chapter two
1056 Words
chapter two
"Now then, come together."
It was easy to hear Captain Marco DeLuca's sharp, commanding voice across the cliffside. "Families can take their places around the edge." Do not obstruct Lady Valeria when she begins her tests.
As soon as he was done talking, the crowd rushed forward.
Our families, who were supposed to love and protect us, almost jumped to stand behind the white circle painted on the stone. Wide smiles. Hands together in excitement. Their faces were full of pride, as if we were about to be crowned instead of condemned.
"Get in line!" Captain DeLuca yelled.
We moved right away.
As we made a half-moon inside the circle, with the tallest people in the front and the shortest people in the back, years of training came together. No doubt. No resistance. The stones under my feet were still slick with blood from the walk up, and I had to force myself to breathe evenly.
I stood next to Liana.
We were both the same height, but our bodies were very different. She was thin and muscular, with sharp lines and a tight body. I was softer, with curves where hers were straight and weight in my chest and hips.
Liana once told me that my mother gave me my body.
She said it was a gift.
My mom used to say, "How boring it would be if every woman looked like a model."
I laughed without meaning to.
Boring was safe. Boring lived.
"I'm so nervous," Olivia Bianchi whispered, changing her posture slightly and raising her chest like she had been taught.
Livia Romano said with a smile, "Not me." "Think about the Alphas." Her voice changed to something rehearsed and dreamy. "Imagine the house. Imagine them as big, tall, and strong. They'll come after you. Not the other way around.
She bit her shiny lip.
Not allowed.
No one told her she was wrong.
The girls around us laughed and blushed with excitement, as if this were a party instead of a ceremony for a m******e.
Why couldn't I be like them?
Why couldn't I just close my eyes and pretend this was fate instead of stealing?
You lost everything—the ability to choose, the ability to act, and even yourself—when they put a number on your head. Fear tightened in my chest, sharp and hot, just as Captain DeLuca stepped back.
"Lady Valeria."
The air changed.
Slow and steady footsteps echoed from behind the covered shed. When Lady Valeria came out, her cane tapped against the stone, and my blood felt like it froze.
The eagle head on top shone—clean for now.
She smiled like we were old friends.
“Hi, girls,” she said in a soft voice.
Her long black hair was pulled up into a tight braid, and her black leather corset fit her like armor. She looked strong. Not touchable. Not safe.
"We'll start right away," she said. "The Alphas are very excited to see what this year's offerings are."
Gifts.
The girls smiled, but they kept their eyes down. We knew not to look up. The rules were the most important thing. We understood the consequences of breaking the rules.
The Chalice of Fate was brought out.
Lady Valeria slowly and carefully went through the folded slips. Not to choose, but to make the moment last. To let hopelessness grow.
I counted how many times I breathed.
One. Two. Three.
"Sarah Venturi."
Sarah got stiff.
Lady Valeria came up to her and circled her like a predator. Sarah's toes dug into the ground, and her nerves gave her away before her mouth could.
With a loud crack, the cane stabbed into the ground next to her.
Sarah stopped moving.
The eagle head pushed her chin up, which made her look up and gave her permission to make eye contact. First, Valeria looked over her body. The body comes first. Valeria began by examining her chest and waist. Hips. Thighs.
Face last.
I remembered every mean thing Lady Valeria had ever said, like they were written down in a book.
I can sell a face that isn't pretty, but not a ship that isn't pretty.
"Turn," Valeria said.
Sarah did what she was told and dropped her hands to her sides as she made a slow circle.
The cane pushed down on her collarbone and slid lower, pinning her chest. Sarah's breath caught.
"Lovely," Valeria said softly as she wrote something on her board.
Then the cane hit Sarah in the side with its sharp beak.
Sarah gasped and bent over a little. Being hungry made her weak. Pain spread quickly. Valeria smiled when Sarah's wolf came at her, eyes flashing gold.
Blood flowed.
"Seven."
People clapped.
As Captain DeLuca tied Sarah's hands, Sarah's mother clapped with joy. Her father stood tall, and his eyes sparkled with pride.
Sarah didn't mind leaving.
She was scared of letting them down.
Lady Valeria went on.
There were two places between Giulia Ferri and me.
My heart began pounding.
Giulia had always been kind. Nice. She was the kind of person that the world should have kept safe.
She didn't own a wolf.
Lady Valeria stopped in front of her and turned her head.
"Change."
The quiet lasted a long time.
I wanted Giulia to talk fast. To be honest. To say that was the only safety she had.
Giulia took a deep breath and shook her shoulders.
"I can't," she said quietly.
I barely saw the blow because it came so quickly.
The cane hit her in the face, and Giulia fell hard to the ground.
Lady Valeria said coolly, "What a waste of a pretty face."
There were two warriors right away.
"Get rid of her."
As they dragged Giulia toward the trees, she screamed in terror. Her parents rushed forward without thinking, then stopped.
Guidelines.
Even after she went into the woods, her screams could still be heard.
I didn't cry.
I stayed still.
I learned.
If you stand out too much, you're broken.
You are discarded if you don't make enough of an impression.
I raised my chin a little, which made my breathing steady.
Lady Valeria's smile got sharper when she looked at me.
And I knew—
The worst part was still to come.
It had already started.
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