Chapter 5 I Let Them Plan My Fate (Big Mistake)

Kaia

The morning light burned. I forced my heavy eyelids up, meeting Selene's bright stare across the library table. Another history session meant two hours of her voice buzzing in my ear while I fought to keep my head from hitting the wood.

"Are you even in there?" she snapped. She puffed out her cheeks, the picture of a frustrated sister. "This matters, Kaia. You have to pick the order. Four territories. One path."

I rubbed the dull ache in my temples. The weight of my father's expectations felt like lead in my veins. "I have to visit all of them anyway. Does the sequence really change the end game?"

Selene leaned back, her pen tapping a restless rhythm against her chin. "It might. The first Alpha you visit gets the first chance to impress you. An advantage. But," she paused, her eyes searching mine, "if you have a true mate out there, I guess the order is just a formality."

Mate.

The word hit like a physical spark. Inside my mind, Selah stirred, her phantom fur bristling with sudden interest. She was obsessed with the idea of a match, far more than I was.

"Advantageous," I murmured. I traced my thumb over my lower lip, trying to channel my father's cold, calculating logic. He would head straight for the apex predator, the pack with the most teeth. So, naturally, I chose the opposite. "Notios last."

Mate... find him... 'I hear you, Selah,' I thought, pushing her excitement back into the dark corners of my mind. 'You're desperate. I get it. But you aren't helping me think.'

"Notios last," Selene repeated. She shook her head, her dark curls brushing her skin. She looked baffled, but she didn't fight me. "Fine. It's probably smart. They have two potential Alphas to deal with anyway."

My hand stopped mid-motion. "Two?"

Great. As if four bachelors weren't enough of a headache. Now I was looking at five.

"One pack, twin brothers," she clarified. "The word is the older one is set for the Alpha seat. The younger stays as Beta."

"How much older?" The thought of twins made my skin crawl with a strange tension.

Maybe he is there, Selah whispered. Maybe we find him sooner.

"Four minutes," Selene said. She pulled a crumpled, hand-drawn map toward her and drew a thick X over the Notios region. "That's the gap between them."

I stared at the ink. I suddenly wished I'd listened when my father used to drone on about timing. He always said seconds were the difference between life and death. I didn't realize he meant it literally for a birthright.

"Focus, Kaia," Selene said, rapping her pen on the table. "Who is first? Voreios, Anatolikos, or Dytikos?"

I blinked, the names blurring on the page. "If you were me, where would you go?"

She froze. The pen hovered an inch from the paper as she locked eyes with me. "Cain is the strategist. Not me."

"Cain isn't the one being sent on a tour of the country," I countered. "Tell me what you think."

"Voreios," she said, the word out of her mouth before she could think better of it. She looked down at the map, her face Tightening.

I arched a brow. "Why there?"

She looked up, her gaze steady and serious. "Their females. They don't just run the house, Kaia. They train as warriors. Hard. You'd learn how to bleed and bite in your wolf form. You'd learn how to actually survive a real fight."

Selah sat up at that. The mating talk was one thing, but the idea of teeth and claws? That got her blood moving.

"In wolf form," I echoed. A ghost of a smile pulled at my mouth as Selene nodded.

Cain had taught me how to break a man's nose and how to fire a sidearm. He'd put me through hell in my human skin. But he had never touched my wolf training. He called me a novice, a girl who knew how to throw a punch but didn't know how to hunt.

"Voreios for the training," I said, watching her closely. "Was that your idea? Or did Cain put you up to it?"

The silence stretched. Selene bit her lip, her eyes flickering. "Both."

Her expression shifted, a silent prompt for me to see the truth hiding in the gaps of her words. My jaw clenched as the realization settled in. My father. He would never allow Cain to teach me how to be a weapon in my wolf form. He wanted a Luna, not a soldier.

I slumped back, the chair creaking under my weight. "Voreios first."

"Just like that?" She sounded shocked. I just nodded. She marked the map with a sharp flick of her wrist. "Okay. Second. Anatolikos or Dytikos?"

I held up my palms, letting her take the lead. She didn't give a simple answer; she started talking through the board like a general.

"Dytikos is closer, logistically. But to get from Anatolikos to Dytikos, you have to cut right through Kentrikos. That's a headache. You need Alpha clearance just to breathe on their borders. Though, knowing your father, he's probably already cleared the way..." She trailed off, her eyes tracing the lines of the territories.

"Forget the borders," I interrupted. "Tell me about the people."

She started drumming her fingers again. "Dytikos? They forge the steel. They own the biggest silver mine in the territory. Your father's labs are there, too. Very industrial. But Anatolikos..."

She stopped, pointing the pen at my chest. "Go there second. Definitely."

I didn't actually care about the order anymore, but the spark in her eyes caught me. "Why the sudden change of heart?"

A faint flush crept up her neck. "They're scholars. They focus on history and healing."

I chuckled. It sounded like a nightmare of books and bandages. "And you think I care about that because...?"

"Because their pack has the strongest Luna in the four regions," she said simply.

She didn't have to say anything else. I never had a mother to show me the ropes. If my father's plan was to marry me off to a high-ranking wolf, I needed to see what a real Luna looked like-not just the version my father wanted me to be.

"Fine," I sighed, giving in.

She scribbled the names down, her face glowing with a small sense of victory. "So it's settled? Voreios, Anatolikos, Dytikos, then Notios?"

"Sounds like a plan," I groaned, sliding down in my chair until my chin hit my chest.

Ten minutes. That was all it took for my list to travel from Selene's hand to Thorne's, and then straight to my father's desk. When the summons came, I knew I was walking into a storm.

I stepped into the office, my pulse thudding in my throat. I should have taken this more seriously. Letting Selene play strategist was starting to feel like a massive mistake.

"Kaia." My father didn't look up. He flicked a piece of paper across the dark wood of his desk. It was Selene's map, wrinkled and stained with ink.

Thorne stood in the shadows by the window. His scowl was so deep it looked painful. Usually, he just looked annoyed, but today his steel-gray eyes were alive with a golden, predatory heat. He looked like he wanted to tear the map to pieces.

"These choices," my father said, finally meeting my gaze. His voice was smooth, like silk over a blade. "They are curious."

"They are a disaster," Thorne barked. He took a step forward, his jaw tight. "It makes no sense. Why hit Voreios and then trek to the far edge of the map for Dytikos? You want to cross Kentrikos twice? Do you have any concept of the red tape involved in moving through those borders?"

I didn't look at Thorne. I kept my eyes on my father. He was the one holding the leash. "I know it's a lot of paperwork. But I'm not changing my mind."

My father laced his fingers, leaning his chin on his hands. He looked like he was watching a bug under glass. "Tell me why."

I swallowed hard, forcing my voice to stay steady. "Cain's training isn't enough. I'm a novice in my skin and even worse in my fur. The Voreios pack are killers. I want to learn how to fight in wolf form so I can actually defend myself for once. Besides, I know their shipping ports are a mess right now. If I'm there, I can talk to them. Fix the tension."

"That is none of your concern," Thorne snapped. His fists were white at his sides.

My father held up one finger. Thorne went silent, though his chest heaved with a low, frustrated breath. "Go on, Kaia."

"Anatolikos has the strongest Luna in the regions," I said. I felt Selah's ears perk up at the mention of power. "If I'm going to lead, I need to see what real strength looks like. I need to be better than her."

I didn't wait for him to respond. "Dytikos is for the weapons. I want to see their new silver tech. And Notios..." I hesitated, knowing this was the thin part of my lie. "Notios is the biggest threat. They have the numbers."

"Then go there first," my father challenged.

"No. Because of the twins," I said. "They haven't settled who takes the Alpha seat. If I go there last, the dust will be settled. I'll know exactly who I'm dealing with."

I looked down at my boots. My heart was hammering against my ribs. I waited for the laughter or the lecture. The silence in the room was suffocating. I could hear Thorne's teeth grinding from across the room.

Finally, my father leaned back. The tension snapped. "Thorne. Prepare the route."

Thorne flinched like he'd been slapped. "Narcisse, listen to reason-"

"Make the arrangements," my father repeated. His eyes never left mine. "She has no idea what she is doing, but let her walk the path. She will learn that every choice carries a weight. Some weights break bones."

My skin burned. Part of me was relieved, but the sting of his words tasted like copper. He didn't believe in me. He just wanted to watch me fail.

"But-" Thorne started again.

"You are dismissed," my father said.

Thorne turned on his heel. He didn't say a word, but the look he gave me as he passed was sharp enough to draw blood. I gave him a tiny, sharp smile. A small win, but I'd take it.

Once the door clicked shut, my father reached into a heavy desk drawer. "Kaia. Take this. A gift before you leave."

"Leave?" The word felt cold. I'd spent my whole life in these halls. No matter how much I hated his shadow, the thought of being cast out made my stomach turn.

He set a small black box on the desk and slid it toward me. "You are my daughter. You will always have a place here. Wear this. It will keep the border guards from asking too many questions."

I opened the lid. A thin chain sat on the velvet. Two charms hung from it. One was our White Moon Sigil. The other was a strange shape-a half-circle sliced by a triangle. I reached out to touch it, then froze.

"Is this silver?"

Selah growled deep in my mind, a warning vibration that hummed through my bones.

"Platinum," my father said. His voice softened, just a fraction. "Your mother hated silver."

My breath hitched. That was twice in one month. He hadn't spoken of her in years, and now her ghost was everywhere.

"My mother," I whispered, looking up at him. "Tell me about her. Please."

His face turned to stone again. The brief flash of humanity was gone. "You are excused."

The coldness was back. I grabbed the box, the metal pressing into my palm. "Thank you," I said, but the words felt like ash.

...

Days later, the library felt like a cage. History books sat heavy and forgotten on the table. I traced the grain of the wood with my fingernail, my mind miles away from dusty dates and borders.

"Kaia." Selene snapped her fingers, the sharp sound echoing off the stone walls. Her brows were pulled tight. "Focus. You head to Voreios territory first. You need to know who you are walking into."

I leaned back, my eyes narrowing. "First, tell me what happened in the woods the other morning."

Selene looked down, her hazel eyes darting toward the stacks of books. She fumbled with the edge of a page. "I don't know what you're talking about."

She thought I was digging for gossip about her and Cain. I let out a breath and leaned in closer. "When I shifted. When you saw Selah for the first time. You looked like you'd seen a ghost."

"Oh." The tension in her shoulders dropped, and a soft pink crawled up her neck. "Sorry. I just... I've never seen a white wolf before. Neither had Cain."

"How would you know what Cain saw?"

"Through the link," she said, as if it were as natural as breathing.

I stared at her. I remembered her mentioning it before, but the concept felt like a wall I couldn't climb. "You just... talk in your heads?"

She looked at me with a pained kind of patience. "It's a mental bridge, Kaia. You share thoughts, images, even a flash of how someone feels. You've really never felt it?"

"The only thing in my head is her," I said. My voice felt small. Selah was a constant hum in the back of my skull, but she was a part of me, not a guest.

"Selah." Selene's expression softened. "It fits. Snow. She's... you are beautiful in that skin."

Heat rushed to my face. Inside, I felt a low, vibrating warmth. 'See? She has taste,' Selah hummed.

'You aren't a cat, stop purring,' I snapped back.

'I am not a cat,' she grumbled.

"Your eyes, though," Selene whispered, leaning across the table to peer into mine. "They didn't change. Every wolf I've ever seen gets those deep blue eyes the moment they turn. Yours stayed the same."

"Is that bad?"

Selene slumped. "I don't know. I'll keep digging through the old texts, but white wolves are rare. There isn't much written about things that aren't supposed to exist."

The disappointment was a dull ache in my chest. "Thanks anyway."

"Anyway," Selene said, shaking off the heavy mood. She tapped a diagram on the page. "The Silverback Pack. Their sigil is-"

"One more thing," I cut in. I needed the truth. "That morning, when you and Cain bolted into the trees. Why did you leave me?"

She reached out, her hand light on my arm. "We thought you needed space to settle into your skin. To breathe. Besides," she paused, a teasing glint in her eye, "your wolf is a little slow. She needs time to catch up with you."

'Slow? I will show her slow,' Selah hissed.

"Cain and I went for a run," Selene continued, her blush returning. "Running with your mate... or the person who might be your mate... it's how we bond. It's primal." She shook a textbook at me. "Which is why you need to pay attention. Your match could be waiting in the North."

"I'm thrilled," I said. My voice was bone-dry.

"Sure you are." Selene rolled her eyes. "Fine. The leaders are Alpha Faelon and Luna Calantha. Their inner circle is Beta Arawn and Gamma Jarek. They have two kids. Lorcan is the heir. Then there's Ravenna."

I frowned, trying to map out the politics. "If they have a future Alpha and Luna already, why am I bothering with a visit?"

"Ravenna will likely be traded or mated out to another pack. Siblings don't lead together, Kaia. Lorcan takes the seat. Ravenna... well, she's a different story."

"Sounds like she's getting the short end of the stick just for being a girl," I muttered.

"Maybe. But for now, you'll be training with her."

My interest spiked. "She trains the warriors?"

"She trains everyone," Selene said. There was a flicker of something like respect, maybe even envy, in her eyes. "They say she's the most brutal instructor in the territories. She has no interest in the politics of being Alpha. She just wants to fight."

"I want to learn from her," I said. The words felt right the moment they left my tongue. In my mind, Selah stood tall, her tail giving a sharp, eager flick. 'Finally. Someone who bites.'

"Don't get too ahead of yourself," Selene warned. "Training won't start until the competition is over."

"What competition?"

"The males," she said. A strange look crossed her face, half-amused and half-wary. "I can't really describe it. You just have to see it for yourself."

"I'll bring my popcorn," I said, leaning back. The sarcasm was there, but the knot in my stomach had finally loosened. A strange sense of calm washed over me, a quiet hum that told me Voreios was the right move.

I just hoped I was ready for whatever Ravenna had waiting for me.