Chapter 2: Bound in Silence

Ariana's Pov

I wake up with a start and sit up, trying to keep my heart from racing. I use my hand to wipe away the sweat that has accumulated on my forehead as a result of the nightmarish experience. I shouldn't call it a nightmare because it happened and was not a product of my imagination. It was an authentic experience.

It was your fault they perished.

It was your obligation to ensure their safety.

You did not succeed.

Every waking moment, these thoughts overwhelm my mind. I can shake them sometimes, but not always. However, part of it is correct.

I failed to protect them as I was supposed to.

When my feet contact the cool floor of my room, I swing them over and exhale sharply. Stretching, I rotate my neck and raise my ass above my head, listening for the oddly familiar snap as the strain is relieved. I sigh when I look down and discover the familiar silver sheen around my wrists.

Six years passed, and I was sentenced to these shackles only a few weeks after the incident occurred. My wolf aspect, including my wolf mentality, has been kept at bay for some time due to my binding with Silver, and I have missed her company greatly. We worked hard to become who we are, and now we have nothing because I did not defend the Alpha and Luna.

The Alpha and the Luna of my pack, Twilight.

When I was abandoned as a young girl in their pack's territory, the Alpha and Luna took me in.

I'd only known one family.

I approach the bathroom door slowly and open it, taking care not to make a noise that will disturb my housemates. Derik and Lyra are the only two friends who genuinely care about me.

Lyra, one of the pack healers, has treated countless wounds, the most recent of which was mine. Derik, one of the pack trainers, instructed me as I was training to be a Wolven fighter.

I think that's fantastic because they've supported me through everything that has happened to me since that dreadful day and have made it clear that they're not going to leave me anytime soon.

As I start the shower, I allow my thoughts to go back to my previous existence. It was a better time, but I always regretted it.

I grew up here since, at the age of five, I was abandoned on the pack territory's border. The Luna found me there, wounded and filthy, and whisked me away to the Alpha’s estate to be washed up. She merely informed the Alpha that she would take care of me. They also had a son named Ashford, who was several years older than me when I was seven. Having a family, especially an Alpha family, improved my life from being a lonely young girl. Despite the fact that they never formally adopted me, I was readily accepted into their family and pack. They cherished me as if I were their own.

With the exception of the fact that Ashford and I did not get along like any other brother or sister, the years went quickly. Before long, we were young teenagers dealing with first loves and other similar issues. At that point, Ashford and I began training to prepare for our future roles in the pack. I discovered that I thrived in the tough weapons and combat training. Ashford was given additional responsibilities because he would eventually become the alpha and would need to master the complexities of pack diplomacy. Although the alpha and luna were severe and made sure we knew our responsibilities, they always treated us with love and respect.

I decided to become a fighter when I was sixteen years old. I was already skilled at fighting and did so successfully. In addition to defending the pack, I aimed to be a strong opponent. I worked relentlessly over the next two years, and by the age of eighteen, I was the only female fisherman in our pack, and the highest-ranked one. Around this period, Lyra treated the majority of my injuries, and Derik was my sparring partner, so we became close friends.

The best thing that could ever be requested of me arrived. Knowing how hard I'd worked, the Alpha and Luna asked me to be their guard, giving me one of the pack's most prestigious positions. I agreed without hesitation because I knew I was meant for this.

I was meant to be their personal bodyguard, dealing only with minor altercations and the threat that never occurred when other wolves and packs discovered me. People knew I was a force to be reckoned with, and they feared what I was capable of. They also realized that getting into a fight with me would be exceedingly uncomfortable.

The Alpha and Luna wanted to go for a run soon after my twentieth birthday. We would all change and run out near the pack grounds, so it wasn't surprising. Normally, I ran with them to relieve my stress, but I was also keeping an eye out for any hazards. I had to be on guard because there were tales of an increase in rogues everywhere. The Alpha and Luna informed me that I didn't have to worry because they could take care of themselves if needed.

However, we did not even get to go for a run.

As soon as we breached the pack borders, I realized something was wrong, and before I could react, rogues erupted from the tree line. The sheer number of rogues was overwhelming for the three of us, and we were completely ambushed. The fact that none of us could shift was the most difficult and unusual feature of the day. Not at all.

Kara was screaming in my head that I should let her out, but I couldn't do it. As a result, we all found it easy to become overwhelmed.

Her scream when one of them ripped out her throat is still vivid in my thoughts.

I cringe and make the shower's water as hot as I can manage, slightly burning my skin and making my eyes prickle with tears. After the rogues had stopped their attacks, I wrapped my arms around myself, still concerned about the state of their bodies. I was barely alive when they abandoned me. In addition to having a severely shattered arm and a large section of my leg severed, I was covered with gashes and claw marks. Like werewolves, I was gradually healing, but it wasn't enough. We were discovered about an hour later, with me in a panicked state, wanting to get to the Luna.

When I told the beta and Ashford what had happened, they were distraught and wanted an explanation from me. I was then taken to the infirmary for recovery. When I apologized and explained that we were unable to shift, he did not believe me.

I required many weeks to properly Heal, and when I was ready, I visited Alpha and Luna. I was only there for a short time before being taken to Ashford, who is now Alpha, and his Beta, where I was interrogated further and eventually charged with failing to fulfill my job properly. My title and everything else were to be revoked, and my wrists were to be bound with silver cuffs as a punishment.

I'm now merely a pack member, discarded because I let Luna and the Alpha die.

Is it possible to be a werewolf even if I can't sense her?