The One

Flashback to 7 years ago

 It had been mid-November when she visited her grandparents in Conry City during the school holidays. They played joyfully in the backyard, nestled within the Aspen Clan's territory, while life bustled around them—everyone absorbed in their own routines.

But on that fateful day, the serenity shattered as their Alpha, Luna, the future Alpha, Beta, and future Beta were absent, attending a crucial meeting. Suddenly, chaos erupted as a pack of Rogues descended upon their sanctuary.

Rogues—feral, lost werewolves devoid of clan or home—tore through the defences, their madness eclipsing all reason. How they breached the borders undetected remained a mystery.

In the tumult of the first wave, the Aspen Pack fought valiantly, mind-linking the rest of their allies for reinforcement. Just as hope flickered, the second wave crashed in—a relentless tide of fur and teeth. The Aspen Clan found themselves outnumbered, the Rogue horde advancing with terrifying determination.

Amid the frantic fight to defend their home, her screams mingled with those of her grandmother and grandfather; the three humans stood powerless against the oncoming tide.

"Get into the safe room!"

"Quickly!"

"Here! Here! Come! Faster!"

They urged others to seek refuge, but as the Rogues charged, their numbers overwhelming, her grandfather made the ultimate sacrifice. He dashed into the fray, shielding the vulnerable—omegas, children, the elderly—trying to buy precious moments for those he loved.

In a chaotic ballet of desperation, just as he neared the safe room, tragedy struck. A medium-sized brown wolf lunged from the shadows, claws tearing into his flesh, a cruel glint in its eyes as it savoured the moment.

She screamed, pure anguish ripping from her throat, the primal desire to defend her grandfather surfacing. But her grandmother grasped her tightly, desperately nudging her towards safety even as Karol fought against the tide of panic. Yet in a heartbreaking instant, she saw her grandfather fall, and the reality of their situation crashed down upon her like a tidal wave of despair.

Caged in the panic room, she was a whirlwind of rage and sorrow, her fists clawing at the door, tears streaking down her cheeks as the darkness of that day enveloped her—a day that ignited a monstrous thirst for vengeance, one that would haunt her soul for eternity.

"Get in the safe room!"

"Quickly!"

"Here! Here! Come! Faster!"

The three of them screamed, urgency painting their voices with desperation as they urged the others to scuttle inside the house like startled mice. But the air was thick with foreboding; the dark tide of the Rogue was charging toward them, intent on overwhelming the fragile Aspen Clan. The odds were stacked hopelessly against them, and in that moment of looming dread, her grandfather stepped into the fray, poised for the ultimate sacrifice.

He surged forward to shield the weaker members of the pack – the omegas, the frail, the small children, the babes in arms, the elderly. An unbearable chaos unfolded, the world a whirling tempest of screams and fury, yet as Grandpa sprinted towards the sanctuary of the panic room, fate's cruel claws grazed him. A medium-sized brown wolf, its maw dripping with malice, sank its teeth deep into his shoulder, and with a twisted grimace, it met her wide, horrified eyes. It was a smirk – a mocking farewell.

Her blood ran cold as she witnessed this gruesome tableau, rage bubbling in her chest, a primal scream tearing from her throat. "No!" she roared, intent on launching herself at the beast, but her grandmother's iron grip held her back, fear and caution etched into her weathered face. With a burst of defiance, she surged forward, the brown wolf's gleaming eyes beckoning her into a fateful dance of death. In that moment of reckless bravery, her life slipped away as the wolf made quick work of her.