** Ten years later.........**

Ava's POV

The clashing of swords, and shields against shields echoed around the training ground as every man and female warrior swung their swords against each other for superiority.

I clashed my sword against my opponent sending his flying to the other side of the training ground.

I grinned. "Not so tough now Fernandez."I mocked.

He raised a brow. "Always leaving your opponent defenseless I see," he said reaching into the scabbard on his back for another weapon.

"Good thing I always carry an extra," he said and swung his sword toward me.

I leaped aside as the swords clashed again pushing him backward.

He succeeded in placing the sword underneath my chin few inches close to my neck, my back against him.

"You have been defeated, Ava," he said with a sound of victory in his voice.

"You seem to forget, I don't accept defeat easily, "I said and with a backward kick, I had him staggering on his feet.

In a blink of an eye, I spun around giving him a double kick on his chest and he fell to the ground.

I placed my sword a few inches in between his brows and grinned.

"You're no match for me Fernandez," I said.

"That's enough for today," I heard uncle Phil say. Everyone stopped training and picked their opponents from the ground congratulating them on a good fight.

Heaving, I pulled away from Fernandez placing my sword in its sheath.

"A new technique?"Uncle asked coming to me. I beamed a smile as we walked along sides.

"Been working on it, "I said.

He smiled. "Very impressive. Your mother will be proud of you" he said with a patient on my shoulder and walked away.

I stopped and looked into the heavens and muttered. "She will be proud of me."

••••• ••••• ••••• ••••• •••••

The crescent pack wasn't known for violence and had been the weakest among other packs in this part of the North side.

But since the death of the Queen my mother, it had changed history.

We were no longer submissive and weak to our enemies.

War and fights were only done when there was no choice but now, any slight threat from any pack war was taken to them.

These few years we've emerged among the strongest. Gone was our fear of other packs and it was all thanks to uncle Phil.

After the war ten years ago, many of the crescent pack had gone into hiding for fear for their lives.

Uncle had been able to trace them and brought them together. He united the pack and gave them the morale to stay and conquer all that stands against us. That also had an impact on me.

After watching my mother die, I had nothing but hatred in my heart. All I seek was vengeance. Mother was too loving and kindhearted to have died that way.

And my father? I didn't even know him. Never seen him before.

I remembered as a child growing up I had asked my questions about him from mother and she had just held me tight to herself, kissed my forehead, and said she was my mother and at the same time my father.

She made me promise never to bring up the topic again and I didn't.

The water ran down my back as I stroked my hair letting it run down my shoulders. Uncle had been managing the pack till I was old enough and now that I am, he was ready to ordain me as the Queen.

The crescent pack has been ruled by women centuries ago. No man, either married to the Queen was to lead the pack. It had always been women as alphas.

I was nineteen and already a warrior and the next Alpha Queen.

I've won over five wars since I turned seventeen.

Mother didn't train me for this. I was usually dressed up for fancy teacup parties and ballet classes. The ballet classes had come in handy when nailing a perfect two point two kick.

She wanted a normal life for me, attending human schools forgetting that we were never normal from the start.

I got out of the shower wiping my hair with a towel as it was dripping of water.

Circumstances had changed everything. A few years back, I won't have imagined or believed myself holding a sword and slaying both men and women.

The blood moon pack was responsible for this. It was all their fault. Using the crescent pack for slavery wasn't enough for them, they decided to go for murder.

And this was all because a man from the crescent pack had decided to protect the honor of his mate.

I've heard about the blood moon alpha. A man seen as a demi god before men. I've not seen him in person but I hoped to and on the battlefield to show him a woman could beat him up to a pulp.

I didn't just want to beat him up, I wanted to murder him. I had found out from my uncle that his father was responsible for mother's death.

His father was who I saw tearing my mother to pieces.

~~~~~~~

I was there again in that fire. Mother's voice echoed through the forest and urged me to run.

The smell of burnt trees and blood was still fresh in my nostrils.

I fell on my knees beside her and saw her smile for the last time with my name on her lips.

Her eyes closed and her hand fell beside her.

"Mother!"I screamed.

I screamed out of my sleep panting. I raked my fingers through my hair trying to control my breathing.

Ten years. It's been ten years and I couldn't forget that day. Many of my pack died including my mother.

Innocent lives were fallen that day. In a rage, I threw the glass of water on my table stand away.

The anger, the rage. This wasn't me but it was what I had become and it was all because of the blood moon pack and I swore with my life they would all pay for it.

Skye's POV

Walking down the street of the town, my mind wandered through a lot of things. The death of my father and Natasha leaving for New York a few weeks ago and I couldn't get it off my mind. Maybe Natasha leaving for New York was a good thing. At least I'll get to concentrate on things like my role as the Alpha since the passing away of Father. Father's death had occurred right after he banished Andrew from the pack. Andrew was my best friend but still yet betrayed the pack. His loyalty was to someone else whom we did not know. Andrew joined the rogue pack and it looked like he was the leader of the pack. Since then, the rogue pack has made us know no peace. They were quite undefeatable. My mind wandered off course, going into the long hatred between my pack and the crescents.

Centuries ago, the son of a blood moon alpha was trying to take advantage of a girl from the crescent pack in a drunken state. The said girl already had a mate and in an attempt to save her, her mate ended up murdering the blood moon. Ever since then we've been on hate with the crescents. This happened centuries ago and I still wondered why it hasn't been resolved. The people to which the event happened to were long gone but still, the hatred spread through their generations like wildfire. At least for me, I wouldn't want to have anything to do with a crescent especially not after the death of my mother. I also have a grudge against the crescent. There was no need resolving the enmity. ••••• ••••• ••••• ••••• •••••

Ava's POV.

The scorching sun blazed from the sky onto my back. It was blinding as I shielded my eyes with my hand heading towards the river. Fernandez grinned when he laid his eyes on me. "The mighty warrior has been defeated by the sun." he teased. I rolled my eyes at him. Not only was Fernandez my opponent on the training field, but he was also my best friend. "I must tell you my good friend, the weather in time of history, has not been said to be battled with, "I said taking off my shirt and leaving with a tan top. I saw his eyes travel down my body and I could swear he had eyes on me. "You're looking too intensely at me Fernandez," I said as a matter of fact. "Hell no," he laughed uneasily. "I do as much love my head on my body." A smirk tugged at the corner of my lips. "Scared of my uncle uh?"I asked. "Beta Phil?" he asked raising a brow. "Far from that," he said and I dived into the water. I swam towards him feeling the water soothe my skin. "Then who?"I asked, a few inches from where he was. "You," he said plainly. I raised a brow in curiosity. "Me?" He nodded. "It will take not less than a second for you to behead me." He said throwing me into peals of laughter. "You're such a coward," I said splashing him with some water in the process and he chuckled.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Seated side by side at the bank of the river, we watched the sunset. The atmosphere was still between us until he broke the silence. "How do you want to meet your mate?" he asked.

The question threw me off guard as I looked at him. "What do you mean?"I asked.

"Your mate, Ava, have you met him?" he asked. I was still dumbfounded by the question. Honestly, I haven't thought of that since I turned a teenager. My life has been filled with anger, war, and vengeance that I haven't given my girlish fantasy a thought anymore.

I shook my head. "Haven't met him and I don't think I would," I said.

"Why do you say so?" he questioned. It was very simple. I don't think I'll ever have a mate. I just did not have the time for such things and besides, no one from my pack interests me.

"It's obvious. If I was to meet him, I should have a long time ago. Besides, I really don't have the luxury of time to spare for someone that barely exists." I said.

He objected. "How would you know that?"

"Not everyone gets a mate, Fernandez."I pointed out flatly.

"Everyone has a mate, it just takes some time to find one," he said. I shook my head in disagreement. "Not everyone gets a mate, not at all. Take uncle Phil for example, he has been alone all the years I've known him." "Maybe you don't know much about him," he said.

"I do,"I argued.

"You think you do but you don't," he argued with reasoning. "That could be one thing you don't know about him and he doesn't want to discuss it," he said.

"All I know is I've got no mate in this universe," I said standing firm on my previous statement. "Well I can't say," he shrugged. "All I know is, he's gonna be one hell of a lucky guy," he said. I gave him a playful punch on his biceps and chuckled. "You teaser." He laughed. "I'm serious, Ava," he said.

"Tell me, why all these questions? have you found your mate?"I asked.

He looked over at me and smiled. "Ayy, I think I might be in love," he said. I laughed. "Are you serious?" He nodded still smiling. "Who the bloody hell is that girl who wants to take my best friend away from me? Is she in this pack?"I asked.

"Yes," he said rising to his feet. "I better get going now. We'll meet tomorrow," he said.

I held him back. "Hell no. You're going nowhere till you tell me who this love of yours is." He laughed walking away and pulling me along. "It's a mystery."

"I wanna know this mystery love of yours, "I said not giving up. He stopped in his tracks. "Alright," he said giving up. "I'll tell you soon enough I promise," he said. "On your word Fernandez, "I said and he nodded. "On my word."

Ava's POV

The next morning, Fernandez and I trained together.

Swords clashing against each other.

"You've gotten better, "I said jeering at him.

"I must say,training with her Queen has definitely rubbed off qualities,"he said grinning and swinging his sword side to side.

He swung his sword to my waistline and I jabbed him in his ribs with my elbow.

"Still not as good as me."I grinned as he held his side in a mocking defeat and suddenly charged toward me.

I missed the slash of his sword by the tiniest chance.

The bloody hell of a friend almost had me wounded.

"Swords up!"uncle Phil's voice rang out in the field as every person lowered their swords.

I gave Fernandez a hard glare and he smirked. I felt my cheek, what if the bastard had given me a cut?

"I'll so get you,"I said through gritted teeth.

He rolled his eyes, the smirk still plastered on his face.

Uncle cleared his throat. "News has come to me that a few members of the blood moon pack have been spotted behind the river bank. It's time we do to those rascals what they did to us all those years back," he said.

"We are done hiding.

The crescent pack is fearless enough to take out the blood moon."he added.

At the mention of the blood moon pack, my blood ran hot. The urge to kill went through my head,my hand tightened around the hilt of my sword.

I turned from the pack walking towards the direction of the river.

"Ava."uncle's voice sounded very condescending stopping me in my tracks.

I turned to look at him and he saw the raw passion to kill in my eyes.

I was sure he also could see that fire that burnt down our house ten years ago. He felt my pain too, more than anyone.

"We strike at sunset," he said.

••••• ••••• ••••• ••••• •••••

The wind rustled through the tree branches and whistled in the air. The pale orange sky is a reminder of the sun at it horizon.

Stealthily, I and the few warriors of the pack crept through the woods. My sword was stashed at my back.

A wolf was sighted and I could smell him out as a blood moon. Before I could give the signal 'go' Fernandez charged towards the wolf slaughtering it with his sword and its whines and howls echoed through the forest.

"Damn you, Fernandez,"I muttered under my breath.

Out of nowhere, blood moon wolves charged towards us from every corner of the woods.

They attacked and the pack followed up with a defense, protecting themselves and their new land.

My wolf was struggling to be released to tear every piece of these barbarians but I kept her in.

In all my years of fighting, I had never transformed. This,uncle warned me about and I paid heed to.

With my sword unsheathed and in my hand I sprung towards them slashing every bloody blood moon wolf I came across.

Blood dripped from my sword. Blood of fallen wolves. We had executed some of the blood moons but still a few of the blood moon wolves managed to escape and retreated.

"One down! One down!"I heard Fernandez repeatedly say.

I ran towards the scene and saw a member of the pack with a bad cut on her rib. She was in her wolf form. She whined and howled.

"Take her to the camp now!"I ordered and she was immediately carried away.

Uncle Phil came hurriedly for me. "Are you okay?" he asked.

I nodded. "They'll be back for retaliation," I said looking at the far end of the forest.

"And as long as you still remain in this pack,we'll be ready for them," he said in a definite tone.

Skye's POV

The moonlight made it way down the forest. It tricky light gesturing on the pane of the roof.

Beta Robin barged into the house panting like he ran a race.

I turned my back from the window,not before noticing the thunder that rumbled in the sky accompanied by a flash of lightning.

"We've been attacked by the crescent pack," he said in one breath. My eyes widened in surprise.

"How?"I questioned. I've heard tales about the crescent and the wars they've won and usually wondered how they got tough but definitely didn't think they'll be stronger or out best us.

"We went out to take a look over the territory and noticed on the other side of the river,other wolves had moved in."

My brows furrowed in annoyance.

An inferior pack could never defeat the blood moon pack. It was unheard in centuries.

I had ensured our parts do not cross to avoid another battle between us,but no,they had to prove they were crescents and now they have stepped on the tail of a blood wolf and will pay.

"Ready the best of the warriors, we attack the crescents tonight, "I said in an authoritative voice that has made me alpha of the pack for three years since the passing away of my father.

Robin give a nod and left immediately.

Ava's POV

I could feel it in the air they were coming. The birds in the trees fluttered in the air quickly.

Their smell was stronger with each passing second but we were ready and in position.

The young and olds of the pack have been kept safe in the cabin with a few warriors guarding it on alert.

All my life I had waited for this day,to retaliate what was done to me,what was taken from me and the time was now.

They came in hard on us. Archers fired into the domain we were and a few of our warriors fell. The pack began shape shift into their form and attack the adversaries.

My wolf was begging free again but with all sheer power, I held her in attacking all blood moons.

In a blink of an eye, I was flung aside by a pair of strong hands.

The floodgate opened and heaven broke free, sending droplets of hard rain upon the earth.

I heaved as I tried recollecting myself. The rain was clouding my eyes. I felt a sword coming down on my shoulders and I swung mine in defense.

The downpour turned my hair into a tiny wet mess.

I stared into the eyes of this man who had the tenacity and audacity to lay his hands on me.

The swords still clashed against each other, I felt my heartbeat increase as my knees weakened. My wolf danced in delight as she echoed in my head.

I saw his eyes turn crimson red as he let out a rough growl.

"Mate, "we said in unison.