His Mate, The Halfling

Three

It was dark, and I wanted to explore my new territory. I shouldn't have, but I thought my daughter would be okay. This land seemed already claimed, yet I didn't know the danger I was in. Some packs let rogues live on the outskirts, others demanded I move on immediately and come nowhere near. It didn't help that they didn't see me as one of their kind.

They called my kind Mooncursed. A human bitten under the full moon and not born into a Lycan bloodline. I was rare, uncommon. Not as rare as my daughter, whom I've tried to protect from this life. She's a Duskborn, born from a human father at the time and a werewolf mother. Andrea. I still remember her like yesterday. She was beautiful, hair in golden curls and eyes dark like the midnight sky.

I was human, and I fell in love with a beast. Our daughter was a year old when she told me she was leaving, and she had found her mate. I felt my heart shatter, for me and for my daughter. She wanted to leave us both for him. Her daughter wasn't pure enough for her. She wanted to start a family with her mate, only full-blooded wolves welcome.

I begged her for one thing, and it wasn't to stay as much as it killed me on the inside. She had a hold on me I'm sure I could never escape. I begged her to change me, for our daughters' sake. Our precious Bronwyn, the Duskborn. She would be a wolf, weaker, smaller, and less powerful, but she would be a wolf none the less. I had to be there for her, protect her.

She bit me under the full moon when Wynnie was around a year old. It was a pain id never forget, the changing of my body and the cracking of my bones. My limbs contorting and a monstrous, pain filled howl escaping my body. I ached as I stood on four paws, her wolf standing in front of me. I wanted to go to her, but Andrea only backed away.

"I did what you asked William, ask me nothing else" she said, turning away from me and leaving her old life behind. It was just as painful shifting back, but I did it. And I'd go through it a hundred more times if it meant protecting my family. My daughter.

Crunching leaves pulled me out of my thoughts and grabbed my attention. With the way the wind blew I struggled to catch a scent, but my heart hell. I already knew it was wolves. This was claimed territory. I stopped, perking my ears as I turned my head. I tried to catch a scent, I didn't even know if I was outnumbered or by how many.

My fur was black all over, a giveaway that I was a weaker than them Mooncursed. I knew I'd be a bit smaller too. But I'd fight like a pureblood. I stood my ground, hoping it wouldn't come to a fight. Maybe this pack would allow me and Wyn to stay. That be a dream, though no pack has ever allowed us to stay or even join them. Turned out most pure-blooded werewolves thought very low of Mooncursed and Duskborn, not that I ever let them close to my daughter.

"Don't run, we can kill you on the spot" A voice came from my left. I turned my head and raised my hackles defensively, but I didn't run. The very large ashy grey wolf huffed at my stance, its green eyes scanning me. A few other wolves came from behind it, surrounding me. I let out a low growl at one that came too close.

"Hurt us and we'll kill you where you stand. Why are you on my territory, rogue?" The first wolf I had seen asked me. I took a step back, intimidated by his tall stature. Being rogue, I couldn't tell you who this alpha was or what territory this was. I was uneducated.

"Just looking for somewhere to call home. If I'm not welcome, I can be gone in the next 24 hours" I said, lowering my head in a submissive way, trying to show I was no threat to this young alpha. Wrong move. I was tackled and I let out a yelp, two wolves on top of me and pinning me down.

"I don't think so. I've heard that plenty, Mooncursed. I'm taking you in for questioning. Count yourself lucky you're not dead. Too many rogues around here. You also failed to mention you weren't on your own. We're bringing her in too" The alpha said, and I watched as he turned his back on me. My body filled with panic. How did they know about her?!

"N-no! Leave her be! If you have to kill me so be it but leave my daughter out of this! She's Duskborn, she's human! She knows nothing of this, please!" I begged, squirming under the large wolves that held me down. I felt their teeth dig into my skin and fur, claws on my back. The alpha wolf flicked his tail, not even turning around.

"A Duskborn? How rare. You're lucky ill let her live" he said, walking away from me as I felt myself being dragged through the woods, squirming and fighting the whole time.

I woke up in panting in my bed and drenched in a cold sweat. A nightmare. I was running, but I don't know what from. A monster maybe? When I was cornered, and I heard it growl at me I woke up. I turned on my bedside lamp, getting out of bed. I haven't had that nightmare in a while, and I'm not happy and its return. Rubbing my eyes, I walk out of my room to go get a glass of water.

I was wearing pyjamas, a long-sleeved t-shirt and a comfy pair of shorts, and the house was cold. Did I leave a window open? I walked downstairs, my feet touching the cold wood as the stairs creaked with my every movement. I left the lights off as I made it to the front door.

Out of habit, I checked the front door was locked and relieved to see it was. Taking a peak out the window beside it, I saw the car still wasn't back. That was weird, Dad definitely should have been home. I decided to abandon the idea of grabbing a glass of water, turning around, and heading back upstairs.

"Dad?" I called out, reaching his bedroom door and opening it. The door squeaked open, and I was quick to turn on the light. Nothing. He wasn't here. Did he not come home last night? I was barely able to let my mind wander before I heard the sound of smashing glass downstairs, letting out a terrified mix of a scream and gasp. I was frozen to the spot, trying to calm my breathing. I heard voices, my stomach dropping.

"She'll be upstairs".

"Yeah, just grab her and lets get out of here".

"Yeah yeah. I don't wanna piss off Alpha Stonegate either".

"Then hurry up!"

Oh my god, whoever these men were they were after me. Quickly, I turned my father's bedroom light off and his in the only hiding space I could think of. Under the bed. I heard the footsteps approach, heading up the stairs quickly. I covered my mouth with my hand as I saw one of them enter the room I was in. The other must've went into my room. The light turned on, and I could see their dirty muddy boots. I tried to be quiet, my hand held to my mouth tightly to cover any peep or squeak I'd make. I closed my eyes as I heard the boots walk around the bed to behind me. There was a moment of silence before I let out a loud and terrified scream, feeling two hands grabbing my ankles and pulling me out from under the bed.

"There you are"