Anaya found herself at the training ground where Camdus was staring blankly at the young wolves for quite sometime before the rustle could be heard there. It did not sound pleasant to her since it was someone just coming up to her without reason. Everyone did not want to be close to her. The look of a wolf there, she knew clearly that it was looking into her demise as it crept up closer to her crib.

It was only when the wolf got close enough to her that she saw its eyes, which were bright yellow, and she knew that she was in trouble. With a swift movement, the wolf grabbed her in its jaws and ran out of the cave. “Baba!” Anaya finally shouted out, swinging a bit in the wolf’s jaw.

The wolf growled back, running even faster now that it had a captive in its mouth. The wind rushed past her face, but Anaya was still able to see the world around her. Tackling the larger wolf, it was a young wolf, but Anaya knew who it was.

Camdus could easily be spotted, but he was angry while the wolf still held Anaya in his mouth. Clamping tight onto her puffy clothes. Camdus tried to charge at the wolf and snatch Anaya back, but it moved and dodged each time.

‘What do you think you are doing? My father is the alpha of the pack, and messing with his children will bring you death.’

Camdus warned the other wolf, but it snickered and seemed ready to finish the job. Right when he was about to clamp down, another wolf snuck up on it and clamped down on the enemy.

Zaki’s father had shifted; he did not look happy about someone targeting his children. Biting down harder onto the opponent, it gave up. However, with Anaya already in a state of shock, she did not respond when the jaws released her.

The last thing she remembers before blacking out is Zaki standing next to her, panting and bloody from the recent brawl.

***

Once Anaya came, she was shocked to see she was not in the training ground. She looked around and saw a strange wolf in the room, and she tried to crawl out of bed. Camdus was there sleeping, looking deeply exhausted and tired. The black fur wolf went over and stopped her from crawling out. He whined, licking her cheek, but it was easy for her to read his expression.

‘She must be afraid of me. She saw me kill someone out there.’

“Dada.” Anaya decided to show him that she wasn’t afraid of it. The whole impact was just too much on a small body. ‘How can I be afraid of you?’ Anaya smiled happily, grabbing onto his snout.

He allowed it as if he was holding a fragile object. He seemed unsure what to do; Anaya giggled, watching him, trying to open his mouth to ask if to speak. He had lost his daughter, but he ended up gaining one. To think that he was going to abandon her. Now, he knew that he could not part from this little girl. Thankful that his wife fought to keep her in the family.

”Are you going to wash up? We managed to deal with the rogue, and you should know who it was that wanted to harm our baby girl.” Junica popped up and hugged their baby daughter in her arms, kissing the baby’s soft head of hair.

Anaya watched Zaki, in his human form once more, shift and give his wife a hug. They seemed to be laughing and talking as well. Being in between these two, she wondered about what she could be doing other than being so weak. ‘There has to be a way that I can increase my powers. I do know that as I grow older, then I get more, but I need the faith and love from others.’ There was quite a lot for her to do. ‘First things first, I have to find out how large this perk is. See if they have any maps of sort.’ Pretty bad for a baby to be thinking all that, but she was not just a baby.

***

Later that day, Zaki took to his duties and stared at the rogue as he placed the dead corpse in front of where everyone in his pack could see. “My daughter is part of this pack. It doesn’t matter what any of you think. You all may think that she is nothing more than an outsider here, but you can’t be one to judge and differentiate her from being like one of your children. If anyone dares to harm her again, then I will not be merciless.” Zaki announced to them.

Many shivered at his words; his stance as their leader was never a joke. Anaya had just woken up from her nap, staring at the bright light, and it almost blinded her. Her parents were out there having a conference with the pack. Camdus was out training again, almost like he had vowed to be able to protect his baby sister next time danger awaited. 'I think I know who can be given such powers that I give, but.. what power matches him.' Anaya did not know, and she had to keep observing her brother to see what suited him.

She was home with one of the old grannies in the pack, “Oh, I do not know why the others are so fearful of you, but you are not harmful.” The old woman carried the sweet little human child that she did not fear.

“Ba?” Anaya just did so to act her age. Apparently, it would be strange for a baby like her not to act her age.

“You are so sweet. My mate was a human before.” The old woman spoke, gently patting Anaya at the bottom, walking around to the entrance, and allowing the little baby to glance outside. “He was sweet. Even though he was not strong like wolves, he was smart. You do not always need strength. Sometimes cleverness is the strength.” The sweet woman said.

Anaya just saw the people outside walking in the tribe; there were others who were still gathering and fishing along the stream. Bringing herself to glance and look around made her wonder. ‘That is true that you do not always need mere strength. Strength can be of the mind as well.’ She turns back to look at her supposedly Nanny. “Ba?”

“Oh, you are really cute. I can see why your mother and father could never leave you alone.” Bringing a few mashed apples that she had prepared, it was for Anaya to eat with those little baby teeth coming in. There would be a little surging energy going to Anaya, who could only see it.

‘My human parents must be worried sick. Maybe when the nanny goes away for a bit, then I can have a peek. I am sure that I can find out about how they are and if they are even looking for me.’ Anaya may have been a goddess, but she had feelings too. It was a ping in her heart, making her wonder if she was even important to those who were her biological family.

Once she had seen the nanny put her for a nap, Anaya carefully allowed herself to be enveloped in the dark cave room with the cave room’s fur door to cover the only light from the opening.

‘Master, what are you doing?’

Arok yawned, looking at his master, who was bringing her hand forth to form a little mirror-like cloud. Anaya did not respond or answer Arok’s question and went on to see if she could focus her power on it. With a surge of energy, she had started a vision and viewed the tribe that she could see with her two parents there. They looked… sad.

‘Master… you know that we cannot be involved with such trivial things with humans. Mostly, when it can give us away, we can be loved, but loving them can bring an unwanted turn of events. Perhaps you are meant to be separated from your human family for a reason.’

Anaya heard Arok Shaina and sighed, seeing Remi and Brut hug one another as if comforting each other still over their loss, but they were safe in the new tribe now. This made her relax, seeing the happy scene that was being set for her. Even though she may never see her biological family, she could only bless them with a chance to heal with time. Chanting a little before sending off a little firefly-like power to find her parents. ‘I hope that you both can be happy while we are apart.’

***

There would not be much going on this time. With almost six months passing, Anaya did not know what to really do for the remaining time of her day. She did keep an eye on her big brother to see what would match him when she passed him some special powers. Being in the nursery, she could look on and listen to what her pack had planned. Many things were changing here. Some wolves were leaving their home due to being upset over their Alpha taking in a human. ‘I am a child, for heaven's sake! Why don’t they understand that things just happen out of the blue?’ She sighs. ‘I need to see if there is a way for me to prove my worth.’ Even though she was an infant, she was still thinking big.

“Ana!” Camdus rushed inside, just fearing and worrying over her, carrying her up into his arms. “Don’t ever listen to those who bad mouth you! Anyone who bad mouths you are doomed to fall upon my hand!” He declared.

Anaya was confused, but one thing for sure was that she could not kill or harm any of creation. They could only take action against each other, but she could not be involved in killing them. Perhaps helping and assisting at times but not bloodshed. She coos and gently rubs his cheek to comfort him, not knowing why he was acting in such a way. ‘Maybe I may have to give it to him sooner.’ She just watched as his tears streamed down and landed on her skin, but it seemed to warm up on her face.

“When Ana turns 13, then they want to kick you out. I don’t want Ana to be left alone to deal with the world.” Camdus revealed, hugging her tightly while feeling his chest only ache to know that his baby sister was going to be left abandoned again.

Anaya listened.

'So… it should be enough for me to be able to be on my way. I cannot stay here for so long. I have to leave when I turn 13, and it may be the right age for me.’ Thinking deeply, another tear hit her cheek as she babbled and moved a baby hand to wipe those tears on Camdus’s cheek.

Feeling that soft and small hand gently comfort him, his red eyes were just watery and soaking in front of his baby sister. It felt pathetic, but he knew that his heart needed to let it out. He just wanted to let her know what was coming on the horizon and how soon it would be for her to deal with the rest of her life. "Maybe mother and father will find something nice out there to let Ana be safe rather than alone. I don’t want Ana to be upset or mad at us, thinking that we abandoned her. Time flashes like the wind.” He held Ana close into his arms, letting himself know that there were still 13 years before his baby sister actually had to leave.

That night…

“Why do those elders have to be so stingy about her? I know that they are afraid, but she is still only just a child!” Junica was angry.