Chapter Two
1566 Words
~Aurella
Pain.
That was the first thing I felt.
It came in waves—sharp, deep, aching. My body felt like it had been thrown off a cliff and stitched back together with broken glass. My eyes fluttered open, and the blurry shapes above slowly sharpened into wooden beams. The ceiling was low and dark, dust clinging to the corners like cobwebs.
I didn’t recognize anything.
The blanket covering me was rough, scratchy against my skin. The mattress beneath me dipped unevenly, stuffed with what felt like straw. The air smelled of damp wood, herbs, and something slightly burnt. It was cold. I tried to sit up, but my arms gave out beneath me.
Where was I?
The door creaked open.
Two girls stepped inside, their footsteps soft. I blinked hard, trying to focus. Their faces were unfamiliar, tired. Their clothes were simple, worn thin at the edges. The taller one had her hair tied back, while the shorter girl kept her arms crossed like she didn’t trust me.
“She’s awake,” the tall one said quietly.
My throat burned as I tried to speak. “Where… am I?”
“You’re in the Foxwood Pack,” she replied, walking closer. “Don’t worry. You’re safe now.”
Foxwood Pack? The words meant nothing. I frowned, my chest tightening.
“I don’t know what that means,” I said. “I don’t remember anything.”
The shorter girl stepped closer, peering at me with a skeptical look. “You don’t remember who you are?”
I shook my head. My voice came out hoarse. “No. Nothing. Not even… my name.”
“You’re Arielle,” the tall girl said. “They told us. You were found in the forest after a fight with the Moonstar Pack.”
Moonstar... the name rang a bell in my head, but I couldn't remember anything no matter how hard I tried. My breath hitched, and I felt my heart race, but nothing came. No memories. No images
“Does that mean something to you?” the shorter girl asked.
“I don’t know.” My voice broke. “It sounds familiar… but I don’t know why.”
They exchanged a look.
“Your wolf’s gone quiet,” the tall one said gently. “That happens when something traumatic happens.”
My mouth went dry.
“I feel… empty,” I whispered. “Like something’s missing.”
The taller girl sat on the edge of the bed. “My name’s Becca. This is Clara. We’re omegas. That’s the lowest rank here. People treat us like dirt.”
“Get used to it,” Clara muttered. “That’s your life now.”
My head spun. I didn’t know who I was, where I came from, or why I felt like crying without knowing the reason. But something deep inside me—something quiet and broken—told me this wasn’t how my life was supposed to be.
Becca reached out and handed me a chipped cup of water. I took it with shaking hands and drank slowly, the cool liquid soothing my throat.
“How did I get here?” I asked.
“You were rescued,” Becca said. “By the leader of this pack,Alpha Darius. No one knows why. He is a strong,cold hearted warrior,he doesn’t save people. Especially not omegas.”.
“Do I… know him?” I asked, the name rolling off my tongue strangely.
“No idea,” Clara said. “He carried you in,covered in blood. You were barely breathing.”
My stomach twisted. The thought of a stranger finding me like that made me feel vulnerable and exposed. But also… a tiny part of me wanted to meet him. To look into his eyes and see if he held any answers.
Clara stood up and walked to a chair in the corner, tossing a plain grey dress on the bed. “You’ll start work tomorrow. Cleaning, kitchen, whatever they want.”
“I don’t even know who I am,” I said softly. “How can I—?”
“No one cares,” she cut in. “Not here.”
Becca offered a small, sad smile. “Just keep your head down. Don’t speak unless spoken to. And never look the Alpha in the eye.”
The warning made my skin crawl. “Why not?”
“You’ll see,” Becca said, already heading toward the door.
When they left, the silence felt louder than before. I sat there, holding the dress, staring at my bruised hands. There were cuts on my arms I didn’t remember getting. My skin looked foreign. My face felt unfamiliar.
Who was I before this?
A sudden gust of wind howled through the cracks in the walls, making me shiver. I pulled the blanket tighter, stood slowly, and limped toward the tiny window.
The forest outside was dark. Snow coated the ground, soft and undisturbed. Shadows stretched across the trees, long and still.
And then I saw them.
Eyes.
Golden, glowing eyes staring at me from the tree line. Unblinking. Watching.
My heart froze. I stumbled back, breath caught in my throat.
I blinked—and they were gone.
But the feeling stayed.
Someone had found me once in the woods.
Someone was watching again.
The next morning, a sharp knock rattled the door.
“Up,” Becca’s voice called. “You’re expected downstairs.”
Sleep had barely come. The wooden walls had groaned all night, and every shadow stretched like something unseen lurked behind it. Muscles still ached, and the bruises on both arms had deepened overnight.
Dressing was slow. The simple grey dress hung loose, smelling faintly of old soap and woodsmoke. Bare feet met the cold floor, sending a shiver up the spine. Hair was tied back with a scrap of cloth Becca had left. The door creaked open.
Clara leaned against the wall, chewing something. “Try not to cry if someone glares at you. Omegas don’t get to feel things here.”
No reply left the lips. Just quiet steps down a narrow hallway and a creaky staircase that led into the main part of the house. Cleaner than the room above—stone floors, dark wooden beams, the scent of roasting meat and herbs drifting through the space.
People passed by without looking. Warriors, betas, another omega mopping. Everyone moved with purpose. Everyone belonged.
“He’s waiting in the east courtyard,” Clara muttered, jerking her chin toward a side door. “Don’t make it worse.”
He?
The question died in the throat. Clara had already walked away.
The cold outside cut sharp and fast. Arms hugged close to the chest while trudging through a path packed down with snow and paw prints.
A tall man stood with his back turned.
Broad shoulders. Long black coat swaying in the wind. He faced the trees, untouched by the cold.
Then he turned.
Dark eyes locked on and held. A sudden stillness, as if the world paused for one breathless second.
“You’re Arielle,” he said, voice low and rough like stone against stone.
A slow nod. “That’s what they told me.”
He stepped closer. No flinch. Just a loud heartbeat.
His scent hit—pine, smoke, and something raw. Wild. Dangerous. The wolf inside stirred for the first time. Not fully, but enough to notice.
“Darius,” he said. “The one who found you.”
A quiet “Thank you” was all that could be offered. Gratitude laced with uncertainty.
His eyes didn’t leave the face. “Why were you in the forest?”
“They said I was in a fight. With the Moonstar Pack.”
A flicker of something passed through his gaze. “And?”
“And… nothing else. No memory. Not even a name before this one.”
Silence settled. He didn’t blink.
“You don’t remember anything?”
“No. Not even my own face. It’s like waking up inside someone else.”
His jaw tensed. “That’s not normal.”
“It doesn’t feel normal.”
One step closer. Close enough to smell the earth and frost on him. His gaze swept down, searching, not with suspicion—but recognition.
“You don’t smell like a normal omega,” he said.
A pause. “What do I smell like?”
No answer came. Only a question.
“What if I told you I don’t believe you?”
Lips parted before thought caught up. “Then I’d tell you I don’t care. It’s the truth.”
His expression shifted slightly. A twitch of the lips, almost a smile.
Everything about him screamed untamed. Like someone who’d fought too long and trusted no one. Yet something in his presence pulled tight, unspoken and deep.
“You can lie to them,” he said, voice lower now, “but don’t lie to me. If anything comes back… a name, a feeling, even a dream—you come to me. Understand?”
A quiet nod.
He studied the face once more, then turned and walked past. As he passed, the air around him felt heavier.
Darius stopped at the door.
“Wait.”
He turned back to me, eyes narrowing.
“Your mark,” he said slowly. “Where did you get that?”
My heart dropped.
“What mark?”
- Writer
