Chapter 2

Seraphina Thorne POV:

I hadn't gotten far down the muddy track leading away from the sacred ground when Lyra's triumphant voice called out behind me. "Wait, Omega. You forgot your luggage."

I stopped but didn't turn. The rain had lessened to a fine mist, dripping from the tips of my black hair onto my shoulders.

Lyra appeared at my side, flanked by her two children-the smug, arrogant Corbin and the vapid, cruel Celeste. Two large pack warriors followed them like shadows.

One of the warriors stepped forward and tossed a worn cloth bundle at my feet. It landed with a wet slap in a puddle of muddy water.

The bundle fell open, revealing its pathetic contents: a few threadbare tunics and a small, simple wooden carving of a wolf howling at the moon. It was a gift from Gideon on my first birthday here, the only possession I truly cherished. My only link to a childhood that felt like a dream.

Celeste giggled, a high, grating sound. "Look at that. The entire worldly possessions of our 'honored guest'."

A hot, searing anger, entirely foreign to me, surged from my core. My inner wolf snarled. *The pup needs to be taught a lesson.* But my face remained a mask of ice.

Lyra savored my silence, mistaking it for defeated despair. "Bane is merciful," she purred. "He's allowing you to take this trash with you. Now, kneel and thank your new Alpha for his generosity."

The warriors took a menacing step forward, their sheer size meant to intimidate me into submission.

Finally, I turned. I slowly faced Lyra, my violet eyes meeting hers directly for the first time without a hint of subservience. They were deep, bottomless pools, and for a moment, she seemed startled by what she saw there.

"Lyra," I said, my voice dangerously calm. "Do you really believe Gideon's death gives you the right to command me?"

The use of her name without a title, the quiet authority in my tone, made her flinch.

Corbin stepped forward, his chest puffed out. "Insolent bitch! How dare you speak to the Luna that way!"

My gaze shifted to him. It was just a glance, but he instinctively took a half-step back, a flicker of primal fear in his eyes, as if he were facing not an Omega, but something ancient and predatory.

My inner wolf scoffed. *This pup dares to bark at us?*

I ignored him, my attention returning to Lyra. "You think exiling me is your victory?"

I took a single step forward. The two warriors tensed, but a strange, unseen pressure held them in place. They didn't dare block my path.

I bent down, my movements fluid and graceful. I reached into the muddy water and picked up the wooden wolf, ignoring the ruined clothes. I carefully wiped the mud from its surface with the sleeve of my dress.

Then I straightened, my eyes locking with Lyra's. "You've made a mistake," I said, each word a chip of ice. "You're not exiling a homeless Omega."

A hint of pity touched my voice, genuine and terrifying. "You're a fool leading sheep to the slaughter, and you've just thrown your only watchdog out the gate."

My cryptic words hung in the damp air, confusing and unsettling them.

Lyra's face paled, but she forced a sneer. "What nonsense are you talking? You've gone mad with grief!"

A faint, cold smile touched my lips. "Whether I'm mad or not... you'll find out soon enough."

I gave them one last look, then turned and walked away, melting into the shadows of the forest. This time, no one tried to stop me. The aura I projected, an invisible mantle of power, was something their warrior instincts screamed at them not to challenge.

I heard Celeste's uncertain voice behind me. "Mother, she... she seemed like a different person."

Lyra's sharp, panicked reply was her only answer. "Just a mad girl! Let's go!"

Deep within the woods, hidden by the ancient trees, I finally leaned against a trunk, my body trembling. A wave of exhaustion washed over me, and I gasped for breath. The sudden burst of power had drained me completely.

My inner wolf's voice was a comforting rumble in my mind. *Well done, little one. The first step is taken.*