PROLOGUE

Lucas Cates fell in love with Sofia Donner at the tender age of three and his mother still remembers watching it happen.

RECOGNITION

It was typical Sunday in church. Watching the same rituals. Listening to the same sermons. Singing the same songs. Everyone sitting in the same pews. The Alfa and his family sitting behind the Packs' Keeper.

Like every Sunday for the past two years Sherman Blackstone held a sleeping baby girl against his shoulder. No one in the Pack had been surprised when Sherman had started bringing Sofia to church. Matthew Donner may have been willing to risk his immortal soul by turning his back on his faith. However, he would never risk his precious daughter's. Or trust her safety to anyone but Sherman.

Vivian Cates was trying to pay attention to the sermon when she heard her son Luke gasp…"Oh." She looked down to see what was wrong and noticed her blushing son was staring with open mouth wonder at a set of big brown eyes. Sofia Donner was awake and watching her husband over Sherman's shoulder.

She could see Willard over her son head making silly faces at the little girl and rolled her eyes. As much as she wanted to deny it, Sofia was a beautiful child. But the attention the girl garnered was ridiculous. Especially when it was from a man like her husband. The only children she had ever seen him notice were his own. It wasn't that he didn't like kids. He just didn't have any interest in them.

Willard had got Sofia to start smiling at him and it wasn't long before she started happily giggling. Her laughter brought a huge smile to Luke's face. He looked up at his dad and (much to the enjoyment of the entire Pack) said in a very loud voice…"She looks and laughs like Bambi, daddy".