Chapter 6 Welcome to camp
Soraya
The ferry moves through the mist on the eastern river, water lapping against the hull. I sit in the corner, clutching my cloak tightly around my chest. My body aches from Damien’s fists, bruised and pained with every jolt, a reminder of the night before.
When the ferry finally reaches the bank of the Eastern Border, the morning sun is already peeking out on the horizon.
In the distance, I can see the iron gates of the Royal Military Enlistment Camp. Above the iron bars is the crimson flag of the Lycan Army. A symbol of authority that sends a cold shiver down my spine.
I step off the boat. Dozens of other she-wolves are walking toward the gates as well, looking nervous. I fall into line behind them, pulling my hood lower over my face. As we approach the tables lined up outside the gates, two female guards in leather armor stand near the entrance, whispering to each other while checking passes.
“Did you hear the news from the Bridgestone pack this morning?” one guard murmurs, leaning against her spear. I force my body not to stiffen immediately
The second guard scoffs, shaking her head. “The Alpha was attacked in his own house, right? His throat was slit.”
“Not just attacked. Killed! And his own wife did it,” the first guard replies, her voice rising with disgust. “They say she butchered Alpha Damien Callum in his sleep and ran off into the night like a coward. The pack put out a huge bounty on her head. She’s a high-tier wanted criminal.”
My heart skips a beat. My breath catches in my throat, like I’ve frozen up. I push my arm close to my side, trying not to let my body shake as I move forward in line.
“In this time and age, it’s a miracle to even have a mate who controls a pack,” the second guard sneers, spitting onto the dirt floor. “And then a useless female has the audacity to kill him? I hope she’s captured and burned at the stake!”
I squeeze my eyes shut, taking a slow, shaky breath. Keep moving, Soraya. Don't look at them. Just keep moving.
“Next!” a stern female officer shouts from behind a wooden desk up ahead.
I step forward immediately. The officer doesn't look up at first, then she turns to me and stares at me for one long moment, her eyes narrowing.
“Your pass,” she demands, holding out her hand.
I hand over the silver-threaded card. My palm is damp with sweat.
She glances at the card, running a thumb over the wax seal, before flicking her cold eyes up to my face.
“Name?” she asks flatly.
I swallow hard, forcing my voice to stay steady, stripping away every trace of the nervous, battered Luna who spent two years begging for mercy.
“Raya Flynn,” I say firmly. I already thought of the fake name I would assume.
The officer pauses. “Age?”
“Twenty-four.” I bump up my age by two years. Twenty-two feels too young, too close to the age Soraya Thanos was when she disappeared.
“Origin?”
“The general pack settlement near the eastern border,” I lie smoothly, my voice surprisingly even. “My family is dead. I have nowhere else to go.”
The officer stares at me for a long, agonizing second, studying the tension in my shoulders. For a terrifying moment, I wonder if she somehow recognizes me. I wonder if the description of Alpha Damien’s runaway wife has already reached this desk.
Finally, she writes the fake details down and stamps it.
“Raya Flynn. Twenty-four. Enlisted,” she mutters, sliding a small token toward me. “As an enlistee under an open pass, you are entitled to a complete physical appearance modification, courtesy of our camp sorcerers. Hair color, eye shade and tattoos as much as you'd prefer. It’s optional. Do you wish to alter your appearance?”
Change your looks. Victor’s voice echoes in my head.
I look down at my hands. For two agonizing years under Damien’s thumb, I was forced to act like a quiet, obedient doll. I covered my bruises, hid my true feelings, and suppressed my wolf until I felt like a ghost in my own skin. Changing my face or my red hair, my very identity feels like giving up the absolute last piece of myself that survived that hellhole. I don't want to hide anymore. I want to build a life where I am strong enough to protect my own face.
“No,” I say quietly, looking the officer in the eye. “I’m good. I’ll keep my appearance the way it is.”
The officer shrugs indifferently. “Suit yourself. Take your token and step through the inner iron gates. Welcome to the army, Flynn.”
I take the token and walk past her desk. My jaw slowly drops immediately as I step into the wide, dusty parade grounds. Thousands of female warriors fill the arena. To my left, a dozen she-wolves are completely bare-chested, covered in sweat and dirt, wrestling violently in a muddy pit while onlookers cheer and place bets. To my right, a squad of archers are shooting arrows into wooden targets with lethal precision.
Further down the field, full-grown wolves, grey, black, red, and brown wolves are fighting amongst each other, growling and howling.
There is no softness here. No polite smiles, no Luna etiquette, no bowing to cruel husbands. It is raw, aggressive, and wild. For a girl who spent two years locked inside a suffocating mansion, the energy of the place makes my head spin. Thanks to Victor for helping to get here.
I really hope he's fine right now.
“LISTEN UP, MAGGOTS!”
A loud voice echoes, cutting through my thoughts like a whip.
A tall she-wolf with dark skin, a shaved head, and deep scars running down her throat steps onto a raised platform in the center of the training grounds. The entire field instantly goes silent. Female warriors stop mid-fight, turning toward the platform.
“I am Commander Vanya! Some of you came here running from broken homes. Some of you came running from debts, bad husbands, or dead-end lives. I do not care why you are here!”
“The army does not care about your sob stories. The army does not care about your bloodline, your title, or who your daddy was. This place will break your bones. It will tear down your ego, starve your weakness, and bleed you until there is nothing left of you but iron and instinct. If you survive the next three weeks, you will be warriors. If you fail, you will be horse feed. Do I make myself clear?!”
“YES, COMMANDER!” thousands of voices shout back in unison.
“You're dismissed to your division lines!” Vanya barks, stepping off the platform.
Everyone disperses, pushing and rushing toward the supply tents. I turn to step out of the main pathway, but my shoulder suddenly slams hard into another she-wolf walking beside me.
“Oh! Watch it!” the girl stumbles, dropping her duffel bag on the ground.
“I’m so sorry!” I say quickly, reaching down to help her pick up her bag. “I wasn't looking where I was going—”
“It’s fine, it’s fine,” the girl sighs, dusting off her trousers.
When she looks up, she gives me a friendly smile. She has dark curly hair tied up in a messy bun and freckles across her nose. She looks about my age, maybe a little younger, with a carefree energy that feels completely out of place in a military camp.
“Hey there, pretty face. I’m Kassy,” she says, extending a hand toward me.
“Raya,” I reply, shaking her hand.
“First day?” Kassy asks, slinging her bag back over her shoulder as we fall into step together toward the barracks.
“First hour, honestly,” I admit with a nervous laugh. “It’s… a lot bigger than I expected.”
“Tell me about it,” Kassy groans, rolling her eyes. “I thought I was tough back in my village because I could out-wrestle my brothers. Then I walked in here and saw a giant she-wolf rip a wooden dummy in half with her teeth. I nearly turned right back around!”
I chuckle softly, surprised by my own genuine laugh. It feels like months since I last laughed. “So why didn't you stay? Why enlist?”
Kassy’s expression softens, a proud smile touching her lips. “My parents. We come from a small farming pack near the southern border. We barely make enough money to pay the Alpha’s seasonal tax. If I serve three years in the Royal Army, the King pays out a pension to my family. I want to make my parents proud, you know? Show them I can carry the family name.” She turns her brown eyes to me. “What about you, Raya? What brings a girl with a split lip and a fresh bruise to the army?”
The question hangs in the air, heavy and sharp. I keep my eyes fixed straight ahead, forcing my voice into a casual tone.
“My father,” I reply, my chest tightening as the shadow of my real father flashes through my mind. “Before he passed away, he told me I needed to learn how to stand on my own two feet. He asked me to join the army, to make something of myself.”
“A honor thing,” Kassy nods sympathetically, bumping her shoulder against mine. “I get it. Fathers always want us to be tough.”
Before I can answer, a loud sound echoes over the camp as the speakers come on.
“ATTENTION ALL UNITS. BY DIRECT ORDER OF THE ROYAL COMMAND, LOGISTICAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE DEMON FRONT HAVE BEEN UPDATED EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY.” A deep male voice vibrates through the speakers, cutting off the chatter across the entire parade grounds.
Everyone stops moving around to listen.
“TO MAXIMIZE BATTLEFIELD COHESION BEFORE DEPLOYMENT, THE FEMALE SHE-WOLF DIVISION WILL NO LONGER BE SEPARATED. ALL MALE AND FEMALE UNITS WILL SHARE THE ENCAMPMENT GROUNDS EFFECTIVE THIS EVENING.”
The speakers cut off with a sharp click. For two seconds, there is absolute silence. Then, the crowd of she-wolves begins to murmur excitedly.
“Joint encampment?!” a female nearby squeals, grabbing her friend’s arm. “At least we’ll get to fuck while fighting for the realm!”
“Right!” another she-wolf laughs loudly. “The male warriors are built like gods! Especially the Lycans, ughh! Maybe I’ll finally find my fated mate on the field!”
Most she-wolves are laughing, shouting, and making crude jokes, clearly excited by the sudden change in rules.
I, however, feel like the ground beneath my feet has just caved in. Ice surges through my veins, freezing me where I stand. My breath cuts in my throat as a sudden wave of nausea hits my stomach.
No. No, no, no.
Damien was an Alpha of a major pack. He attended regional military summits constantly. He also brought home high-ranking officers, generals, and pack commanders from the royal army for dinner and political meetings. I was forced to sit beside him at those long meetings, acting like his dutiful Luna. Some of them know exactly who Alpha Damien Callum’s wife is.
If an officer from the central territory spots my face and recognizes me…. Shit.
'You see why you should have changed your appearance?’ Kira echoes in my head, sounding stern.
‘I didn't know they were going to merge the camps!’
’Well, you better figure something out fast, Soraya,” Kira growls, her golden presence pulsing hot against my ribs. “Because if they catch us, they won't just lock us in a cell. They will execute us.’
“Hey, Raya?” Kassy’s voice interrupts my internal panic. She looks at me with concern, her brows furrowed as she notices how pale I’ve become. “Are you okay? You look like you’re about to throw up.”
“I..I’m fine,” I whisper, looking at the far end of the parade grounds.
I notice the wartank vehicle approaching the camp. They're already here! As they draw closer, I can see their faces clearly. And riding beside the team leader, is a commander whose face I recognize instantly. One of Damien’s political allies from the central pack.
My blood turns completely to ice. He'll definitely notice me.
“I have to get out of sight,” I say to Kassy who's looking at me with confusion. “Now.”
