"The beginning is the most important moment."
{ROXANNE'S POV}
On August 1st, my father, the Alpha of Ashwood Pack, called a Claw Conclave, a gathering normally initiated whenever he had important matters to discuss. We gathered around a roaring bonfire, whose flames kept ascending towards the radiant moon, our eyes fixed on the Alpha, just like in previous gatherings.
As the Alpha's only child, I stood beside him, flanked by my mother, the Luna. My father was a burly figure, indisputably the strongest in the pack, with eyes that burned constantly with anger. It was this simmering rage that strained our bond, unlike the closeness I shared with my mother.
I hadn't inherited much from him, save his striking golden hair. His long locks cascaded down his back, a contrast to his fierce presence. His black trench coat whipped violently in the wind as his piercing blue gaze swept over the crowd. It was a scene that would normally fill him with pride—but tonight, something was off. His most trusted Beta was absent.
Betas served as an Alpha's closest lieutenants, placing their leader's needs above their own and acting with unwavering loyalty. As the second-strongest members of the pack, they often assumed leadership during crises. Among our eleven Betas, one stood above the rest—eccentric, powerful, and unpredictable: Michael.
Unlike the seasoned, middle-aged Betas, Michael was remarkably young, barely older than me. His strength had earned him prestige within the pack, with many families vying to align themselves with him through marriage. Still, rumors clung to him like a shadow.
According to my father, Michael's origins were a mystery. He'd been found as a baby, abandoned on a riverbed near our territory. My father had recognized the faint scent of our kind and took him in, raising him as one of our own.
I scanned the crowd, half-expecting to see him standing tall near the front—but he was nowhere in sight. The gathering numbered ninety-four, not including my parents and me. Despite this, our pack remained one of the largest in the world, owing to our influential lineage as the Rohans.
My father's voice broke through the night, low and commanding. "We're all aware that our kind has battled hysteria for centuries. It strikes strongest under the full moon—stripping us of reason, plunging us into madness. But there's something else, something I've long kept quiet. It concerns Michael."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd, but they died the moment my father raised his voice again.
"Silence. When I speak, you listen." His gaze swept over the gathered wolves. "As I said—it concerns Michael. I trained him myself. I molded him into the warrior you all know. But I saw things, signs. Erratic behavior that no one else noticed. And during the full moon, his rage—unlike anything I've ever witnessed—was uncontrollable, far more intense than mine."
A chill crept down my spine as he continued.
"Last night, that rage reached its breaking point. He killed one of our own—Kyle—and then vanished. I believe he has finally succumbed to madness."
Gasps rippled through the gathering. My thoughts reeled. According to the Clan Cannons, the law that governed our kind, killing another pack member carried only one sentence: death.
My father didn't wait for the murmurs to rise again. "At first light, I'll send five of our warriors to hunt him down. He will be dealt with—swiftly and without mercy."
His voice hardened as he shifted gears. "In addition, I've spoken with the Alpha of the Moonfall Pack. The wedding we've long discussed will take place this week. My daughter will marry Seth, his son."
Anger surged through me. This was the one subject I'd always avoided. When I was sixteen, my father arranged for me to marry Seth—Alpha Lucien's son. The plan had always been to wait until we were older, but now, by his decree, the time had come.
Seth was vile. Lewd. A predator in plain sight. Everyone knew it, yet my father remained unmoved. I'd begged my mother to intervene, but she was always met with his cold refusal.
I opened my mouth to protest, but before I could speak, he dismissed the gathering with a wave of his hand. The crowd scattered, vanishing into the darkness, leaving only the three of us. A tense silence settled between my parents as their eyes locked in a silent standoff.
"You would force your daughter to marry a pervert? What kind of father are you?" My mother's voice was sharp and furious.
My father's jaw tightened. "Anna, rules are meant to be followed. You should understand my reasoning." And just like that, he turned and walked away, ending the conversation without another word.
I stared after him, dread pooling in my chest. Marriage into another pack would mean leaving everything I'd ever known—the elegant trees that dotted our land, the gentle chirping of crickets, the beloved lake, the grand house I'd grown up in, the training grounds where our warriors honed their strength.
My mother's voice broke through the fog of my thoughts, calm and resolute. "Don't worry. You won't marry that disgusting boy," she said, her words a balm to my frayed nerves. "Augustus may seem immovable, but I've found ways to influence him. You must understand—he carries burdens that cloud his judgment."
"Mother, his decision is final. But if he pushes me too far, I'll defy him." My voice trembled with fury, my eyes flashing blue—a clear sign of my Beta lineage.
Children of Alphas were often born as Betas, with only a few possessing Alpha traits from birth. But Beta offspring from Alpha bloodlines had the greatest potential to evolve into Alphas over time. Unlike others, our social standing wasn't left to fate—it was inherited, earned, sharpened.
"Freedom is seized, not begged for," she whispered, opening her arms to me.
I stepped into her embrace, and as I did, tears streamed down my face. My voice cracked as I spoke. "You can't break free from oppression without taking a chance."