Page 2 of The Raven's Alpha

As the sun starts to set, casting a golden glow over the landscape, I'm getting cold and hungry. I land on one of the trees in the back garden, the snow crunching beneath my claws. I flutter down from the branch and shift back into my human form, before grabbing some clothes from the bin we keep by the back door. Shoving them on as I walk through the house, I call out for Jackson and my family.

"Hey, guys! I’m home!" I shout into the empty hallway. When nobody answers, I start to feel a twinge of unease. The lights are all off in the house, which is weird – we always leave them on when we're out late. Where's our car? It's never parked anywhere else.

I walk over to the window and peer out into the darkness, the area is quiet, too quiet.

I wait a bit longer, thinking they must have just wanted to stay for longer to chat with their friends. As the minutes tick by, my unease grows into full-blown worry. Where could they be? Why aren't they answering their phones?

I make myself some leftovers from the fridge and sit on the sofa in the living room, trying to distract myself from the growing silence. But it's no use – things are way too quiet without my family around. The shadows seem to be growing longer and darker, like grasping fingers reaching out to snatch me.

As I sit there, trying to make sense of things, I start to feel a creeping sense of dread. Something is wrong. Something is very wrong.

Suddenly, there's pounding on the front door. Rushing to answer it, I'm greeted by two uniformed men. "Thank God," I breathe – but when I look behind them for my family, they're nowhere to be found.

"What's going on?" I ask, trying to keep my voice steady.

"There's been an accident," one of them says grimly. "A car crash on the highway. We're sorry to inform you that your family was involved."

My heart sinks like a stone in water. What? No...no...this can't be happening.

"What happened?" I ask numbly.

"We're still investigating," one of them says gently. "But we're afraid it's not looking good."

Chapter One

Present Day

Darcy Mortlake

As I soar through the clouds, the wind whipping through my feathers, I feel alive. The rush of freedom is exhilarating, and I'm grateful for this moment of solitude. Everlong Valley is my haven, where I can be myself without judgement or expectation. I've grown to love the way the sun sets over the rolling hills, casting a warm orange glow over the landscape. The scent of blooming wildflowers fills the air and the sound of birdsong echoes through the valleys.

This is what life is all about, doing what I want, when I want. With nobody telling me what I can and can’t do. I mean, if you just ignore my lack of a loving family and a partner, then I’m as happy as can be.

I land on a maple tree, watching the villagers make their way home after a long day. The Harrots, a lovely cat-shifter/human couple, are chatting as they walk down the cobblestone street. Mrs. Harrot's hair is a beautiful shade of golden brown, and her eyes sparkle with kindness. Mr. Harrot and his gentle demeanour puts everyone at ease.

I lean my head through the foliage and spot Miss Cathy, a feisty wolf shifter, flip the sign to ‘closed’ for the grocery store, a few seconds later the clerks come pouring through the door. The crew waving their goodbyes as they shout a quick, “See-ya tomorrow.”

As I observe the quiet evening routine, my thoughts wander to Grizzlies, the bakery that's always open late. The owner, a burly bearof a man, is a sight to behold – his bushy beard and strong physique make him almost intimidating. It's not just his physical appearance that draws me in; it's his kind heart and gentle nature. I've seen him help customers with their groceries, laughing and chatting with them as if they were old friends. His eyes are a deep brown, and his smile is warm and inviting.

Anyway, my favourite thing about him is when he gets home after a long day of work, whisking away and baking cakes in the kitchen, he walks out of the back door of his cabin and strolls naked through the forest.

Oh yeah, and he shifts into a big-ass grizzly bear. His thick, luxurious fur shimmers in the moonlight. He’s the definition of power and grace.

As the sun dips below the horizon, I watch as the grizzly closes up shop and heads towards his rusty truck. It's an old vehicle, but it's reliable and gets him where he needs to go. I think he deserves better than that, but maybe he's just not interested in upgrading. Maybe he's one of those people whose content with what they have, no matter how rough around the edges it may be.

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