ARIANA
I sat by the window, holding my hands together so they wouldn’t shake too much. My heart was beating so fast, and my stomach hurt. I didn’t know if it was from hunger or fear—or both.
We were finally in the pack territory. The guards at the gate didn’t say anything to me, probably because Juliana was with me. They just nodded and opened the big metal gate. I expected it to feel like a relief—like I was finally safe—but it didn’t. Instead, I felt like a lost puppy with no place to go.
Juliana had been quiet the whole ride. That made me more nervous. She was always talkative, always teasing or humming some weird old song. But now, nothing. Just silence.
When we got out of the truck, I tried to stay close to her side.
“Where are we going now?” I asked, trying not to sound scared,
