Library

Search

Home / Werewolf Short Story / Ashes of the Alpha’s Daughter / Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

All Chapters of Ashes of the Alpha’s Daughter: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

15 Chapters

Chapter 1

"You're late."Lucia Abbott stood at the edge of the cliff, her silver hair glowing under the moonlight."You wanted to see me?" I asked."Do you know about the witch's prophecy?" she said."What prophecy?"She stepped closer to the cliff, her heels nearly hanging over open air."The prophecy from the Northlands witch. She said..."She paused, eyes locking onto mine."She said the true bloodline is about to awaken. The exiled daughter will take everything back. Dad's love, the pack's authority, and... Caleb."She said Caleb Wright's name softly, but it cut deep."That's nonsense," I said. "I only came back to—""To what?" she snapped, her voice suddenly sharp. "To destroy everything I have? I've lived in this family for 15 years. 15 years!"I took a step back. "Lucia, I never thought—""But I did!"Her smile twisted, tears shining in her eyes."I've imagined it so many times. How peaceful things would be if you'd just died. If the werewolves who took you had torn out you

Chapter 2

I opened my mouth, but no sound came out.Because Russ was right.Whispers spread through the crowd like rising tidewater."She's a wild wolf that could never be tamed...""She actually attacked her own sister.""What did she leak to the enemy?"Questions slammed into me one after another.I shook my head. "I didn't leak anything. After I came back, I didn't contact anyone. I stayed in my stone cabin most of the time."Russ immediately seized on my words. "No one paid attention to you, so you grew resentful of the pack's neglect and decided to take revenge?""That's not true!""Then what is?" My father finally spoke again.He stepped forward. His voice sounded rough, and I saw red veins lining his eyes."Tell the truth. Who did you meet? What did you give them?""No one!" I stared straight at him. "Mom died for the pack. I would never—""She died because of you!"His face hardened."If you had listened back then, you wouldn't have ended up lost outside the pack. I would

Chapter 3

Dawn came too fast.The guards dragged me out of the dungeon.The square was already packed with onlookers.My father stood before the altar, wearing formal Alpha robes.Caleb stood to the right in full armor.Lucia was in a coma, too badly injured to attend.She played the perfect victim.Two warriors gripped my shoulders and hauled me forward.They forced me down in front of the pack. My knees slammed against the stone with a dull crack."Lyla," my father said, "you stand accused of attempting to murder your fellow pack member, Lucia, and conspiring with outside enemies. Before the trial begins, you may give a final statement."I lifted my head and met his eyes. "Dad, last night at the cliff—""Get to the point," Russ interrupted. "Did you betray the pack?""No."I looked at my father, pleading silently for him to believe me just once."I didn't."Boos rose from the crowd."Then why is Lucia injured?"Caleb's golden eyes locked onto mine, sharp enough to cut through

Chapter 4

For a moment, something in my father's eyes softened. He looked like he wanted to speak.Russ's voice cut through the silence."Alpha! The enemy's mark!"Russ pointed at me, fury twisting his face. "She carries a Northlands slave brand!"It sat on my left shoulder. A flame-shaped scar burned deep into my flesh."She was a slave?""Why didn't the enemy kill her?""Traitor! She's a traitor! I knew it!""I'm not!" I struggled, chains rattling loudly.My father's hand trembled slightly.His voice rose, crushing the noise. "Silence."The square fell quiet.But the stares hurt more than the shouting ever had. They were sharp and cold, like needles against my skin.Caleb stepped closer again."Wait!" I shouted hoarsely. "I still have something to say! Mom—""Enough!" my father barked. "You don't deserve to mention her."I froze where I stood.My father stepped down from the altar, his voice shaking."She spent her entire life protecting this pack. And you? You come back only

Chapter 5

In the memory, my expression was complicated, caught between doubt and hesitation."I don't hate you," I had said. "I'm just not used to any of this.""Then please take this, okay?"She offered the pouch again, her eyes glossy with unshed tears.I hesitated for a long time before finally reaching out.The moment my fingers touched the pouch, Lucia suddenly let go.It dropped to the floor. Gray powder scattered across the stone.Something else fell out with it.A silver stone the size of a robin's egg rolled across the floor, glowing softly under the moonlight.A gasp rippled through the crowd watching the memory."That's a moonstone!" someone shouted. "Ms. Lucia's mother's keepsake!"In the memory, Lucia's expression changed instantly."My moonstone..." Her voice trembled. "Why is it... Lyla, when did you take it?"I froze. "I didn't.""But it fell out of your bag." She stepped back, eyes filling with hurt.I bent down to pick it up. "You handed me the pouch. How would I

Chapter 6

Before the image fully formed, Caleb's voice cut through the air, cold enough to freeze blood."It was my coming-of-age ceremony."He stood at the edge of the altar, looking down at me.Silver flames crawled across my skin, tearing through my wolf spirit. Pain ripped through me again and again, but I bit down hard on my lip, refusing to scream."At my ceremony," Caleb said again, "you ruined Lucia's dress."The memory sharpened into focus.Caleb's coming-of-age.He had just turned 18 and had officially become a warrior. My father was presenting him with his ceremonial sword.Lucia wore a pale silver gown trimmed with shimmering shell pieces that caught the light like moon glow. My father had hired the best tailor in town to make it. It took three months of work.And there I was in the corner, wearing an old gray dress.It had been given to me by a fallen warrior's widow who felt sorry for me. "Look at her," someone whispered. "Like a stray that wandered inside.""Ms. Lucia

Chapter 7

"Apologize to Lucia and leave," Caleb said, his voice tight with anger. "Now."I looked into his eyes and suddenly felt as if I didn't know him at all.My father spoke next, "Lyla, this is your last chance. Apologize."I looked at him. Then at Caleb. Then at all the faces around me filled with disgust, disappointment, and open contempt."Fine," I said.I set my glass down on the table and turned toward Lucia.I took a deep breath and bowed my head."I'm sorry," I said. "I shouldn't have ruined your dress."Lucia buried her face against my father's chest and cried even harder.Caleb shot me an impatient look. "Get out. You're not welcome here."For a moment, I found myself envying Lucia, protected inside the circle formed by Caleb and my father.Then I turned and walked out of the hall.The memory slowly faded.Back in the square, the third elder, Theo Marshall, spoke up. "She apologized.""Because she knew she'd been caught," Russ replied immediately."But the juice in h

Chapter 8

This time, the pain was different.It didn't just burn my skin anymore. It drilled deeper, burrowing into my bones.Cold sweat poured down my face as my body shook uncontrollably.The sky lit up again."This was two months ago," Russ said, disgust heavy in his voice. "The time Lucia almost died."Before the image fully formed, Lucia's crying echoed through the square."Dad... I feel awful..."The memory sharpened.It was the pack's medical lodge.Lucia lay on a stone bed, her skin tinged purple, lips dark and trembling.The healer kneeled beside her. "Wolfsbane poison. If the dose had been any stronger, we wouldn't have saved her."My father stood nearby, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles cracked."Who did this?"Caleb stepped forward, holding a bowl. "Lucia said Lyla brought this to her."My voice came from outside the frame. "I didn't!"The memory shifted.I saw myself standing at the entrance, two warriors gripping my shoulders."I never brought Lucia

Chapter 9

"What was Ms. Lyla wearing?" the maid mumbled."Yes," my father said, staring hard at the maid. "What color? What style?""Sh-she was wearing a white dress—""White?" I cut in immediately. "I don't even own anything white."The maid began sweating."Maybe I remembered the color wrong...""You remembered the color AND the time wrong?" Caleb's voice suddenly sharpened. "What exactly did you see?"The maid collapsed to her knees."Alpha, please spare me! S-someone paid me to say it!"Shock rippled through the crowd."Who?" my father demanded."I don't know! She wore a mask. She just told me to accuse Ms. Lyla. She promised more afterward!"My father's expression turned dangerously dark.He looked toward Lucia.Lucia spoke weakly from the bed, "Dad... is someone trying to frame Lyla, or trying to frame me?"My father hesitated."Investigate," he ordered Caleb. "Find out who bribed the servant.""Got it."The final image showed my father standing beside Lucia's bed, gently

Chapter 10

A patch of sand in the training yard was stained dark with blood.Lucia's scream came first, shaking with panic."Lyla, stop!"Then Caleb's roar followed."Enough!"The memory settled into focus.I stood in the center of the training ground holding a practice sword. Blood dripped from its tip.Lucia had fallen to the ground. A deep wound split her left shoulder, blood flowing steadily through her fingers.Caleb shoved me aside and dropped to his knees beside her.I staggered backward, the wooden sword slipping from my hand and falling into the sand."I-I didn't mean to!" My voice shook.Caleb looked up at me, fury blazing in his eyes. "Didn't mean to? I saw you stab her!""We were sparring!" I said quickly. "She asked me to meet her here. She wanted to test my strength.""Sparring doesn't look like this!" Caleb snapped. "That's a training blade! How hard did you strike?"Lucia opened her eyes weakly in his arms. "Caleb… don't blame Lyla. I'm just not as skilled..."Caleb

PREV

NEXT

SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP

DMCA.com Protection Status