Vor [Prologue]

20th April 2004

One of Adam's earliest memories was of his father.

In fact, many of his childhood memories were of his father. Doing something, saying something, enforcing one of his many endless rules... And in all those memories, Richard Leighton IV was the same as he'd been since before Adam could remember.

Cold, stoic. Unbending.

That night, the eve of Adam's seventh birthday, his parents, Lord Alpha and Luna of the Leighton Pack, opened the doors of their expansive manor to an unexpected visitor. It was Richard's younger brother, Dennis, and behind him came his mate and their eldest son, a teenage boy Adam knew simply as Tanner.

Adam liked Tanner. He was scary looking at nineteen, with his dark hair always in cornrows and his face tattoos. But Adam, as well as all the other younger cousins, knew how nice Tanner really was; he always had sweets in his pockets ready to give and a smirk on his face with a ready joke.

But not tonight.

That night, Adam, holding onto his sister's hand where they were hidden in the rafters above the massive dining hall, saw a look in Tanner's face that he had never seen before, but would quickly come to associate with his father and his unrelenting influence.

It was the dark, empty look of utter and complete helplessness. A despair so deep Adam himself felt it, and the young boy shrunk back, tightening his hold on his sister Charlotte's hand.

The adults conversed for a long time in tones too low for the children, even with their inquisitive heightened hearing, to eavesdrop on. And throughout the entire thing, Tanner's eyes stayed the same way. Dark and empty and responding to nothing and no one.

It was only after the younger Leighton family had said their goodbyes and departed that Adam and Charlotte found out from their older brothers what had transpired.

Tanner's girlfriend had been sent away, the two said. Permanently, they added, before erupting into a mess of manic giggles.

Adam didn't understand, but his older sister did, and pulled him out of the boys' shared bedroom rather urgently. Adam frowned up at her when they stopped, a little miffed she had stopped him from questioning Dan and Oscar. He had met Alicia before, and thought the sweet mannered teenager fit Tanner's gruff personality rather well.

Why had she been sent away? And to where? Couldn't they get her back? Did Tanner miss her, was that why his normally vibrant eyes shone a dull brown as he listened to his parents discuss his fate?

Charlotte put a hand to his cheek to stop his rapid questioning. "You shouldn't ask so many grown up questions, Adam. You're too young to understand..."

Adam's frown deepened, and he readied a sassy retort. But just before he spoke, he caught sight of the look in Charlotte's eyes, and stopped himself.

It was the same as Tanner's eyes had had earlier. Dull and empty. Helpless.

It was a look sad enough to make Adam swallow his own words.