Chapter 1
1106 Words
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.
- Writer
