Chapter 2 up

I was still standing in the main hall of the Alpha family’s estate of the Ardhavarna Pack as the light of the Blood Moon grew clearer through the tall windows. The crimson glow reflected across the marble floor, the stone walls, even across the faces of the people standing before me.

Everything felt like a nightmare that refused to let me wake.

I was still struggling to understand my father’s decision—Alpha Arka Pradana. The man I had always believed was my protector, a firm yet just leader, a father who would stand at the very front if anyone ever hurt me.

Why would he replace his own daughter’s mate with his stepdaughter?

Why would he allow Liam, the Alpha of the Ardhavarna Pack, to humiliate me on the most sacred night of my life?

Was this fair to me?

Of course it wasn’t.

My chest burned—not only from shame, but from betrayal layered upon betrayal. I was the one who had guarded the honor of the Ardhavarna Pack for years. I was the one who studied strategy, diplomacy, traditions, even helped Father draft treaties with neighboring clans. I was the one who spent her youth not in leisure, but preparing to become a strong Luna.

And now…

All of that would be handed to Namira.

Namira, who had always stood behind me. Namira, who had only joined my family a few years ago after Rosemary married my father. Namira, whose wolf awakened earlier than mine—and that was her only advantage.

I looked at my father’s face.

“Alpha…” My voice trembled, but I forced it to remain clear. “Why?”

He didn’t answer immediately. His face was hard as stone, jaw clenched tight. His gaze no longer held the warmth of a father soothing his fallen child. It was the gaze of a leader making a political decision.

That was what hurt the most.

I wasn’t speaking to the Alpha of the Ardhavarna Pack.

I was speaking to my father.

“Father…” I whispered again, softer this time. “Then which Alpha will claim me?”

The question left my lips like shards of glass. Sharp. Painful. But I had to know.

Silence filled the room.

The fire in the hearth crackled softly. Outside, the wolves’ howls grew more frequent, welcoming the peak of the Blood Moon.

My father remained silent.

But Rosemary…

Rosemary stepped forward with a smile I could no longer mistake for sincerity.

“Your wolf hasn’t awakened yet, Airin,” she said in a tone that sounded sympathetic, though her eyes gleamed with satisfaction. “This pack would be embarrassed to have a weak future Luna.”

Every word that left her mouth felt like a lash.

Weak?

My fists clenched.

“Don’t worry,” she continued, her voice now brighter. “Your father, Alpha Arka Pradana, has already prepared a match for his daughter.”

I stared at her sharply.

“Who?” I asked coldly. “Which Alpha has Father prepared for me?”

Her smile widened, as though she savored every second of my suffering.

“The Alpha of the Dravaryn Clan.”

The name made the air around me feel heavier.

The Dravaryn Clan.

The clan that lived along the northern border. The clan infamous for its brutality in war. The clan that bowed to no one except strength.

And its leader…

“You know,” Rosemary went on, her voice nearly a whisper, “he’s called the God of War.”

The God of War.

The title given to that Alpha because of his savagery on the battlefield. A man rumored to defeat ten wolves at once. A man whose name was spoken with equal parts respect and fear.

“You’re more suited to marry him,” Rosemary added lightly. “As gratitude from our pack for the Dravaryn Alpha’s help in saving all the clans from the rogue attack two months ago.”

The world felt smaller.

So that was the reason.

I was no longer a daughter.

I was a bargaining piece.

A reward.

A gift.

I never imagined the father I believed would protect his daughter would instead marry me off to another clan for political gain.

“Is that true, Father?” I asked, looking straight into his eyes.

At last, he spoke.

“This is the best decision for the pack.”

Not for me.

For the pack.

“And for me?” I asked quietly.

He hesitated.

“You will become Luna of a powerful clan.”

The answer sounded grand.

But it felt hollow.

In other words… they were casting me out of the Ardhavarna Pack.

They were sending me away. To another clan. To a foreign place. To an Alpha I had never even seen in person.

Was I not truly the Alpha’s daughter?

Was the blood in my veins not pure enough?

Was it because my wolf had not awakened yet that I was deemed unworthy to keep?

Tears finally fell.

Not because of Liam.

Not because of Namira.

But because of my father.

“Since when did you decide this?” I asked, my voice now more tired than angry.

“Since the Clan Council meeting after the war,” he replied shortly.

So it had all been planned.

Even before the Blood Moon night.

Even before I put on this dress with hope in my heart.

I let out a soft laugh—a sound that felt strange even to my own ears.

“So all this time, I was waiting for something you had already canceled from the start?”

My father didn’t answer.

That was answer enough.

Outside, the Blood Moon now shone fully red. Its energy felt strong, pressing against my chest, awakening the wild instinct in every werewolf’s blood.

I could feel it.

Something inside me trembled.

My wolf…?

No.

Not fully.

But there was a faint pulse. Like a voice trying to rise from the depths.

Rosemary spoke again.

“This is for the honor of the Ardhavarna Pack. Don’t be selfish, Airin.”

Selfish?

Me—the one who sacrificed her dreams for this pack?

Me—the one who always stood behind my father’s decisions?

If fighting for my own right was called selfish, then perhaps it was time for me to be selfish for the first time.

“I never asked to be a bargaining tool,” I said quietly but firmly.

“This isn’t barter,” my father replied, his tone hardening. “It’s an alliance.”

“An alliance built by selling your own daughter?” I shot back.

Silence swallowed the room again.

Liam stood not far from us, saying nothing. He didn’t even try to defend me.

Namira wasn’t in the room, but the mere thought of her was enough to make my chest ache.

The night of the Blood Moon was supposed to be the night my love was acknowledged.

But instead…

It was the night I lost everything.

“When do I have to leave?” I finally asked.