Prologue
Ayame ran through the woods. The sun was high in the sky and it was warm out. Her red hair blew in the breeze as she ran. "Ayame!" An elder man's voice called from the other side of the woods. She stopped dead in her tracks when she heard his voice. "Coming!" Ayame called as she ran back to their home.
Ayame ran into her family and their pack's territory. Ayame looked for him. The voice that called her. her Grandfather. "Ayame, your grandfather is in the main building. He's waiting for you." A fellow pack member said gruffly. "Thank you, Brother." Ayame smiled as she walked towards the main building.
Outside the main building there stood many members of another pack. "this is interesting. He never wants me here for diplomatic junk." She tought to herself as she entered the building. An elder white wolf demon sat in the large animal hide chair with a young brown wolf demon member. Ayame stood near the fire pit in the middle of the room, her fingertips dancing in the tips of the flames. "Ah, Ayame. Thank you for joining us." The older man said with a smile. "Of course, Grandfather. Whenever you need me all you have to do is call." She smiled as her cheeks flushed with color. The brown wolf demon had turned to face her.
His face held a lot of seriousness and the most beautiful blue eyes. "Damn, he is fine!" Ayame thought to herself. His black hair fell longer than most. "Ayame, this is Koga." Her Grandfather said with a smile. "Hello, Koga. I am Ayame. I will head this pack when it is my time." Her voice was diplomatic and serious. "Hello, Ayame." He replied. His stature was that of a warrior and a leader. Ayame stood before the two men with not the stature of a lady or a queen, but the stature of a warrior. "Well, she is something else." Koga spoke softly to her Grandfather. "Yes, I know." He chuckled with a smile winking at Ayame. "Well, then I believe that we will go with what we discussed and I will be back in four months." Koga replied with a respectful wave before taking his leave.
"Hm. I am curious." Ayame thought to herself as she walked to sit in the chair on her grandfather's left side. "Grandfather, what was he talking about?" She asked calmly as she pushed her red hair off her shoulder. "Well, my dear Koga is wanting an alliance. To forge an alliance you know that there must be ties forged between the two. It is Koga's wish to marry you and that be the seal to the alliance." Her Grandfather said quietly. "Grandfather, he wants to marry me?!" Ayame's heart pounded like it might burst out of her chest. "Yes, Ayame. He finds you attractive and wishes to be your betrothal." His voice tender and filled with some hope of her happiness. "Grandfather, do you think that this is best? Not so much for me, but for the pack." In many ways she hoped that her grandfather would say that it was the best thing. "My dear Ayame, I would not be putting you in the position if it was not for the pack's best interest. Please, trust me and understand what must be done for your people.
"Yōrōzoku! Yōrōzoku!" A pack member called as he came running into the main building. "What is it, boy?" Yōrōzoku, Ayame's grandfather asked his voice going from care and hope to leader and warrior. "There is an army. They are headed this way!" The man replied with what seemed like so much passion for the thrill of the fight. "Double the defenses and be ready for them." Yōrōzoku spoke using the tone of a true leader. "We must protect the pack!"