Episode 2

17 years after the princess's birth...

"Go home!" my father yelled to my sisters and me. The gates slammed shut, and I stood there trying to hear the end of yet another attack. It had been a month since they last came; we thought they had grown tired or given up, which we knew was unlikely, but here they were, attacking us again. And once more, we didn't know the reasons, which sparked an immense curiosity in me. Nothing was ever said or discussed; it was a war between wolves that had lasted for years. We were all exhausted.

My name is Arya, Arya Lockwood. My parents are Arthur and Helena Lockwood. I am the youngest of three sisters: Hellen, at twenty-two, Hanna at nineteen, and me, Arya, at seventeen. My best friend is called Lucius Bennet. He is the son of our greatest warlock, and it was because of his father that we were most distressed and afraid. We were losing strength, and we didn't know how much longer we could hold on.

We are wolves of the South; we don't have as much strength as the North, but we had with us the greatest warlock of all time, Salazar Bennet. However, he was ill, none of his potions had any effect anymore, so he began to get more serious with his only son, Lucius, since soon he would be the one to take his place, if things didn't improve.

After a few hours, silence finally reigned. The gates opened, and my father entered, carried by his guards. My mother was unharmed, thanks to the Moon Goddess. They laid my father in bed, and you could see the extent of the injury. It wasn't a simple bite; it was the bite, and that scared me a lot. I would never forget that.

"Get out of here, let your father rest," my mother said, wanting my sisters and me to leave their chambers.

"But Mom?" I questioned her, to no avail.

"No more, Arya. Why do you always confront me?" my mother said in a rather gruff tone.

"I just want to know what caused such a wound on my father," I tried to sound gentle, knowing the pain she was feeling. Even though Salazar would prevent it with potions, deep down we knew that she could still feel my father's pain; after all, she is his mate.

Helena let out a tired sigh and looked at her daughters.

"The North has a new alpha. We don't know who or for how long, but he's big, much bigger than any we've ever seen. I don't want to scare you, but I need you to obey me and be aware. I need your help," she said, trying to remain calm, but her eyes said something I couldn't decipher yet. That look was new to me.

"You can count on me, Mom!" I heard my two sisters say, while I couldn't take my eyes off my father. He is the alpha; I knew he would heal soon. I had read about bites, and that bite was from a supreme alpha, a wolf that the Moon Goddess chose to be the greatest of alphas.

"Arya... Are you listening to me?" my mother asked. She was always on my case.

"Yes, I am!" I replied without taking my eyes off my father.

"Look at me," she said as an order, and so I did.

I looked deep into my mother's eyes. I knew she was exhausted; she had always been protective, and that look, the look I had never seen, was fear. Something out there had really scared her.

"Promise me you'll listen to me and not do anything reckless again," she said, holding my arms.

"Mom... Reckless? Why is it always me you're picking on?" I said, pulling away from her touch.

"No one else will go beyond the gates but the guards. No more sneaking out to the river, and let Lucius concentrate on his studies. You know his father is not well, and soon he will be the one to take his place, and now more than ever, you need to distance yourself," Mom said, and I knew it was more than an order.

"You know he's my only friend. You know everyone transforms at sixteen and gets their wolves, and it hasn't happened to me yet. Don't ask me to walk away from the only friend I have," I said, even though I knew what she was saying was sensible.

"You need to understand, daughter, our duty lies with our pack," she said, and once again, I knew she was right.

"As you wish, Mom," I agreed, even though I didn't want to.

"Thank you," she said and went back to the bed where my father was.

I left the room and took a few steps before being pinned against the wall by my older sister. I didn't struggle to get out of my position. She squeezed me tighter, and I growled at her.

"It's in your best interest to let me go," I told her.

"I'm only going to say this once: obey our mother, or you'll answer to me," Hellen said, trying to scare me.

"Oh, how scary," I said sarcastically.

She let go of me and left. Hellen was older, but I was stronger. She never liked to train with me; she was always teased when I defeated her. "The youngest Lockwood is stronger than the oldest," they'd say. So we started avoiding each other. She hated me, and I knew it.

"I know this must be hard for you, sister, but Mom is exhausted; you need to listen to her at least once," Hanna said, crossing her arms.

"I understand perfectly. I'm the cause of all our problems," I scoffed at the situation.

"Don't be dramatic, it doesn't suit you," Hanna said with a smile forming on her lips.

We both smiled until Hanna went quiet.

"I have to go train with Hellen. You always manage to get under her skin," she said, shaking her head.

"How I envy you. I wish I could communicate by link," I said, looking down at my feet.

"Hey, you're going to be a wolf that will take our breath away. You'll have a beautiful transformation; the Moon Goddess is preparing the best for you," Hanna said, trying to boost my self-esteem, which I loved.

I let out a sigh, and before I could say anything, Hanna interrupted me.

"I really have to go now, or Hellen will kill me."

"Good luck," I said to my sister, who soon disappeared down the hall.

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