Chapter 2
Ashina's POV
While at the market at Frostfang , I saw a man and his Pack Warriors sitting in one of the cabins in the market, when suddenly his gaze fell upon me while i was selling food.
He was captivated by my beauty, and he couldn't resist approaching me.
"What a beautiful day to come across such a charming lady in this place," he remarked to me, but i responded with a lovely smile and chose to ignore him.
The young man made an effort to maintain his composure, encouraged by his smile.
One of his Pack Warriors, noticing the interaction, whispered to him, "Let's go, my lord! The moon will soon rise again, and Alpha Dante might be angry at us for not showing up when he needed our help" he said, as he cast a glance at me.
"Alpha Dante, is brave enough to take care of himself. You should stop worrying about him, " the man replied to his warrior.
The young man was a little disappointed that he couldn't stay longer with me, he couldn't leave without knowing my name, so he asked before they left.
"May I know this pretty woman's name?" He said while looking intensely at me.
I answered him gracefully. "I'm Ashina , sir," I said, then went back to entertaining my customers.
As they left, I couldn't help but notice the warriors were from the Palace.
"Did palace soldiers just approach me?" I said to myself while I packed up my goods to head home.
It was night time, and getting back from the market wasn't easy. I had to cross more rivers and cliffs to reach my house.
The journey was especially challenging as my home was quite distant, requiring me to traverse rivers and steep cliffs daily.
Despite the difficulty, it was my only means to support my mother financially.
As i hummed my favorite songs, I slipped and fell below the cliff, terrified to see A tall scary figure standing in front of his victims.
I covered my mouth and hid until he was gone.
A few minutes later, when I noticed he had left the scene, I decided to make my way home.
I couldn't ignore the unsettling encounter i had in the forest. It was my first time encountering such a scary creature, which happened to transform into a handsome man, even though I couldn't see his face clearly, but from his rare view, he seemed very handsome.
Before he transformed, he seemed like a monster, with malevolent eyes, menacing sharp claws, and fearsome fangs.
I felt a profound sense of fear and terror from what i had witnessed moments ago. However, i quickly shook my head, trying to dispel the unsettling image from my mind.
On returning home from the long journey, my foster mother Layla handed me a letter from the Queen.
Layla isn't my real mother, she told me that my real mother was Queen Aurelia of Moonshadow Pack, I was abandoned by her, eighteen years ago, in the forest, so she could get married to the late Alpha king Otto of the Moonshadow Pack.
To her, I was an obstacle to her happiness, so that was her way of getting rid of me.
I had decided never to set my eyes on her, for what she did to me, but I guess it was time we settled our differences.
Being one of the less privileged among the werewolf races, I had never set foot in the palace or met the Alpha prince. My only connection to the Kingdom came through interactions with my higher-ranking clientele.
"What is this, Mom?" I asked, my face covered in dirt and my hair disheveled.
"It's a letter, dear," my mother replied, as she prepared our dinner. "I believe it's an invitation letter from the prince!"
With curiosity, I carefully unfolded the contents of the black envelope.
I finished reading the entire text, my face brimming with enthusiasm.
"Is this for real? He's inviting me to his ball, Mom!"
I felt a surge of joy at the thought of meeting with the prince.
My lifelong dream had been to set foot in Shadowborn's Kingdom and to meet the Prince, and possibly to meet the woman who abondoned me at birth.
While i was ecstatic about the palace visit, my mother, Layla , harbored concerns. She couldn't shake off the rumors about the alpha King's actions toward every girl he met with.
She held her shoulders, her voice filled with worry. "Don't go; it's too risky to wander inside the palace. What if it's a trap?" My mother expressed, which made me frown.
"Mom, I have to go. It's not a choice. If I don't, it could mean danger for all of us!" I reassured her.
"Don't worry, Mom; I'll be able to look after myself, okay?" I whispered.
My mother took a deep breath, reluctantly accepting my decision. Maybe she was worried that I might reunite with my birth mother, and abandone her, and my brother Maverick, which I believe will never happen. I could never Choose queen Aurelia , over my foster mother, Layla.
After our dinner, i couldn't sleep a wink. I kept tossing and turning on the mattress.
My innocent mind filled with undeniable excitement and nervousness. I couldn't help but imagine what the prince might be like.
"Would he be a gentleman or a humble soul? Had he ever kissed anyone before, or did he invite me because he genuinely wanted to get to know me?
Little did i know how cruel Alpha Dante could be. I believed I had been invited because the Alpha prince wanted to get to know me, but i was unaware that Dante's mother had orchestrated everything, and her son merely waited on his throne to select a girl for a one-night encounter.
Everything had been meticulously planned. I was unwittingly a pawn in her son's birthday game.
I woke up early to prepare for the party and visited the seamstress to have my dress fixed. It was a simple plain red dress with ruffles on the hemline, which once belonged to Layla, my mother.
"Are you sure you want to go alone?" My mother asked me?
I gazed at myself in the mirror, resembling a model. I resembled a porcelain doll, a goddess who had descended from the planet Olympus to reside in the human realm.
"Yes, Mother! Don't worry; I'll let you know immediately if the prince selects me for the first dance!" I exclaimed with my sparkling eyes.
Layla Miller , my mother, had protected us away from the watchful eyes of Moonshadow wolves to safeguard us from harm, but destiny could not be altered.
She couldn't prevent my path and Queen Aurelia's path from intersecting.
She feared that Aurelia would recognize me, and harm me.
"Mom, I'm heading out now! Don't worry, I've put my dress inside my backpack. You know I'm a runner," i reassured my mother as i shifted into my werewolf form.
My golden eyes marked me as one of the weakest wolves in the pack. I couldn't conceal my status as an omega, but my intelligence and beauty stirred envy in everyone around me.
"Take care!" My mother stepped outside to watch me vanish into the darkness. She let out a deep sigh.
"Moon goddess , please guide and protect your daughter," she whispered while staring into the void.