Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Faye's Pov

A few days after the wedding incident was hell. 

The bullying intensified and so did the whispers but that didn't stop me from lifting my chin up. 

I ignored the whispers as I walked past the burly-looking gentlemen in the training grounds. Judging from the weapons they polished, I could tell they were preparing for the Moon Raid.

The Moon Raid was a traditional hunt our pack celebrates and usually comes after a wedding. The groom is expected to compete against his bride's father in a hunting match and emerge the victor but since mine didn't show up, every male wolf would participate in the hunt.

“Isn't that the pack rejects?” One of them I recognized to be Sloane, Stephen’s friend, asked.

“Yup,” The second guy replied loud enough for me to hear. “I heard the groom didn't show. Poor thing.”

“You heard? Weren't you at the wedding?” The third guy asked.

The second guy shrugged. “I can't concern myself with a useless things like her.”

Then they broke into laughter and walked away. 

I looked over my shoulder at their retreating form and sighed. Couldn't they find anything better to talk about?

My eyes trailed to the bright-red bow and arrow sitting just ahead on the wooden pedestal. It was the weapon meant for the groom during the hunt. Right now, no one wielded it. Right now, no one could but I stared towards the weapon and I stared at it. Then, after making sure no one was there, I lifted it. Effortlessly.

My hands didn't shake. Not for one second. Instead, they felt alive. Like they were meant for carrying axes and not buckets. I ignored the clothes I'd been ordered to collect and picked the bow and arrow.

A few weeks after that, I lived a double life. In the morning, I would run errands and suffer insults and jabs from my stepmother and brother and at night, I would sneak to the training fields to train. It was just me and the night. Me and mom's last words echoing through the night as I swung, kicked, punched and fought my way. I was building my strength. They just didn't know it. 

In a few days time, the day of the hunt arrived.

Maids ran helter skelter to make sure the food and drinks were ready. The gentlemen polished their weapons and father, well, let's just say he sat on his throne, applauding his son as he marched into the arena. It was then I realized father had never once applauded me for anything.

“What the heck are you looking at?!” Scarlet's word cut through the air like a sharp knife. 

I didn't flinch. The old me would've but the new me sensed Scarlet's footsteps from a mile away.

To fuel her inflated ego, I turned around and faked a shiver. “I'm sorry I got distracted, mother.”

“Don't linger around here. Get out! You've brought enough shake to our pack. The last thing anyone wants to see is your face.” she hissed.

“I'm sorry, mother.” I said, maintaining the same soft tone even though anger boiled within me. 

“Get out!” She repeated and shoved me.

I pretended to stumble and hurried out of the canopy. The second I was out, I straightened up and walked down the path I'd hidden my armour and arrows. I was joining the hunt.

*****

“Ladies and gentlemen, I welcome you all to the Moon Raid,” Father began with a solemn voice. 

The crowd rage in reply, cheering and whistling uncontrollably. I hid in the silence, waiting for the moment for truth.

Father continued. “Tonight, we will feast and we will drive but first, we hunt!”

Another round of deafening cheers erupted in the arena.

He held up a hand to silence them before finally concluding. “Our best warriors will raid the night and the winner will be crowned my second-in-command.”

I rolled my eyes at the comment. I already knew my father had already decided who his winner would be. Stephen lifted his sword up as soon as father finished his speech, eliciting cheers from the woman and howls from the men watching from the stands. They'd already rigged the hunt to let him win. Too bad they won't see me coming.

I threw my hood over my head and vanished into the crowd.  

No one saw me when I slipped into the arena with the men and vanished into the forest. They equally didn't see me when I slaughtered over 20 boars. 

I withdrew my arrow from a dead boar and locked eyes with him. The idiot who called me a “useless thing”. 

His eyes widened. “You… what the hell are you doing here?”

“The same reason you're here.” I said with a careless shrug.

“Bullshit! Women are forbidden from the Moon Raid!” His grip around his weapon tightened. 

“They aren't anymore.” I smirked.

“Get out of here or I'll teach you a lesson you'll never forget!” He warned. It was pretty clear from the growl in his voice but I wasn't scared. I'd seen worse during my training.

I drew out an arrow on my bow, ready to shoot. “Make me.” 

“You asked for it! Aaargh!” Like a headless boar, he came straight for the attack and like the loser he was, he went down on his back.

I stomped my foot over his chest and he groaned in pain. Then I leaned forward and asked. “Where is Stephen?”

“P - please, don't kill me.” The blonde whimpered.

How pathetic. Just a minute ago, he was all about teaching me a lesson and now, he's begging for his life. What a useless thing.

“I won't kill you,” I patted his cheek. When he seemed to have calmed down, I grabbed his chin. “but I will kill you if you don't tell me where he is.”

The blonde mumbled Stephen's whereabouts and I thanked him with my fist. When I stood up, I grabbed my weapon and went to find Stephen.

It wasn't difficult looking for him. I could smell his stench from a mile away. 

The asshole sat comfortably behind a line of already slaughtered animals. They stood in quite a heap and he triumphantly sat behind them, waiting for the horn to be blown so he'd emerge the winner since he killed the most animals. What a loser.

I stepped on a twig to announce my presence and he snapped at alert. 

He swung his sword at me and hissed at my masked face. “Dude, you scared the shit out of me.” Then he withdrew the sword. “I thought I paid you enough gold to sit this one out. Go wait with your friends on the other side of the forest.” 

I didn't move. 

“Hello? I believe I'm speaking to a person.” He snapped his fingers at me. When I didn't respond, he took a step back and gave me a scrutinizing look. “I didn't see you at the training grounds yesterday. Who the hell are you?” 

That's the question I was looking for. 

I peeled off the mask and threw my hood back. “Hey, there.”

His face had never been paler. “What the — what the fuck are you doing here, you little shit?!”

“I'm here to win.” I grinned.

He scoffed. “You? Please, don't make me laugh. Women don't join the Moon Raids. Run along. It's what you do best.” 

I watched him for a second before I agreed. “Okay.”

He blinked. “Wait. You will?”

“Yup. You told me to leave, didn't you?” I shrugged as I turned to leave. 

“Yeah. You better run.” he laughed behind me.

“Oh, I will,” I smiled. “Just not away from you.” 

“What?”

I turned around and gave him a sharp roundhouse kick.

His body slumped to the floor and I dragged the immobile heap towards the arena.

We'd arrived just in time for the announcer to begin.

Beta Gavin, whom father had probably paid, announced in a loud voice. “Uh-oh. Someone's emerging from the shadows… It looks like Stephen.”

As if.

I dragged Stephen's body towards the center and dumped him on the ground.

The crowd went wild with whispers and confused murmurs. 

Father, as if forgetting this was a game, snapped at my masked face. “How dare you cause harm to my son?!”

Scarlet must've reminded him this was a game because he cleared his throat and sighed.

“It seems you won, stranger,” he forced calm into his voice. “May we all be acquainted with you, gentleman.”

“Take off the mask and acknowledge your victory.” Gavin said in a tone that told me he was happy Stephen didn't win. 

I put one leg on Stephen's chest and he hissed in pain then I reached for my mask and peeled it off.

Sharp gasps filled the air and father… he rose from his throne and stared at me with wide eyes.

“Faye?” He blinked as if he couldn't recog

nize me.

I tossed the bow and arrow to the ground and stood with my other feet on Stephen’s chest. 

“I won, father. I am now your second in command