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Mom and Dad were in a meeting the day that Wyatt and I at the age of 13 decided to try to ditch our babysitter while we were outside playing by the pool. It was getting dark, but the sun wasn't going to go down for a bit.

I was the only one who was in the pool. Wyatt was playing on his game console and didn't want to venture out with me, which annoyed me. I didn't want to just be in the pool. I wanted something more.

"Come on, let's go check out to see if it's true that there's a waterfall in the clearing just a ahead," I whispered to Wyatt.

The babysitter's name was someone named Brick. Thankfully, he was preoccupied with his own mate in the pool, and they weren't paying attention to us. For the most part we were good pups. Like everyone expected.

"I don't think it's safe," Wyatt's tiny voice spoke up after I was trying to find the waterfall close by. "We really should stay at the pool."

The pool that Dad gifted Mom. "It's boring," I shrugged, "I want a waterfall. Where's your adventure? It's still near the pack." Wyatt looked up then and sighed. "Come on!"

Glancing at Brick and his mate, Wyatt nodded, shrugging. "If there's no waterfall, you need to do my chores for a week."

"Deal," I grinned at him. I'm pretty sure there's one.

With every bit cautious and quiet as we could be, Wyatt and I made a beeline inside the forest, and once I knew we were out of earshot, I started laughing. "Finally!"

Wyatt, the safe and wiser one with choices surprised me by laughing too. "This is scary West maybe we should go back. We're out of our territory."

"Barely out," I assured him. "It's practically Noctis Luna. Who would even be around here anyways?"

Wyatt didn't answer that as we guided ourselves through the trees.

"Mom and Dad are going to kill us," he mumbled.

"Come on, they're never going to find out we left. And so what? We're thirteen. I'm pretty sure Dad was doing much more."

"He probably was," Wyatt agreed, "but nothing stupid like this."

"Why can't we just go places without the stupid babysitter?"

"Mom always is guarded too."

"Dad never is."

"Dad has a Beta."

I still stood by what I believed, "Dad can walk around alone and so can Mom why can't we?"

"It's not safe to travel alone."

"We don't have any enemies," I argued "It's not like there's anyone out to get us." It was suffocating to always be watched over. "Besides, I know some magic that Mom and Uncle Sargon has been teaching me. Grandpa also said I could be really strong with it too I just need to control it well enough."

Wyatt rolled his eyes at me. "Where is this waterfall anyways?" Wyatt asked. We both stilled, trying to listen for any running water. "A river! I hear something!"

Wyatt now jumped up in glee, breaking out into a sprint and I followed him. I saw something move.

"Wyatt- wait!" I shouted, panic rising in my voice. I tried to run forward to tackle him out of the way, but the thing that was following us- a rogue- snapped its nasty teeth at Wyatt, taking a chunk of his clothing.

Wyatt's shrieks caused my emotions to skyrocket, and the clear night sky quickly turned into a stormy one.

Grabbing my twin's arm, I pulled him away from where I thought the rogues were. Dad was trying to teach us how to hone in our werewolf abilities like hearing and smelling, and the training came into practice as I tried to navigate how many and where they were. Even though I haven't come to age of shifting, my magic manifested at an early age, too strong too quick and all at once when the one time I was scared, lightning struck right inside the pack house, causing a mess. Which caused Mom to help me keep my powers in check.

If I could use my magic right now against the rogues...

"West, you can't use your magic," Wyatt heaved through his breaths as we ran, reading my mind. "There's more than five. You'll be too weak afterwards-you know what'll happen!"

Wyatt tugged on his ripped shirt, revealing his bloody torso with a large bite mark on him. The rain started down pouring, aligning with my emotions.

For Wyatt's sake, I couldn't show fear. "I can," I said, and we stopped right before the large body of water.

There was no waterfall that we heard.

Only a large river that roared loudly, mingling with the sound of the rain.

The growls from the rogues neared us, and Wyatt was right- there was exactly five. Large ones, snapping their jaws at us. Ready to kill.

"Jump," Wyatt said to me. But we'd get swept away in that river. "West, let's jump." Wyatt thought that there was no other option, but I knew there had to be, he tried to step back, but I held onto his arm tightly. There wasn't a way he could swim with his injury.

Heavy wind picked up the rain, making it hard for us to see where the rogues were in the dark.

My emotions were going haywire, and I took a step back with Wyatt, rethinking the plan of not going into the river. As a bolt of lightning lit the sky up, the rogue that was in the middle surged forward, and in one blink he was coming at us, and in another one more bolt struck right in front of us, making the rogue fly back, and Wyatt to yelp in surprise.

This is when the rogues tried to scatter when other howls echoed through the rain, notifying us that it was wolves from our pack.

"West!? Wyatt!?" shouts of our name and wolves- from Noctis Luna- surrounded us.

I took a step forward, but one of the wolves was Aunt Meg who growled at me not to move because the threat wasn't completely gone.

I gulped, cowering a little as I stood by Wyatt's side.

"There you guys are!" Mom was running to us. "I was so worried about you guys!

When Mom got to us she hugged us both tightly then released us, assessing us.

"We're sorry Mom." Wyatt looked up at her pouting, the golden child who could do no wrong. She bent down, assessing his ripped shirt, and a thin line form on her mouth when she saw the bleeding.

"Just stay still," she said soothingly, placing a hand over Wyatt, and a faint glow appeared on her hands, healing magic that I needed to learn. While she was doing it, she shook her head. "Wyatt are you feeling okay?" Wyatt nodded, glancing at me which made me look at Mom. "West? Anything happen to you?"

Guilt gnawed at me because nothing happened to me. "No."

"What happened to you guys? You know to stay with Brick and not leave him behind," Mom scolded, "West you know not to go out of the pack lines."

"I don't need a babysitter!" I whined, but it was a stupid thought now, that Wyatt was hurt because of me.

"Clearly you do," Mom glowered at me. "West did you cause the lightning?"

I shrugged at her as her eyes softened at me. Her facial expression changed as she look past the both of us. It was dark, but I could hear her take an inhalation of breath.

"Lance-" she began, standing up, but Dad's voice was clear in the night.

"Ava, take Wyatt with you. West. You stay there." His tone left no room to argue. I swallowed hard, looking up at Mom whose squeezed on my shoulder. I knew she was mind linking with Dad something that she didn't want us to hear, but she sighed and smiled at me encouragingly.

Wyatt too stayed around because him and I were one in the same. If Wyatt ever got in trouble, I'd take the blame for it.

Mom urged Wyatt to go with her, but I knew Dad only wanted to talk to me. I nodded at my twin to go with Mom. Wyatt frowned for a second, but rubbed his eyes, turning away.

I had to drag my feet to walk towards where Dad was- the back of his large frame was turned slightly. I slowly trekked my way to him. Never before has Dad looked so much like a giant, an untouchable being I could never reach.

Coming just behind him, Dad spoke.

"What you did today was completely a disregard to what we've always taught you."

Dad never yelled. He only changed his tone when he had to talk to us if we did something bad. This time, his voice was stern, trying to force me to understand how serious he was. Which made me want to cry. I've disappointed my role model, the one who I loved so much. As a dad and Alpha. Dad was my superhero.

"I know."

"West, not only did you put yourself in danger, but Wyatt too."

Tears pricked my eyes because Dad sounds so disappointed in me.

"I'm sorry, Dad. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to." Not to Wyatt. Ever. I just want to be like you. The strongest Alpha out there. With no fear.

He takes a step towards me and kneels, standing on one knee so he could be face to face with me, placing both his hands gently onto my shoulders. I expected his eyes to be angry, to be mad at me. I'm mad at me.

Instead I find nothing but his love shining in those blue eyes.

"You know I can't lose you, right?" he whispered like we were in on a secret. I leaned in a little more, it was good to hear it even though I messed up. "Who else would take care of Mom and Wyatt if not my little West?"

"Hey I'm not little!" I protested, and Dad gave me a very rare hearty chuckle that made me smile. Dad's laugh, Mom said, warms her heart. It does to me too.

"So then that means you don't want to get on Luxe and go on a ride with him?"

"I will never be too little for Luxe," I smiled, excited. I loved to hop onto Luxe's back and let me run free with him in the woods since I couldn't shift yet.

"Oh you will," Dad got up, "your wolf will be stronger than mine."

Dad shifted into Luxe who immediately gave me a huge nuzzle, missing me as I missed him. I hugged him, knowing I'd be safe with him. Always.

He provided me security.

The memories of the past reel me in, making me forget about the pain that I was feeling. Like I wasn't experiencing it in real time. Like I had to wake up. For my parents. For Wyatt. For Theo and Maddox....and for Edith.

It was the only reason why I was still breathing and fighting.