Chapter Two
1223 Words
The pack house rose at the edge of the forest like a fortress carved from timber and stone. Warm light glowed in the windows, but to Asha, it felt less like safety and more like the gates of a cage.
Julian’s hand pressed lightly against her back as he guided her up the steps. The touch wasn’t tender it was a command disguised as support. She caught the sound of shuffling feet before she even saw them.
Dozens of wolves stood waiting. Men and women, their eyes glowing faintly under the moonlight, their whispers carrying sharp as knives through the night air.
A witch.
He’s lost his mind.
Her kind cursed our blood.
Asha kept her chin lifted, though her palms dampened inside her sleeves. She’d been stared at like this before hunted, despised. But never by so many at once.
Julian’s voice cut through the murmurs, deep and commanding. “This is Asha. She is under my protection. That makes her under yours.”
The crowd shifted uneasily. A tall man with a scar down his jaw stepped forward. His eyes flashed silver as he squared his shoulders. “With respect, Alpha… her kind slaughtered ours. You’d bring a witch into our house, into our home, after what they’ve done?”
Asha stiffened, heat sparking faintly at her fingertips.
Julian didn’t flinch. His voice was quiet, but it carried like thunder. “Do you question me, Darius?”
The man faltered. His jaw worked, but in the end, he dropped his gaze. “No, Alpha.”
“Then remember your place,” Julian snapped.
A hush fell, thick with resentment. No one else stepped forward, but their eyes burned holes in her skin.
Asha leaned toward him, her voice sharp under her breath. “They hate me.”
“They’ll learn,” Julian murmured without looking at her.
She gave a dry, bitter laugh. “Or they’ll kill me when your back is turned.”
Before he could respond, the great oak doors of the house creaked open. A woman stepped out, tall and elegant, her dark hair streaked with silver that caught the lantern light.
Her presence stilled the crowd. Not with Alpha power, but something subtler respect, authority woven into every graceful movement.
Julian’s mother.
Her golden eyes swept the gathering, then fixed on Asha. For a heartbeat, silence stretched. Then she smiled.
“Well,” she said warmly, descending the steps with a regal air. “My son never fails to surprise me. And tonight he brings home the rarest of creatures.”
Her tone was honey, but her gaze flicked over Asha as though she were measuring the worth of a horse at market. She took Asha’s hand, her grip deceptively soft.
“Welcome, dear,” she said sweetly. “We don’t often receive outsiders. Especially not ones so… unique.”
Asha arched a brow. “Unique. That’s one word for it.”
The woman’s eyes narrowed briefly before her smile brightened again. “I’m Lady Vale. Julian’s mother. You must forgive the pack’s poor manners. Old wounds make for wary hearts. But I’m sure you’ll… adjust.”
“Wounds don’t always heal just because someone tells them to,” Asha replied quietly, holding her gaze.
Lady Vale’s hand lingered, pressing just hard enough to sting. Her eyes gleamed with polite malice. “Wise words. Let us hope you don’t open old scars any further.”
Julian stepped in smoothly, his voice harder now. “Mother.”
Her smile never faltered. “Yes, dear?”
“Enough.”
Lady Vale released Asha’s hand with an airy laugh. “Oh, I only meant to make her feel welcome.” She turned to the crowd. “You’ve all stared enough. Back to your duties.”
The wolves obeyed, though slowly, their glances biting as they dispersed. Asha followed Julian into the house, her skin still tingling from Lady Vale’s touch.
Inside, the air was thick with cedar smoke and faintly spiced meat. Asha paused, taking in the great hall, the vaulted beams, the fur-draped benches, and the weapons mounted on the walls. Every inch screamed power.
“This way,” Julian said, guiding her toward the stairs.
Her temper flared. “You expect me to stay here? With them watching, waiting?”
“They’ll obey,” he said flatly.
“Obey doesn’t mean accept.”
His gaze snapped to hers, molten gold searing. “You’re alive because of me. Don’t forget it.”
Her breath caught, anger mixing with something she refused to name. He was infuriating — arrogant, domineering. And yet, without him, she’d already be a corpse in a ditch.
A soft voice interrupted, smooth as silk. “Julian.”
Lady Vale stood at the foot of the stairs, her hands folded neatly. “May I have a moment with our guest?”
Julian’s jaw tightened. “Anything you have to say to her, you can say to me.”
“Oh, come now.” She smiled, eyes gleaming. “I only want to… extend courtesy.”
Julian’s gaze lingered on his mother, suspicion flaring, but after a moment he turned to Asha. “I’ll be nearby.”
He disappeared up the stairs, leaving Asha alone under Lady Vale’s watchful gaze.
The older woman stepped closer, her smile poised. “You must be very clever to have survived this long, dear. But cleverness can only take one so far among wolves.”
Asha folded her arms. “Then it’s a good thing I’m not easily intimidated.”
Lady Vale’s smile sharpened. “Oh, intimidation is so crass. I prefer honesty.” She leaned in, her voice a whisper against Asha’s ear. “You may have fooled my son, but you won’t fool me. I know what your kind brings: ruin. Death. Mark my words, if you threaten him or this pack, I will see you buried before the moon wanes.”
Asha’s pulse thudded, but she forced herself to meet her eyes. “Then you’d better start digging. Because I’m not going anywhere.”
For the briefest second, Lady Vale’s mask cracked. Then she chuckled, patting Asha’s cheek as though she were a child. “Oh, I do like spirit. It makes the fall so much more dramatic.”
She glided away, leaving Asha simmering.
Julian reappeared moments later. His eyes flicked over her, as if reading the tension in her stance. “What did she say?”
“Nothing worth repeating,” Asha muttered.
He studied her a moment longer, but didn’t press. “Come. I’ll show you your room.”
The room was spacious, though the shadows felt heavy. A fire crackled in the hearth, but the warmth didn’t reach her bones.
“Rest,” Julian said. “You’ll need it.”
She almost laughed. Rest? In a house full of wolves who hated her? In a bed that felt more like a trap than comfort?
When the door shut, silence pressed in. But not for long.
Outside her window, gravel crunched. She stiffened, moving to the glass. A shadow slipped between the trees, pausing to look up at her room before vanishing into the dark.
A warning. Or a promise.
Asha pressed her palms to the sill, her breath tight. She wasn’t safe. Not here. Not anywhere.
And yet, somehow, this had only just begun.
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