Episode 2

The landscape shifted as the car sped down the highway; within less than five hours, I had left behind my tribe, my parents, and the people who held me dear. Inside the vehicle, Zed remained mostly silent, playing some low, elevator-like music and kept his focus on the road.

I'm not certain how long it had been, but eventually, I dozed off, my head resting against the window, only to be awakened when the car engine was turned off. Opening my eyes, I beheld the vast house where we had parked, and outside stood the figures of Alphas Vasile—Zed's father—and his Luna, Zed's mother.

"Finally! Cassie, it's been a while since we last saw you!" Alpha's wife opened the door with care, allowing me to step out, her arms wrapping around me with strength and excitement as my practiced eyes fixated on my future mate. Zed stood with tense shoulders, flanking a blonde woman with blue eyes. There was an intimacy in their slight touch of fingers that indicated a connection, one his parents chose to overlook. Was that why he kept postponing our wedding? I hardly had time to formulate a thought, for Alpha's embrace enveloped me warmly.

"So, my dear, eager for the wedding?" the elder female inquired, and at that moment, my brow furrowed in confusion.

"Zed... Zedekiah said the wedding was delayed so that I could spend some time here and get to know each other better," I responded. As soon as the words parted from my lips, a tension swept through their shoulders, and their gaze upon Zed became almost lethal, yet he looked back at me with the remnants of anger, swiftly concealed as the blonde whispered something to him.

I detested not having my wolf yet. Tradition held that my wolf would appear when I turned sixteen, merely two weeks away. It only then dawned on me that I would spend my birthday far from my family.

"Father, Cassandra is still a child... I want her to have a normal adolescence, and once her wolf appears, we'll marry," Zed expressed, casting my spirits down. After all, he had turned eighteen, which rendered me a pitiful fifteen-year-old girl dreaming of marrying her prince charming.

They seemed to dismiss Zed's comments as they led me inside the house, but I noticed his mother stayed back to block the blonde's entry, and I'm pretty sure I heard something akin to growling, though they didn't allow me to look back.

"I understand it must be a bit frightening, being away from family, and I know your birthday is coming soon... But don't worry, I'll take care of you as if you were my own daughter, because soon, you will be!" Zed's mother was so kind and loving, my smile was involuntary when she kissed my forehead.

"Uh... The woman you didn't let in... Who is she?" I asked as I shifted from foot to foot, redirecting my gaze to the elder's face, which seemed to grasp my underlying question. She smiled while stroking my hair, but her smile didn't reach her eyes.

"She's nobody, now rest—your journey must have been quite exhausting. Tomorrow, I'll show you around!" Her excitement returned to her voice as she walked towards the door, carefully closing it, leaving me alone in the room with a suitcase to unpack and a huge window revealing the moonlit, starry sky.

Before I could unpack, I sat on the small bench beneath the window and sat in silence gazing at the sky, losing track of time until soft knocks drew me out of my reverie.

"Come in..." I replied, redirecting my attention to the door as Zed entered, followed by the same woman who was stopped by his mother.

"Cassandra, I'd like to introduce you to Sapphire. We train together, and she'll be joining you in your training starting tomorrow," Zed finished, as a subtle smile appeared on the woman's lips.

"Your training begins tomorrow with the other she-wolves of our tribe, and there will be no special treatment for being a Baumer," Zed said icily. Yet, before he could leave the room, I saw the blonde lace her fingers with his, igniting a surge of anger in me, relishing the thought of making her swallow her teeth.

By dawn, I was already at the training center, despite never being a morning person. Sapphire entered with a smile that almost made me sick. From just one glance, I knew I'd be heading home battered and bruised, but I was determined to prove Zed wrong about me being weak.