Chapter 10

“That’s enough. She’s new here, and she shouldn’t be judged by her appearance.”

A man who looked to be in his thirties suddenly stepped forward from behind the others. His voice wasn’t harsh, but there was something firm about it that made the group fall silent. He looked older and more mature than everyone else around him, and from the way they seemed to listen to him, I guessed he was probably one of the elders.

He turned his attention to me, his expression softening slightly.

“Tell me, what’s your name?” he asked.

I lowered my head, suddenly feeling self-conscious under everyone’s eyes. “Zenaya,” I replied quietly.

“That’s a very nice name, Zenaya. Welcome to the Blood Moon Soldiers Pack, one of the bravest packs around.” He offered me a small, polite smile before continuing, “I’d like to know which pack you’re from. You don’t look like someone from this pack.”

His question was polite, and there was no suspicion in his voice, but my heart immediately tightened.

How was I supposed to tell him I was from Ronan’s pack?

I had already heard the rumors about the hatred between the two packs. If they knew where I really came from, would they hate me too? Would they think I was some kind of spy sent here by Ronan?

I stood there without saying a word, my hands slowly clenching at my sides. My mouth opened, but no sound came out. My tongue felt strangely twisted, as though the simple answer had suddenly become impossible to say.

“Oh, so she can’t even tell us which pack she’s from?” the girl who had been picking on me suddenly spoke up again, her voice dripping with mockery. “Or are you from the slums?”

I glanced at her briefly, irritation flashing through me.

What exactly was her problem with me?

I decided she wasn’t worth my attention and looked away.

“I… I’m from…”

“It doesn’t matter where she’s from. I brought her here. Put her through.”

A cold voice suddenly cut through the conversation.

My entire body stiffened.

I knew that voice.

Slowly, I turned around, and the moment my eyes met Ronan’s twin brother, Aerion.

My chest tightened. They looked so much alike that for a moment, I couldn’t help but wonder how two people could possibly share such similar features.

His gaze was fixed on me, unreadable and cold, and something about the way he looked at me made me immediately drop my eyes.

He stood even taller than Ronan, his presence somehow more intimidating. His face was hard, his dark eyes colder than the night, and his hands were calmly clasped behind his back as he walked toward us.

The atmosphere changed the moment he appeared.

One by one, everyone lowered their heads.

I swallowed hard and followed their lead, my heart beginning to pound as I stood there with my eyes fixed on the ground.

“Greetings, Alpha Aerion!” everyone said in chorus.

Slowly, Aerion walked toward me, but I kept my eyes lowered, pretending not to notice his gaze. My heart was still beating strangely fast, and I wasn't sure if it was because of what had just happened or because of the way everyone suddenly became so respectful around him.

“No one should ask her any questions. She’s under my protection. Teach her the necessary things to become an army,” he commanded.

“Yes, Alpha,” the man who looked to be in his thirties immediately replied.

For some reason, I was perplexed by Aerion’s order. Why would he give an order like this? And what exactly did he mean by under my protection?

Slowly, I raised my head, and my gaze locked with his.

For a brief moment, neither of us looked away.

His expression remained unreadable, while I searched his face for some kind of explanation, but before I could understand anything, he turned and walked away.

The girl who had bullied me earlier immediately shot me another deadly glare. I noticed it from the corner of my eye, but as usual, I ignored her.

“Okay, Zenaya, walk with the crowd as we go to our field for practice. You’ll meet some of our members there, and I’m Daniel, by the way,” the leader said, giving me a small smile.

I smiled back. “Okay, Daniel.”

And just like that, I followed the crowd in silence as we made our way toward the field.

Minutes passed as we walked through the endless cave. My legs were beginning to ache from the long walk, and I found myself wondering just how large this place was.

Then, finally, I caught sight of a green field ahead.

As we came out of the cave, my jaw dropped.

The field was enormous, stretching farther than I had expected. Soldiers were scattered across different areas, some practicing martial arts while others trained with swords. The sound of clashing weapons and shouts filled the air, making it obvious that this place was meant for serious training.

We finally sighted a group wearing the same uniform as us. As we got closer, I noticed they were all men.

Some were laughing and talking among themselves, but the moment they noticed us approaching, their conversations slowly died down.

Their eyes shifted toward me.

There were about ten of them, and the way they stared made me suddenly feel like I was on display.

“Look who we have here? A new fish,” a man suddenly stepped out from the group, a teasing grin spreading across his face.

The others immediately burst into laughter.

Everyone except Daniel.

I lowered my gaze, trying not to let their laughter get to me, but my fingers tightened nervously around the edge of my clothes.

“Wolfless too. Interesting,” a blonde-haired boy added, looking me over with amusement.

A few more chuckles followed.

“That’s enough. She’s a newbie and can’t be mocked. She’s strictly under Alpha Aerion’s protection,” Daniel said firmly, his expression turning serious.

I felt nervous as I watched the exchange.

Maybe my journey here wasn't going to be as easy as I had hoped.

Clang!

A sharp breeze suddenly sliced past my ear.

I flinched and instinctively stepped back, my hand flying to my ear as a burning sting spread across it. Something had struck the wall behind me with a loud metallic sound.

Everyone immediately turned toward the direction it had come from.

“Alpha Dieman!”

Everyone bowed their heads at once. I slowly looked up.

A man dressed in black pants and a black coat suddenly appeared, a faint grin playing on his lips. He was tall, with short black hair falling messily over his forehead. His cold eyes swept across the group, and the powerful aura surrounding him made it obvious that he was an Alpha.

My breathing quickened. I touched my ear again and pulled my fingers away, my eyes widening when I saw the blood coating my fingertips.

He had deliberately thrown something at me.

My fear quickly turned into anger.

I snapped my gaze toward him, my hand still pressed against my bleeding ear.

“How dare you, you bastard!” I spat.