Storming out, I walked aimlessly through the hallways, desperate for air. I stopped in a courtyard, the cool night breeze brushing my skin as I tried to steady my thoughts. How could they expect me to marry a stranger? To become someone I wasn’t?
“You’re running away already?”
The voice startled me. I turned to see Jacob stepping out of the shadows. “What do you want?” I snapped.
“To talk,” he said calmly. “You’re not the only one who didn’t ask for this. But we don’t always get to choose our paths.”
I crossed my arms, shielding myself from his gaze. “And what if I refuse? What if I walk away?”
Jacob stepped closer. “Then you’ll face the consequences. In this world, running isn’t an option.”
Before I could respond, he turned and disappeared into the shadows. My chest tightened, my thoughts spinning, when another figure emerged.
Hera.
She approached, her smile sweet but her eyes glittering with malice. “You’re quick to storm out, aren’t you?”
“What do you want?” I asked, exhausted.
“To make something clear,” she said with feigned sweetness. “You don’t belong here. You’re an intruder in a world you don’t understand.”
Anger bubbled beneath my skin. “If this is your way of trying to scare me, it won’t work.”
She laughed softly, the sound cold and hollow. “Scare you? No, Calla. I’m giving you a reality check. You’re not the savior of this pack. You’re a disruption. And disruptions get dealt with.”
Her words were a thinly veiled threat. My fists clenched. “What are you trying to say?” I demanded.
Hera leaned closer, her voice a venomous whisper. “Stay, and you’ll regret it. I’ll make sure of it. I’ve fought too hard for everything—my family, my position, and Jacob. I won’t let you take any of it from me.”
She straightened, her gaze piercing. “You’re not ready for the war you’re walking into, Calla. And when it comes for you, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
With that, she turned and disappeared into the shadows, leaving me frozen in place, her words echoing in my mind.
Calla's POV
I couldn’t sleep. The weight of it all churned in my mind—the lies, the betrayal, the overwhelming scent of the werewolf realm clinging to me. This wasn’t my life. It wasn’t my world. I didn’t belong here.