Chapter 5 Whispers

Five years later...

The first rays of the morning sun were always the worst. It's been five years. Five years since that night. Five years since she had last seen his eyes-the blue-eyed Alpha. After that blurred night, which she couldn't really recall but had a good feeling about, she hadn't laid eyes on him again. For the past Alpha's pleasure nights, she had sneaked around to catch a glimpse of him, but he was never present-and it was better that way.

A soft whimper from the corner of the tent pulled her from the bitter thoughts.

"No, Aries, don't take Athena's... Give it back!"

Issa pushed herself up from the thin mat that served as her bed. Her body ached-a familiar, dull ache that had become her companion. She was no longer the fragile woman who had collapsed in Marcus's doorway; her form was now slim and tough from days of hard work. Her complexion was no longer the pale white it had been; it was now almost chocolate. Although she had been restrained, her soul was tougher and more enduring than it used to be.

Her gaze fell on the two small figures wrestling in the dim light. They were her children-her reason for striving. Despite being only minutes older than his sister, Aries was a tornado of black hair and restless energy. His movements were quick, almost too fast for a human child. He held a carved wooden bird.

"It's mine!" Athena's sharp, strong voice rang through the quiet tent. Her dark curls were a wild mess, and her eyes always shimmered with a strange, shifting gold-especially in the low light; it was a detail Issa tried to dismiss as just a trick of the light.

"No, it's not," Aries countered, his tone already showing a touch of the arrogance Issa had come to recognize in the alpha males of the pack. "I found it. You just want it."

"Give it back, you brute!" Athena shouted, tackling her brother with surprising force and sending them both tumbling.

Issa sighed, a sound of exhaustion. "Aries! Athena! What did I tell you about fighting in the morning?" Her voice, usually soft, carried a weary authority now.

Aries untangled himself from his sister, still clutching the bird. "She started it, Mama. She always wants my things."

Athena, picking herself up, stomped her foot. "You liar! He's a bully, Mama! He never shares!"

Issa knelt down, pulling them both close. They were her world-her secret-and a constant, living testament to the night she tried so desperately to forget. No one knew. No one could ever know. The werewolves had strict laws; a human bearing a werewolf's child-especially one from an Alpha line-was an abomination, a forbidden truth that could get them all killed. Over the years she had clung to the widely accepted lie that she'd been pregnant when captured and that her miscarriage had been partial and incomplete. The werewolves didn't care enough to investigate a human's lineage that closely, and the humans among them were too broken to question each other's lives.

"Now, give it back, Aries," Issa said firmly, taking the wooden bird from his tight grip. "And Athena, stop fussing. There are plenty of sticks in the forest if you want one."

Aries grumbled but complied. Athena's lower lip trembled. "I wanted that one."

"You two are going to wake the whole camp," Issa whispered, glancing nervously at the tent entrance. The camp guards were always watchful; their senses were too sharp. Five years of living under their brutal rule had taught her caution above everything. The many escape attempts had taught her even harsher lessons.

A low voice barked from outside. "Issa! Get out of there! The water doesn't carry itself!"

Issa flinched. That was Grom, one of the lower-ranking pack warriors known for his cruelty. "Coming!" she called back, her voice flat. She quickly pulled on her worn labor clothes.

She turned back to her children, her gaze softening. "You two be good. Stay inside. No fighting. I'll be back before the midday meal."

Aries scowled. "Why can't we go with you, Mama? I'm strong now. I can carry water. See?" He flexed his arms.

Athena nodded vigorously. "Yes, Mama! We can help!"

Issa ruffled Aries's dark hair, then Athena's. "No. Stay here. It's safer. Besides, you need to practice your counting." She handed them a handful of smooth pebbles-small, secret lessons she taught them, hidden from the pack's indifference to human education.

She stepped outside, closing the tent flap behind her.

"What took you so long, human?" Grom snarled.

Issa kept her head down. "I apologize, sir. I was... tending to the children."

Grom scoffed. "Children. Like anyone cares about your human shits. Move, now!" He shoved a heavy wooden yoke into her hands; two large, empty buckets hung from it. "And don't spill a drop, or you'll fetch it with your teeth."

Issa gritted her teeth but said nothing. She slung the yoke over her shoulders, the rough wood digging into her skin-a pain she barely registered.

As she started the slow, arduous walk toward the river, her mind drifted back to her children: Aries, Athena. The fear of their lineage being discovered was a constant knot in her stomach, but deeper terrors lurked, too.

Suddenly, a commotion erupted near the camp's main entrance. Issa paused, the yoke biting into her shoulders, her heart leaping into her throat. This was no ordinary disturbance.

A figure burst through the cluster of tents, running full-tilt toward them before stumbling. It was Lena, a young human woman from the herb kitchens; her eyes were wild with terror, her usually neat braids flying loose. She gasped for breath.

"Grom!" Lena choked out, collapsing to her knees, clutching her side. "It's coming... they're coming for us... They are coming!"

Grom snarled, annoyed. "What are you babbling about, human? Get up!"

But Lena shook her head, tears streaming down her face as she pointed back toward the camp. "No... the Sky-Skyhowlers... they're here! They're coming for all of us!"