The sound of cruel laughter fallowed Daniella as she rode her bike home from school. She had been humiliated in front of everyone and it was by her own sisters. Daniella was the quiet Nichols sister who had a hard time talking to people her age. She also liked more old fashioned things like reading, sewing, biking and quiet walks in the woods. The other kids found anything that didn't have to do with a computer or teen icon weird.

Her sisters and classmates all found her weird in this respect. They didn't need to humiliate her with a fake email pen pal scam though. Today she was supposed to meet Henry but had instead been egged by her sisters. It had hurt to know that her sisters had done this to her.

The bullies at school already made her life hard. The week before her hair had to be cut off due to someone sticking gum in it. She had waist length hair before but now it was cut in a choppy home done way. Nobody copped to that one. The week before Larry and Richard O'Grady, her best friends, had moved away to Oregon. Their sudden move had left her even more an outcast then before.

Her sister's cruel laughter hurt more then the other kids though. They were supposed to protect her from bullying not join in. Gabriela and Michella had always been pretty and popular with their barbie like looks. Then their sister came along with flat brown hair and green eyes. The fact was she just didn't fit their perfect world image. They had it in their blond and blue eyed heads that the world of Barbie and Ken was what they wanted.

Their mother had adopted all three girls as infants from Russia, Romania and shockingly her from Japan. Apparently she was found on a temple's steps one night in late spring after a horrible storm. It was doubtful, Mrs. Nichols would have adopted her. If she had known Daniella would turn out to be such a dud.

Upon arriving home she nearly sighed; her mother was not home yet. That meant a shower without being disturbed for a change. When she was done washing off she decided to wear her favorite outfit. It was one her mother and sisters hated. They didn't see that she liked being comfortable over fashionable. The three of them adored all things designer and pink. Heck some of the clothes in their closets would only be worn once. Her worn in black jeans, faded black denim jacket and purple tee shirt, was out of style so they hated it.

Once she was dressed and had put a small yet healthy snack in her old backpack; Daniella peddled off into the woods near her house. She knew the trails fairly well after all. As the sound of her bike joined with the sounds of the woods her problems seemed to melt away. This was her place to escape from her problems after all. No mall could compare to this beautiful place with its quiet sounds, welcoming smells and how it always changed.

Around a bend in the path she gasped spotting a sight that turned her blood cold. There was wolf pup caught in a snare trap. There was nothing ticked off Daniella more then cruelty to animals. Stopping the bike she tried to be calm and quiet so not to scare the poor pup more. The tiny pup tried to act tough but she carefully removed the snare. “There you go little tough guy.” That was when two growls that scared her came from behind. Turning Daniella paled; standing behind her were two very large wolves. They did not look happy to see her near the pup. The pup yipped before limping over to them as she closed the trap so no more animals could get caught in it.

The pup and its parents left but not before the male sniffed her all over. Just as she thought she was safe, he nipped her ear taking a small hunk out of it. “Ow!!!!!!!!!!!! What the hell did you do that for!? I wasn't the one who hurt your pup!” The wolves didn't answer as they were long gone.

Daniella winced as she touched her now disfigured ear. This wasn't going to be understood by her mother and sisters. While they could understand injuries they wouldn't except that she had gotten it while out in the woods. They would try and use this as a reason to keep her from enjoying the woods. It was a disfigurement making her even more a weirdo.

“That was weird” Riding her bike off down the trail, she not knowing what that bite on her ear meant. Soon it was starting to grow dark and the forest was scary at night so she turned to head back. The path was covered in a thick dark fog making it hard to see her way home. She didn't see a log that had fallen across the path and her bike hit it dead on causing her to go flying into a nearby tree. That hurt and she was breathless.

Out of the mist came something so scary even the bravest hunter would run screaming. Two wolves the size of large bears had come out of nowhere. There was only one thing to do: scream and pass out.

The larger of the two wolves walked over to her and was going kill the human trespasser before his mate stopped him. -fool look at her ear she is one of the protected. She has earned a wolf's respect and such we must take her to the den.-

The female carefully put the human girl on her mate's larger back using her mouth. She was trying to be gentle and not hurt her more. They then headed for their den area.