"Lui Lui! I'm afraid!" A young girl whimpered as she stood on the stairs leading down to a swimming pool. A hint of anxiety was visible in her eyes as she attempted to make her way down the stairs and into the pool. When Samantha turned her attention to the girl, she felt her heart melt at the cuteness of the situation. The way the girl pouted and hesitated despite the fact that she was wearing a life vest and floaters would melt the heart of anyone. He had his hair wet from the pool, smiling kindly at the little girl as he stretched out his arms, beckoning for the girl to come closer to him. The boy had blue eyes and stood at the bottom of the steps. He was also staring at her.

The young man yelled at her, "Come on, Serenity!" while maintaining his arms' outstretched position. "Let's swim. Don't be concerned; I'll keep a firm grip on your hand. Serenity was hesitant at first, but she inched her way closer to the boy. Serenity inched closer to the boy as she continued to test the water with her feet, and the boy yelled out, "I won't let you go!" as she got closer to him.

"You promise???" Serenity's question reflected her mixed feelings of skepticism, anxiety, and optimism.

The young man asked the young girl who was inching her way closer to him, "Have I ever lied to you, Serenity?" with a grin on his face. His eyes were fixed on the child who was coming closer to him.

Serenity smiled back at him and responded with a "Nuh-uh!" as she ran towards him while spraying water all over the place.

The young man laughed as Serenity stumbled into his arms, and he caught her just in time to spray water all over the surrounding area. As they played around in the water and splashed each other with water, their laughter could be heard throughout the entire location.

The scene playing out in front of Samantha's eyes was such a picture of purity that it made her heart feel warm and fuzzy inside. She could not help but smile as she watched it. Two youngsters were having the time of their lives and rediscovering their childhood innocence.

It was common knowledge that werewolves could find their "mates" at any point in their lives, regardless of age. If a person discovers their mate at a young age, it does not imply that they will develop a physical relationship with that person; instead, it simply means that they have found their destiny at such a young age.

If you are fortunate enough to find your soul mate at a young age, it means that you will provide for them, guard them, and be there for them whenever they have a need for you. There is no guarantee that it will develop into a romantic relationship, but given enough time and the maturation of both parties, there is a good chance that it will.

When Amelia and Jason arrived, they were laughing at the boy and girl who were playing in the pool while wearing adorable matching hats. They sat on the lounging chairs that had been placed on the side of the pool for a better view. A familiar face also arrived at the scene at the same time; he was beaming broadly and performed an awkward-looking cannonball into the middle of the pool.

Samantha suddenly became aware that she was observing a younger version of Aaron. His smile appeared to be even more sincere than she had previously remembered, and the joys of happiness shone brightly in his eyes.

The two children who were in there before him began to complain about Aaron tangling their hair, but the child who was in there after him did not appear to mind as he continued to splatter them with water. Aaron was the third child. Not long after that, everyone started laughing. Even Amelia and Jason, who were watching them while sipping the drinks they had brought, were interested in what they were doing.

The sound of Serenity's laughter could be heard throughout the entire location once more as it appeared that 'Lui Lui' had lunged at Aaron and was forcing Aaron's face down into the water as a form of punishment. Aaron was having a difficult time and making an effort to fight him off, but he was simply not strong enough.

It was as if the lights had gone out on stage, wiping the visuals of the pool scene and slowly transforming into something else. This transformation took place in front of Samantha's eyes and took place very slowly. She had the impression that she was being whisked away at a rapid pace, and her head was spinning as a result.

She felt a twinge of pain in her stomach as well as in her neck and other parts of her body, but she paid it no mind. The dream proceeded without interruption or disruption.

She suddenly found herself in a warm and inviting house, and the two children who had been there earlier were also present. It was in one of the children's bedrooms; based on the pink color scheme and the well-known cartoon characters that were hung all over the walls, it was clear that Serenity's room was the one in question.

Moonlight filtered in through the one window that was open in the room.

Serenity whimpered, "Lui Lui, I'm scared," her voice was trembling and laced with fear as she uttered the words. When Samantha turned around to look, she saw the same little girl, but this time she was dressed differently; however, she maintained the same facial features. Only this time, fear could be seen written all over her face. A short distance away from Serenity, a youngster who went by the name of Lui laid down on the mattress that was spread out on the floor. He opened one eye and stared at her before asking, "What's going on, Serenity?" with an immediate expression of concern on his face.

"What if...? "What if... the rogues' attack?" Serenity uttered in a trembling voice, stumbling over her words out of fear. Her tone was so endearing as she expressed her concerns, "Mommy said the rogues only attack at night, and that makes it very, very scary." Lui Lui immediately stood up and moved toward Serenity, where he knelt down next to her. After a brief embrace, he murmured reassuring words into her ear and said, "Don't worry, Serenity. I will always be here for you. I promise that I will guard you at all times.

Serenity raised her head and fixed her gaze on the other child's eyes before asking, "Do you promise?"

Lui Lui responded, "with my whole life," after nodding his head without a second thought.

As Samantha felt the pain begin to radiate throughout her body, the scene disintegrated before her eyes and became increasingly jumbled. As quickly as it had come, the dream about these two children faded away into the night. It felt like being struck by a lightning bolt.

She abruptly opened her eyes, gasped, and sat up, at which point she became aware that she was still in the dungeons, in the room that she had been sleeping in. There was a glimmer of sunlight coming in through one of the windows.

"What on earth did I see in that dream?!" Samantha asked herself this as she clenched her fists and clutched her chest as the pain began to intensify even further. She coughed once, and this time a pain shot through her throat. Her hair was standing on end because the dream was so chillingly realistic.

Samantha muttered to herself, "Fuck, that hurt," as she began to feel weaker and dizzier. She then coughed again, and this time blood came out into her hand. She had a bloody hacking cough. After that, she began to feel a burning sensation throughout her veins, and it was exactly as if someone had set fire to her entire blood supply. She kept coughing and gagging, and blood continued to spurt from her mouth with each heave of her chest as she coughed.

The guard was quick to notice this, and he went over to speak to the ill-looking "prisoner."

While he was trying to get a handle on the situation, he asked Samantha in a level-headed manner, "Hey, is everything okay?" However, it appears that Samantha did not notice him. The security officer reached out and grabbed her by the shoulder as she continued to hack and gag on whatever it was that she was eating.

It was as if someone had their icy hands on her, and she jerked back at the sensation. When she turned to look at the guard, she appeared to be dying, which caused him to start to become increasingly anxious. It appeared as though she was undergoing a transformation, but it was only momentary because her eyes widened, and the veins on her face and neck popped out.

As soon as the guard saw what was happening, he got in his mind a link and sent out a request for medical assistance for the prisoner. Amelia was already there a minute later, holding her equipment in both hands as she entered the dungeon section of the complex. The response time was incredible.

As soon as she saw Samantha struggling, her eyes widened, and she hurried into the jail cell to make Samantha lie down. The physician then proceeded to move her hands across Samantha's body while simultaneously shaking her head and reaching for her instruments.

The worried guard asked the doctor, "What's wrong, Doctor?" as she looked at him but continued to look for her tools. The doctor never stopped looking for them.

"It's the traces of wolf's bane in her system, and some fucked up creep decided that using pieces of silver and shoving it inside this poor girl's body would be a good sport. "It's the traces of wolf's bane in her system." Her wolf spirit is exerting all of its energy to purge the toxins from her body, but unfortunately, it is also slowly destroying her human side. If we do nothing to stop it, it will put an end to her life.

The security officer immediately indicated his comprehension of the seriousness of the situation with a nod.

Amelia quickly retrieved a scalpel from her bag and began making vertical cuts on both of Samantha's upper arms. The cuts made a clean incision through her flesh and caused blood to begin oozing out. Samantha immediately began to convulse when she felt like something was slicing into her arm and when she felt like warm liquid was dripping out of her arm.

As she shook in the bed, blood that was flecked with silver powder came out of her mouth, and the doctor exclaimed, "She does not appear to be in good shape!" The terrified guard continued his duties, despite the fact that he had no idea what to do next but that his arms were prepared to hold the patient down on command.

"Bring her to the hospital right away!" Amelia issued the command at once, and all of the guards posted in the dungeon immediately complied with the severity of her tone. They then carried Samantha off in the direction of the hospital with incredible speed and grace.

She was still trembling when they placed her on the bed a minute later, but it had slowed down noticeably at this point. She appeared to be more calm overall.

"Samantha. Amelia whispered to the woman in the bed, "Tell your wolf spirit to calm down, and I will save you both," hoping that her words would be heard by the other person. "Please, Samantha." The physician pleaded with Samantha as he secured her to the bed using the leather straps that were located on the side of the bed.

Samantha mumbled, "Ariel...please," while she was still gagging and choking, "Don't do this to me. Her voice was noticeably weakened as she said, "Let me handle it."

—-

Luther, the Alpha of the Blue Moon Pack, had finally arrived at his destination, victorious in his endeavor, and he smiled broadly as he entered the mansion. The majority of the pack's members greeted him and acknowledged the arrival of their leader, who was also known as their Alpha. He didn't waste any time and went straight to the main room of his house, which was where he usually conducted business, and there he saw Aaron sitting in the chair.

Luther grinned and said, "Well, well, well." When Aaron and Luther met each other's eyes as the chair swiveled and they looked at each other, Aaron grinned and said, "Ah shit." Aaron immediately complied with Luther's request and left the chair alone. "Yes, and the Kill Joy needs his chair back," Luther said, pointing at the chair. "The Kill Joy is Home."

"So, Alpha, tell me about your journey," I asked. Luther simply shrugged in response to Aaron's question as he waited for news.

"Nothing of interest just forged a few alliances here and there, checked in on potential suspects for the rogue attacks but found none at all," she said. "Nothing of interest." I should have used that time more effectively."

This time, Aaron simply shrugged. "Well, have you ever been interested in meeting the rogues?"

Luther gave Aaron a disapproving look before nodding and saying, "Yes, bring them in." The children come first."

Aaron gave a slight nod, and it appeared as though he was already communicating with the other members of the pack via mind link.

After another five minutes, the door to his office was finally opened by two children who appeared timid. One was a boy who appeared timid and was just staring at the ground, and the other was a girl who had a fierce expression but otherwise looked pretty.

Aaron introduced them by saying, "These are the rugrats," and Luther looked at them with his bright blue eyes.

Because he wanted them to comprehend the significance of authority, he asked them kindly for their names while slowly imbuing his words with the ambiance of an aura. He did this because he wanted them to identify who they were.

The young woman introduced herself as Elise before introducing Danny as her friend. Her tone was slightly defiant, but it was clear that she was agitated by Luther's aura. Our pack was slaughtered by rogues, and both my parents and his parents were caught in the middle of it. "Elise bravely stared into Luther's eyes, and he commended her in his mind.

Danny looked up at Luther, this time with a look of desperation in his eyes as he spoke. "Mister Alpha Luther..." he said, his voice trailing off. Luther gestured at him with his chin, encouraging him to continue. "Can you please take us in..." he asked in a pleading voice, and Luther smiled at this request.

"Sure. That won't be a problem at all. Are there any problems that you see with this?" Luther said this while looking at Aaron, who smiled and shook his head in response to his question. The youngsters rejoiced and laughed as they hugged their new leader, who was also making jokes at their expense.

—-

He stared at me with a worried expression on his face. "Y—Yes, she's currently being cared for in the hospital's ward. The fact that she is covered in bruises and appears to have been subjected to severe abuse is the reason why her mother is caring for her. In addition, there were remnants of wolf's bane found within her. Perhaps the time after that?

When I heard that, the wrinkles in my brow deepened. "No, I will visit her at the hospital," she responded. Then you should come with me. After rising from my seat, I moved toward the door of the room, but Aaron intervened and stopped me.

"Wait a minute, Luther..."

"What?"

"She… It's possible that she won't work out well with us."

"What? What on earth prompted you to say that?"

He exhaled deeply and then looked through the window. He gave off the impression that he was extremely reluctant to reveal the truth, but in the end, he did so with contempt. "She looks a lot like Serenity. I don't want you to be influenced by her.

After dealing with the children, Luther went on to talk to the two bad guys. In addition to this, he admitted them into the pack without any further resistance, saying, "You mentioned that there were three adult rogues. Where is the one that's been left?" Luther asked in a hushed voice as they were walking away, content in the knowledge that they had been welcomed into a new pack.

Luther picked up on Aaron's anxious demeanor the moment he made eye contact with him. "Uhm, well, regarding that... She is currently being treated there for her injury. She was covered in cuts and bruises when her mother found her, and she is currently receiving medical attention from her. It was as if she had been beaten to within an inch of her life... Currently, she is working to eliminate any remnants of Wolf's bane that may still be present in her body. So maybe the time after that?"

Luther gave this some thought, but he ultimately decided to go in a different direction. Luther stood up, and Aaron watched in shock as he reached for the doorknob. He had just gotten up.

At that precise instant, Aaron reached out and grabbed his Alpha's arm to halt him.

Even Aaron sensed it and cowered for a moment as he felt the emotions of the pack's Alpha rising. Luther's expression suddenly took on a tinge of annoyance as a result of what had just happened.

Is it not in everyone's best interest to wait until she has fully recovered? Luther gave Aaron's beta a cold look as the former said some blubbering.

If what you say is true, which it appears to be, then it is imperative that we learn more about this individual. You are aware that I am unable to watch other people go through difficult circumstances without having a conversation with them about it.

The weight of Aaron's voice caused him to cower once more, and he spoke to Luther in a hushed tone, saying, "Wait, Luther," as more of that irritating emotion whirled around Luther once more. "I think she might not be a good fit for us..."

"What?" Luther said this while turning his undivided attention completely to his beta.

It's clear that she doesn't belong with the rest of us.

"How could you say so?" Luther questioned while looking at his second in command with his mouth welded shut, and his jaw welded shut.

Aaron turned his sad eyes toward the window and said, "It's because she looks exactly like Serenity." I do not want this person to have an effect on you now that you have moved on from the loss that you experienced.

Luther's rage flared up once more, and he jerked away from Aaron's grasp on his arm, muttering, "Why would I be affected by this person?" I have long since reconciled myself to the idea that Serenity will pass away. In point of fact, he did not. When Aaron said that the last criminal looked like his mate, it tore at his heart and made him ache.

After a moment, he turned and walked away, and Aaron followed closely behind him, obviously terrified of what was about to occur. They had quite a distance to walk from Luther's office to the ward, but they arrived there without any trouble.

It was obvious that Aaron had sent a mind-link message to inform them of Luther's impending arrival at the ward, and as a result, they prepared to meet their newly arrived Alpha. Jason was already present and waiting for them when they arrived.

Jason addressed him as "Alpha Luther" and bowed his head politely as he continued, "I understand that you are doing your duties." However, it would be best if you did not look at the patient that we have in front of us right now.

"You too?" Luther remarked, irritated but controlling his anger that this was a physician who had helped save people's lives. He was not at liberty to say anything demeaning to Jason about the president.

Luther said, in a tone that suggested annoyance, "My duty is my own," and then he added, "Now stand down." He then released another one of his auras, and everyone immediately moved away from him.

He made his way towards the ward where the rogue was, and Amelia was there, looking after her. The rogue's eyes were closed, she had significant bruises, and her body had suffered a great deal of damage, but one thing was certain. Amelia was looking after her.

As Luther looked at the woman lying in bed, his heart stopped beating completely. "Serenity...?" he managed to mutter through his tears.

Amelia immediately picked up on it, and Luther observed that her posture changed as soon as she heard her name being mentioned.

As he thought back on the final moments he shared with his late companion, the tears in his eyes came dangerously close to overflowing.

"Alpha Luther," Amelia whispered, her voice also laden with regret and sorrow. "I know that it hurts you to see her face on someone else's body," Amelia continued, "I know that it pains you to see her face on someone else's body." This is the nature of the mystery that is our world. There are people we recognize, but upon closer inspection, we will see that it isn't actually them. It's just another person who shares their appearance. But please, do not let her appearances cloud your judgment. She has a very tough exterior, but on the inside, she is a very sweet child. I will teach her the skills necessary to become my apprentice, and one day she will succeed me as a physician.

Luther did not utter a single word; instead, he simply stared at the patient, who was asleep in the bed, while fighting back the tears that were welling up in his eyes. Amelia continued by asking, "Has your wolf said anything to you?"

Luther remained fixated on the patient as he continued his monologue. "I have not heard from him since Serenity died," he stated in a tone devoid of emotion. "It seems he has retreated to the furthest corner of my mind and is refusing to speak with me." It was true that he had not heard the voice of his wolf in years, but at the same time, he was wondering where the hell did that woman come from. He had no idea where she had come from.

During the time that Luther was pondering the situation, something that stunned everyone in the room took place.

Luther's eyes widened at once, and even Amelia gasped and put a hand on her mouth to cover her shock. The rogue muttered, "Lui, Lui," and both of these reactions occurred simultaneously.

"WHAT?!" Aaron spoke out loud while he was approaching Luther from behind; however, Luther appeared to have heard the rogue as well. It appeared as though the rogue was having difficulty putting up a fight against something.

Luther took a step back as she whimpered, "Lui Lui, please help me," and his thoughts were filled with agony and sorrow as he fled the hospital in horror, sorrow, and anger. "Lui Lui, please help me," she pleaded with him. Only Serenity ever referred to him in that manner, and sadly, she has since passed away. Who was the woman in question?

As soon as he stepped outside of the mansion, his pent-up rage and frustration at the predicament erupted, and he immediately transformed into his wolf form.

His transformation into a wolf allowed him to escape into the nearby woods, where he howled nonstop for several hours. Hearing that symphony was like being ripped apart at the seams and made my skin crawl. Everyone who heard it was tormented by the sufferings and tribulations of the Alpha.

"Serenity, I am so sorry that you aren't able to be here with us right now. I regret not being able to spend that day with you. It was my fault; I should have rescued you. I ought to have looked more closely. I continue to run until I feel like I am going to collapse."

When he finally made it back to the woods, it had been several hours, and Amelia was waiting for him on the patio.

Luther simply nodded his head in response to the doctor's announcement that "She is fine now, Alpha." Amelia was quick to pick up on the fact that he was considering returning the girl to her group, and it was almost as if she had read it written all over his face.

"Alpha Luther, her wounds were not entirely inflicted by rogues," they said. There were indications of multiple wounds scattered all over her body, as well as traces of silver and a variety of poisons in her bloodstream. The end of a whip appears to be responsible for at least some of the lacerations that can be seen here. Do not go through with your plan to send her back if you are considering doing so. I am convinced that you will cause her demise if you continue in that manner. Amelia had a commanding presence, and she had a history of deferring to the Alpha's authority. However, the Alpha frequently sought her counsel and heeded her recommendations.

"I know. Luther admitted his defeat and said, "I intend to let her stay." "I saw"

—-

Samantha witnessed men accompanying Serenity as she was being dragged through the forest. They were moving stealthily, and the young girl could be heard whimpering the entire time.

The kidnappers and the attackers that had taken the child yelled, "Lui Lui, help!" as the kidnapped child fought back against them.

"Shut up!" Serenity whimpered quietly as she held her cheek in pain and cried out as the blonde man growled at the helpless child before slapping her across the face.

"Gabe, it's time for us to leave. The individual with brown hair spoke in an anxious tone and said, "The Alpha is going to be here very soon."

"Why don't the two of you just keep your mouths shut?" When an angry voice that was both familiar and authoritative shouted at them, both of them stopped and somehow recognized the voice's authority. Even Samantha was able to recall that it was Beta Menard all along. Her mouth opened in shock as she realized he was involved, but he was standing apart from his two friends at the time.

While Samantha was thinking about the situation, Serenity started sobbing once more. "Lui Lui!"

"I said shut up!" Samantha passed out after receiving the second slap from Gabe, who was becoming increasingly irritated with her.

—- When Samantha opened her eyes, she was once more confronted with the realities of life. Aaron was towering over her, and he was looking down at her with a grin on his face as he watched her.

"How are you doing right now?" Aaron inquired politely, his smile appeared sincere, and even his eyes were moist with concern as he spoke.

Samantha's voice was shaking as she muttered, "A little better," despite the fact that her body was still burning severely, the pain was gradually disappearing.

The Beta exclaimed with a cheer, "Oh jeez, that's good to know," as he exhaled his relief and heaved a sigh. My mother and father, both of whom are physicians, are having a conversation with the Alpha. I'll fill in as your nurse for the time being!"

Samantha was immediately overcome with feelings of guilt, but she forced herself to laugh at his enthusiasm. "You Know, You Don't Have to Stay with Me," Aaron laughed, immediately comprehending what Samantha meant by these words "Don't have stay with me." It's not a problem. I'll get used to it in due time. His eyes sparkled with compassion as he continued, "Besides, what would Serenity say if she were here right now and I wasn't helping out a person who is in need?"

"If I were to confide in you about something, would that be alright?" As soon as Samantha said it, she was unable to shake the dream that was running through her head, and Aaron nodded in agreement.

"I have been getting dreams ever since I got here. There was a scene that took place in a pool with your sister, a boy who she referred to as Lui Lui, and you. You were all laughing and having a good time while you were swimming in the pool. Oh, and even both of your parents were there as well...

Aaron pushed himself to his feet and took a few steps back as he tried to make sense of the situation while his eyes widened in shock.

Aaron chuckled nervously as he tried to process what Samantha had just told him, but he was unable to do so, so he changed the subject as soon as he noticed two children enter the room. "Next was a dream about three men taking Serenity off in a forest somewhere," Aaron said.

"Oh, Elise and Danny want to see you!" he exclaimed. Elise flashed a broad smile at Samantha. They had grown accustomed to each other's company in the dungeons, and they always talked whenever they could. "Oh, Elise and Danny want to see you!" he exclaimed.

Samantha beamed a smile at the two of them from the comfort of her bed, and the moment she looked at them, all of her thoughts shifted away from Aaron. "We're in with the rest of them!" Elise exclaimed with glee that even Danny was grinning widely and that he appeared to have candy in his mouth.

"The Alpha bribed us with some sweets!" As Samantha beamed, Danny remarked in a smug tone.

"You all have a place to live!" As the two children cheered, Samantha said, "I'm so proud of you!"

"Yeah, and all the other children are very pleasant as well!" Danny added. Samantha giggled. They were adorable in every way.

"So all of you agree that this place is awesome?" She inquired. They both grinned and nodded their heads in agreement.

It felt odd for Samantha that everybody would be staring at her like she had committed something taboo. There were glances and whispers as they passed by her. Even Aaron had become distant, and he would always find a way to pass on talking with her. If he saw her coming his way, he would immediately turn away and go somewhere else.

Maybe it was because she told the Beta about her dreams of his little sister, Serenity, a girl who had been missing and assumed dead after a rogue attack a year ago. It was a heart-wrenching memory for many members of the pack because Serenity was beloved by almost everyone. Amelia and Jason still have not moved on from her ‘death’ and such, and it was because of said Serenity’s death that they persevered even further to become better doctors. Aaron spiraled into depression but got himself up by conjuring a personality that was warm and nice to everyone. Even the Alpha, who was Serenity’s mate, lost all sense of his sanity because his spirit wolf had not spoken to him in years.

It has been a week since she was accepted into the pack, and being treated right for once was refreshing for Samantha. Away from the horrors as an Omega back with the Mountain Peak Pack, but the weariness that everyone had for her chilled the girl to the bone.

One time, she was just hanging out at the hospital while Amelia was cleaning her wounds, and two members of the pack came by and asked her to leave.

“Please go. You are ruining the harmony of the pack,” they said blandly. Samantha just stared at them stupidly while Amelia looked up and chastised them for their words.

“Do not bother her!” Amelia said angrily, making the two members of the pack step back in fear at the doctor’s sudden fierceness, “She has done nothing to you two, yet you come up to her and speak to her as if she has done something awful! Do not isolate her because she happens to look like my late daughter.”

Amelia’s anger shooed them away and left, apologizing profusely.

Right now, she was in her private room in the hospital, and Elise was hanging out with her.

“Can you do my hair?” Elise asked innocently, and the TV was blaring out a movie that Elise seemed to love so much. It was about the main character with ice powers that she could not control.

“Sure. What kind of style do you want me to do it?” Samantha told her with a smile, and she always loved having Elise around. It was as if she was a calming presence in her otherwise bland and boring routine as she recovered from her wounds.

“Like that one!” Elise said in a cute voice, pointing at the main character, ‘Elsa’ who had braided blonde hair.

“Like Elsa’s?” Samantha answered, and Elise nodded energetically. It was her favorite movie, and Elsa was her favorite character. “Very well!” she started working on Elise’s hair immediately as the child watched the movie. She had watched this multiple times already, and she never got bored of it.

As Samantha braided Elise’s long, flowing hair, Amelia came by with a smile. She was fond of these two, and seeing them together always warmed her heart. In the days that they had spent with the pack, they came together like siblings, and one was always with the other.

“Well, glad to know you’re keeping busy,” Amelia commented, grinning at Samantha, who returned the smile, “She wants the princess braid, huh? Who are you putting on that hair for, Elise?” Amelia asked the little girl, who started to blush profusely.

“Danny,” she said in a clipped voice, “He said that I would look better with braided hair.”

Samantha giggled at this, realizing that they were probably mates. To find a mate at such a young age must have been quite the experience.

“Can you put some makeup on me after?” Elise asked Samantha. Amelia shook her head and started to check in on Samantha’s wounds.

“They seem to be healing nicely, don’t over-exert yourself too much, the wound might open, and we would not want that. You’d be bleeding all over again, okay?”

“Yes, mom!” Samantha said jokingly, and Amelia put a hand to her chest, a gasp. In a way, she was reminded of Serenity. Aaron had told her about the dreams, but even Amelia could not believe them. It was too vivid, too specific, which is why she simply chose to ignore it and treat her like everybody else.

“I’m old enough to be!” Amelia said, grinning, tapping Samantha’s shoulder, “So you best follow my orders, okay?”

“Now then, what was that about makeup?” Samantha said, turning her attention to Elise, who was facing her now. The braid was finished, and she looked like the Ice Queen Elsa with that braid.

Elise blushed again, “I want to look pretty for Danny. I want him to adore me.”

Samantha rolled her eyes, and even Amelia chuckled at what she heard, but it was normal for things to be like this. The doctor put a basket of food at Samantha’s side table and quietly made her exit while Elise and Samantha stayed put.

“Honey…” Samantha said, putting her hands on both of Elise’s cheeks, “You don’t need to look beautiful. You do not need to put on thick makeup for Danny to absolutely adore you.” She squeezed tightly so that Elise’s lips started to pucker up, “You are beautiful the way you are. But if you truly want to, I can teach you how to apply makeup. But I am telling you now, and I am not that well versed in it. Just the basics.”

Elise nodded and hugged Samantha tightly, and the older girl smiled at this show of affection. Later on, Danny arrived with drinks, and Samantha offered them her sandwiches. Peanut butter and Raspberry without seeds. It was her favorite, and she wanted to share it with the two children.

They were giggling, laughing, and just all around having a good time as they ate their lunch. Samantha started to hum a lullaby that her mother used to hum to her, and memories started to come back to her as she looked at the two children with her.

She was six years old, and she was given her first bicycle. Samantha was ecstatic and had given her parents tight hugs for the gift, and as she started to pedal off, she immediately crashed and scraped both her knees. Her parents came to check in on her immediately as she cried because of the pain. They immediately helped her up and comforted her without a second thought.

It was these memories that made Samantha tear up, a distant longing for affection that she had not experienced in years. In turn, she is giving that affection to these two children who had just lost their parents in an attack that she experienced years back.

On the other side, Luther watched the three of them quietly. He had not spoken a word, and he was not even seen by them. He lingered in an area of the hospital where he would not be seen immediately. He could not help but smile as he saw Samantha braid Elise’s hair, their banter as Amelia entered, and how comfortable they had seemed with each other after only a week.

The Alpha looked on as memories of his dead mate flashed before him. She looked exactly like her, same eyes, the same hair, and the same smile. The way she spoke and the way she moved it was reminiscent of Serenity. He could not help but feel his heart be torn to pieces as he remembered how his mate would be.

“You good?” Amelia asked gently as she walked out of the room. Luther smiled at the doctor, “Why don’t you go speak with them, Alpha?”

Luther shook his head, “No. It would be better for me to observe from the shadows first. I heard that Aaron is having troubles?”

Amelia frowned and stared at the floor, “Yeah. It was because Samantha had told him about her dreams. It freaked him out that he wants nothing to do with her.” She immediately stared the Alpha in the eyes, “Please, Alpha Luther. Speak with him. Samantha does not deserve to be treated like this just because she had the awful fate of looking like Serenity.”

Luther’s heart shattered again at the mention of the name, “I will. How is Samantha anyway?”

“She is recovering nicely, and the wolfsbane is slowly being excreted from her system. She should be okay in a few days.”

Luther nodded now and walked away, remembering how Aaron had approached him a few days ago with tears in his eyes.

“She dreamed of us. That day in the pool, she dreamed of it vividly, even the day when Serenity died.” Aaron had said, crying, and I could not even say anything about it.

I just stared at him, confused, shattered, and broken.