The Wolf Within

Prologue

Crack!

Emma's scream pierced the night as she landed facedown in the damp fresh cut grass. The sweet earthy aroma that filled her nostrils failed to distract her from the unbearable pain coursing through her body. Every bone in her body popped and cracked in and out of place attempting to shift into the wolf position.

Unfortunately her father's syrum was too strong. It fought against her inner nature but still allowed the pain. The ebony iron gates that surrounded her home like a prison were just within her reach. Her fingertips brushed the cold bars just barely. She forced her body to crawl forward until the gate was well within her reach.

Gripping the bars with unsteady hands, Emma pulled her convulsing body against it to support her weight. The pain traveled through her veins like scorching lava just as it did every full moon. She forced her eyes open and scanned the woods on the other side of her imprisonment.

A flash of tan fur appeared and then vaninshed just as quickly. She immediately recognized the beast as her brother Ryder's wolf form. Her father's howl pierced the air causing bile to rise up from Emma's stomach. She knew that howl better than any of the other wolf signals.

They'd found him. She pulled and pounded on the unrelenting gate but it refused to budge. Her father had spent a pretty penny on the finest made iron to insure nothing could get in or out. Hot tears seared her cheeks burning even hotter than the pain in her body.

"Please," she called out into the night. She'd warned him that they would find him. Her father had been tracking his scent for over a month. Now that he had him cornered, he would kill him. It was all her fault.

She could still feel the pressure of his lingering kiss on her lips. It was probably the last kiss she was ever going to get from him. She shook the bars one last time. Her legs broke beneath her sending her back to the ground. They snapped in an unnatural direction attempting to become the hind legs of a wolf she had yet to be.

"I figured you would be out here so I decided to give you a front row seat of the show."

Her physical pain was quickly forgotten once her fathers cold words filled her ears. Two of her brothers, Jacob and Ryder, held onto their prisoner with triumph. The sun would be up soon so they had all shifted back into their human form.

"Father, please." Emma sobbed.

"You know at first I thought you was just sneaking out to observe us in our wolf form. I figured the curiosity was what was causing you to be so disobedient. Then I realized after catching his scent over and over that it was something else causing you to disobey." her father's tone matched the hatred displayed on his face.

She watched as her brothers shoved their prey to the ground effortlessly. Her youngest brother, Samuel, watching helplessly behind their father. He was the only one who didnt seem to be enjoying this.

"Please, father. If you just let him go I'll never see him again." She sobbed even harder because she knew he wouldn't care. Her father was too heartless to show mercy.

"Oh I know you won't see him again. The sun is about to be up and all that will be left for you to see is a pile of ashes you stupid girl." He spat.

Emma forced herself to look at her boyfriend. She knew this would be the last time she would ever see his stormy gray blue eyes again. Instead of fear or resentment, all she seen in them was love. He forced a smile onto his rediculously handsome face. She wished she could run her fingers through his messy black hair and listen to his stories about the outside world just one more time.

"I love you, Emma. Meeting you was worth it." He whispered. Almost instantly the sun replaced the moon. Instead of giving the others the satisfaction of the torment, he closed his eyes as his skin began to smoke.

"Ezra," Emma screamed repeatedly even after there was nothing left but ashes.