Chapter 3
"No, of course not. You're our baby. We knew this day would come, so we made a plan. All of us are joining another Pack, going with you." My mother told me with a gentler smile than usual. She cupped my face in her hands, squishing my lips. "We would never abandon you. Never, Maggie!" she told me, and I nodded, a feeling of relief releasing the tension in my bones as she kissed my forehead.
When she released me, she turned to look at my father. "By the way, honey, we should leave," my mother said quickly before hurrying to the passenger side. My father wanted to ask why, but she slid into the car before he could, slamming the door shut.
"She slapped Saskia," I whispered to him, and he stepped back in shock.
When he leaned in close to me, a goofy smile spread across his face. "Did she hit her hard?" my father asked, giving me a conspiratorial look, and I grinned, chuckling as I shook my head before jumping into the back seat. My father drove off, the truck following behind us.
"What about you, Dad? Aren't you the Pack Beta?" I asked worriedly, knowing he would lose his title because of this.
"I won't be part of a Pack that excludes my daughter. They want you gone? Then I go too," he said, leaving no room for argument.
I had the best parents. Despite feeling guilty for pulling them away from everything they had, I still felt a wave of relief.
"Everything will be fine, sweetheart. You'll see," my mother reassured me, reaching back from the front to squeeze my knee.
"What Pack would want a Pack member without a wolf?" I said more to myself than to them.
"You're not wolf-less, just a late bloomer. Your wolf will come, Maggie. You were born to two werewolf parents; therefore, you are a werewolf," my mother said, unwilling to see the truth; I was as useless as they said. They knew it, and I certainly did too, but they still continued to lie to themselves, believing some miracle would happen and I would eventually wake up and tell them my wolf had come to me.
"We're moving to the Sunrise Peak Pack. Alpha Charles has kindly offered to take us in," my father told me, while my mother turned to face forward.
Alpha Charles? I searched my memory, trying to place the name, knowing I had heard it before. When I repeated the name, my eyes nearly bulged out of my head and I leaned forward in panic. No, anywhere but his Pack. Damn, I'd rather risk being a rogue.
"Sunrise Peak Pack?" I asked. "Isn't that the Pack that just went to war with Frosty Ridge?"
I'd heard the rumors—everyone had. Charles Howard was ruthless, practically wiped out an entire Pack. The thought of meeting him made my stomach churn.
My mother glanced over her shoulder at me. "Yes, Maggie, I know you're scared, but Alpha Charles is actually a good man. He understands our situation." A smug smile spread across her face. "Besides, I think he's quite pleased to snatch Gregory's Beta and only female warrior out from under him."
"Yeah, but he nearly decimated the entire Frosty Ridge Pack, Mom. He's a monster." I couldn't keep the tremor from my voice.
"I'm sure he had his reasons," my mother replied. "And it's not like we had other Packs lining up to take us in."
Her words hung in the air, heavy with implication. We were outcasts because of me.
"So does he know about me?" I asked, dreading the answer. "About me not having a wolf?"
My parents exchanged a look that made my heart sink. Dad adjusted his grip on the steering wheel, his knuckles whitening.
"Only that you're special," he finally said. "As long as you prove yourself useful to the Pack, it won't be an issue."
Great. He didn't know, and I'd have to perform like an omega slave to prove my worth.
"And what happens when he finds out?" I pressed.
My mother turned fully in her seat to face me. "Margaret, that's enough. Alpha Charles has generously offered us sanctuary. We should be grateful."
I slumped back, staring out the window at the passing landscape. The dense forest gradually gave way to mountains as we drove north. A heavy feeling settled in my stomach, the gravity of our situation finally hitting me.
Five hours in the car was torture. My back ached and my butt had gone numb halfway through the journey. When Dad finally pulled off the main road onto a secluded path leading to a storage area at the edge of Sunrise Peak territory, I practically lunged for the door handle.
The moving truck pulled in behind us, and the workers immediately began unloading our belongings. I stretched my legs, breathing in the crisp mountain air. It was cooler here than back home, and the scent of pine was overwhelming.
"We'll meet the Alpha tomorrow," my father explained, helping my mother with her overnight bag. "Tonight we'll stay at the cabin they've prepared for us."
I nodded, too exhausted to argue anymore. Just as I was reaching back into the car for my backpack, the crunch of tires on gravel caught my attention. A sleek black sedan pulled up beside us, its tinted windows revealing nothing about the occupants.
Two men stepped out, and my breath caught in my throat.
I moved closer to our car, instinctively taking a step back as they approached. My mother straightened her posture, and my father moved forward to greet them.