Chapter 5: Into the Unknown

*** Ariana’s POV

The 12-hour journey passed in a blur. My thoughts mostly dwelled on how long I could keep this up before they discovered the truth. And why did my mind keep circling back to Alpha Draven? I could still feel the strange flutter in my chest when he stared at me from across the parking lot, his gaze piercing even through the car window.

From the driver’s seat, Beta Simon’s calm voice broke through my thoughts. “Miria,” I almost didn’t respond, “I’ve been asked to let you know the bodies of your guards and party will be returned to your Hollow Ridge Pack. Our elders will send compensation to their families.”

I had the urge to come clean, but the words caught in my throat at his generous tone. “Thank you,” I murmured, the lie weighing heavily in my chest.

Fear of Ciaran paralyzed me. He’d tried to kill me three times already—could I survive a fourth? At least Draven’s pack had defended me. No one in Stormveil had ever done that. 

The more I thought about Ciaran, the more my heart drifted from flutters to aches. How many of my pack had survived the attack? Did they take hostages? Would I ever know for sure?

I bit my lip, glancing out the window, trying to hold back the sobs rising in my throat. Marrying Alpha Draven wasn’t the fate I’d imagined, but maybe it was safer than being hunted by my ex fiancé. 

A small laugh escaped me—it was ridiculous. Now, I was pretending to be someone else’s bride.

Then there were the rumors. Alpha Draven’s brides always died. Not just one or two—a pattern. His first fiancée had been kidnapped, and while that story had circulated in my family, the others were different. Each bride-to-be after her had mysteriously died before the wedding ceremony could take place.

Whispers of curses, cruel rituals, and even murder were whispered whenever Alpha Draven or his pack were mentioned. The stories varied—some said he killed his brides to avoid sharing his power, that he didn’t want to be tied down to a Luna. Others said he sacrificed them to an unknown god and that Draven wasn’t a devout follower of the Moon Goddess. His reported defiance of tradition only fueled the fire.

The most common rumor, though, was that Draven’s pack was cursed because of its brutality. That the same ruthlessness that made his pack powerful had drawn the ire of the gods, cursing him and dooming his brides. It had seemed far-fetched, all of it, before. Now that I was in the line of fire, my confidence was wavering a bit on that end.

My father had lent warriors to search for Draven’s first bride, the one who had been kidnapped. I knew she hadn’t died like the others, but no one really knew what had happened to the rest. Their deaths remained shrouded in suspicion.

I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. Superstition didn’t help anything, and I couldn’t afford to let my mind dwell on it. But I’d be lying if I said those rumors didn’t unnerve me. What had I gotten myself into? Was I walking into a worse fate than the one I’d escaped?

Simon spoke again, “It’s been a long journey. You’ve been quiet.”

I forced a smile, swallowing my grief. “I’m just... tired. Everything happened so fast.”

Simon nodded, his eyes on the road. “I’m here if you ever need someone to talk to. I understand the pressure that comes with your position.”

I swallowed hard. “Thank you,” I whispered, guilt gnawing at me. 

The vehicle slowed as we neared the pack’s gates. My heart pounded. I was about to walk into the largest pack in North America, pretending to be someone I wasn’t. 

What would they do if they found out? Would they kill me on the spot for my deception? Or would they send me back to Ciaran?

Simon’s voice became more formal. “Alpha Draven asked that you settle in your room; lunch will be brought to you. We’ll meet formally at dinner with the elders.”

I sighed to myself but nodded. “Of course.” I nodded, hoping my anxiety didn’t show through.

As we passed through the iron gates of the Black Moon Wolf Pack, the enormity of the territory hit me, but it was nothing compared to the weight of the lie I allowed to persist. I was about to meet the Alpha—again—and I had no idea how long I could keep up the charade. 

Probably not long.

The packhouse loomed ahead, a sprawling structure of dark wood and stone. It exudes power, the kind that sent a chill down your spine. This was Draven’s domain. There was no room for weakness here, no room for failure. I could feel the pressure mounting in my chest as the car came to a stop.

The rumors fluttered back into my mind, unwanted but persistent. Had Draven really killed those women? Or was it something else entirely? Cursed or not, something dangerous seemed to follow him. And now I was stepping right into the middle of it.

I bit my lip again, this time harder. If I wasn’t careful, I’d bleed.

I could still feel Draven’s gaze from earlier, piercing through me as if he could see right into the heart of my deception. It made my pulse quicken. How much did he know already? How much longer could I keep this up?

Simon parked the car, coming round to open my door. “Rumors are usually just that, Lady Miria,” he reassured, sensing my unease. “Alpha Draven may surprise you.” 

“I’ve always been one to trust my own eyes, Beta Simon,” I said softly, stepping out and taking Simon’s hand. 

“Come, Lady Miria,” he seemed pleased, though he tried not to flinch at the name, following him inside.

Their packhouse was nothing like I imagined—more like a grand manor. Simon led me through halls lined with vast windows framing stunning views of the forested mountains. Thick wooden beams, cozy furniture, and large stone fireplaces filled the space.

But beneath the beauty, my thoughts were conflicted. For the last 24 hours, I’d focused on survival. Now, in this vast space, I started to think about the future. 

If Ciaran found me, it’d likely mean death. If I was successful in my ruse here, it might also mean death. If I survived this inadvertent ruse, I could use the position to prevent Ciaran from ever being a threat to anyone again.

Admittedly, that was a big ‘if’. 

I was likely headed straight for a new kind of danger, equally deadly.

And there was nothing I could do about it.