Evelyn

Prologue

The wind howled as it ran down the mountains and sliced through the frigid Alaskan air. Snow pounded the earth, growing higher and higher on the earth's surface. In the midst of this, a baby's cries were muffled by the raging storm. Ice and snow pounded against the babe's pale face, painting her cheeks a violent shade of red. Her crying turned to wails as the severity of the weather intensified. As the temperature dropped more, and the snow fell harder, her breath became ragged. Her wailing ceased as her lungs fought to breathe in piercingly cold air. She took in shallow breaths.  Just as her eyes began to shut, two strangers in the distance approached.

"What is that?" the woman muttered, shielding her eyes from the pelting snow with her arm. Thirty yards away from her she had spotted a dark bundle. She staggered towards it only to gasp, "Oh my goddess."

In a matter of moments, her padding feet turned to pounding, as she raced across the snow, towards the bundled baby. In one fluid motion, she lifted the baby girl into her arms, staring in horror at a baby being left in this weather, before holding her close. Laying a hand on the baby girl's forehead, the woman muttered curses to the people that dared to abandon her and enveloped the baby in her jacket. The other stranger, a man, approached his partner, staring at her with raised brows.

"Sylvia, what are you doing?"

As he approached, his eyes latched onto a sprinkle of golden hair grazing a child's head which stuck out from her jacket. His eyes widened and he paused in his steps, realizing that the bundle his mate was holding was a baby.

"What on earth-" he gasped.

"How-How could someone do this?" Sylvia choked out as she looked upon the infant, green eyes filling with tears.

Placing his large hand on her shoulder, the man responded solemnly, "I don't know Sylvia, I don't know."

Together, the couple began the trek out of the snowy storm, deep into the evergreen Alaskan woods, where a small but warm village awaited them.

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"John you can't be serious! This baby was a gift from the moon goddess!"  Sylvia snapped.

"She is human, Sylvia! It'll never work. We cannot keep her!" he shouted throwing his arms into the air.

The baby girl, sitting in a high chair, stared at the yelling adults, lip quivering, and began to cry.

"Oh now look what you've done!" Sylvia snapped.

Her blonde hair whipped behind her as she turned to the baby, lifting the little girl into her arms. She slowly rocked her back and forth gently humming a lullaby. Despite this, the little girl's cries continued.

John slowly approached, making eye contact with the little girl's golden orbs. Huffing, John looked to his mate and reached his arms out.

"Let me try."

Sylvia glanced at him, continuing to rock the girl before breathing in deeply after a few seconds of ignoring him. Slowly, she placed the girl into John's arms.

Staring down at the crying baby, John was perplexed as to what he should do. He awkwardly attempted to rock the baby which only intensified her cries at his failed attempt.

Oh no, I've got to sneeze, thought John.

In a giant blast, John sneezed, scrunching up his face in an unusual manner. He turned to the baby, who he noticed hiccups began to slow down as she stared with wide eyes at his expression.

"Oh, you like that?" John questioned with raised brows.

"Hmmm...."  He smiled. Sticking his tongue out and crossing his eyes, John began making as silly of faces as he could muster. The more he did so, the more the baby not only stopped crying but started giggling. Soon, the baby's sweet giggles were met with John's own hearty laughter as he smiled down at the babe.

In an instant, the baby had taken the tension-filled room and made it light and airy with her laughter.

"You really are a gift from the Moon Goddess aren't you?" he whispered with a smile.

Sylvia peeked her head from around the corner. "Did I just hear you correctly? Does that mean we can keep her?" she gleamed.

Sylvia looked at her mate with a smile so wide, that she practically glowed. Looking at his smiling Sylvia and then looking down again at the smiling baby girl, John knew he was unable to deny the desires of not only his mates but also his heart. A smile had finally reached his mate, and his own eyes after years of anguish and loss. They had suffered through a multitude of miscarriages before finally being told they would never be able to have children of their own. It had been years since a true smile had graced either of their lips.

Tears welled up in John's eyes as he realized the precious and tiny gift they had been given. A chance to be the parents they never thought they would be able to be.

"You know what, your right my love, she is a gift from the moon goddess indeed. We cannot dispel of such an immense gift, even if she may never be able to know the truth about us," he paused smiling down at the baby girl, "What should we name her?"

Sylvia stood silent in the kitchen for a moment, eyebrows scrunched together.  They soon raised as a look of shock overtook her features and a gasp passed her lips. "Evelyn," she whispered. Looking up she met her mate's gray-blue eyes, "Her name should be Evelyn."

"Evelyn," John whispered, testing the name as he looked down at the baby girl in thought. He nodded his head,  "Your name will be Evelyn. A wished-for child."

John looked into the honey-colored globes of the baby's eyes before turning to his wife and nodding once again.

Squealing, Sylvia ran to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, peering down at the baby with a grin.

"Welcome to the pack, Evelyn Smith," she whispered in awe.

Amid their small Alaskan home, in a tiny pack village, the fate of an abandoned child was irrevocably changed to one of a loved, wanted, and gifted child. Here the baby would be nurtured, raised, and turn into a young woman. One who would never be allowed to know her adopted parents' ancestral secret.

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