"Hurry! After her!" A voice yelled.

The rain seemed almost invisible against the black and moonless night sky.  Its heavy downpour caused large puddles to linger on the forest floor.

A woman, her hair turning silver from stress and age, splashed through the puddles running away from a blazing fire that was now being calmed by the rainfall.

"This way!" A masculine voice yelled, "Kill as many as you can! Don't let them escape!"

The woman refused to glance back, for she was worried about something much more important than her own life. Cradled in her arms was an infant wrapped in a swaddling blanket.

She tried her best to shelter the child away from the rain as she ran through the forest, away from the dangers that chased after her. Eventually, the voices behind her became more distant until they couldn't be heard at all.

The woman slowed from a full out sprint to a silent trot as she grew closer to her destination. Stumbling out of the forest, and onto more flat land, she stopped when she reached the border.

She took a moment to catch her breath and stepped over the scent border setting the baby down,
"I know they do morning patrol. They will find you then...."

She placed a finger in the palm of the baby's who held it tightly,
"The forest can no longer be your home... here is where you will stay."

The woman placed a note and a box next to the child that contained a small totem pole and a cassette tape.
"This is all I could grab. It's not much but it's enough for now." 

She caressed the child's cheek giving a weak smile as she forced back tears,
"I have to go now... I can't stay or they'll find you... I traveled very far to get you here which means you can never return... I'm sorry..."

She then stood up and turned her back to the child and shifted into a large dark brown wolf with grey streaks. She took one last look at the child before running back into the forest.

"Goodbye, Delilah..."

___________________

Delilah's POV *Years Later*

"This is the third time I had to come in here and wake you up!"

"Ugh... Five more minutes, Roze..." I said annoyed as I pulled the covers over my head.

She quickly yanked them off,
"Don't 'five more minutes' me!" Roze yelled. "Now get up and go downstairs for breakfast!"

"Alright! Alright!" I said sitting up. "Just stop yelling, blondie"

Roze gave me an annoyed look before exiting my room. I chuckled as I stood up from my bed while running my fingers through my tangled, short black hair. I yawned and stretched as I looked around my room, my eyes falling on familiar items.

My totem pole and that note that I re-read every now and then, now yellowing due to me keeping it for about 18 years, sat on top of my dresser. I walked over to it and picked up the note reading it again:

"Her name is Delilah. Treat her well.."

"I guess they treat me as well as they could..."

My rank in this pack is Laborer, the lowest rank there is. I do back-breaking jobs like fixing things that are broken or cleaning up. Jobs that other people hate to do. My best friend, Roze, ranks as a Gatherer. She goes out and collects plants and berries and stuff like that.

Her rank isn't high but it is higher than mine. She doesn't have to socialize with me but I am glad she does. It's nice to be treated like a human being when everyone else just sees you as a slave.

I walk into my bathroom and get ready. I brushed my teeth as I looked at myself in the mirror. My light brown eyes went well with my ebony skin, which held many scars here and there from the constant manual labor.

I turned on the shower, the thick steam filling the room. I stepped in letting the hot water loosen up my tense muscles. Once I was done cleaning I turned off the faucet, dried off and quickly got dressed in casual wear as I hurried down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"Took you long enough." Ms. Blackstone, Roze's mother, laughed.

"I tried to wake her up, mom!" Roze said. I stuck my tongue out at her and she did the same towards me.

"Now girls..." Ms. Blackstone said as she placed two plates of pancakes in front of us.

Now, I am more of a waffle person but I could never complain. I could have nothing. The Blackstone's took me in and raised me as if I was their own. For that I will be forever grateful.

Roze glanced at the clock and began to eat faster.

"Hurry up! We are going to be late!" She said with a mouthful of food.

"Do we have to leave so early," I stated. "You know I hate seeing all the--"

"Yeah, yeah," Roze said. "We need to get to work!"

"Fine... Let me just finish my--"

Roze grabbed me by the hand, pulled me out of my chair and dragged me towards the open front door.

"My pancakes!" I whined.

Roze pulled me outside and went to pick up an empty basket. I looked to the right of me to seem a familiar sight. All the girls waiting, all dolled-up and caked faced, in an attempt to get the Alpha to notice them.

"Why do they always do this?" I ask.

"Do what?" Roze asked as she held a basket and began to walk. I walked alongside her.

"You know what I mean." I began. "The whole trying to get noticed by Conan. They do realize he will never look at them the same way he looked at Juliette."

"You know it's nice to dream once in a while," Roze stated. "But I guess you're right..."

"What happened to her anyway?"

Roze stopped walking and knelt down to pick herbs and put them in the basket.

"She got sick one day and just couldn't get better," Roze stated. "It hurt us to let her go but ...Conan... He was the one who was most affected of course. He's been pretty bitter ever since."

"Delilah!" A snooty voice yelled.

I rolled my eyes when I recognized the voice. I turned around to look at a girl. She smacked her gum loudly as she looked at me in disgust. Her father was a high ranking Warrior which meant she will never have to lift a finger.

"What?" I asked annoyed.

"My house needs repainting so get to it!" She yelled. "Mutt!"

"Bite me!" I growled back.

She scoffed at me and then strutted away. I sighed and looked down at Roze who gave me a smirk.

"Why is it that you are the only blonde who is nice to me?"

She chuckled and shrugged, "If I were you I would probably get to work..."

"Yeah. I should, shouldn't I?" I said.

I said goodbye to Roze as I go to get my supplies. It's times like this that makes me wonder... Maybe if my mother never gave me up I would be treated better by those who actually care about me...

I know my rank in this pack is Laborer but I have the heart of a Warrior. I long for the rush of a true battle but... my strength is always wasted on common household work. I let out a heavy, sad sigh.

Someday... Somehow... Someway...

I'll get what I truly deserve...