The summary as of now: Tough as nails Cara, once human, becomes the sole wolf changeling amidst the werewolves. Attracting trouble by the bucketloads she's hit by fangs, bullets and that crazy messed up thing called love. Can she escape a fur filled love quadrangle?

The Dawn

My mother always told me that I was special. Something that –quoting from the little prince- was unique in all the world. At the time I had thought it as something every mom says to their child. No matter how ordinary they were. It was only the night of the winter's festival that things had changed and I realized that buried in me was a secret. A secret that could destroy me.

And to be honest… I still don't feel very special.

A soft hum carried itself through the frosty winter air. Her throat was drier than usual… She wasn't used to the cold climate… Compared to the humid city where she resided, this was almost a 25 degree drop. Her normally sleek hair had fluffed up considerably. She felt she rather looked like a poodle. Her mom said she looked like a cute poodle and that almost made her barf.

She'd taken to trekking in the mountains -without her parent's consent- and had progressed to the point that she could almost feel at home there. The smell, the sights and the sounds all welcomed her. She belonged.

It was more than she could say for home.

"Cara. It's almost midnight. What are you doing sitting out here in the cold?" the temperature had dropped to the negatives, turning just about everything to ice. Her mother, Louise, stood and leaned on the sliding door arms folded. It was hard to take her seriously when she wore a bright yellow robe with pink bunny slippers and had her hair in a towel that imitated a turban.

Cara took one look at that dazzling white moon framed by snow covered mountain peaks and found her answer. "I was just enjoying the view…"she answered with a sigh. She could imagine living under this beautiful sky. It was too bad that they were returning to the tropics next week. She wanted to enjoy the serenity for longer…

"Well take a good look and go to sleep." Louise told her firmly. "You promised your father that you'd go to his festival."

His festival. Cara found the words replaying in her mind. The distaste in her mom's voice was obvious. Apparently the festival was more like a ritual to her father's people. A ritual that my mother had never participated in and had never liked. She couldn't help but sigh aloud. "Mom… I'll be fine." She reassured her. "Dad will take good care of me. I won't let him goad me into doing anything I wouldn't try without your consent. Okay mom?" she looked to her mothers sky blue eyes for approval.

Her mother gave her a soft look and a shake of her head. It was the biggest show of approval that she's ever get. Giving her mom a wry smile Cara stepped into the chalet, kicking snow off her boots and removing her snow cap. It was only after removing all her gear, tramping upstairs after her mom and sprawling on the bed did she realize something odd.

The clock at her bedside said it was half an hour past midnight. She'd sat outside for four hours. Her face… Her face wasn't flushed or even cold from the outside weather… She shook it off. Her mom did say that she always had a wild imagination! The things she conjured up. She snorted a laugh and switched off the light, immersing her room in darkness.

The town was smaller and quieter than she was used to. But it had an odd feeling of peacefulness. No one here seemed to be as stressed as the city dwellers she'd come to know and…

Well she couldn't say love.

Cara turned the icy blue eyes she'd inherited from her mother on her father. "It doesn't look like there's a festival." The town's people continued doing their everyday activities; no one seemed to be preparing for a festival. Her father's eyes crinkled at the sides.

"That's because the festival only occurs at night." He told her mysteriously. She arched a brow in response. He seemed happy enough about the festival. A small part of her hoped that there would be fireworks.

"So why am I here so darn early?" Cara asked in an irritated fashion. He had woken her up at nine. Not a decent hour for anyone to be up and about…

"I wanted you to meet some of my friends." I almost face palmed at the thought.

"Oh my god. Please don't tell me we're gonna see the bald guy again… He freaks me out!" with a fake eye and a creepy house filled with incense, the man had a license to be insane!

"He has kids about your age..." He said as if it were something tempting enough to want to go near his weird moss covered house. Every year that I come here for a visit, dad constantly tries to have me make friends with the children here. It's practically his obsession… As if I would be tied by something as stupid as friendship.

"I know." She told him slowly, as if she were speaking to a kindergartener. "I've already met them years ago." The two twins had bullied her mercilessly as a child. And she recalled biting their arms as a defense.

"Well they're back for Christmas. Isn't that wonderful?" Her father was just full of joy.

"Yeah... Great. I can hardly hold back my roaring enthusiasm." She said sarcastically.

"Just… Just try to be nice. They've had a rough year." He sounded really sympathetic. There was something in his tone that told her it really was a serious something. The warning bells dinged in her head as they approached the house. It was as scary as she remembered. But even more so… It had a frightening presence that seemed to loom over her. Warning her away…

"Cara?" she jumped a foot in the air at the sound of her own name. She supposed it showed just how far gone she was. She turned around quickly, as terrified as a jack rabbit.

"Mike…" she squeezed out. He was taller than she recalled. Much, much taller… And broader. He was bigger than her dad and had an overwhelming presence. It made her want to take a step back to get some air. She refused to give in to that urge and stood her ground, looking at him square in the face. Despite the fact that she was two heads shorter. A hand from behind pushed her head down.

She swiveled and met her dad's eyes. "Dad!" she cried angrily. Something about not being able to meet Mike's gaze in a stand-off made her really pissed.

Then Mike laughed. "You're still the spitfire I met years ago." He obviously thought she was no threat.

"And you're still the arrogant brat I met years ago." She shot him a glare and folded her arms.

"Careful… You don't want to upset him." Her dad whispered feverently. A flame of rage rose in her.

"Upset him? Upset him!" She cried incredulously. Her dad's attitude was getting really, really weird. "He may look like he's got some pounds on me. But if I remember correctly… I won the last round." She said smugly leaning on her right foot and tilting her head to the side in a 'bring it' gesture. "And it was two against one."

Mike snorted. "We went easy on you because you're a girl." He smirked. "And I thought I had won that round…" She raised a brow, then gritted her teeth as her mind replayed the last time they had met. She had her fist near his eye in a heartbeat, restrained by Mike's hand. He had caught it! She narrowed her blue eyes on his brown eyes. "Same trick won't work twice."

"Oh really?" she kneed his groin, then darted back. He paused as if in shock, then doubled over.

"Cheap shot." He muimbled. She flashed a wicked smirk at his insult.

"Don't you know it." She said sassily, flashing her teeth.

"Mike! You bastard! Help me with the-" Jake stopped short of the house lugging a huge greenish canvas bag on his shoulder. "I do the shopping… While you flirt with some CHICK?" He cried in outrage. Mike made a slashing motion at his throat as Cara turned around.

Cara's aura was dark as night. "Some chick?" something dangerous flashed in her baby blues. Jake jumped in his skin.

"C-Cara! …" he acknowledged her father as if it was an afterthought. "You… You changed…" he said nervously looking down at her, then away.

"Into… Some chick." She repeated the insult.

"I-I didn't know it was you! I swear!" Jake stuttered. Cara knew something was off about his stuttering. She had a gut feeling that he was trying to appear afraid.

She grabbed the front of his coat and pulled him down to her eye level. "You grew guts Jake. That isn't something you need to hide." She whispered in his ear. Releasing him, she saw a real blush emerge on his cheeks.

"So who's gonna tell me about the festival?" she asked no one in particular as her father passed through the gate leading to the house and motioned them inside. All three of them froze and shot glances at each other. Cara's eyes swept the scene, she felt instantly suspicious.

Her father was quick to speak. "It's a tribe tradition. The boys are coming too." The two of them gave a quick nod. "It'll be… A night to remember."

Now where had she heard that before?