CHAPTER ONE

The acrid smell of burnt wood lingered heavily in the air, thick and suffocating, as seven-year-old Selene pressed her tiny hands on her ear.

The voices outside her small room escalated, a mix of fury and sorrow merging in the chaos. Her hand pounded erratically, each thud reverberating like a drumbeat in her chest.

“Mama?” She whispered, her voice trembling. She turned to where her mother Elana was stuffing a satchel with a few clothes and some pieces of bread.

Her eyes, which were once vibrant, were now brimmed with desperation, darting to the door like she was expecting it to burst open at any given moment.

“Stay quiet, Selene,” her mother urged. Her voice is sharp but breaking at the edges. Elana crouched down, cupping Selene's tear-streaked face in her trembling hands.

“Whatever happens, stay hidden; do you hear me? Do not come out until I tell you to.” 

“But…”

“No Selene!Elana's tone cracked, and her grip tightened. “Promise me!”

Selene's lip quivered, but she nodded, too frightened to argue. Her father's voice boomed from the living room, drawing her mother's attention. Elana stood abruptly, her shoulder squared as she turned towards the door.

“Mama, where is Papa?” Selene's voice was small, almost swallowed by the tension hanging in the air.

Elana hesitated, her back to Selene. “He's protecting us,” she said, but the weight of her words felt like a lie.

The door to the room slammed as her mother rushed out. Selene was left alone in the dimly lit space; she crawled under the bed, clutching her knees so tight to her chest, her small body trembling while she listened to the world outside unravel.

The noise outside grew louder, punctuated by the heavy snarls of wolves. The pack's rage was palpable, vibrating through the floorboards.

Selene flinched at the voice of something heavy crashing to the ground, followed by her father's voice, deep, commanding but tinged with a fear she’d never heard before.

“Alpha George Please! you know me, I would never betray the pack!”

“Then explain yourself, Darius!” George’s voice thundered, resonating through the walls. “Explain the stolen supplies, the missing weapons found in your warehouse, and the rouge wolves you've been meeting in secret!”

Selene clutched her knees even tighter, her breath coming in short with panicked gasps. She didn't comprehend all the words, but she understood the tone; it was the sound of accusation and of judgement.

“I didn't….” Her father's voice was cut off by a snarl and a sickening thunder. Selene hit down on her lip to keep her from crying.

She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the sounds, but they sipped in like poison. Her mother's scream, the growls of the pack, and the harsh condemning words of Alpha.

“Traitor's have no place here," Alpha declared, his voice cold and final. “Your actions have endangered us all. For that, you will face the consequences, even so, your little one.”

“No, Elana’s voice rang out, fierce, defiant, and was heard by the rest of the pack outside. “Our daughter has nothing to do with any of this; don't punish her for our mistakes!”

“Your daughter is no longer of this pack,” Alpha spat. “She’ll grow knowing the disgrace you brought upon her name.”

The words felt like daggers, unrelenting and sharp. Selene's hands flew to her ears, but they couldn't block the raw anguish in her mother's cries or the chilling silence that followed it.

She didn't know what had happened, but the quietness that settled over the house was worse than the raw noise. It was the silence of the ending, time seemed to stretch and wrap around her.

Finally, the door to her room creaked open. Selene's body went hard beneath the bed as she froze. She held her breath, her heart pounding so loudly she feared that whoever had entered would hear it.

A hand reached below, rough and calloused, pulling her out from under the bed. Selene's big, tear-filled eyes met with those of Beta Lucas but his expression was hard, his eyes were cold, his gaze devoid of any kindness.

“You’re coming with me, little one” he said, his tone leaving no room for any argument. He gripped her arm firmly, dragging her outside the house.

Selene's feet stumbled over the threshold as she was pulled into the night. The sight before her made her stomach churn.

The pack stood in a wide circle, their faces cold and unforgiving. In the center her parents knelt, bound and bloodied. 

Her father's once strong frame was hunched, his head bowed. Her mother's fiery spirit seemed extinguished, her face streaked with tears and ash.

“Mama!” Selene cried, wriggling against Lucas’ firm grip. “Papa!”

Elana's head snapped up immediately when she heard her daughter's voice. “Selene!” she cried but her chains held her back.

“Enough!” Alpha barked, silencing the commotion. His piercing gaze landed on Selen and she felt the weight of it crush on her. “This child will live as a reminder of what happens to traitors.”

“Please” Elana sobbed. “She's just a child”

Alpha ignored her, turning his back on the scene. “Take them away.”

Selene's scream filled the air as her parents were dragged towards the pack's edge. She trashed against Luca's grip, her small fist pounding uselessly against his arm.

“Mama! Papa!” 

Her father turned his head, his broken voice cutting through the chaos. “Stay strong Selene,” he said. “We love you.”

And then they were gone, swallowed by the darkness of the forest. The pack began to disperse, their murmurs a mixture of anger and satisfaction.

Lucas released Selene, letting her crumple to the ground like a discarded doll. She curled herself up, sobbing uncontrollably.

The cold crept into her skin, but it was nothing compared to the frost feeling that settled in her chest.

Her parents were gone. Her world was gone. All that lingered was the weight of their shame and disgrace coupled with the suffocating loneliness that would haunt her for years to come.

Selene jolted up, gasping for breath,her forehead beading of sweat. Her trembling hands clutched the tattered blanket, her wide eyes darting around the dark.

It took a moment for reality to anchor her, this was now, not then. The haunting images from the dream

she just woke up from were just another nightmare, a cruel replay of her family's past.