Chapter 1 Where You Belong

• KIMBERLY'S POV
• My dad and I huddled in the cave. I was shaken, especially after witnessing my mother's death just a few days ago.
• She had been killed by the enemy while she was trying to protect me. I would have been killed, too, if my dad had not shown up and rescued me in the nick of time.
• Since that time, we had been running, trying to find a safer place.
• But right now, we were surrounded from all corners. They were coming to get us.
• I knew that my father was terrified, but not for himself. He was scared of what was going to happen to me, and it frightened me even more than death. I had never seen my strong, infallible father so scared.
• “Are we going to be okay, Daddy?” I kept asking, again and again, my voice coming out in a tremor.
• Ever since I was young, I had been spoiled rotten by my parents. They treated me like a little princess. I never lacked anything. They had protected me from the world, maybe even a little too much, if other people had their say. Even at the age of twenty-one, I didn't know a lot of things my peers did.
• Most people thought that I was dumb, and some said that I was naive. But I never cared about any of them.
• After all, I had my parents, and my adoptive brother, who all loved me dearly. I did well in school as well. It was just that I had very little knowledge about the world around me.
• My dad was in the military. So he wasn't home most of the time. Despite this, he was always my role model.
• Ever since my adoptive brother went abroad to study one year ago, I only had my Dad and Mom. They meant everything to me. I lived in peace in the little bubble that was our family.
• But now, my mommy was gone. And I only had my dad.
• I didn't know how to fight. I didn't know how to use a gun, either. If anything, I felt like I was a burden to him. If he were by himself, it would have been easier for him to escape.
• Every time I asked, he would caress my shoulder gently. “We are going to be okay,” he said. “I'm going to make sure you are safe, no matter what.”
• Suddenly, there were loud noises outside. They had found us.
• My heart jumped to my throat, and I subconsciously began to curl up in fear. We couldn't stay here anymore. We were no longer safe.
• I turned to my father, but he suddenly grabbed my hands and looked into my eyes. “I'm sorry, honey. I thought I was doing the right thing. I should have let you go when it was time…”
• His words made no sense to me. I even thought that he was losing his mind because of all the pressure.
• But when I looked at him, his eyes were clear as ever. He looked very serious, and that only added to my confusion.
• “What do you mean, Daddy?”
• He sighed and looked around, flinching slightly at the banging sounds outside. We had barricaded the cave, but it seemed it wouldn't hold up much longer.
• Then he took out his phone and made a call. He only said three words.
• “We are ready.”
• “Are they coming to save us?” I asked. I didn't understand why he was calling for help just now. He had said there was no one he could trust, just a few days earlier.
• Instead of answering, he asked his question. “Have you ever heard about werewolves?”
• I furrowed my brows and nodded my head. My brother had told me a lot of things about them. We called them the night creatures. I knew that they were dangerous and hated humans.
• “Are they the ones after us?” I asked, fear creeping into me.
• But Daddy shook his head. “No, those are vampires,” he said.
• “What?” I looked at him in confusion. “Aren't they the same?”
• He shook his head again. He was silent for a second before peeping out through the crack.
• “They are not,” he said after a while. “Werewolves and vampires are enemies. They are two different creatures…”
• I nodded in understanding. “So what are we going to do?” I asked. If it were either of those creatures that were after us, our chances of survival were limited.
• “Maybe it's time you go where you belong…” Dad muttered under his breath.
• And I opened my eyes wide in shock. He seemed to be talking in tongues today. I didn't understand him.
• “What do you mean, Daddy? Where do I belong?” I asked.
• He sighed and held my hand tightly. “To your husband,” he said. I could see fear in his eyes, like he was scared of losing me.
• “Dad?” I called in confusion. What did he mean by my husband?
• “I know, honey,” Daddy said. “There are a lot of things that you don't understand now. But I promise you that you'll understand soon, okay?”
• But my mind was stuck on one thing. “Did you just say my husband, Daddy? I'm only twenty-one…”
• Daddy pursed his lips and swallowed hard. I could tell that he was struggling with something.
• “Honey, he will keep you safe. He won't let anyone hurt you. You have to trust him,” he said.
• He was trying to convince me to get married again instead of explaining things to me.
• “But why?” I asked. That was the only question I had for a while now.
• Daddy held my shoulders and looked into my eyes. “Long ago, when you were only a year old, a consensus was reached. You were engaged to the Lycan Prince…”
• “The Lycan Prince? Isn't that the scary werewolf?” I asked in shock.
• I suddenly felt like something was wrong with my dad. What was he even saying?
• He sighed again. “People talk, honey. He might be bad, but he protects his own. He won't hurt his wife…”
• “I'm not his wife!” I shouted, and tears began falling from my eyes. “What's wrong with you, Daddy? I'm not leaving you…”
• “I'm only trying to keep you alive, honey. You have to listen to me…” he said.
• But I shook my head and clutched his arm. “Don't do this to me, Daddy? I don't want to be with that horrible man. Please, don't do this to me,” I said.
• Daddy suddenly pulled me into his arms and hugged me tightly. “I didn't want to do it. I have been hiding you for a few years now. I'm sure you'll be fine…”
• “I won't be fine… I don't want to go…”
• “It's just for one year. You'll have protection over this year. If you don't love him within this period, you can come back home,” he said.
• “But Daddy…”
• Suddenly, gunshot sounds were heard. “They are here, honey. It's going to be fine,” he said.