I sat at the edge of the forest staring off into the distance. My face still stinging from the slap I had received for something my brother had done. I let out an angry sigh wishing that I could just disappear for a while. I heard the sound of light footsteps before someone sat down beside me, "It's a beautiful sight isn't it?" A deep voice questioned me gently. I turned my face to find the pack hermit Declan sitting beside me. I shrugged my shoulders before looking away from him, "I wish I could stay out here forever." I mumble as I play with some grass.

"Don't you think you'd miss your family after a while? Don't you think they'd miss you?" He asked me with curiosity. I plucked the grass from the ground with a frown before tossing it, "No! I wouldn't miss them at all. They hate me and wish I was dead—" I feel angry tears building in my eyes again. A heavy hand falls to my shoulder and I turn my attention back to the man beside me. He is looking down at me with eyes of sadness and it makes a lump form in my throat, "Maybe they just don't understand you Marshall—it won't be this way forever. Someday you'll grow up and you'll find yourself surrounded by people who love and care about you." He gives my shoulder a gentle squeeze.

"You know who I am?" I blinked up at him with surprise. I didn't know anyone knew who I was—our pack was pretty large, it was easy to get lost in the crowd. The man's gaze softened and a small smile appeared on his lips, "Of course I know who you are. You are very special Marshall—don't ever let anyone make you feel differently." He lifted his hand from my shoulder and ruffled my hair playfully. I pushed his hand way which caused him to release a warm chuckle before he pulled himself up off the ground and started to walk off towards the forest.

"Wait!" I called out as I watched him to go suddenly wishing that he would stay with me a little longer. He looked back over his shoulder at me and I lowered my chin towards my chest nervous to meet his suddenly piercing gaze, "Do you think maybe we could talk again?" Even though I talked softly I knew he heard me.

"We'll talk again soon kid. I know where to find you." He smirked before turning away and disappearing into the forest.

We did talk again, many times through out my younger years. Whenever things seemed to difficult at home or I was confused, somehow Declan seemed to know and would appear to calm the storm. He became a cherished friend and mentor to me as I got older. Everyone seemed to be wary of him as if he was some kind of monster waiting to drag them off and rip them to shreds. I knew though that he would never hurt anyone unless he had too. There was times I would catch him staring off with a look of longing and sadness. I wondered maybe if he'd had a family that hated him like mine did and that why he looked so sad or if maybe he'd lost something important.

I raced through the woods my wolf enjoying the freedom. It had been a long week full of challenges for the Beta rank but in the end I had won fair and square. I threw my head back and let out an excited howl towards the moon above. A moment later I heard a returned howl that made me let my tongue hang out in a wolfish grin. I hurried my speed towards Declan's place knowing he would be waiting to congratulate me on my new title. He had helped me train hard to reach it after all.

It felt like for once everything was turning around. All I needed now was to meet my mate and I'd be running around in the clouds. I made my way out of the woods shifting back into my human form when I spotted Declan's cabin. He was standing on his porch staring up at the sky. I took the sweats he offered me once I was up the short steps, "Beautiful night isn't it?" He asks with a phantom grin.

"You think every night out here is beautiful old man." I tease as I pull on the sweats and come to stand next to him.

"I'm not old enough that I can't still kick you butt!" He growls playfully. I shoot him a toothy smile, "I'd like to see you try! I mean you're talking to the future Beta of this pack. I think I can take on one measly hermit." Declan's eyebrows shot up toward the sky and he smiled at me brightly before clapping me on the back with one of his hands, "That's my boy! I knew you'd beat those idiots! You were born to be a leader."

I let out a laugh at his comment, "I don't know about being a leader. I'm no alpha—" I shake my head at his over excitement. He gets a weird look on his face for a moment as If I've said something wrong. I lose a bit of my smile, "Is something wrong?" I ask.

"Marshall there's something I need to tell you. I should have—" He stopped mid sentence and looked off toward the woods with a serious expression. A monstrous howl echoes around us and send fear straight into the heart of chest. I grab onto the railing, "What was that?" I whisper.

Declan is standing tensely beside me, "Marshall—" Another monstrous howl calls back to the other and I let go of the rail taking a step back. My wolf is battling for control as fear seems to become the fuel that is keeping my body alive at the moment. Declan grabs me by the shoulders and spins me to face him, "Marshall!" He shouts pulling me out of my haze. He is staring at me with a serious expression, "Get inside my house and lock the door. Find someplace and hide—whatever you hear, whatever happens—do not come out until the sun comes up."

"What's going—" I start to question him but he gives me a rough shake, "Do you understand me Son?" I nod my head as I pull my lips together in a tight line. He gives me a pained smile, "I'm so very proud of the man you've become Marshall. I know that your mother is proud too." His words made me confused but before I could say anymore a large creature broke through the tree line.

"Rogue!" I growled.

"No! Berserker! Now go!" Declan shoves me towards his front door before he leaps over the railing of his porch. I hesitated a moment, long enough to see Declan shift into a large russet colored wolf. The sight of him sent a wave of energy through me as if his powered had suddenly doubled in size. This was the feeling of an alpha—no it was the feeling of something more. When another creature pulled out of the woods I charged into the house, locking the door behind me as I had promised. I wanted tohelp Declan but I was afraid—too afraid. This wasn't like anything I had ever seen before.

I had waited until the sun came up as I had promised. What I found outside had my heart shattering—Declan lay dead at the foot of his stairs. He'd looked as though he had been torn shreds with all the cuts that covered his body. I could see parts of whatever had been attacking him litter about the yard. A sob burst out of me as I lowered myself to my dead friend—who had been like a father to me my entire life. He had cared for me when know one else had not even my own family.

I picked his body up into my arms, cradling his limp form to mine. I had take him back to the pack—he needed to be given a proper burial, he deserved that. I walked through the forest carrying the dead body of the only person I cared for, the guilt of knowing he'd died protecting me made my stomach turn. What kind of Beta would I be if I ran like a scared pup from a fight? My tears had all but dried up when I passed into the main housing unit for the pack.

The people outside noticed me carrying the broken body and raced away in fear. It wasn't long before the Alpha and other leaders came running out of the house towards me. My mother also appeared quickly beside them.

"What happened boy?" Alpha Quinn questioned with a gruff voice.

"I don't know—These things..." I shook as I recalled there hideous features and scent, "Like rogues but worse. He called them berserkers...They..." There was a gasp and some hushed whispers cutting off my explanation.

"Take the body." Alpha Quinn motioned to his Beta to take Declan, "We need to burn the body to make sure they don't come back—" I growled when his Beta went to remove Declan from my arms. He pulled up short and fixed me with a warning look but for some reason I couldn't seem to make my wolf submit.

"Marshall! You will give him the body now!" My mother's voice snapped with anger. I turned my gaze towards her before I released my grip on Declan. I felt my wolf rattling the bars of my mind with its grief and torment as I watched the Beta walk away with the body.

"I knew we should have never taken you in. It was a mistake—If he hadn't have saved my life..." My mother mumbled anxiously.

"Corrine—" Alpha Quinn gave her a warning tone.

"What?! Those things came here because of Declan and there going to come back because he—" She pointed toward me, "Is still alive!" I stared at he in shock not understanding what she was saying.

"What do you mean Mother?" I questioned. She gave me a look of disgust, "As if I could ever mother something like you—" I took an unsteady step back. This wasn't the first time she'd every said something cruel to me but at the moment my heart was weak. She took a step forward point a finger at me, "You want to know the truth? The man—Declan—"

"Corrine!" Quinn growled but she kept going.

"Was your father! And your mother was some pure blood whore, who went and got herself killed just like your father! The only reason I raised you is because I owed the man a debt and he said it would keep you safe. But those things are going to come back for you—they won't stop until you're all dead!" She was screeching at me.

My body began to tremble as her words registered in my mind. Declan was my father—he was my father. Father. I felt myself splintering into fragments, trying to compensate for the new information. I glared at the woman who had claimed to be my mother with a new form of hatred. I wanted her dead—I wanted to taste her blood in my mouth.

"Marshall...Calm down, Son..." Quinn tried to say in a slow voice but something inside me snapped. A roar of rage and grief ripped from me and I felt my body shift before everything went dark.

When I came to again I was being held down on the ground by several of the higher ranked pack members. I could taste the tang of blood in my mouth. Alpha Quinn was leaning against his Beta looking like he'd been in the fight of his life, his dark eyes focused on me.

I looked away from him to see the torn pieces of the woman I'd called mother my whole life. She was staring up at the sky with lifeless eyes her head sitting a few feet away from the rest her body. I knew then that the blood in my mouth it was hers—I had done this but couldn't remember. I'd lost complete control of my wolf and killed someone.

"Do you understand what you've done this day Marshall?" Alpha Quinn asked with strained voice. I only stared up at him blankly unable to really respond in anyway but I understood they could kill me for what I had done.

"I should kill you—" He started and a growl ripped from me and my body struggled surprising myself. Clearly my wolf was still very present at the moment even though I couldn't feel him in my mind as I had before. It was as if we were two separate entities moving

separately from each other, though sharing the same body.

"I'm not going kill you though—instead I'm banishing you and stripping you of your title." His words were like a final nail in my coffin.

My banishment was something I deserved—I hadn't helped my own father when I could have and I'd killed an innocent person in a fit of rage. I wasn't any better than a rogue in my mind. I wandered around for a while on my own wishing I would die. I grew weaker everyday but it seemed my wolf wouldn't let me die no matter how hard I wished it. I was resting in my wolf form when couple of wolves stumbled upon me.

The larger of two stared at me while the smaller one growled. I didn't have any energy to fight so I only continued to lay and wait for them to either kill me or move on. I watch the larger one's body shiver and then shift into a man before my eyes. I could feel the power rolling off him—it reminded me of Declan—of my father. The tall man with white blonde hair tilted his head to the side, "What are you doing out here?" He questioned.

I felt the pain as my wolf retreat and allowed me to shift back into my human form. I sagged to the ground, "I'm trying to die in peace—"

He gave me a skeptical look before shrugging his shoulders and turning away from me. The wolf with him gave me a strange look before following after him. I don't know why I did it but watching him walk away was like watching Declan walk away the first time he talked to me.

"Wait!" I called out with a ragged breath.

The stranger stopped and peered back over his shoulder at me expectantly. I looked away from his gaze, "What's your name?"

He chuckled as if he had some kind of private joke, "Silver."

I lifted my gaze back to his, "Do you mind if I walk with you for a bit Silver?" I couldn't explain it but I knew that I wanted to be around this guy even if it was for a little while longer. It gave me sense of peace and purpose that I had lost with my father.

He gave his shoulders a shrug, "Do what you want—I'm not going to stop you either way. Die or live--it's your choice."

I felt my lips twitch a bit as if I was going to smile. What a strange guy.

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Song: 'Hemorrhage (In My hands)' -Fuel