Chapter 1

Another batch out of the oven, Andreia thought as she pulled the muffins free, setting the tray on the counter to cool. She owned a small, modest bakery in a town far from everything she'd ever known, everything she'd ever lived through. Anonymous. Silent.

Over the years, Andreia had learned that silence could be a form of survival. Far from the packs, far from the name she carried in her blood, she'd built a simple life in a small house surrounded by trees and the constant smell of damp earth.

Here, no one called her the Alpha's daughter, or the rejected Luna, or her father's shame. She was just Andreia — mother, woman, a wolf in hiding.

Her father had been one of the most powerful Alphas to ever live, respected and feared. But power demands a steep price, and Andreia had paid hers the moment she discovered that, for him, tradition mattered more than love.

The past had become a wound too raw to heal. So she left. Pregnant in secret, wounded, and determined never to bow to anyone again.

Kim was the reason for everything. At four years old, freshly turned, the girl was a tiny hurricane of dark curls, curious eyes, and easy laughter. Until now, Andreia had believed she had time.

Time to explain who they were. Time to teach control. Time to protect her daughter from the world that had rejected them. But fate, as always, had other plans.

"Kim, honey, don't run inside the house!" Andreia called from the kitchen, stirring a pot on the stove.

The answer came as a burst of giggles, followed by a thump far too strange to be just a fall.

Andreia dropped everything and rushed to the living room. A quiet child meant trouble — but nothing could have prepared her for what she found. Again.

In the middle of the rug, where her daughter had been standing seconds ago, there was now a small light-grey wolf pup with ears too big for its head and a tail wagging out of control.

The eyes were the same as Kim's — wide, bright, full of surprise — except they glowed a vivid red, like her father's.

"Moon protect me," Andreia murmured, pressing her hand to her mouth.

The pup tried to stand, slipped on its own paws, and flopped onto its belly with a small, irritated yelp. Then it sneezed.

A sneeze so tiny and adorable that Andreia had to fight the urge to laugh and panic at the same time.

"Kim?" she called softly. "Sweetheart, how did you turn into a little wolf again?"

The pup tilted its head as if it understood and tried to respond. What came out was a thin, off-key howl that sounded more like a broken whistle.

"Oh, heavens..." Andreia knelt in front of her. "I knew this day would come, but not today. Not for another ten years."

Kim — or whatever she was at that moment — tried to run to her mother, but the tiny paws still wouldn't cooperate.

She tripped, rolled, and bumped gently into the base of the couch. Annoyed, she nipped at the furniture and immediately grimaced, shaking her head as if regretting the decision. Andreia couldn't help but laugh.

"That's not a toy, young lady."

Slowly, the laughter gave way to worry. Kim was awakening far too early. Much too early. New wolves didn't usually shift until adolescence, and even then, only with training. This wasn't normal. This was too powerful for a girl so small.

"Breathe, Andreia," she whispered to herself. "You can do this."

She extended her hand slowly, letting the pup catch her scent. Kim padded closer, sniffed her mother's fingers, and — satisfied — lay down on her foot as if it were the safest place in the world.

A gentle warmth spread through the little wolf's body. Within seconds, the form began to dissolve — bones and fur retracting until a small, naked girl sat on the floor again, hair a mess, face bewildered.

"Mommy..." Kim said, looking around. "Did I turn into the puppy again?"

Andreia pulled her into a tight hug, feeling her daughter's heart pound hard against her own.

"You did, sweetheart," she answered, fighting to keep her voice steady. "But it's okay. Mommy's here."

"I didn't mean to," Kim said, a little frustrated. "My tummy got all tingly... and then poof."

Andreia closed her eyes for a moment. There was no denying it anymore. Her daughter wasn't just a wolf. There was something different in her — something ancient, something that could draw far too much attention. And in the world of the packs, attention was dangerous.

As she rocked Kim in her arms, Andreia felt a chill run down her spine, as though the moon were watching them even in broad daylight.

The past she'd buried was starting to knock at the door, and this time, there would be no running from it.

Andreia bathed her daughter, dressed her, and finished packing up the day's orders. Then they headed to Luna's Bakery.

It was a small, cozy place that had been keeping them afloat. Kim played on the floor while her mother worked.

After six o'clock, Andreia locked the doors, closed out the register, and wiped everything down. When she'd gathered their things, she scooped Kim into her arms and stepped out into the evening.

As they walked home, Andreia felt the wind shift — blowing differently than before. She still had many of her old abilities, and right now every instinct told her something was wrong. An unfamiliar presence.

She turned the corner and froze. Two silhouettes blocked the path — two large men whose yellow eyes gleamed in the dusk. She tried to double back and take another route, but found herself face to face with a ghost from her past.

"Miss me, princess?" Maximo asked, a mocking grin spreading across his face.

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