CHAPTER THREE: THE BEGINNING OF FATE
1672 Words
Days passed.
I stopped counting after the first week because every day looked exactly like the one before it.
Wake before sunrise, clean the house, cook, wash, and wait for Brant to return.
Marriage had not changed my life.
It had only changed the person giving the orders.
There was no kindness here.
No laughter, no peace. Only silence shattered the moment Brant walked through the door.
I learned to recognize the sound of his footsteps. If they were slow, he was in a good mood.
If they were heavy, I stayed out of his way.
He found fault in almost everything I did. Either the food was too salty, or the floor wasn’t clean enough.
No matter how hard I tried, it was never enough.
There was no difference between Brant and my mother. The only difference was that my mother called me her daughter. Brant called me his wife, Neither title made me feel loved.
That evening, I placed dinner in front of him the way I always did. He ate in silence while I stood nearby, waiting in case he needed anything. I stared at my hands for a long moment before gathering the courage to speak.
“Brant….”
He didn’t look up.
“I was wondering if I could start sewing again..”
His spoon paused for the briefest second before he continued eating. I took that as permission to continue.
“You are away most of the day, and I’ve already finished all the housework before you return. I thought maybe I could go back to my tailoring job. I don't want to stay idle all day”
Bang!
His fist crashed against the table
The plates jumped. The bowl tipped over.
Hot stew splashed across the table and onto the front of my dress. I gasped, stumbling backwards as the heat soaked through the fabric. The sting spread across my skin almost immediately, I looked down at the stain, then back at Brant.
He didn’t ask if I was hurt.
He only stared at me.
“Ungrateful”
My throat tightened.
“Brant.” I whispered. “I wasn’t complaining.” He rose slowly from his chair
“I gave you a home.”
“I feed you.”
“I married you.”
He stopped directly in front of me.
“Yet somehow that’s still not enough.”
“That’s not true.” I said softly, “ I only wanted to sew again”
His voice was quiet somehow, which frightened me even more than shouting.
“You belong to me now.”
“ And you’ll do as I say”
He glanced at the stain on my dress “ Go clean yourself up.”
Before I could answer a knock came from the door.
Brant looked toward the door, and the anger disappeared from his face as though it had never existed. He adjusted his sleeves, smoothed the front of his shirt, then opened the door with a smile.
“Mrs Vivian.”
“What a pleasant surprise."
My mother stepped inside with a bright smile, as if she had walked into the home of a son-in-law she was proud of.
“I hope I’m not interrupting dinner,” she said.
“Not at all,” Brant replied warmly.
“Please, have a seat.”
I stared at him, only seconds ago, he had been glaring at me across the table, now he’s pulling out a chair for my mother.
Her eyes swept over the room before settling briefly on me.
They lingered on the stain soaking my dress.
She noticed it and looked away.
“I hope Naya hasn’t been giving you any trouble,” she said with a light laugh.
Brant smiled.
“Not at all. She knows not to.”
My fingers tightened around the ruined fabric.
I knew exactly what he meant.
Mother accepted the tea Brant poured for her, and the two of them began talking as though I wasn’t standing there.
They spoke about the pack, the market, and the upcoming annual pack ceremony. They laughed.
Not once did my mother ask if I was okay, she didn’t even ask what had happened to my dress. Then finally she looked at me.
“Naya.”
For one moment, hope stirred inside me, maybe she had come to see if I was doing alright.
“I need you to come dress your sister for tomorrow's ceremony. You know Celine, she refuses to let anyone style her, you are the only one with an eye for these things,” she said.
“We heard the Alpha will be attending the ceremony, every eligible girl in the pack will be there tomorrow."
“And I refuse to let Celine be outshined.”
The hope disappeared so quickly it almost hurt. “Yes, Mother,” I whispered.
A satisfied smile spread across her face.
“I knew I could count on you.” She turned to Brant. “I hope you don’t mind if I borrow her tomorrow.
Brant smiled pleasantly.
“Of course not.”
My mother nodded in approval.
She got up, it was time to leave, she walked toward the door, before pausing.
“Naya, be at the house early.
The ceremony starts before noon, and I don’t want Celine waiting.”
“I will be there.”
Without another word, she left. The front door clicked shut.
Brant’s smile disappeared. It was as though the man who had welcomed my mother never existed.
His eyes landed on the dishes scattered across the table. “Will you stand there all night?”
I immediately reached for the plates.
“No.”
“Then clean up.” He turned and walked upstairs without another glance.
The next morning, I arrived at my mother's house just after sunrise.
The moment I stepped inside, my mother’s sharp voice echoed through the hallway.
“You are late.”
“I’m sorry. I had to make sure Brant didn’t need anything..”
“I didn’t ask for an explanation.”
She dismissed me with a wave of her hand.
“Celine has been waiting for you. Go and get her ready.”
“Yes, mother,” I replied.
I hurried toward Celine’s room. The moment I opened the door, she spun around, dramatically.
“There you are.” She complained. “I’ve been waiting for you”
The bed was covered with shoes, necklaces, bracelets,and earrings. Her ceremony dress hung neatly beside the wardrobe, untouched.
She folded her arms.
“I can’t decide on anything.”
I walked over the dress and studied it for a moment, before picking up, a pair of silver earrings.
“They match the embroidery on your dress.” She held them against her ears before smiling at her reflection.
“You are right, what about the necklace?”
I picked up a delicate silver chain. “Not the heavy one, this dress already has enough detail.”
“ And my hair?”
I stepped behind her and gently gathered her hair. “ Leave most of it down.”
I twisted a small section into a loose braid and pinned it carefully.
“There you go.”
Celine stared at herself in the mirror
“I actually look beautiful.”
“You always do,” Mother said as she walked into the room. “ But today you have to look unforgettable. Celine smiled proudly.
“I can’t wait for the Alpha to notice you.”
Mother said with so much excitement. I quietly adjusted the last fold of Celine’s sleeve. “Perfect.” Mother said, clapping her hands once.
“ The ceremony has started.”
“It’s time to go.”
The moment we stepped outside, I understood why my mother had been in such a hurry.
The pack square was already overflowing with people. Laughter echoed through the air as families greeted one another, lanterns hung from wooden posts, colorful banners fluttered in the breeze, and musicians filled the square with colorful melodies.
The moment Celine appeared, Mother proudly guided her into the crowd, introducing her to anyone willing to stop and admire her.
I quietly stayed a few steps behind them. No one noticed me, and honestly I didn’t mind. Being invisible was the closest thing I had to peace.
“Go and fetch us something to drink,” my mother called over her shoulder without looking at me.
“Yes, Mother.”
Grateful for the excuse to disappear, I turned and made my way through the crowd.
I had barely taken a few steps when movement at the edge of the crowd caught my attention.
A strange silence spread through the square.
One by one, conversations died.
People stepped aside without being told.
Then I saw him.
He wasn’t the tallest man there, he wasn’t the loudest.
Yet somehow, everyone moved for him.
He walked through the crowd like he belonged at the center of the world.
For a heartbeat, I forgot where I was.
He looked like the kind of man who belonged only in stories.
The kind people dreamed about, but never expected to meet. I wasn’t watching where I was going, my foot caught the edge of my dress, and the tray slipped from my hands.
I stumbled forward.
Before it could hit the ground, a pair of strong arms caught me.
The world seemed to stop.
“I’ve got you,” he said softly.
His voice was unexpectedly gentle.
For the first time in what felt like forever, I wasn’t afraid.
I looked up, and our eyes met.
His lips curved the faintest smile.
“ I believe this belongs to you.” he said, handing me the cup that somehow hadn’t fallen.
A nervous laugh escaped me.
“I’m beginning to think the ground has something against me.”
The corner of his mouth lifted just a little more. “I quite agree.”
Before I could reply, the crowd around us suddenly went quiet. Someone whispered
“ Alpha Gavin Storme."
- Writer
