You are not a victim.

Just a fighter with scars

that few can understand.

~Unknown

"I didn't expect that!" "Me neither!" I breathe out. Hundreds of people spread throughout this land, living in tents. I wonder why these people didn't ask to join another pack. Maybe they were holding on to the slightest hope this pack would rise from the ashes. From the look on my dad's face, he wasn't aware of their existence either. "We should find someone who's in charge of things in here." We spread, looking for someone with a powerful aura. So far, no one.

"Ooph!" A groan emits as something, more like someone, crashes into me. A little boy, no older than five years old. "Hello there!" "Hi, I'm Liam. What's your name?!" He replies cheekily. "Well, Liam. Nice to meet you. I'm Sophia and this is Chris." He sends a warm smile to the vibrant little boy. "Liam! Where are you?" A woman's voice speaks out. "That's my mommy!" A young woman, probably a few years older than me, exits a nearby tent. Upon seeing us near her child, he pulls little Liam backward, putting herself in front of him like a shield.

"We mean no harm!" I try to assure her, but she inspects us closer. I can't blame her. Mothers become overprotective over their little ones. "What are your names?" "I'm Sophia, and this is my mate, Chris. Is there someone in charge that we can talk to?" "Why?" "We're looking for a couple. The Alpha couple to be specific." Her expression turns sorrowful. "There hasn't been any sight of them. Not since the attack. Some people claim to have seen them die, but, as of yet, their bodies haven't been identified among the casualties."

There goes our hope of shedding light on their parents' existence! "The Beta, or the Gamma?" Chris asks. "The same case as the Alpha couple." "We should inform dad." I turn to Chris. "On it!" He leaves me alone with the woman. "How long have you been camped out here for?" "A couple of months." Why didn't Constantine and Mariah find them? Why didn't they try to find the Alpha's kids? How hard could it be to track down a four-year-old and a one-year-old? Maybe I should ask her directly. "Be careful. We don't know their intentions. They may be one of the enemies." Astra's right. I can't alert them of their existence until we're a hundred percent of their intentions. We can't afford to put them in danger.

"Did the pack have many casualties?" "Thankfully not. The Moon Goddess helped us and we got a whiff of them before they could attack. At this campsite are only the elderly, women and children. We have lost contact with the warriors and the higher-ups of the pack." I guess the Alpha, along with the Beta and Gamma Female must have participated in the battle. Most times, they follow the helpless ones to care for them. But there are these few times that their mates permit them to help in the battle. If I were in their shoes, I would have participated as well. I feel like there are people who can help with caring for the helpless. What most packs lack is people fighting on the battlefield. You can never have too many people in battles.

"Were there many casualties among the helpless ones?" She shakes her head. "Not that I know of. But the Alpha's children have gone missing. We've tried searching for them, but we eventually gave up. We needed all the forces present here in case rogues tried to attack us again." Just then, Chris approaches us with my dad. The woman, whose name I'm still unaware of, recognizes me immediately and bows in respect. "My king." He sends her a warm smile, trying to comfort her while standing to my right. "I see you've met my daughter, Sophia." Her eyes widen as she stares at me, star-struck. "I wasn't aware that she was a princess." "That's Sophia for you." He laughs.

"I was informed a little by some elders. I'm really sorry for all your losses and for what you've been through. No one, not even our worst enemy, deserves to experience what you have experienced. You, your family, and everyone in here has a spot in my pack if you want." "I can't speak for everyone in here when I say that I would love to join your pack, but I would love to express our gratitude for your support. It means the whole world to me." Dad turns to me and says. "Take a couple of guards and head back to the palace to help your mother prepare everything for our new pack members' arrival. Me, Chris along with some other guards will stay back to check how many people will join our pack and how else we can help." I hug dad and Chris while sending a smile to little Liam and his mother.

When I arrive at the palace, the door bursts open, and my mother speedily makes her way to me, clinging me to her side. "Thank God you're okay!" She breathes out. "Awe mum! You don't have to worry that much! We just went for an inspection." Her eyes widen as she looks me dead in the eye, searching for something. I don't know what it is that she wants to find. "You don't know, do you?" "Know what?" There's a sick feeling. The kind of feeling that you get when something awful has happened. "Honey, when you left your dad, Chris along with everyone present there was attacked. We don't know much more and more guards are on their way there."

Thank you so much for all the love my story has received! I'm truly grateful for every single one of you!

I hope you love my story and how it is progressing.

I hope you're staying safe and happy. And don't forget to take care of your selves, not only physically but also mentally.

I'll see you again in the next chapter. Bye!