Chapter 2

Anastasia's

"There you have it," Mom continued.

Everything went still.

“Wh...what?” I struggled to ask. Her words seemed to have knocked air out of my lungs.

“I'm getting married, Anastasia.”

I stared at her, certain I'd heard wrong.

“Dad has been dead for a month.”

“I know.”

“And you're getting married?”

“It's not that simple.”

“It sounds pretty simple to me!” My voice cracked. “You're replacing him.”

“I'm not replacing your father!”

“Then what are you doing?”

Mom's eyes filled with tears. “Trying to survive!”

I froze. What the fuck does surviving have to do with this?

“You think this is easy for me? You think I don't miss him? I lost my husband too!”

“Then how can you marry someone else?”

“Because life doesn't stop just because we're hurting!”

She's got to be kidding me.

I shook my head, tears spilling down my cheeks. “I don't want this.”

“I know.”

“I don't want to leave.”

“I know.”

“I don't want some stranger to be my stepfather!”

“He isn't a stranger to me.”

The words silenced me, and... I stared at her.

“Who is he?”

“His name is Silas.”

I felt my stomach twist. “And we're moving into his house?”

“Yes.”

“When?”

“Soon.”

“Tonight?”

“No. In a few days. We'll be meeting him and his family then too.”

I laughed through my tears.

“You've already planned everything.”

Mom didn't answer.

“You didn't even ask me.”

“I knew you wouldn't agree.”

“Well, of course I wouldn't!”

Her face tightened.

“This isn't about what you want anymore, Anastasia. We have to move forward.”

I shook my head.

“No. You have to.” I grabbed my bag. “I'm not going.”

“Ana—”

“I said I'm not going!”

I ran upstairs before she could stop me, slammed my bedroom door, and locked it.

Then I slid down against it, finally letting the tears come. The ones I didn't cry at his funeral. The ones I refused to let fall when people mocked him. Us too.

Dad was gone. School was shitty. And now Mom was marrying a man named Silas.

I pressed my knees to my chest.

A month ago, I thought I'd already lost everything.

I was wrong.

My whole life was crumbling, and I didn't have a say about it.

***

“Anastasia, it’s time for breakfast. Come meet Silas!”

Mom’s voice came from downstairs.

I stared at the ceiling for a moment before groaning.

It had been a week since she dropped the news that she was marrying Silas and moving us to his pack.

A week of arguing.

A week of refusing.

A week of Mom reminding me that, technically, I was still a minor and had very little say in where I lived.

So much for turning eighteen.

Eventually, I had given in. Not because I wanted to, but because what other choice did I have?

We moved to Silas’s pack a few days later, only to discover that he wasn't even there.

Apparently, he had been summoned away for some pack duties just before we arrived.

At least nature had been on my side there.

So, while Mom settled into her new life, I was left to wander around a place I didn't know, attending a school where I knew absolutely no one.

Now, a week later, Silas had finally returned.

And apparently, today was the day I was supposed to meet my new stepfather.

I dragged myself out of bed.

It was also my eighteenth birthday.

The irony was suffocating.

I had spent years waiting for my eighteenth birthday because that was when werewolves were supposed to find their mates.

Maybe this new place would at least give me one good thing.

I mean, who knows, maybe my mate was here. Maybe I'd finally have a reason to stay.

I showered, dressed, and headed downstairs.

“Deep breath, Ana,” I muttered. “Conceal the attitude.”

Silas was already seated at the table.

He was tall, broad-shouldered, and older than I expected, with graying hair and a stern face.

He looked up when I entered.

“Good morning, Anastasia. It's nice to meet you finally.”

I forced a smile. “Likewise.”

It wasn't.

I sat down.

Mom had made pancakes, my favorite.

Normally, I would've attacked the plate, but today, the smell made my stomach turn.

“So, where's Jed?” Mom asked.

Ah! The infamous-soon-to-be stepbrother Mom kept telling me about.

Silas's expression darkened. “He refused to join us.”

“On my first day meeting the family?” I asked, raising a brow. “Bold.”

Silas glanced at me.

Mom shot me a warning look.

I shrugged and picked at my pancakes.

Silas sighed. “I've told him that family obligations aren't optional.”

“Sounds lovely,” I muttered.

Mom cleared her throat. “Anastasia, why don't you tell Silas a little about yourself?”

I looked at her, pissed, but she already had her gaze on her food.

Great. So, I turned to Silas.

“Sure. What would you like to know?”

Silas smiled politely. “Anything. Your interests, perhaps?”

“Well, I enjoy reading.” I paused. “And avoiding awkward family breakfasts.”

Mom coughed.

I pretended not to notice.

Silas's lips twitched, though I couldn't tell if he was amused or annoyed.

“I see.”

“I also had friends,” I added, stabbing my pancake with my fork. “Before I was dragged halfway across the state.”

“Anastasia,” Mom warned.

“What? I'm just sharing.”

Silas leaned back. “You'll make new friends.”

“Of course. That's how it works, right? Move somewhere new, pretend nothing happened, and magically everything gets better.”

Mom's face fell.

I immediately looked away. Feeling a bit guilty. But she deserved it. They both did.

The rest of the breakfast was painfully quiet. Eventually, I pushed my plate away.

“I should get going.”

Mom nodded. “Have a good day, sweetheart.”

“Try to enjoy your first day,” Silas added.

I stood. “I'll try my very hardest.”

His eyebrow lifted.

I grabbed my backpack before Mom could say anything else and walked out.

The moment I stepped outside, I breathed easier.

A new school. A new pack. A new family.

Everything was new.

Except the emptiness Dad had left behind.

I pulled out my phone as I approached the school gates.

It was my first day, though I had taken the liberty of strolling around the pack for days, noting where everything was located.

My phone then beeped. It was a birthday message from Sarah.

'Happy birthday, Ana! I hope you have the most beautiful year ever. I miss you! Xoxo.'

A smile tugged at my lips.

I missed her too. The same goes for Amy. But I had to get used to this new life.

I shoved my phone back into my pocket and hurried inside.

Maybe today would be different. I held onto that thought as I went on with the day.

Time also ran here, and soon, I was headed for my last class.

Then someone stepped directly into my path.

I looked up.

A girl stood there, surrounded by a group of girls who looked like they owned the hallway.

She smirked. “Look here. It's the newbie.”

Great.

I tried to walk around her, but she moved with me.

“Hey, I'm talking to you, Rookie.”

I stopped.

Of course.

So much for things being different.

I raised an eyebrow, looking her up and down. “What do you want?”

A few of the girls behind her snickered.

“Oh, poor baby,” she mocked, stepping closer. “Are you going to cry?”

I glanced around at her little audience. “Is that what usually happens? You insult someone, they cry, and everyone claps?”

The laughter died down.

Her smile disappeared. “Look here, loser. I’m the queen of this place. You don't walk away from me. Got it?”

I smiled sweetly. “Congratulations.”

She frowned. “For what?”

“For finally finding something you're good at.”

A few girls gasped, and her eyes narrowed.

“You think you're funny?”

“Not really. I'm just trying to figure out why everyone else is laughing at you.”

Her face twisted with anger.

Before I could react...

...my head snapped to the side.