Chapter 2

CALLA

The thoughts in my head were louder than the ticking clock hanging behind me as I paced about my room. I’d gone a full day without seeing Mira. She didn’t return after the assembly and I grew restless and worried. 

We, the assignees, just had two hours left to get our things ready to leave Lunaris city. No one backed down, not Lucien, not even Beatrice. 

I guess we’d all accepted our fates. 

Life was about to become a survival game. 

A knock drew my attention to the door which opened immediately. It was Elder Stolkhom, Mira’s father. 

I expected Mira to be behind him, but he just left the door open and crossed over to me. 

“Mira?” I asked. 

He looked sad. His head dropped a little, then rose with an answer. “She ran off. She left this letter for you,telling you how proud she is of your assignment. She’s hurt by the academy’s choice,” 

“Ran off? To where? Can’t the academy do something? Replace me with her? Your connections? You could pull some strings…make her go with us…”

“It’s not that easy, Calla,” 

“It is. You’re the second in command,” I pleaded, tugging onto his shirt. 

Even from the way he looked, I knew there was nothing more he could do. Someone like Elder Stockholm must have already pulled the necessary strings. For him to be standing here, it means none of them worked, which is weird. 

“So, I won’t get to see Mira before I leave?” 

“Hopefully, she’ll return before your departure,” he responded. 

That was a fifty-fifty chance. Instead of leaning onto that hope, I tore a sheet of paper, poured out my heart into it with a pen and stuffed it into his palm. 

“Just In case she doesn’t show up, give that to her for me,” 

A tear trickled down my eye, and I didn’t bother wiping it off. He pulled me into a fatherly hug and kissed my head. 

“Be strong, Calla. Embrace who you are in the Fangspire pack. I have a strong feeling that there’s more waiting for you outside than you can imagine,” 

He sounded just like my father. Speaking in terms that left me questioning myself. 

I sunk into my bed after he left, patiently waiting for the call beside my nearly packed box and perhaps, Mira’s return. 

*******

Two hours went by, but she didn’t show up. We were escorted to the cars taking us to our assigned packs by Principal Mayers. She stood tall behind the cars, staring feignly at us as we loaded up. By sunset, we’d hit the road. 

I sat behind with Beatrice who got down immediately with her makeup. Lucien was mind-linked with someone back in the pack, sending thoughts to each other that made him smile. The other two students sat in front. They were twins and refused to stay apart from each other. 

The ride started off smoothly, the car breezing off through the warm atmosphere of Lunaris city. We crossed several cities and drove in silence for hours until I felt a shift in the atmosphere. 

“Brace up,” the driver called our attention. “We just entered Dravenport city,”  

Cold waves crashed over my face after his last statement. The windows were whined up, but I could still feel the eerie and cold atmosphere. The farther we drove, the darker the clouds became. 

“This is Dravenport?” Beatrice asked with an ick of fear on her face. 

“It smells like death,” the twins chorused. 

“It smells like rotten eggs,” Lucien corrected. “And pigs,”

“It smells like…blood,” I muttered. 

And I wasn’t wrong. 

Unlike other developed and clean cities, Dravenport looked gothic. From old castles, to long, bricked bridges, flags of identity and people moving about awkwardly. 

I thought I’d seen it all, but when we arrived at the Fangspire pack, I finally understood the twins. 

Death…that was the depiction. 

“We won’t survive a day here,” I sighed. 

“Speak for yourself, weakling,” Lucien scoffed. 

The car drove into a large surrounding which had a stone walled castle standing on its magnificent form ahead. Before we got down, men had already started taking down our boxes. 

“This way,” one of them told us. We were led into the building through the main entrance. 

The Fangspire castle towered before me like something pulled out of an old nightmare, its dark stone walls scarred with time, ivy crawling up the sides like veins. The air was colder here, thick with the scent of iron and damp moss. Inside, the halls stretched endlessly, lit by torches that flickered against portraits Their painted eyes followed me, or maybe it just felt that way. 

The man who’d met us turned, his voice calm but commanding.

“I’m Beta Rowan. Follow me.”

We obeyed in silence. The echo of our footsteps filled the space as he led us through the halls, pointing out rooms along the way. When we stopped before the last door, he looked at me.

“You wait here. I’ll get the key to your room..”

I nodded, clutching my bag close as he walked off with the others. The corridor was eerily quiet, until a sound broke through it.

A voice.

Low. Rough. Beautiful.

Someone was singing.

The melody carried through the walls, soft yet powerful enough to tug at something deep inside me. Before I could think, my feet were already moving, drawn to the sound echoing from the west wing.

I carefully pulled the knob and pushed the door in. A boy stood by the window, singing into the night. I’d barely taken a second step in when he stopped and turned. 

“What are you doing here?” He feigned. 

A voice harsher than the sweet melody I just heard. 

“I’m sorry, I was looking for…”

“Who are you? One of the students from Wolfhuts?” He asked, now taking steps closer to me. I couldn’t ignore the charm in his eyes, nor the parting line of his chest which spoke louder than him as he covered the gap between us. 

“Yes,” I answered. 

His eyes traced my body, moving slowly down to my feet and back up to my face. 

“Tell me the rest are as pretty as you. I didn’t expect Mayers to have the best eyes for girls,” he blurted with a hand already resting on my shoulder. A cold shiver ran down my skin as he moved down to my waist. The moment he squeezed onto my skin, I knocked his hand off and withdrew. 

“What kind of person are you?” I barked. 

“The heir to the Fangspire pack. You’re in my territory, so you belong to me,” he boasted. 

I scoffed, disgust reeling through me. “The alphas' son. I’m not surprised. Unfortunately, I’m not here for you, but to serve my pack,” 

I stormed out of the room without waiting to hear anything from him. The corridor looked unfamiliar, like it wasn’t where I just walked through. 

I took a path out of instinct and took a walk of embarrassment, turning over my shoulder to ensure I wasn’t being followed by him. I took a turn to the right, and someone ran into me, throwing us both to the floor. 

She stood immediately, eyes wide with…relief. She forced a golden cup into my hand, kissed my forehead and whispered into my ear. 

“You’re his bride. Good luck,” then she ran off. 

*************