Chapter 1

Solene’s POV

“You can stop watching the road. Nobody’s coming.”

The guard leaned against the Prison center’s gate, turning my release papers between his fingers while I looked past him toward the bend in the road.

This was what? The hundredth time? 

“Adrian is coming,” I murmured to myself as I tightened my hold on the cloth bag containing everything I owned: a worn shirt, a comb with missing teeth, and the shoes I had arrived in three years ago.

Adrian had bought those shoes. If the whole world abandoned me, I knew my brother wouldn’t.

“Just move," the guard hissed, shoving the papers at me.

Defiantly, I shook my head. “I’ll wait a little longer.” 

“That was what you said 5 hours ago!” He snapped, glancing at the sun. “You’ve been waiting since eight. What do you think this place is? A shelter? Move before I make you!”

I’d barely hobbled down the stairs and out before the gate shut behind me with a metallic crash.

“How pathetic. Even the prison rejected you.”

A low voice seemed to mock in my head. But I shut it out, shifting my weight from my injured foot to the other.

“Maybe he was delayed."

But how many similar excuses had I made for Adrian, for my entire family, over the years?   

And now, on what was supposed to be my happiest day—the day the camp released me—there was no one to pick me up.

My eyes burned, but I refused to let the tears fall. Blinking, I slowly dragged my injured leg behind me and began the grueling journey of limping home.

Worshire Prison Camp. A place born of nightmares and terror– it was the one place government and ruling Alphas turned a blind eye to.

A melting pot of the continent’s worst criminals… the camp made death seem like a mercy.

Did Adrian even know how bad it had been?

Of course he knew

That voice inside me hissed spitefully. You wrote to him countlessly

On this, I couldn’t defend my brother. 

Because from the first moment I arrived, I’d written. 

The darkness of the camp cave was so thick, I feared my eyes would be blind. The weight of the stones we were made to haul had torn the tendons in my shoulder. The food was rotten and scarce, yet a minor offense had us starving for several days… Not to mention the whip beatings. And the scars that now crisscrossed my body like jewelry.

I’d told Adrian everything.

Even how when I fainted from exhaustion, the shot me with adrenaline just to keep my exhausted body working.

But he never replied. Even when I almost died and desperately begged for him to come for me. I’d poured my soul into those letters but was met with radio silence.

In the end, I learned to stop.

It was early evening by the time the packhouse came into view, and I felt like I was at death’s door.

All I wanted was to enter my room and lie down.

But I entered the house courtyard and paused in surprise.

Had I perhaps misjudged my family?

The whole place was decorated with flowers.

Sky blue and white ribbons hung from the roof— my favorite color. From the works hustling about in arrangement to the faint smell of roast beef and simmering stew in the air.

My chest tightened and I began to sniffle.

Yes, I’d been hasty. This all— it looked almost exactly like the decorations they’d put up for my grand birthday. It looked like they’d planned a surprise welcome home party for me. But the preparations were not complete, so maybe they’d mistaken the release date?

At that exact moment, a woman carrying a basket of petals hurried past me, calling to the servants. "Can you be faster, please? Miss Elise will inspect the decor for her ceremony tonight. The sun has fallen already; we cannot have even a petal out of place!”

I sidestepped as she gave me a once-over, wrinkled her nose, and snapped. “Are you the new kitchen maid?! Hurry up. There’s so much to do for the coming of age ceremony!”

It was such a small gesture, but with that, I felt my entire life crumble to pieces before me.

Elise. 

All these flowers and decorations… it wasn’t for me but for Elise’s coming-of-age ceremony?

They’d indeed forgotten me in the torture camp. But not because they were planning a surprise. But because Elise mattered more.

I shouldn't feel this bitter. But I was powerless to stop the trembling as my breath started to shake

“Sol?”

My brother’s voice broke my internal spiral as I blinked my blurry vision and saw him standing there.

It’s been three years, and countless times in between, I’d played this reunion over in my head.

Would he break into sobs when he saw how thin and ghostly my frame had become? Would he kneel and beg me for forgiveness? Would he embrace me tightly, too speechless to make a sound?

But not once in any version of my imagination did I think he’d be standing motionless, with a preparation list in his hand and mild surprise on his face as he stared at me.

“What are you doing here?”

It was all I could do not to crumble at his question. My breath shook, but I held myself, giving a small smile. “The camp released me today.”

Adrian barely looked concerned; If anything, he appeared distracted as he glanced at his list again, nodded his head, and then, as though remembering I stood there, looked at me and frowned. “I was going to send someone to pick you up. I just— “

He sighed and lifted the list. “Elise’s ceremony starts tomorrow. We’re short on time.”

My nails were digging into my palm from how tightly my hands were clenched. But what was I supposed to say?

He shouldn’t prepare the coming-of-age ceremony for the family’s biological daughter because he’d been my brother long before he met her?

Nothing. I had nothing to say but take in a deep breath and force myself to blink

“Don’t do that, Sol," Adrian sighed. Coming down the stairs of the house as he took in my face fully. “Don’t try to make me feel guilty. You know, I checked on you.”

“Did you?” I couldn’t stop the bitterness from leaking into my voice.

“The facility always said you were doing well.” He replied defiantly.

Facility? That was how he convinced himself sending me to a Prison Mine Camp for a crime I didn’t commit was a sane decision?!

I almost burst into hysterical laughter.

Three years ago, the man I called my elder brother had sat opposite me in the holding room as he explained why he had testified against me for a crime his real sister committed.

Before Elise returned, I had been the most favored child in the family. Everything at home was arranged around my preferences—my favorite colors, my favorite meals, my favorite flowers in the garden. Then Elise came back, and everything changed.

*I'm so sorry, Star." He'd held my hand. Shaking his head as he begged. "Elise has only just been found. She has suffered enough outside the pack. It's just— it's too soon, Sol. We can't send her away now please. Do this for us, okay? I- I'll be waiting when you get out."*

*"You've had us all to yourself, Sol, for years now, while Elise has had nothing. You lived the life she should have… can't you just do this too? As a little payback?"*

A simple request, but in reality, it was my family. Asking for payment for the love they'd showered on me for years.

Elise pushed my mate’s younger brother, Jamal down the stairs. The wound was so severe, he died instantly. When the guards came, she was crying and framed me.

Adrian knew the truth. He had watched it happen. But Elise had suffered outside for years, and they couldn't bear to send their newly recovered daughter away.

So they sent me instead.

“I’m going inside.” I whispered. My voice, low for fear I’d shatter right here in the courtyard before everyone.

But Adrian grabbed my arm, and then his face crumbled the second he realized how thing I’d gotten. “I swear, I had no reason to think you weren’t being properly taken care of.”

Once upon a time, Adrian had been a shining light in my life. The big brother whose love for me was so fierce, everyone in the pack knew how protected I was. 

Now, I saw a stranger. A man I didn’t recognize, staring at me and seeming to plead with me. “Just let it go. Don’t make this a big deal.”

Biting my tongue, I gave him the answer he really wanted to hear. “It’s fine. I just want to go inside.”

Adrian nodded, released my arm, and then paused. “But wait…” his voice turned deathly serious. “I don’t want any trouble with Elise. The Alpha King is attending. If the ceremony goes well, he could help us arrange a good marriage for her. This is important, Sol.”

My leg was killing me. I tried to shift my weight, but a sharp shot up my knee warned me how long I’d actually been standing.

“Elise’s nervous enough already.” Adrian continued, warning. “Don’t bring up the past or make her feel guilty. Okay?”

He expected an answer. But I could do nothing but my entire being was focused on the fire shooting through my leg as tremors racked me and sweat beaded on my lip. 

“What is wrong with you?” Adrian sighed in annoyance. “I’m trying to warn you, and you’re doing the exact thing. Stop being pitiful to get my attention! I— “ He paused. “What’s wrong with your leg?”

I just walked twelve miles on a horribly bandaged leg with a gaping wound, but I’m sure it’s fine.

I badly wanted to snark back, but I could feel myself fading fast.

“Nothing,” I rasped, pushing at his chest weakly. “Please move.”

The second Adrian stepped aside, I lifted my foot onto the threshold, and my leg gave out.

I collapsed, screaming as my wound hit the floor directly.

It was like I was dying and then not all at once. Sparks of poisoned lightning shooting through me. 

“Solene!” Adrian hissed. His voice tight with panic as he crouched beside me.

Goddess, help me. My head was swimming and the metallic smell—

“What is that?” My brother’s voice changed as he touched my leg, and his hand came away scarlet.

“Ad— “ I gritted my teeth as he caught the fabric of my trousers. I tried to stop him but it was too late.

He lifted my trousers, exposing my entire leg. Both the blood-soaked, poorly bandaged wound and, above it, pale scars crossed with darker ones. 

Even to an untrained eye, it was obvious what they were.

Whip marks. 

Adrian went deathly still.

For the first time since I had come home, my brother had nothing to say.