The night of the annual Sacrifice.

As the Alpha's daughter, Waverly Scott understood the procedure and the importance of the Sacrifice: to appease the Crimson Wolf in the hopes that their chosen member would become his Luna.

However, it didn't stop her emotions from running high each time it came close to the day, fearing that her pack may be next. As her father said, it was their obligation to participate in the Sacrifice, but he never gave a clear reason as to why.

The day came and passed every year, with the members of the elected pack wondering if the woman they choose would return or not. So far, no one has.

“I think that it's because the Crimson Wolf kills the pack for not sending him his mate!" shouted a boy excitedly while balancing on top of a rock. His hair was tousled from the light evening breeze that moved through the large open area of their small farming town.

“I heard he's a Wild – y'know, the kind that can't tell who's who when they're in wolf form!" said a second boy.

A third one then chimed in. “Well, I heard he hides the bodies in his dungeon! Jared McDuvern from Moonlight pack told me so."

“How would Jared McDuvern know that?!" yelled the second boy, accusingly.

“I was wondering the same thing," stated Waverly, as she approached the group of children with a sketch book in hand. She sat down on a rock beside them and set her drawing pad in her lap.

“His dad's the Alpha!" the second one announced. “He knows everything big that happens. He's next in line, ya know."

“You're right," noted Waverly. “But personally…" She leaned in closer to the kids who gathered around her, bringing her voice to a whisper. “I think the Crimson Wolf is a wizard in disguise."

The kid stepped back, shocked. “Whoa… I never thought of that."

“You never think of nothin', Tristian," responded the third boy.

“Hey! Take it back!"

The third boy grinned. “How 'bout I race ya instead? Last one to the peak of the hilltop is fried dog!"

And in an instant they were gone, with the dust from the gravel roads revealing three sets of small shoe patterns transforming into wolf prints once it settled.

Waverly watched the scene around her, trying to pinpoint either a landscape or figure to draw. She opened her sketch book and flipped through the pages consisting of the same set of eyes, one black and one blue. Although she drew them in different styles, it was easy for anyone looking to tell it was the same each time, but today, she was determined to begin something new.

She set her pencil to the paper and began to lightly trace a new line. Her mind reverted to the evening ahead. Every year, the Crimson Wolf chose a pack who would select a candidate for the annual Sacrifice. From the time a pack is chosen, they have a 4-year break before being nominated again to ensure that each pack in the area supplies an offering.

The last time Lycan pack was nominated was 3 years ago. According to statistics, they'd have another year before having to choose another sacrifice. Then why was Waverly's hand shaking slightly?

She looked down at her drawing to notice that she was drawing the eye once again.

“Waverly! There you are!"

Waverly shook free from her thoughts. She set her pencil in between two pages and closed the book. She looked up to see a small-framed brunette running towards her, with the fading sun highlighting bits of blonde in her hair. She collapsed in half, hands on her knees, when she stopped.

“I just ran the entire town searching for you, but Peter said you'd be at your house, and when I got there, your mom, I mean, the Luna, said that you were with your sister, and then when you weren't with Isadore—"

“Whoa, whoa, Reina, relax. You found me. What's wrong?"

Reina took a breath and stood up straight. Her eyes were incredibly large for a 10-year-old girl, but she reminded Waverly so much of Isadore at that age, she couldn't help but smile.

“Boys."

Waverly let out a small laugh and quickly covered her hand to her mouth, coughing to mask the snicker that had escaped.

“Boys, huh?"

“Yes!" Reina placed herself on the rock beside Waverly, forcing her to move over. “They're so…"

“Frustrating?"

“More like…infuriating. They expect you to stay away while they go off with the others and then when they come back, they want to play and act like they didn't just leave you behind. It's not fair!" Reina's eyes fell to the ground as she kicked the grass under her shoe. “I want to run too."

Waverly followed her gaze. “Is this about Bryce?"

Reina's eyes immediately rose and her face turned as red as the setting sky. “Bryce? No way."

“Hmmm…well I agree, he is handsome. Quite the young Beta in-training."

Reina's eyes lit up. “Yeah! He's so fast and he's picked up on tracking so quickly, it's really—" She stopped herself once she caught Waverly's dark grey eyes.

“Waverly…how do you know when you've met your mate?"

It suddenly fell silent between the two females with only the sound of the wind and distant voices of other members of the Lycan pack in their homes to be heard.

“I don't know," Waverley answered, honestly. “I haven't met mine yet."

Reina's gaze widened. “You haven't? I thought by your age, you're supposed to have!"

Waverly laughed fully this time. “How old do you think I am?!"

Reina shrugged, but didn't answer.

Waverly smiled at the girl beside her. “It happens at different times and is different for every wolf. But from what I've heard, it takes a while to know the person is truly your mate. When it happens, you feel a sudden connection with them and instantly smell your favourite scent. Then, it just clicks."

“You know what my favourite smell is?" Reina asked.

Waverly pretended to think for a moment and then shook her head.

“Burritos."

Both Waverly and Reina laughed before Reina paused. A tall, skinny silhouette jogged down the road. It carried an item in its hand and as it got closer, Waverly immediately recognized it.

“I swear to Lycan, Finn, if this is about Isadore's choice of clothing again, I have no idea what--"

“It's not about that."

Waverly looked into his hazel eyes and fell silent when she realized how serious her normally egotistical elder brother appeared.

“It's about the Sacrifice."

He handed Waverly the piece of paper that she had spotted earlier. Her eyes scanned the delicately written words that were placed under the banner of the Crimson Shadow pack's sigil.

“We've been chosen."