{C6:In camp }

{Roxellena POV}

The journey to Alpha Pascal’s territory dragged on far longer than I had expected. Hour after hour, the same endless line of trees blurred past the car windows, their green monotony pressing down on me like a weight. But the real torture wasn’t the road,it was sitting in silence while my own family laughed and chatted just inches away, as if I were invisible.

Lady Gerty dominated the conversation, her voice sharp and relentless. “Remember, girl, at that training camp you will speak only when spoken to. Keep your head down and your mouth shut. We’ve had enough of your nonsense.” She and Rosa exchanged knowing glances before launching into a string of lies about me, how I was lazy, disrespectful, ungrateful. Dad nodded along without a word.

“At least you’ll finally have some fresh air,” Rosa sneered, twisting in her seat to look straight at me. “The cupcake in the oven won’t miss you anymore. The fat rat is gone for months.” She smirked at her mother. Laughter exploded through the car,Lady Gerty’s high cackle, Rosa’s shrill giggles, and worst of all, Dad’s deep belly laughed. He laughed so hard his shoulders shook, the steering wheel jerking slightly as an oncoming trailer blared its horn. He swerved at the last second, still chuckling.

I stared out the window, my chest tight. What spell had Lady Gerty cast on him? This wasn’t the father I remembered,the man who once would have shut down anyone who dared ridicule his child in front of him.

Mum died when I was thirteen. For four years after that, it had just been the two of us. Then his job swallowed him whole, leaving me alone in that big house. That was when Lady Gerty started visiting. At first, she was all sweet smiles and gifts,my favorite candies, little treats . But the visits grew longer, more frequent, until one day Lady Gerty’s bags were unpacked and she never left.

Over time, her warmth toward me froze solid. She slowly poisoned Dad’s affection, turning him against me until I felt like a stranger in my own home.

She even convinced him to fire our part-time maid,the one who had worked for us since Mum was alive. From then on, the cooking, cleaning, and laundry all became mine.

The car finally rolled to a stop beside a row of other vehicles in front of a massive iron gate flanked by two towering stone pillars.

I stepped out, the afternoon sun warm on my skin, and helped haul Rosa’s heavy luggage from the trunk. While she chatted excitedly with her mother and Dad, I hung back, watching. Lady Gerty pulled Rosa into a tight, lingering hug. Dad wrapped his arms around her next, murmuring something soft. My throat burned. I would have given anything for even a fraction of that warmth.

As Dad climbed back into the car, I raised my hand in a small wave. He glanced at me for half a second, then looked away

“Careful with that box, idiot,” Rosa snapped arrogantly as I pushed her luggage behind her toward the waiting bus.

I chose a seat by the window and rested my forehead against the cool glass as the bus rumbled away. A few minutes later, a pair of hands suddenly clamped over my eyes.

“Guess who?” a familiar voice whispered

“When the hands dropped, I spun around to find James and Jessi grinning at me from the seat right behind.

“Wow, I didn’t see you guys when I got on,” I said, smiling for the first time that day.

“That’s because we ducked down when we saw you coming,” Jessi replied with a wink. She and James shared a quiet laugh.

“Where’s John?” I asked, noticing the empty space beside them.

“James scratched the back of his head, looking uncomfortable. “He’s not coming.”

“But why?”

“We don’t know,” Jessi said softly. She tore open a pack of chocolates and passed some to each of us. “He never called.”

“Hey!” a shout rang out from outside.

We all pressed against the windows. A group of students was sprinting after the bus. John was right in the middle, waving his arms wildly.

“I always knew you’d come!” Jessi cried as soon as the bus slowed. She rushed to the door, threw her arms around him in a fierce hug, then led him to the empty seat she had saved beside her.

“That seat is mine!” Jason’s voice boomed from the front. He stormed down the aisle like he owned the bus. “Get up and move your stuff.”

“But I was here first,” John stammered, shrinking slightly.

Without warning, Jason grabbed John by the collar and yanked him upward. In the same heartbeat, James surged forward and drove a hard punch into Jason’s back. Jason stumbled, collapsing onto John, who shoved him off. Jason spun around, eyes blazing, and threw a wild punch at James before wheeling back toward John, who was still clutching at his shirt.

Heart pounding, I jumped to my feet and wedged myself between them. “Stop it!”

The bus slammed on the brakes. Everyone standing lurched forward, nearly tumbling into the aisle.

“What the hell is going on back there!” the old driver roared, glaring at us in the rearview mirror. “One more fight and I’m throwing every last one of you off this bus!”

Jason released John with a shove. We all slunk back to our seats in tense silence.

“Thanks,” John muttered, squeezing into the narrow space I made for him.

The bus eventually pulled up in front of a grand hall painted a dull, imposing green. Several stern-looking men approached. After a quick word with the driver, they pointed directly at me, Jason, and my friends. “You lot,follow us.”

As we walked into the hall, I was met with the finest interior I had ever seen. The space was brightly lit, and the floor gleamed with crimson tiles.

Chairs were arranged in circles facing the center of the hall. A large banner featuring a red wolf standing beside an iron hand hung from the ceiling,

Paintings of a man in a red vest performing various acts of valor adorned the roof and the twenty-four massive pillars that supported the towering building.

These must be the Twenty-Four Pillars,I thought as we silently followed the guards.

We were led to a cluster of chairs facing two elevated seats at the front.

“Sit,” a guard barked. We obeyed without a word.

“The Alpha will arrive in sixteen minutes,” another guard announced. They took positions behind us like silent shadows.

The minutes ticked by. My nerves twisted tighter with every second.

“The Alpha is here,” one guard whispered. All of them snapped to attention.

A tall, imposing man strode past us and ascended to one of the higher seats. His presence filled the hall like a gathering storm.

“I am Alpha Adrian,” he said, his voice deep and commanding. His sharp eyes swept over us. “What crimes have these ones committed?”