Father was already speaking when we entered the Alpha's house and the main meeting hall of the pack. The air inside was more tense than usual, and I was unsurprised when Leon dropped me by the door before the three of them walked forward to stand beside Father.
I remained where I was.
I was an omega, and worse than that, I had no fighting strength. My input was not only unwanted, but my presence was as well.
"I just received a message and a letter which I have thoroughly read before calling this meeting," Father began as every important member of the pack stood there and paid rapt attention to every word that left his mouth.
I had been tempted to slip away quietly, but I froze when I heard his next words.
What surprised me even more was the slight tremble in Father's voice.
"The Moonburn Pack has written to me… to us," he said slowly. "They say they will soon visit and send a few of their members to us. We are to become subservient and subordinate to their pack."
Whispers spread through the hall almost immediately as people shifted uneasily. Fear crept into their voices, and I could not blame them. I did not know much about the Moonburn Pack, but from the way the members of the Bloodmoon Pack had spoken about them earlier, it was clear they were a force to be reckoned with.
Fear and tension filled the room as Father continued speaking with the same grave expression on his face.
"…we either fight or we submit."
The silence that followed was heavier than before. Father stood at the front of the hall with a severe expression as his gaze swept across the room.
Mother stood beside him, beautiful as always in a flowing white gown lined with gold thread. Her hair was styled and braided carefully in a way that framed her oval face before falling across her chest. She was always a sight to behold, but for the first time I noticed something different in her expression.
Instead of calm composure, there was worry in her eyes.
"I will deliberate with a few people," Father continued after a moment. "After that, a decision will be made known to all of you."
His deep voice echoed through the hall before he dismissed the meeting. The whispers quickly returned as people began speaking among themselves, their voices carrying fear and uncertainty. Before the hour was over, the entire pack would know about it.
I remained standing by the door, knowing better than to leave and risk being fetched for the second time that day. So I stayed where I was and waited to be called.
My deepest hope was that Father would look at me and see that nothing was wrong.
It did not take long before the hall emptied. Soon only my family remained, along with Father's Beta, the man responsible for enforcing all of Father's rules. He was a middle-aged man who already had two wives, yet he never seemed able to take his eyes off me.
Even before Father called my name, I could feel his gaze.
"Come in, Raven," Father said at last.
I stepped forward quickly with my head bowed. "Father," I whispered, lowering my head further as the silence in the room grew heavier.
"I heard you disappeared this morning," he said, his voice deep and heavy. "Where did you go?"
My voice shook even before I began to speak.
"…the forest, Father," I whispered, just loud enough to be heard. "I… I didn't go far and—"
"Liar!"
Lilian's voice cut through the room sharply.
"Father, she lies! I looked everywhere for her!"
I kept my gaze fixed on the wooden floor, refusing to lift my head. My heart pounded violently as Father stepped closer. His aura rose instantly, and the familiar pressure descended on me. It was strong enough to force most wolves to their knees, yet somehow I managed to remain standing.
"Raven," Father said slowly, "you would not lie to your father… would you?"
If I ever made a mistake in my life, it was the silence that followed.
The hesitation.
The brief pause as I bit my lip.
It was enough.
A punch struck my cheek, sending me crashing to the floor. I barely managed to catch myself before my head hit the ground. My vision spun as pain exploded across my face.
Something shifted in my mouth.
One of my teeth had come loose.
I spat it out quietly and swallowed the blood that followed.
It will grow back, I told myself. It always does.
I remained sitting on the floor with my head lowered, allowing my long black hair to fall over my face and hide my expression.
"You dare hesitate," Father said with a dark chuckle. "You lie to me, Raven. Clearly you have grown wings."
He had hit me before. It was nothing new.
All of them had.
At first I fought back, only to realize that it only made the pain last longer.
"I went to the river," I said finally. "I don't know what you want from me."
Later I would realize that speaking up had been my second mistake.
Growing a backbone where there had once been none.
I lifted my head slowly and looked at him as I continued speaking.
"Where could I possibly go?"
Lilian scoffed loudly beside him.
"I heard voices," she said sharply. "And I smelled new scents around her. She ran off into the forest this morning and met someone there."
My stomach dropped.
"If the person she met belongs to another pack," Lilian continued, "then the Moonburn Pack might see us as valuable if we offer that pack to them instead."
A brilliant smile spread across her face as she looked toward Father.
"We would not have to fight," she said eagerly. "And we would not have to submit."
My mouth fell open in shock as I stared at her.
How could my sister think of such a cruel plan without even the slightest hesitation?
She sounded excited.
Almost as though she was looking forward to it.