Aria’s POV

“Well Astrid, welcome to the Eastwood, you’ll be joining your precious Marian today. Say goodbye to the land of the living.”

My heart skipped a beat. I took a step backward. Eastwoods? My mind immediately went to the letter. Was he the one behind those letters to Marian? What had he done to Marian?

“Why are you doing this? Who are you? Why do you want me dead?” I said, yelling as tears engulfed my face.

The stranger remained silent, he didn’t say anything, not even a slight reaction.

I watched him shapeshifted into his wolf, a growl escaping his lips as the sound of his bone cracking filled the air.

I ran. I wouldn’t stand there and watch him devour me so I did all that a weakling like me could do—run.

I ran deep into the wood but I knew no matter how fast I ran the stranger would definitely be able to catch up with me.

I could feel it and hear it, the stranger was close. The smell of his fur filled my nostrils as he got closer to me. I tripped and fell, I could feel my face against the hard cold earth.

The stranger materialized in front of me raising his claws to dig into me. I closed my eyes, accepting my fate.

The next thing I heard was a loud thud followed by a deafening silence.

Once again, silence engulfed me. The smell of fur had disappeared and that lurking feeling of the stranger behind me was gone.

I opened my eyes only to see the stranger lying on the floor—unconscious—with his body slowly shapeshifting back into his human form.

Beside him, stood Marian. A wooden log with a piece of steel on it in her hand. She had dug it deep into the spine of the stranger.

“He isn’t dead, only paralyzed. He would be awake in few minutes.” Marian said, panting heavily.

“Where have you been?” I yelled, tears streaming down my face as I ran towards her.

“We have no time for questions Astrid. We need to leave now. If he wakes and finds us we are dead.” Marian said.

She pulled me up and we left the woods.

I don’t know how she did it but she was able to locate the carriage at where the stranger and I highlighted which was suspicious but I had just survived a near death experience to notice.

“Get in. I’ll transport you to the palace. You’re in greater danger than I thought. They’re doing everything to make sure you don’t get to the palace.” Marian said, shapeshifting into her wolf.

I didn’t question her. I didn’t argue or ponder on if I could trust her. I jumped into the carriage, ready to leave.

What is going on? What was Marian doing in the Eastwood? Was she going to betray me but later changed her mind?

All these questions kept running through my head without answers. At this moment, I didn’t know who I could trust, even the closest ally can be ones foe.

The carriage rode on.

I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know if it was the right thing I was doing by heading to the palace. Why is everyone trying to stop me from getting to the palace?

I sat there in silence except for the involuntary conversation going on in my head.

The carriage came to an halt.

I was scared. I peeped through a little opening and realized that we were at the palace, or that’s what it looked like.

A large fortress stood before us, basked in all its glory. It was a sight to behold. My eyes caught one of the guard as we approached the gate and I quickly withdraw into the carriage.

The carriage continued moving again, I could hear the massive gate opening and closing as we entered. The atmosphere in the palace was different, it was very hostile and indifferent.

I could smell danger in the air already. Marian came, opening the carriage door helping me get down from the carriage.

The palace was undoubtedly beautiful but the eerie feeling of danger lurked round the palace.

“Remember this Astrid. You can not trust anyone. Your fellow Luna-in-training are not your your friends. Your handmaiden are not your friend. They would all want you dead but you need to be smart. If you become Luna, you’ll purify your family name.” Marian said.

What does she mean by purify my family name? Was Astrid an outcast? Why do everyone wants her dead? What crime did she or her family commit?

I gave a subtle nod.

Marian and I walked into the palace. I didn’t tell her about the box of letters and gold I saw neither did I tell about the conversation i had with the stranger. She didn’t ask how I got to be with the stranger? Were they working together? Did she betray him?

The palace was a large magnificent structure, one could tell it was built from generations of wealth among the elites.

Marian and I walked down a hallway with windows draped with royal purple curtains and floors beautified with red furry rugs.

We approached a massive door with “Hall Of Residence” inscribed on it.

Marian halted, staring at me. “We were a bit late because our carriage “broke down” so other girls came here earlier than us. Do not fall for their looks, they’re not your friend.” She said.

What does she mean by “carriage broke down”? Is she telling me to hide what happened in Eastwoods? I was starting to get more suspicious about Marian, she has been warning me about not trusting anyone but she was the biggest red flag.

I didn’t say anything. I didn’t object. I nodded subtly.

Marian pushed the door open, before us were thirteen beautiful ladies. They all stood out in their own unique ways but a group of girls stood out the most, not for their appearance but because of the hostile and indifferent aura surrounding them.

Marian took me in, some of the girls waved at her while some of the girls stared disgustingly at me. I could hear them gossiping among themselves.

“I’ll leave you now. I have something important to deal with, no one is going to clean my mess. This is your bed space.” Marian said as she walked out of the room.

Immediately Marian stepped out all eyes fell on me, especially from that group of girls I mentioned earlier.

“I see the outcast has been allowed back into the palace, what a society we now live in.” One of the girls said, staring intensely at me.

As if her statement had boosted the courage of the remaining girls, i began to hear gossips coming from them.

“I heard her father tried to sleep with the Beta’s wife.”

“She’s definitely just like her father, a whore!!”

“How can someone that was branded an outcast and even sent on exile be able to return not just into the pack but into the palace to participate in the Luna-In-Training activities.”

Just as I was drowning in their gossip, a voice echoed behind me.

“Just ignore them. They’re all vicious as their mentor—Lilith.” The voice said, pointing towards the girl from earlier who had made the statement that erupted the gossip.

“You don’t have to worry about them, you just have to be good at ignoring people. Lilith’s father is the Beta of the Pack and her mother is the Assistant Co Ordniator of the Luna-In-Training activities. She feels like the world revolves around her. And those girls,” she said pointing to two girls who sat with Lilith on her bed, one laughing ridiculously at Lilith’s joke that’s obviously not funny and the other caressing Lilith’s foot. “They’re nothing but puppets to Lilith. They do nothing but her biddings. I am Vespera. I guess you don’t need to introduce yourself. Everyone here knows you already—Astrid.” Vespera said, giving me a pat on my back as she laid on her bed which was by the side of mine.

I sat on my bed. “Nice to meet you, Vespera.” I said.

Vespera turned and gave me a nod of acknowledgment. “You better brace yourself. The most dangerous place to be in this pack is within these palace walls. We have a big day tomorrow.”

Big day? What does she mean by big day?