Chapter 2
I turned to see my mother striding toward us, her chestnut hair pulled up in a high ponytail, her expression like someone had thrown a burger at her head and she was ready to tear their arms off and beat them with them. She approached with fierce determination.
My mother was a formidable woman, strict and feared among the she-wolves, including the Alpha's wife. She had defeated her in training in front of the entire Pack because the woman had said I should have been put down at birth for being worthless to the Pack. As the only female Pack warrior, my mother avoided punishment for humiliating the Alpha's wife that day. Everyone knew that Alpha Gregory had always had a soft spot for my mother, though. He'd had feelings for her since they were children and was disappointed when she wasn't his mate.
Saskia's smile vanished as she turned to face my mother Ophelia, who was walking straight toward her. Meril and Bianca fled, afraid to face her wrath, but before Saskia could do the same, my mother moved past me. She let out such a deep and savage growl that I flinched.
"It was just an accident," Saskia stammered, looking terrified despite being the Alpha's daughter. I couldn't help the smug smile that crept onto my face. Her fear was so thick I was shocked she hadn't wet herself.
SLAP!
The sound cracked through the air like a whip, freezing time itself. My jaw dropped as my brain struggled to process what my eyes had just witnessed—my mother had actually struck Saskia,the Alpha's daughter, across the face.My heart lurched violently against my ribs. I clapped both hands over my mouth to stifle a gasp of pure horror.
Saskia's head snapped sideways from the impact, golden hair whipping across her face. For one suspended moment, the entire courtyard fell deathly silent. Then came her piercing scream—raw and primal—that shattered the stillness.
Saskia's trembling fingers hovered over the angry mark, tears welling in her wide, disbelieving eyes. Those eyes darted frantically around the courtyard, searching for witnesses to her humiliation. Blood rushed to her face until it matched the violent red of my mother's handprint, rage and embarrassment battling across her features.
My stomach twisted into knots of dread. Alpha Gregory would surely retaliate for this insult to his precious daughter. My mother had just signed her own death warrant with that single, impulsive slap.
I heard several gasps and looked around to see that a few people had witnessed what my mother had done, but my mother didn't seem to care about the audience as she raised her hand again.
"Mom!" I shouted, and she looked at me before noticing several teachers rushing out. My mother glared at them, daring them to say something.
Saskia ran away with her tail between her legs, crying. I could imagine the ridicule she'd face tomorrow, and then her dear old dad would have to reestablish his control so she could regain her queen bee status.
"I've been wanting to put that pup in her place for a long time," my mother said before grabbing my arm and bending down to look at my face.
"Why do you put up with this?" she demanded, grabbing my hands and holding them up. "You're trained better than any of these little punks. You might not have a wolf, but that has never stopped you from beating them in training. It was me who trained you. Your father trained you. These useless bitches aren't worth half of you. You just need to see that."
I shook my head, knowing it would only make my torment worse, and my hands were useless against a shifted wolf anyway.
"Come on, we're leaving," my mother ordered, straightening up and turning toward the parking lot. I hurried after her, then fell into step beside her.
"What's going on?" I asked, worried about what Saskia had said. When we reached the parking lot, I saw an orange moving truck parked next to our car and I stopped in my tracks.
"Mom, what's happening?" I asked again as my father jumped out of the car.
My mother stopped too, reaching back to grab my damp sweater and forcing me to keep walking.
"Hey, Maggie," my father Simon greeted, coming over to hug me while my mother quickly gave a thumbs-up to the movers who were waiting for instructions.
"I know you like strawberry milkshakes. I didn't know you wanted to wear them," my father joked, turning his attention back to me. He wiped some of the shake from my hair with his hand, then grabbed it and tied it into a ponytail, wringing out the liquid. My mother went to the trunk, opening it and pulling out a bottle of water.
"Tilt your head back," my mother instructed, and I did as told, leaning back as far as I could. She rinsed my hair with the water bottle, then tore at the side of my sweater, helping me out of it.
"Mom!"
"I'll make you another one," she chided, throwing the sweater and now-empty water bottle into a trash can.
"So, can someone tell me what's going on?" I asked again.
My father glanced at my mother, then smiled at me.
"You're moving," my father announced as if it was no big deal. I stared at him in disbelief. Did he mean a new house, a new state, or a new country? Considering my mother had just slapped Saskia, leaving the country might be the wisest choice. Alpha Gregory wasn't known for being forgiving.My stomach dropped as I remembered Saskia's taunting words.
"So Saskia was telling the truth? They've banished me? You're abandoning me?" I asked, feeling sick to my stomach. We had never left the Pack, not even for holidays. My parents never took vacations. Due to their positions in the Pack, they never had the chance.
I only knew of one other family in our Pack whose child didn't have a wolf, and they threw him away like garbage. They did kick him out, which was what I had always feared. That my parents would abandon me for the shame I brought them, as if I had never existed. My eyes moved to the moving truck and then back to my father, but it was my mother who answered my question.
"Yes, Saskia was telling the truth. Alpha Gregory has demanded you leave. This is a pure wolf community, and he wants you gone by the time you turn eighteen," my mother replied. I had to leave; the Alpha had finally convinced them to get rid of me. My lungs constricted and I felt on the verge of a breakdown. Where would I go? How would I survive? My worst nightmare was coming true.
"So that's it? You're sending me away?" I choked out, tears welling in my eyes. They were getting rid of me, forcing me to become a rogue.