away, one of the wolves jumped in front of him, blocking his escape. Sam caught sight of his baby in the guy's arms, and his heart skipped a beat. He was ready to fight for her, and nothing would stop him from protecting her.
"Hey!" Sam yelled, causing the drifter to glance over his shoulder.
The man took one look at Sam and turned, trying once again to get away from the wolves. This time, he tripped over a log and fell to the ground. As he reached out to break his fall, the baby tumbled out of his arms.
The white wolf shot around the man and lunged toward the baby before she hit the ground. The wolf nipped at her pink onesie with lightning speed and precision, grabbing the cloth over her diaper. With grace and balance, the wolf landed on its front paws and gently lowered the infant onto a bed of leaves. The baby opened her eyes while the wolf nudged her with its nose, a concerned look in its eyes. Sam watched, amazed by the huge animal with jaws powerful enough to break his daughter's neck in a single bite. Instead of sinking its teeth into her, the wolf swiped its tongue over her cheek. She giggled and cooed, not making a fuss at all as though she knew she was safe.
Sam was about to breathe a sigh of relief when he saw the man jump to his feet. He brushed off his army green pants, his hazy eyes dropping, his gaze on the baby. He glared at her, a calculating look on his face.
"No!" Sam yelled, about to run to his daughter when the man reached behind his back and pulled out a gun. Aiming it at the white wolf, he cocked the trigger, but the black wolf lunged at him from the side before he could pull it. The animal jumped up, pushing the man's arm high in the air as a shot rang out in the silence.
Sam felt a fierce pain in his chest and looked down to see his white shirt turning bright red. His heart slowed, and he fell to the ground, feeling faint and knowing the end was near.
Sam watched in horror as the wolves pounced on the man who had shot him, their growls and snarls drowning out the breeze in the leaves. The man was taken down, but he fought hard, shooting his gun several more times, although the stray bullets never struck the animals. Then the wolves backed off and formed a circle around him. Surrounded, the man sat up, fear in his glazed eyes, and pointed the gun directly at the white wolf who stood next to the infant, protecting her. He cocked the gun and pulled the trigger, but it clicked as the empty barrel turned.
Without a second to spare, the wolves leaped on him, their teeth digging into his flesh, splattering blood on the trees and ground with the same bright red color as the maple leaves above.