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CHAPTER 2: Leaving home
publish date:
2026-06-29 00:32:20Ashina Pov
The door to my room clicked shut behind me.
For a long moment, I simply stood there.
Everything looked exactly as I'd left it that morning.
The cracked mirror hanging crooked on the wall.
The tiny wooden wardrobe Father had once called "too expensive for someone like me."
This room has never felt like home but it belonged to me but not anymore.
I walked toward the loose floorboard beneath my bed and carefully lifted it. My fingers found the folded letters I usually sent to my brother when we were little.
The corners were worn from how many times I'd unfolded it, reading the same words over and over whenever Father wasn't watching.
A bitter laugh escaped my lips.
Funny how I had spent three years of wishing I was the one you died instead of my brother.
I folded the letter once more and slipped it into my small satchel beside it, I placed a faded photograph of my brother. The edges had long since begun to curl as his smile remained the same.
The only person who had ever looked at me with love.
"I wish you were here," I whispered.
Silence answered.
I closed the satchel and turned toward the cracked mirror for a moment... I barely recognized the girl staring back at me as the outline of Father's hand already turning purple against my cheek a thin line of dried blood trailed from the corner of my mouth.
I reached up and wiped it away with my thumb as Pain had stopped surprising me years ago.
"You'll survive," I whispered to my reflection.
"You always do." A sharp knock interrupted the silence.
"The carriage is waiting." I didn't answer because there was nothing left to say.
I picked up my satchel and walked out without looking back.
***********
No one came to see me off.
Not Father, Not even Mother, even the servants who had watched me grow up. The courtyard felt strangely empty as though the manor itself couldn't wait to be rid of me Just before I climbed into the carriage, Mother's voice stopped me.
"One last thing." I turned as She stood on the front steps, perfectly dressed, her expression as cold as ever.
"Don't embarrass the Crawford family." A hollow smile tugged at my lips as she blew me a kiss.
"You've spent years pretending I wasn't part of it." She didn't deny it as she smiled.
"Oh, and Ashina..." Her eyes glittered with cruel amusement.
"...try not to die too quickly."
The carriage door slammed shut and Moments later, we were moving.I didn't look back because there was nothing behind me worth remembering.
The journey lasted a day. The further we traveled, the quieter the world became as the villages disappeared. The roads became narrowed as Towering black pines swallowed the sunlight until even noon looked like dusk.
The soldiers escorting me barely spoke, When they did...It was always in whispers.
They say the Rogue Alpha ripped an Alpha's throat out with his bare hands even his own wolves fear him While None of his mates never survived the curse.
A cold knot settled in my stomach. I tried convincing myself they were only rumors People always exaggerated monsters.
Didn't they?
By the evening of the second day, the trees finally parted.
My breath caught, The Rogue Territory stood before me. It wasn't a kingdom, It was a fortress as Massive black stone walls stretched across the mountains, the Watchtowers overlooked every entrance as hundreds of wolves patrolled the cliffs above.
The enormous iron gates slowly creaked open as the carriage rolled inside. Warriors dressed in black armor lined the path as none of them looked curious as though danger lived here. The carriage finally stopped immediately One of the guards opened the door.
"Come." He ordered as I stepped onto the stone courtyard. The air felt colder here and Heavier like the territory itself was watching me before I could take another step, a woman approached.
She was tall as her black training uniform hugged a lean, powerful frame, and a silver wolf insignia rested against her chest unlike everyone else...She didn't stare at me with pity.
"My name is Kaia," she said simply.
"I've been ordered to escort you." I nodded silently as She immediately turned without another word as I followed like a puppy.
The fortress was enormous. The Stone corridors twisted endlessly everywhere I looked, warriors trained with swords and spears Others shifted into wolves as they carried out their activities.
No one smiled as it felt less like a home and more like an army waiting for war.
Finally, Kaia stopped before two towering black doors carved with wolves and ancient runes.
She looked at me for the first time since we'd met with an unreadable expression.
"I'll give you one piece of advice." I swallowed hard as my heart pounded in an unusual way.
"What is it?" My voice dropped.
"Whatever happens in there..."
"...don't scream." Before I could ask what she meant.
A deafening growl erupted from behind the doors. The sound shook the walls beneath my feet.
Not human nor a wolf but something far more terrifying. My heart slammed against my ribs.
Kaia lowered her head.
"The Rogue Alpha is waiting." The doors slowly began to open.
I stopped breathing.
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