Dawn of Light: Fated Darkness Book 3

Chapter 1: Penny For Your Thoughts

The sun filtered through the curtains in shades of golden teal.

Amelia stared out of her office window, watching precocious pups play in the backyard under the watchful eye of their mothers sitting on the porch steps, steaming mugs in hand, gossiping about Goddess knows what.

The scent of freshly baked bread wafted in from the hallway. Ms. McKready was already in full preparation for supper.

Spring was in full bloom. Crocus and daffodils painted the edge of the forest in vibrant shades of yellow, white, and violet.

It had been a harsh winter, with snow drifts that nearly reached the second floor of the pack house, isolating the Wandering Moon from the rest of the world and her from her mate.

The weather had been one among many reasons as to why she hadn't been able to see her mate in so many months.

Gabriel had been patient, being Alpha of the Twilight Moon Pack in upstate New York didn't leave him much room to visit either, especially given the vampire problem both territories had been experiencing over the last year.

Vampires.

Here.

Taunting their borders. Traumatizing their packs. And for what? Not once had they stepped foot on either territory. Their smell was easy enough to detect. The smell of cold and bitter death gave them away easy enough. They might as well hold up a neon flashing sign. But why here? Why now? Amelia hadn't run into a vampire since she was a teenager and that was entirely by accident. She knew enough about them to stay far away.

Vampires and werewolves have a bloody history. One that dated back long before anyone could remember. Not even their history books could pin-point a date or a why to their bloody, violentpast. But even as pups, they were taught to stay far away from the blood-sucking leeches. They had foul tempers that could rival the most stubborn of Alpha's and they were fast as lightning and even tougher to kill. Werewolves could hold their own, but not without their own losses and given history's lessons, they weren't always worth it.

But, within the last six months, the vampires had been getting bolder. Edging closer and closer to the Wandering Moon's territory.

Dispatching warriors to the boundary was never something she enjoyed, but as Alpha it was her responsibility to keep her pack safe.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Amelia barely flinched at the sound of his voice. Her brother had an annoying habit of coming and going as he pleased.

Ever since his death nearly two years ago, his spirit has been able to remain on the physical plane. They weren't sure if it was due to their bond as twins or some divine intervention, but whatever the reason she was selfishly glad for it.

"There's been another sighting," Amelia nodded towards the reports left scattered on her desk. "Four more were spotted last night."

Damon frowned, leaning over the desk edge and reading over what was left open. "Fucking vamps. Don't they have their own castles and territories to bash their heads on?"

Amelia snorted, rolling her eyes, but it didn't help ease the tension from her shoulders. It deeply bothered her that they were lurking nearby, close to her ancestral home, her pack, and she didn't know why. Something nagged at the back of her mind, like she'd forgotten something but she couldn't for the life of her recall what.

"I feel like there's more to this. Something I'm forgetting but I don't know what," Amelia massaged her temples, fighting off a headache. "Has the Goddess said anything to you about them?"

"Me? Why would she say anything to me? You're the one who communes with her almost daily."

"It's not every day. But she has been visiting my dreams more often than not. Which in itself is odd."

Ever since she completed the mate bond with Gabriel nearly nineteen years ago, the Goddess had made a habit of visiting her dreams, giving her prophetic one liners, or taunting her with terrifying nightmares she was left to puzzle together. But in recent months the Moon Goddess, mother of all werewolves, had been making a point of visiting her almost nightly, discussing werewolf histories and past conflicts.

Why? The Goddess never bothers to explain.

"Maybe she just likes you," Gabriel shrugged his shoulders.

Amelia raised a brow at her twin. "I highly doubt that's the reason. Most of the time she can barely stand me and storms out in a cloud of smoke."

"I don't know what to tell you, Mia. All I know is that their is some bad energy on the other side."

"What do you mean, bad energy?"

"I don't know how to explain it, but our ancestors are restless. Like something's coming."

"That's what I'm afraid of."

Amelia turned back to the window.

The mothers had already disappeared back inside with their pups. A stuffed elephant had been left abandoned in the grass. The child would be missing it.

"Maybe you should go home," Damon said, his voice soft and gentle as though he was coaxing a child to eat unpleasant vegetables.

Amelia sighed, resting her head on the frame of the window. "I am home."

She nearly cringed at the sound of her own voice. Even she didn't believe the words that left her mouth. She sounded exhausted and strained.

"This isn't your home, Mia. Your home is where your heart is and that isn't the Wandering Moon."

Amelia wanted to argue with him. Wanted to tell him he was wrong. That the Wandering Moon was her home. It was where they had been born, raised, and a pack she was now Alpha of, but the words wouldn't form. She wasn't just Alpha of her ancestral pack, she was also Alpha of the Twilight Moon pack, her mate's pack. She had a responsibility to both packs. But above all she had a responsibility to her mate.

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I am finally back and so is Amelia! Let me know what you think of the first chapter for Dawn of Light!

Shadow of Twilight and Dusk to Dawn are available on Amazon and my website www.heathersmithauthor.com