"Write the year down."

A four year old child with hazel eyes and a long braid of blonde hair looked up. Her father was waiting and she picked up the pen beside her hand.

"What is it?"

"2050."

She pressed the pen tip against the old paper and wrote the four letters down. Setting the pen aside, she looked up at him and he picked up the paper. His brown eyes slid along each line of words and he took a seat beside her. He adjusted the light in the ancient lantern and looked down at her. Her small face looked up at him and he rested his hand on her shoulder.

"Good job."

She smirked and they heard the door knob turn. Looking up, she watched him pull out his hidden gun and set it as the door opened. Her mother entered their small home and shut the door behind her. The woman locked it and looked back at her.

"Kara, kill the light."

She turned the lantern off and heard "Get to your room and stay there."

Standing up, she walked back into her room and shut the door. Sitting in the middle of her bed, she looked across the room and turned her gaze to her window. The moonlight was shining in and she moved closer. Keeping against her wall, she glanced out the bottom of the window and saw people approaching. Her eyes snapped back to her door when she heard the banging from the front door and she moved to the corner next to her door.

Crouching on the floor, she heard the movements of her parents and focused on the darkness under her door. The front door was kicked in and she heard all the guns being cocked.

"Hand her over."

"No."

"We agreed to let you begin her education as her parents but you know the law."

She felt her pulse still and she looked back out the window. The moon was slipping behind a cloud and she could feel the cold slipping into her skin.

"She's our daughter."

"She belongs to the government."

"She is just a child."

Footsteps approached her door and she moved further into the corner. Keeping to the ground, she felt her pulse slowly resuming and her skin crawling.

"You knew this would happen if you had a child. All children are taken to the capital to train."

"You mean to brainwash!"

"Hold your tongue and step aside. We will not leave without her."

"Over my dead body."

"Emily, get our daughter out of here."

Her door opened and she watched her mother slip in. Emily shut the door and locked it.

"Kara, the window."

She climbed to her feet and moved quickly to the window. Pushing it open, she climbed through and dropped to the ground. Her mother joined her and took her hand.

"What about Dad?"

Emily glanced around the house and said "He is letting us get away. We have to move quickly."

She took Kara from the house into the surrounding woods just as the house went up in flames and she came to a halt. Emily looked down at her and caught her shoulders.

"Your father sacrificed himself to get you to safety. Please keep up."

Kara nodded slowly and followed her mother into the heart of the forest. They ran all night and came to rest at dawn. Kara rested with her head on her mother's knee and felt the woman run her hand through her loosened braid.

"Why do they want me?"

"Shh, rest."

Kara sat up and looked up at her mother. The small hazel eyes were tired but serious and Emily smiled. She had the ambition and spirit of her father but unfortunately in her blood ran the line the government wanted.

"You remember us telling you what skills you possess?"

Kara nodded and said "Dad said I took after you."

Emily wrapped her arms around her daughter and said "If you were able to engulf your body with flames I would have been just as happy."

Kara closed her eyes and said "I don't even know how to use the gift."

"I am going to take you somewhere you can learn properly and be safe."

She looked back up at her mother and Emily kissed her forehead. They rested until late afternoon and resumed movement when dusk was settling upon them. They followed a stream until they reached a grassland outside an old town and she looked up at her mother.

"When we enter, stay with me and don't say a word."

She nodded and followed Emily up to the town. Her skin began crawling with uneasiness and she felt her mother's uneasiness as they entered the quiet place. One person appeared outside an old bar and they approached.

"Can I help you?"

Emily held the man's gaze and said "I'm looking for Leon."

The man chuckled and said "He isn't expecting you so go back wherever you came from."

Kara watched her mother's shoulders square and she held back the smirk. One look from her mother had the man leading them down the street to an out of business motel. He led them inside and she remained behind her mother as they came to a stop at the front desk.

"Leon, someone is asking for you."

She watched the man eye her mother and then settle his gaze on her. He had black eyes in the light and she felt her pulse jump. Her blood went cold and she forced down the new emotion when an elder man appeared. He had blonde hair like her and her mother and his eyes were hazel. The man looked at their guide and then turned his gaze on them.

"Joseph, go on home."

The man stared back down at Kara as he left and she felt her body warm as soon as he left. She looked back up at Leon and saw him beckon them to follow him. They walked into the back of the motel and out the back door. He led them along the building until they reached a wooden house buried in the woods. The man let them inside and locked the door as her mother had her stand by her.

Leon turned back to them and smiled. Emily left Kara and walked into an open embrace.

"It is so good to see you."

"Dad, I want you to meet my daughter."

Leon looked down at her and said "She looks just like you."

The man sat down and asked "Where is Michael?"

Emily sat down by Kara and took her in her arms. The child kept her gaze on Leon and the man studied the look in the small set of hazel eyes.

"He bought us time to escape."

The look on her father's face said it all and she took a deep breath. They just needed to rest one night and get some food into Kara. Leon stood up and walked into the kitchen.

"I just have leftovers. I haven't been on a hunt in a week."

"Anything you have would be fine."

Leon returned to the room and asked "Kara, do you have any preference?"

She shook her head and slid off her mother's lap. Emily left her in the room as she entered the kitchen and Kara looked around the room. It was furnished with images of her mother's childhood with her parents but nothing else. She drew her knees up against her and wrapped her arms around them.

"Kara, come eat in here."

She stood up without a word and walked into the kitchen. The food was sitting on the table well heated and she took a seat. Her mother sat beside her and they worked on the first food in the last two days. After dinner, Leon let her take a shower and Emily tucked her into her old bed. She ran her hand through the damp blonde hair and watched her daughter slowly drift to sleep.

When the moon was bright in the sky, she left the bedroom and joined her father outside the house. He took a drink from a canteen and looked back at her.

"I'm sorry it came to this."

She nodded and said "We knew it would eventually."

He handed her the canteen and asked "What are you going to do?"

She took a calming drink and said "Look up our family and meet up with you."

"It could take years."

A sad smirk caught her face and she said "I trust you can keep her safe that long."

He nodded and asked "Are you coming with us to say goodbye?"

She caught his gaze and said "I shouldn't but I can't let her lose both of us without a goodbye."

Leon wrapped an arm around her and said "Michael loved you both very much."

Closing her eyes, she breathed in the cool, damp, night air and leaned her head on her father's shoulder. She knew when she allowed herself to sleep she would dream of the last night she had with her husband and she wasn't ready.

"Are you sleeping in my room?"

She shook her head and said "I'll spend the night with Kara."

He kissed the top of her head and they walked into the house. She left him to lock up as she made her way into the bedroom and closed the door. Removing her shoes, she walked over to the bed and climbed in beside her daughter. She slid her fingers through the soft hair and kissed her daughter's brow.

"Kara, run!"

Feeling her pulse racing, she flew through the burning woods and felt energy flying through her. Her sight enhanced as she ran and she dropped onto all fours. Fur covered her skin and her paws ran through the moist dirt.

"Kara!"

She looked over her shoulder and saw the man fire the gun. Her mother went down and she stopped running. Looking at the man standing over her mother, she felt the growl come within and she leapt at the man as the gun went off again.

Her eyes flew open and she sat up breathing hard. Looking around the room, she found the sun coming in from a covered window and she climbed out of the lonely bed. Walking across the room, she pulled the door open as the scent of food reached her. She looked into the kitchen and found her mother cooking something.

"Take a seat sleepy head."

She took a seat at the table and watched the food finish up. Leon entered as the food reached the table and they ate the meal in silence. As the dishes were cleaned, she sat at the table and watched Leon shut up the rest of the house.

"Ready?"

Emily nodded and said "Let's go."

Kara climbed to her feet as they approached the door and she followed them outside. Leon locked the place up and looked down at his granddaughter.

"It's going to be a long run."

"I can keep up."

He chuckled and said "Not unless you move like us."

Her mother took a deep breath and said "She hasn't practiced."

Kara could see the slight disappointment on the man's face and said "I think I know how to do it though."

Emily looked down at her and asked "How?"

She shrugged and said "I don't know but I think I can do it."

Leon folded his arms and said "Show us."

She ran her hands along her fading jeans and took a deep breath. Looking further into the woods, she closed her eyes momentarially and took off in a run. Everything changed as she drew further away and became more clear. Her feet became paws and her skin was covered in warm fur. She stopped running and looked back.

A smile was on both of their faces and she felt her tail wagging. She looked at it and smiled herself.

"I did it!"

She ran back to them and shifted before reaching her mother. Hugging her mother, she laughed and the woman kissed her brow.

"I did it!"

Emily nodded and said "I'm so proud."

Leon shook his head as he cleared his throat and said "We need to get going if we want to be there by the end of the week."

Kara felt the joy of the moment disappear as her mother and grandfather shifted before her and she resumed her wolf form. Her mother examined her and nosed her gently to encourage her. They took off in a brisk run and even though she had no idea where she was going, she felt the thrill of the transformation sweep through her.