Lahat ng Kabanata ng Ashes of the Alpha’s Daughter: Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 10

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

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

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

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

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