Chapter Two

Breakfast was sprawled on the table the next morning by the time I came down for it. An assortment of dishes lay arranged and everyone was seated, laughter and voices rang through the walls of the house ceasing when I appeared.

I balled my fist and said nothing, sliding into my seat.

“You look like you could do with some sleep,” My sister, Catherine said, her worried eyes resting on me.

I ignored her and poured myself a glass of red wine that was always left on the table for me. It was too early to be drinking but rather than be pretentious and take something like tea that I couldn't stomach, the wine did it for me. A little of its intoxicant heightened my sobriety. It helped to keep my mind at bay too, stopping it from teetering too close to the edges of the black chasm that snagged at me.

“You have the werewolf council meeting today, should you be drinking?” Marilyn asked quietly. She was the youngest of my sisters, our mother sat at the other end of the table simply saying nothing.

A year ago, my father and sister had died, killed in brutal ways I didn't want to keep remembering but sometimes it seemed like only I carried the grief with me. Perhaps it had to do with the fact that my mind was my impending doom, perhaps it had to do with the fact that in both cases, I hadn't done anything to save their lives.

I swirled the content of my cup. “What are they going to do, depose me for drinking?” I asked dryly.

Stillness settled in the air following my question and from the corner of my eyes, I caught Catherine sharing a look with Theodore, her mate who was seated next to her.

“Is there something I should know?” I asked, setting my glass down. A faint thud followed its contact with the table.

“Eat your meal, Natalie, and get ready for your meeting.” My mother spoke up.

I gave her a wary glance before picking up my drink once more. “I have no appetite.”

“Have you looked at yourself in the mirror? You keep starving yourself and now you are all bones, your skin has dulled as a result of you being outdoors all the time, your eyes are hollow, and your hair…”

I cut my mother off. “Can you not?”

“Natalie,” Marilyn called softly. “Maybe you should listen, maybe you should try more with your appearance. You are the Alpha of our pack and…” She shrugged.

Kate continued for her. This was an ambush, how grand.

“... And the members are going to continue to view you with belittling eyes when you do not put in efforts in how you present yourself to them.”

“I do not need this.” My chair made a scraping sound as I roughly pulled it back, getting up.

“Sit down!” my mother hissed.

I ignored her and walked off, the sound of her voice screeching my name reaching me even as I stepped out of the house.

The cloud seemed to have descended lower, blanketing the air for now. The air was chill, and I was thankful for my attire. My black boots shielded my feet, I wore dusty brown jeans and a black dress shirt. As usual, my hair had been put up in a tight bun, keeping the wild manes tamed and out of my face or touching my skin.

My horse was ready for me and I felt my wolf’s disappointment when my hand reached up to caress the white stallion. It was more of jealousy at the love I had for my horse too.

‘I would reach there faster than the pitiful thing and once they see me, they would be too shaken to defy you.’ She said, I rolled my eyes. “How very humble of you, now shut up.” I swung on top of my horse, settling myself atop him before squeezing it with my calf, a gentle instruction to move and immediately, he sped off.

At least an hour had gone by with me riding aimlessly through the forest, my horse indulging me and I finally led him back to town and toward the meeting hall with the council.

“Let's get this done with,” I said more to myself as I rubbed the horse’s neck before patting it and heading inside.

On the round table were important figures of the Mystic Hollow pack — my pack — and a few visitors from the neighboring packs that were interested in what went down in the Mystic Hollow pack as they thought it directly affected them but they hadn't been here when our pack was attacked by my uncle a year ago and my father was killed, how convenient that they had stayed away when the main war had ensued. Left to me, I would have scraped the whole council into nothingness but doing so would give them more vile things to whisper about me and I’d heard enough —

I wasn't fit to rule.

I wasn't the true Alpha.

I had deliberately not saved my sister, Sephora.

I was going to lead the pack to destruction.

I was stained with blood.

I had no heart.

And on and on, the tales about me rolled into an infinite reservoir to be picked up and reused over and over again.

Everyone stood up when I stepped inside, bowing down to me, but the reluctance in that simple act was obvious. I ignored it and sank into my seat at the head of the table.

“Sit,” I said lazily.

I refused to meet Kate’s concerned eyes from my side, with Theo once more seated next to her. After being mated a few months ago, they were both merged at each other’s hips now and a small part of me found that irritating.

Theodore was the son of Augustine, the Beta of our pack, and it made sense for them to be mated—but I didn't like the new addition to our family. It had always been me, my parents, and my sisters… and my uncle, Silviu, the bastard who had killed my father.

Augustine cleared his throat. “Thank you for joining us in this meeting, Alpha—”

“Did I have another choice?” I snapped before I could stop myself.

An uncomfortable look passed through the council members and a small cough escaped someone, but other than that no one said anything.

“Go on,” I said to Augustine, annoyed. I wanted to be anywhere else but here.

“It's been a year since you ascended the position as Alpha following Sephora’s unfortunate death at your sister’s pack, may the Goddess be with her spirit. In the time since your ascension, there truly have been doubts concerning your leadership, especially as in the start you made it clear it wasn't what you wanted but we, the council members, have stayed solidly behind you and quelled every talk concerning you…”

I didn't need him to give me a rundown of something I had witnessed, but I let him; I could tell he was leading somewhere, a place I wasn't going to like.

“In the year of your rule, you have kept to yourself and refused to mingle with your family members nor members of the Mystic Hollow pack, Alpha. We have tried to encourage you to do so in hopes of you meeting your mate. The pack needs a male leader who is willing to take a stand and be by your side. Silviu is still out there, who knows what he has planned in hiding? Who knows when he would strike?”

I clenched my jaw and pressed my finger into the inside of my wrist until I had to take a breath to quiet the whimper that threatened to escape me.

“The pack does not need a male to defeat Silviu. I shall do it myself when the time comes!” I spat.

“Alone?” one of the men from a neighboring pack asked. “It is a sign of weakness if a pack has just one unmated ruler and a woman at that,” he scoffed, shaking his head.

I wanted to laugh. The misogyny was glaring from them, but I wasn't surprised by it.

“The council has decided that instead of continuing to force you into a position you obviously abhor, it would be best if you stepped down by your volition and went on to live your life as you see fit,” Augustine finished.

This time, I was seized by shock. Were they being serious now? They wanted me to step down simply because I had no mate? I knew it ran deeper than that and the extent of their contempt of me for the first time wrung my insides.

“And who shall take my position?” I asked quietly.

Another round of that uncomfortable look was shared and finally, the voice I never expected to speak did.

“I shall,” Catherine said. “I am willing to take up your position as Alpha female and Theodore will ascend with me as Alpha.”

Harsh laughter bubbled in my chest; my own sister was going to overthrow me.