Pure, unadulterated fear. That was all Madeleine could feel as she lay on the cold floor of the basement. Her hands went to her stomach, finding something wet and warm beneath her flimsy shirt. Her fingers streaked red. She was bleeding, and she was alone.

From upstairs, the angry voices of people bickering echoed, a constant backdrop to her week-long torment. A week since her world had shattered, since her pack was decimated, leaving her, a wolfless girl, at the mercy of the Black Forest pack.

Tonight, Steve had thrown her into the dark, cold basement. A part of her wanted to give up, to let death greet her, but her mother's voice echoed in her mind: "wolf or not, you are my brave girl and I hope you will always be that."

Those words stirred something within her. With a surge of energy, she pushed herself into a sitting position, leaning against a wooden pole. Tears trickled down her face, unnoticed. Tearing her shirt, she dabbed at the wound, praying for escape.