chapter one

Summary

When tragedy strikes, Tia Brown is forced to leave everything she'd ever known behind to move to a place she'd never heard of with family she didn't know she had. Will a certain dark haired, dark eyed wonder be able to help?

Chapter One

Tia's POV

My name is Tia Brown I am sixteen years old and this is my story.

It all started when my father and I walked out of our favorite diner. It was late and we quickly headed to our car.

I had had a bad feeling all day, but I'd put it to the back of my mind until now. I couldn't have known what was going to happen. Just as we made it to our car, a man walked towards us from the shadows. I immediately recognized him as McKeen and I knew then that he was the reason for my bad feeling. There was something off about him, I could tell by the dark look in his eyes. He pull out a gun

"McKeen, what are you doing?" Dad yelled, trying to push me behind him. I shrugged off his attempt as I leaped back to his side.

"Quit the innocent act, Warrick," McKeen snarled.

"Jeffrey, c'mon. You don't have to do this," Dad said. McKeen snorted and his hand shook, the gun moving with it.

"Dad," I whispered nervously.

"It's okay, Tia," he reassured me. Just as he said this, there was a loud bang and a sharp pain in my shoulder. Even as the sound echoed I could hear dad shouting.

I cried out as I dropped to my knees, clutching my shoulder as a sticky wetness trickled down my side.

"NO!" he screamed, throwing himself down to the ground next to me, applying pressure to my wound. I hissed in pain as I struggled to get back to my feet before it was too late.

"She was in my way," McKeen sneered, pointing the gun at him and firing again.

In that second I simply reacted. I threw off my clothes and phased, running towards McKeen. I felt the familiar warmth as my body transformed into the lithe, powerful wolf, howling my displeasure as my wound throbbed uncomfortably. I lunged at him. Fear filled his face as he tried to bring his gun around again. I slashed at him before he could, leaving long cuts across his face. The bullet missed me.

I growled at his body one final time before I limped back to my dad, furious with myself that I had left him defenseless. I phased back and quickly reached for my backpack, where I always kept my spare pair of clothes. I went through clothing fast, as they were shredded into pieces each time I would phase.

Seeing my dad lying there in a puddle of blood nearly did me in. I dug my nails into my palms to stay calm and a scream rose in my throat.

I tried to help my father, but my hands were shaking too badly. I tried to focus, but my head was swimming. I looked around hoping to find something to put over the wound. The shaking throughout my body was becoming too much though, it wasn't working.

"Please don't go. I need you. Don't go. Not now," I whispered, crying as I shook him gently.

I looked down at my own arm shocked to see the blood dripping down it. In that moment, felt McKeen grab me. I struggled against him as he pinned me down with his weight. My head hit the ground with a resounding thud and I cried out in pain. I tried to fight it, but eventually, the darkness claimed me.

Billy's POV

I heard the phone ringing while I was in the other room, and I wheeled myself over so that I could answer it as quickly as possible.

"Hello?"

"Hi, I'm looking for a William Black," a gruff voice came through the phone.

I was a little cautious; I didn't recognize the voice and no one called me William. There was only one way to find out what was going on though, so I said, "This is Billy. How may I help you?"

"My name is Jim Brass. I am a homicide detective for the Las Vegas Police department. Sorry to be calling under these circumstances, but Warrick Brown has been killed. He named you guardian of his sixteen year-old daughter, Tia. Is there any way you can come down to Las Vegas?"

Shock and surprise echoed through my voice, "Wh-What happened to Warrick? How... is he really dead?"

Jim sighed and I could tell that this phone call was very hard for him. Clearing his throat, he continued, "Warrick was shot and killed. His daughter was also caught in the crossfire, but she luckily only sustained a flesh wound. She will be okay, at least physically."

I could tell his voice was struggling to maintain control. My heart went out to Tia, and I felt tears sting my eyes as I cleared my own throat.

"Yes I can come to Las Vegas. I will be there as soon as I can," I managed to choke out.

"Ok, when you make your arrangements, can you call me?"

"I will do that."

"Goodbye Detective," I spoke softly into the phone before I disconnected the line. I pressed my shaking hands to my face as a single tear slipped down my cheek.

As the door opened, and my son Jacob walked in, I hurriedly wiped away any evidence left of my tears.

Jacob walked towards me grinning, "Hey dad."

"Hi Jake," I replied distractedly.

"What's wrong with you? You look like you've seen a ghost or something." he questioned.

I could tell he was trying to joke around, but he really was concerned.

Clearing my throat, I explained, "I just got a phone call about my brother Warrick. He was... he was killed. He has a little girl who is sixteen. When he had asked me to be her guardian if anything happened to him, I didn't think it would ever come to pass... However, since I am her legal guardian now, I have to go down to Las Vegas to get her and I want you to come with me."

Jacob's mouth dropped open at my words. Whatever he was expecting, this obviously wasn't it.

"I'm sorry about your brother Dad," he declared after a moment's pause, a serious expression on his face. "I will try my best to be a friend and brother to Tia when we get her."

A/N R&R