Chapter 4 - The Wolves who smile with teeth

When Alpha announced who would join him on the journey to meet the shadowfangs, my name was not on the list.

It didn't surprise me. It never did. I had stopped expecting anything from Silvermoon long ago except for cruelty

Still, as the chosen wolves prepared at dawn, strapping on weapons and adjusting cloaks, i couldn't help the hollow ache in my chest. The Shadowfangs were the kind of pack you only heard about in stories, strong, independent, respected by their allies, feared by their enemies. And i would not see them.

I stood on the edge of the clearing, arms full of kindling for the barracks fire, as the delegation mounted their horses and shifted into wolf form where needed. Alpha Garrick led the way, his massive grey wolf a shadow against the pale snow. Beside him trotted Beta Rowan, and just behind was Malric, his fur the same iron-grey as his father's.

Before they left, Malric, his lips curled back, revealing sharp teeth in what was meant to look like a smile. The kind that promised trouble when he returned.

The rest of the pack went about their day as though nothing had changed. The absence of the Alpha only meant one thing: less restraint for those who already hated me.

By midday, I was sent into the forest to gather more wood, accompanied by two wolves I didn't trust, Taron and Jace. They weren't as cruel as Malric, but they were the kind to laugh when someone else did the hurting.

They trailed behind me as I worked, breaking branches and stacking them in my arms. I could feel their eyes on me, hear the low murmur of their voices.

"Do you think she even has a wolf?" Jace asked. "I've never seen her shift in a fight. Just runs off into the trees."

"She has one", Taron said. "I've seen it. But maybe it's weak. Make sense, if she's curse-born."

The term twisted in my stomach. I had heard it my whole life, whispered and shouted, said like it was fact, that my birth had brought bad luck, that I was marked by misfortune itself.

"Don't you have anything better to do?' I asked, not looking at them.

They laughed. "Better than watching you try to carry half the forest on your back? Not likely."

I ignored them and kept working until my arms ached from the weight. When we returned to the pack grounds, they "accidentally" dropped half the load in the snow, forcing me to pick it all up again alone.

That night, the main fire pit was crowded. Without the Alpha present, the atmosphere was looser, but not kinder. Liora sat at the center, her golden hair catching the firelight, surrounded by her usual circle of admirers.

I stayed on the edges, sitting cross-legged, tearing small strips of dried meat for my dinner. I kept my head down, but that didn't stop them from noticing me.

"Selene," Liora called suddenly, her tone sweet. "Come here."

My instincts told me not to. But refusing would only make it worse. I rose and walked to her, the fire's heat prickling my skin.

"Show them your scars," she said lightly, as though asking about the weather. "From the last time Father had to.... discipline you"

A ripple of laughter went through the group.

"No," I said quietly.

I held her gaze, even though my heart was pounding. " If you want to humiliate me, you'll have to think of something else. That one's old."

Liora's lips curved. Not in anger, but in amusement. Which was worse? "You've grown bold, curse-born. Maybe you think the shadowfangs will come and carry you away like in one of Elder Calen's old stories?"

The laughter grew louder. My jaw clenched, but I didn't answer.

"That's the difference between you and me, Selene," she said, her voice syrup-sweet. "When they come, they'll look at me and see a Luna. When they look at you, they'll see a stray they should put down."

She turned away before I could respond. Dismissed.

I returned to my corner, my food suddenly tasteless.

The next morning, Elder Calen found me in the shed, mending one of the hunting nets. His sharp eyes studied me for a long moment before he spoke.

'They're trying to see if they can push you into breaking," he said. "It's a test, whether they know it or not."

"I'm not breaking," I replied without raising my head.

"Not yet," he said. "But everyone breaks Selene. The question is what you do with the pieces after."

I met his gaze. "What do you think I should do?"

"Survive," he said. "Because if you live long enough, the world changes around you. And sometimes, the thing you've been waiting for walks right into your life."

By the time the delegation returned three days later, I had been pushed, prodded, and provoked more than usual. My patience was wearing thin, but I held the pieces of myself together with sheer stubbornness.

The pack gathered to hear Garrick speak. He stood before them, his expression grim.

"The Shadowfangs have agreed to an alliance," he said. "Their Alpha will come here in one month's time to seal it."

A ripple of excitement went through the crowd. I stood at the back, silent.

One month. One month before, I would see this wolf Elder Calen spoke of, that is, if they even let me in the same room as them.

But deep down, I had the sense that the month would not pass quietly.

I was having this feeling, was it good or bad? I'm not sure.

And maybe Elder Calen was right about the pack about me, about the mysterious Alpha.

But one thing I knew for sure was that when that day came, everything would change, for me and the pack, and I wasn't sure if I was ready to face it yet. 

And the wolves who smiled with teeth were already watching me. And I would be ready