The wolf within

Chapter One - The Mockery ‎ ‎The cold air of dawn clung to my skin as if it wanted to remind me of the place I belonged-at the bottom of ‎everything. The training grounds were alive with the sound of fists hitting flesh, boots striking against dirt, and ‎the smug laughter of wolves who carried power in their blood like a gift from the Moon herself. ‎Unfortunately, I was not one of them. ‎"Again, Aurora," the trainer barked, his tone carrying more irritation than instruction. ‎I swallowed hard, lifting the wooden staff with both hands. My arms trembled, the weight unbearable though I ‎knew to the others it was nothing more than a feather. My grip slipped, and before I could steady myself, the staff ‎clattered to the ground. The laughter that followed pierced my ears sharper than any blade. ‎Kara's voice was the first to cut through. "Even the stick doesn't want her touch. Poor thing-it knows she's ‎useless." ‎The circle of warriors erupted, their snickers ringing like a chorus designed to break me down further. My throat ‎tightened, but I bent to pick up the staff anyway, forcing my face into calmness even though my chest burned. ‎"Don't bother," Verona said, her voice like velvet laced with poison. She stood tall, her golden hair catching the ‎weak morning light, her smile wide as she looked down at me. "Some of us were born to fight. Others..." She let ‎her eyes wander over my thin frame, "...were born to remind us what weakness looks like." ‎My jaw clenched, my knuckles white around the staff. I wanted to scream that they were wrong, that I was more ‎than this fragile body and trembling hands. But the words never came. If I spoke, they would only laugh harder. ‎"Tell me, Aurora," Kara pressed, stepping closer so that her breath brushed against my cheek, "what does it feel ‎like? Knowing the pack only keeps you around out of pity? Even the pups show more strength than you." ‎Laughter again. My chest squeezed, and I forced myself to breathe through it, my eyes fixed on the ground ‎beneath my boots. I wanted to vanish, sink into the earth, disappear from their sight and the cruel smirks that ‎sliced at my soul like claws. ‎But I couldn't. I had to stand there and take it. Like always. ‎"Enough." ‎The single word silenced everything. ‎Every mocking chuckle, every jeer-it all vanished as Maverick's voice rolled across the grounds. I froze, heart ‎slamming against my ribs. The Alpha's presence was suffocating, heavy like a storm pressing down. ‎Slowly, I lifted my gaze. There he stood at the edge of the circle, his eyes as cold as steel, Lionel at his side like a ‎shadow carved from stone. The warriors bowed their heads instantly. I remained standing, awkward, trembling, ‎my throat dry as sand. ‎Maverick's gaze fixed on me. "Aurora." ‎My name on his tongue was not a call-it was a sentence. ‎"Yes, Alpha," I whispered, lowering my head. ‎"Come to the hall," he ordered. "Now." ‎Gasps rippled through the crowd. No one refused the Alpha, but to be summoned so publicly? My stomach ‎twisted violently. I knew what this meant. ‎I was in trouble. ‎As I stumbled forward, staff slipping from my hand, Kara's voice rang one last time, low enough for only me to ‎hear. "Careful. Sometimes when the Alpha calls, the weak don't come back." ‎Her smirk seared into me as I walked away, each step heavy, each breath shallow. ‎--- ‎The forest path to the pack house stretched before me, quiet except for the rustle of leaves and the far-off howls of ‎wolves greeting the morning. My hands shook as I clutched the edges of my worn cloak, the fabric fraying the ‎same way my heart always felt-torn and thin. ‎"Aurora!" ‎The whisper startled me. I turned to see Kiera hurrying toward me, her eyes wide with worry. She was one of the ‎few who didn't laugh when the others mocked me. She didn't defend me either, but her silence felt kinder than ‎cruelty. ‎"Don't go," she hissed, clutching my arm. "The Alpha's angry. I heard Lionel say something-something about ‎removing weakness from the pack." ‎I forced a smile though my lips trembled. "You know I can't refuse." ‎Her eyes filled with sorrow. "At least be careful. Pray to the Moon Goddess." ‎I already had. Every night, every morning. It was the only thing keeping me from breaking completely. ‎As I continued toward the looming silhouette of the pack house, my heart whispered the same desperate plea it ‎always did: Moon Goddess, hear me. Don't let this be the end. ‎--- ‎The doors of the Alpha's hall were monstrous, carved from ancient wood and etched with runes older than the ‎pack itself. Standing before them, I felt smaller than ever. ‎Lionel appeared from the shadows, his grin sharp and mocking. He didn't speak, just pulled the doors open with a ‎groan and gestured for me to enter. His hand brushed my shoulder in a shove, cold and dismissive. ‎The hall inside was vast, firelight flickering against stone walls, casting long, ominous shadows. At the far end sat ‎Maverick on his throne of black oak, his eyes fixed on me like a predator studying prey. ‎I stepped forward, my knees threatening to give way. The sound of my footsteps echoed too loudly in the silence. ‎"You shame this pack, Aurora," Maverick's voice boomed, filling the hall. "Every day you breathe, you drag our ‎name through the mud. Today-" he leaned forward, his lips curling into something cruel, "-your fate will be ‎decided." ‎The air vanished from my lungs. My vision swayed, my pulse thundered in my ears. I wanted to beg, to explain, ‎to ask for mercy. But I knew words would only make things worse. ‎Then the doors behind me creaked open again. ‎ turned, expecting Lionel-but instead, a stranger stepped into the hall. ‎Tall. Broad shoulders. Dark eyes that burned like coals. His presence filled the space as if the air bent to his will. ‎And when his gaze landed on me, my heart stuttered. ‎The world tilted. Something in me whispered a single word-mate. ‎