Chapter 1

CHAPTER 001

The sweat on my forehead was wiped, the sting of sore muscles reminding me that I’d been at this for hours. The training room smelled of damp wood, leather, and the kind of exhaustion that hung around after long days. Left, right, left, and then my fists erupted in sharp, repetitive arcs, driving the punch over and over with a deliberate force, trying hard to ignore the nagging ache in my knuckles.

The only thing in the room was the rhythmic creak of the floorboards beneath my feet. The motion caused me to be focused, until I heard the door creak open behind me. Silence was broken by a soft voice.

“Aurora?”

I turned, still bouncing lightly on my toes. A pack maid stood there, wringing her hands. Her eyes darted around the room, as if she wished she was anywhere else, and she looked nervous.

“What is it?” Lowering my fists, but not bothering to hide my irritation, I asked. Training wasn’t interrupted unless it was serious.

"The Alpha wants you." Her voice was tight, almost apologetic, and she said, 'Immediately.'

The Alpha. I just stared at her, my stomach tightening. I grabbed my towel, slung it over my shoulder, and nodded. “I’ll go now.”

She bobbed her head and was gone as fast as she came, leaving the door ajar. The faint echo of her footsteps faded into the hallway, and I stood there for a second. I wiped the sweat from my neck and my mind raced. Why would he summon me? The unease creeping into my chest told me this wasn’t something I’d like, and the Alpha didn’t waste time with trivial matters.

It seemed like the walk to his office was longer than usual. The soft murmurs of the pack in the background seemed farther away than they should, each step echoing off the stone walls. My heart thudded in my chest, steady but hard, when I reached the door. I pushed it open and knocked twice.

The room inside smelled like cedar and leather; inside of an air filled with an unspoken weight. Behind his large wooden desk the Alpha stood, his aura commanding the room as per usual. To his left sat my foster parents, their faces as tense as the silence that hung between them. In her lap, my foster mother’s hands twisted and her lips were pressed into a thin line. My foster father wouldn’t even look at me.

I bowed slightly out of respect and said, “Alpha.” “You called for me?”

“Sit,” he said, and gestured at the chair directly in front of his desk.

My muscles were still tight from training, so I did as he asked. I sat, the leather creaking softly, and I made myself look at him. I wouldn’t let them see fear in me, whatever this was.

Somehow, his forearms lay across the desk as he leaned forward. He started, his tone heavy. “Aurora.” The future of this pack has been decided.” And you are a part of it.”

I kept my expression neutral, but my stomach dropped. I looked at my foster parents who averted their eyes. I felt that knot in my chest tighten.

The Alpha continued, “You’ve been chosen for an arrangement.” “They’ve requested something in exchange for the Redwood Pack,” he continued. “I guess they’ve agreed to alliance with us but—.”

He paused, and even these words I could feel before landing them.

“They’ve requested you.”

It was deafening silence that followed. I blinked, my mind trying to make sense of what I’d just heard. “Requested me?” My voice was quieter than I meant to say it, so I repeated.

He spoke matter of factly, “You’re the strongest female in this pack.” 'The Redwood Alpha is… particular,'” he said. He wants someone who can meet his expectations. You were the obvious choice.”

Then my foster mother spoke and her voice trembled. “This wasn’t an easy decision, Aurora, we…” But we had no choice.”

“No choice?” I turned to look at her, my voice sharper now. “You always have a choice. ‘You just chose to sell me out,’ I said.”

She didn’t argue, but her face crumpled. Finally my foster father spoke, his voice now low and steady. “Aurora, this is about survival. It’s about him surviving.” For all of us. ‘The Redwood Alpha is not a man you refuse.’”

I didn't need to look between them, my chest tightening with a combination of anger and betrayal. They’d trained me, taught me what it meant to be loyal to the pack. They were throwing me to the wolves—literally—and now.

“When do I leave?” I asked, my voice flat.

I guess the Alpha respected my composure; his expression softened slightly. “You’ll leave immediately. Pack your belongings. A car is waiting to take you to their territory.”

I forced my legs to move, stood, and felt the strange numbness creeping over me. “Understood,” I said simply.

I turned to leave, and my foster mother reached for me. “Aurora, please—”

She tried to touch me, but I pulled away. “Don’t,” I said quietly. “You made your choice.”

The door closed behind me, softly, but it slammed. It was empty and cold, the hallway before me. The quiet echoed my steps, each one heavier than the last.

I packed quickly, shoving clothes into a worn leather bag without much thought, back in my room. I worked with my hands shaking slightly, pausing to steady myself. It was no time to fall apart. They didn’t know me at all if they thought I couldn’t handle this.

I looked at my reflection in the mirror, my blue eyes staring back at me, defiant, and something else, something darker. I said to my reflection, “This doesn’t end me.” “I’m stronger than this.”

I didn't expect the knock on my door to come so soon. Outside, one of the guards stood, his face impassive. He said, “They’re waiting for you.”

I nodded, and slung the bag over my shoulder. The setting sun drenched the pack grounds in orange colors and everything was oddly quiet. Black the car waiting by the gates was, glaring against the rustic feel of the pack's territory. Next to it he was the Alpha, his expression was black as pitch.

As I approached, he handed me a folder. ‘It’s all in here, everything you need to know.’ ‘You’ll work it out when you get there.’”

I climbed into the backseat without a word and took it. The car pulled away, and I watched the pack gates shrink in the distance until the door shut with a soft but final click.

Who was the Redwood Alpha? What did he really want from me?