"Couldn't sleep?" A familiar soothing voice called out and I turned around to see my father grinning down at me softly, his eyes crinkling in delight at seeing me home again. I smiled at him letting out a small breathy laugh nodding. He took a seat on the couch beside me and I tucked my legs further into my chest to give him room.

"It's so nice to see you home kitten." My father says handing me a cup of steaming tea but I shake my head knowing full well he'd brought that for himself. My father and I, we were well what one could call occasional insomniacs and both addicted to tea, my father always made himself tea when he couldn't sleep but gladly passed it over to me when he found me to be awake.

"It's nice to be home." I said softly smiling at him and grabbing the tea as he refuses to take it back taking a small sip the sweet aroma of the tea filling my tired hazy senses making me smile.

"How's mom?" I asked quietly.

"She misses you, you don't understand how happy she is that your back, even if for a week, she's so glad to see your okay. She wouldn't sleep last night, kept worrying. She kept me up too talking about how maybe you needed another blanket or a cup of that nasty tea we drink. I still can't get her to try tea without milk or cream." My father informed me softly.

"I missed her too, I missed both of you so much." I say and my dad smiles at me shifting his arm so that there's room for me to nestle into his side and I do, leaning against my father as he wraps an arm around my shoulders letting me cuddle into him the way that I had loved to do since I was a child, the way that had earned me the nickname kitten.

"We missed our little kitty too." My dad says pressing a kiss to my hair.

"Are you ok, at the palace he hasn't hurt you has he?" My dad asks and I pull away from his hold wiping the tear that leaks from his eyes, my own eyes filling up as I see my father crumble.

"No papa I promise he didn't hurt me, he treats me so well, as if I'm some delicate China, he wouldn't hurt me I promise." I say and my father nods slightly another tear falling from his dark coffee eyes.

"I feel useless I can't save my own daughter from her worst nightmare, I'm so weak, a coward." My father says softly and I feel my heart break as he refuses to meet my eyes looking down defeated.

"I can't save my own little kitten, I couldn't protect my baby, I failed as a father, as a husband, I don't understand how your mother can even look at me knowing I allowed our only daughter to be taken away by the very things that stole so much from us." He says and I shake my head swiping my own tears away.

"Papa it's not your fault you've always done everything you could to protect us to keep us happy, we love you so much for that, mama only needs you she'd never blame you for this she knows it's not your fault. I'm not being hurt you and mom have nothing to be worried about." I tell him slowly.

"You know as a child you'd tell me that no werewolf would dare come near you or us, and if they did you'd take care of them, all the while rubbing your tiny little fists." My father said with a laugh.

"You hated them for taking away your little sister or brother before you got to see him. I'm so sorry this happened to you." My father said. I was only five when the incident had took place. I could remember it like it was yesterday. I rested my little head against my mom's pregnant stomach as we both stood in the train coming home from visiting her mother. She softly caressed my hair mumbling sweet reassurances to my tired self. Suddenly the train stopped the doors opening to let on the giant warriors of the pack. They climbed on yelling orders at us and I clutched onto my mothers dress as she pulled me further into her hiding me from them, a hand coming protectively onto her stomach. She held up her finger to her lips as the wolves walked towards us.

"There's a traitor on this train somebody here has told the rogues of the safety patrol, no wolf could risk the safety of their pack it's definitely one of you filthy humans. Wolves are free to get off the train." The largest warrior yelled and the wolves scrambled to get off nodding thankfully to the Warriors, my mother being tense already from her heavy pregnancy tried to get off too amongst the wolves, knowing full well that if she didn't leave now her young daughter would see something far beyond her years. My mom pressed a hand to my head tucking my face into her as she walked amongst the wolves and we were almost out when suddenly my mother was yanked away from me. I yelled out for her and another warrior grabbed me holding me still.

"Where do you think you're going?" The mutt asked my mother.

"Trying to escape, was it you, did you compromise the safety of all the pack you selfish whore?" The warrior bellowed his canines sticking out as he suddenly threw her backwards, and I watched as my mothers soft frail body flew across the train hitting the back wall of the train harshly as she slid down. An immediate flow of blood soaking her dress and dripping down the little parts of her creamy legs you could see.

"The traitor was a male." The warrior that held me whispered to the leader making him snarl.

"Get her to a doctor she'll be treated for free." He said looking down at my mother's body as I stayed frozen in the hands of the warrior slight whimpers the only thing you could hear from me. The medics were too late, the baby was gone, along with the chance of me ever getting a sibling, her fall had torn something within and she would never again carry a child within her womb.

I looked up at my father exhaling slowly.

"It's not all bad he's very kind to me." I said softly and my father nods.

"How long can you stay?" He asked softly.

"I'm here for a full week." I said smiling and my father's smile wavered, he had hoped I would stay much longer.

"That's great, let's start breakfast the smell should wake your mother." He said getting up from the couch and I got up following him into the kitchen.

"I'll cook." My dad said with a smile and I scowled at him, so I still wasn't allowed to cook.

"Your mother will kill me if she wakes up to the kitchen on fire dear." My father said and I nodded sadly pulling out a chair and sitting as I watched my dad work his way around our small kitchen whipping up something that had my mouth watering as the smell wafted around our house.

Soft footsteps sounded and I turned to see my mom walk into the kitchen her beautiful chestnut curls hanging behind her the soft floral night gown loose on her slender frame. Her little fair feet peaking out from underneath, I had inherited my hate for shoes or socks in the home from her.

"French toast?" She asked with a smile ruffling my hair affectionately as she passed by to make herself her morning coffee.

My father pressed a kiss to her cheek as she walked by him and she swatted at him playfully. They had the most amazing of loves the type that I had always thought was meant for everyone, everyone should get something like this. The werewolf version was a more distorted primal version of this, it wasn't love it was more a need to possess, a void to fill with another that was predestined according to your and their physical and mental traits.

My mom took a seat beside me as my dad set a plates of steaming French toast covered in powdered sugar along with a bottle of maple syrup. My mom pushed the syrup towards me taking a sip of her creamy coffee and I nodded my gratitude dousing my French toast in syrup and my mom shook her head at me. She was surprised that I didn't have diabetes with the way that I ate. Dad set his plate across from us waiting for mom to finish with the syrup before grasping it from her softly and pouring it over his own.

I'd missed mornings with my family, our house was nothing like the palace, it was quite small but it was more then enough for the three of us. My parents did at times struggle to pay bills but they never let me feel as if we were struggling, they never let it strain their marriage. I loved my home, despite the random checks the Warriors would make, or the fact that we weren't allowed to leave our sector without permission but for some reason I longed for my being at the palace to come in harmony with me being at home. I wished it could have been different, but perhaps, it didn't need to be.

A/N--------------------------------------------------

Hi guys I know it's a short chapter, but I will be writing another chapter very soon like basically in just a few hours, no Alaricus in this one more just an understanding of Amara and her past. I know it was a long wait and then you get a cup of tea instead of the usual Alaricus honey drizzle but it's necessary I swear, hope you enjoyed the chapter have a nice day my lovelies.