1 PROLOGUE



The Destain household had never been so deathly silent as it was today. The air had suddenly got cold with fear lingering in each crevice of the walls. Nixie Destain's terrified whispers calling out her son's name - Adam! Adam, wake up! - had subsided. She took short breaths trying to get her heartbeat under control, all the while rushing from room to room, shutting windows and drawing the curtains.

Her unsteady hands managed to dial a familiar number on her telephone. As she waited for the person to pick up she could hear her accelerated heart beat in her ears. Her fingers fiddled with the cord when time prolonged but her eyes remained glued to the limp body of her son.

"Hello! Elliot?!" she yelled into the speaker as she heard someone pick up the phone.

"Ad-dam, h-he- his spirit, " she cried and immediately the person on the other end knew what had to be done.

"Bring Maven, he is in Ethelfa." she managed to add. As soon as she ended the call, she ran back to her son and began rubbing his cold palms. She switched on the heater to keep the temperature of the room high and wrapped a blanket around his torso. Prayer after prayer left her trembling lips as she waited for the life to come greet his son back.

Thirty minutes passed, yet Nixie Destain was staring at the lifeless body of her son. His round face and open lips were pale, his rigid body getting colder each minute. As she lifted her head to look at the one God she prayed so fiercely, the front door opened with a loud sound.

A man in his late thirties came running inside, his coat battered, shirt wrinkeled, eyes wide and breath high. His brown eyes looked at his son and his lips sighed. Slowly, he walked towards them and raised his lips lightly.

"He'll be alright, honey." He said with conviction. Nixie poured down more tears at his statement as she looked from her son to her husband.

"He is just twelve." she sobbed and in the next moment, the man's arms came forward to hold his wife.

As she cried into his shirt wanting nothing more than her son, a whizz of air blew past her shoulder and from beside her son came a deep, smooth voice.

"Adam is a strong boy, Nixie. There is nothing to worry about." Nixie turned in her husband's arms to see Elliot sitting beside Adam, holding the boys hands in his large ones.

Maven wiped away the tears and smiled at her. "Our boy will need a lot of energy when he gets back, he'll empty half of your kitchen, so we should probably start making a grand meal."

After a lot of deep breathing, Nixie realised what Maven said was true and instead of a brooding around, she should probably get ready to care of his son when he comes back. She entered the kitchen with her husband smiling at her and Elliot flashing her a thumbs up.

Three hours passed and Elliot's forehead creased as he stared at the clock, Adam's body remained still as ever. Maven sat on the recliner with mind filled with whirling thoughts. He licked his lips and rubbed his face. Elliot and Maven exchanged a look. Nixie sat stiff on the chair without uttering a word.

"I had a talk with James last night." Maven informed, running a hand through his dark hair. Both the heads turned his way as they waited for him continue.

"He has been talking with the northern packs, for when his son comes to age." He said and an irritated sigh left Elliot's lips.

"Why doesn't he understand that these efforts will lead him no where. He will have to come back Erebus and even Carsen wouldn't be able to say no." He said in exasperation, his face crinkled, disappointment marring his features.

"Wherever he goes, their family is destined to come back." Nixie spoke as she stared at Maven, he simply nodded and looked at the west wall. A scroll was neatly pinned to the soft board. In Maven's hurried hand, a prophecy made by his father.

PROPHECY

on the dark night of April when a mother cried

he was just born of knowledge and strength

the moon goddess named him the succeeding Alpha for

down came the rains of Edgar with thunder and light.

in a haze of orders and expectations

he renounced all his titles on the command of his father

he gave the throne to the false man

and turned his back to his own land.

under the rule of veiled lies

erebus waits for its true alpha male

he who will come back in due time

to claim what rightfully is his

"Audric will somehow find his way to Erebus, where he belongs." Elliot whispered and stared in a distance, deep in thought. A breeze blew inside and instantly Maven's head whipped towards his son.

A loud gasp for air resounded and three heads turned to the corner where Adam rose from the couch with brown eyes wide and mouth open. Elliot had his hands running up and down the young boys back and both the parents rushed to their child calming him.

"We're here, Adam." Maven put his hands on his shoulder trying to calm him but Adams face changed. His eyebrows knitted and eyes were full of fear and horror.

"D-Dad," Fresh tears left his eyes, desperation and doubt swirled in them, he clutched his father's arm tightly. "You- you're al-right."

A fresh volley of fear hit Maven. Adam had been somewhere which was horrible. He had seen something horrible and it had been his first time travelling to the future or past.

Nixie whimpered as her son showed signs of a terrorised victim. Maven hugged him whispereing calmness into his ears. As seconds passed, Adam's body and mind obeyed the commands of his father's words.

"Everything is alright, we both are here. Just go to sleep. " Maven spoke after chanting his magical words. Adam's eyelid shut and he went into a deep slumber. Maven lay him on the couch carefully.

"He looked terrified." Elliot said the obvious and beside him Nixie looked like she would break into a sob again.

Maven nodded gravely, pulling out a cotton handkerchief and patting his forehead. "There is going to be a lot of talking when he wakes up."

>

Adam slept for a total of fourteen hours and woke up at the crack of dawn. Hunger gnawing at his stomach, he marched to the kitchen and started eating whatever he could find. Two pots of lasagna, mashed potatoes, an entire pack of orange juice, he burped and fell back on his chair.

"Feeling better?" A sudden voice made him look around in surprise. Maven walked around him in the kitchen and sat next to him on the stool.

"Kind of," he replied lamely and scratched the back of his head. Maven chuckled lightly and ruffled his hair.

"About yesterday," Maven began, but Adam cut him short.

"I know my spirit teleported dad. I know we are a blood line of wizards. I-I've been going through your books you tried to hide from me." Adam confessed and his cheeks turned a light shade of pink. He bit his lip. Maven looked impressed and nodded his head in understanding, before he could ask or speak, Adam continued.

"It wasn't the teleportation that scared me though, it was what I saw that makes me wish I never be that unfortunate to see it." he said and immediately goose bumps arose on his arms and as he stared at a spot on the counter, image after image replayed in his head.

"Past or future?" Maven asked calmly.

"Future, definitely future." he informed and ran his fingers down his worn out tee. "It was a war. A gruesome war between werewolves, so much blood and death. Thousands of lives were being played with. Even you were there." He said and managed to look up at his father. Maven inhaled loudly.

"There were others too, I can't remember all those supernaturals but I did see one vampire. I don't remember who was fighting for whom."

"This war, do you know who starts it?" Maven asked and waited for the answer as if his life depended on it.

"The boy who will return." He said with a strong voice. "He is the one because of whom, war is the only option. I saw him, father. He was massive, brown fur and unfathomable strength."

Adam closed his eyes, a shiver ran down his body. The next words he said, made Maven's hair stand up.

"There is nothing more bloodcurdling than witnessing a son brutually killing his own father."