Chapter 1: Rejected
“She’s the Alpha’s daughter?”
The words filtered through the thick fog clouding Lily’s head. They were faint at first—like echoes bouncing off stone.
“Looks like she hasn’t eaten in days.”
“She’s too small... can’t believe she’s the reason half our pack is dead.”
The voices sharpened, clearer now.
“She doesn’t even look like a wolf.”
“She doesn’t have one. She never shifted.”
Lily Brightpaw stirred weakly in the corner of the cell, her back pressed against the damp stone wall. Her body trembled, feverish and cold all at once. Chains clinked against her wrists as she tried to curl in on herself. Every inch of her ached. The wounds on her arms, legs, and back throbbed with every heartbeat.
“She’s just... broken.”
She didn’t need to understand every word. Their tone said enough.
The cell door screeched open.
The sudden light from the hallway burned her eyes. She flinched and tried to shield her face, but the guards were already on her. Rough hands grabbed her, nails digging into bruised flesh. Her bare feet scraped against the cold ground as they dragged her forward.