One

CINZIA's POV

TWO DAYS LATER

Tears welled up in my eyes as I gazed upon what used to be the palace of the Royal Wolf Tribe. It was all reduced to rubble.

No Alpha, no Luna. Even I, the lone daughter of the Alpha and Luna, couldn't fathom what was happening, let alone control a crowd that had lost hope.

It felt surreal, something I hadn't anticipated. I had cloaked myself in a fantasy world to shield myself from the harshness of reality until now.

The world seemed cruel, snatching away my parents without a second thought. And now, I was already held captive. Perhaps, my fate mirrored theirs – to be slaughtered. I didn't know for certain, but that was how it felt as rough hands pushed me forward.

I grunted, shaking off my captors.

"Are you alright, princess?"

My handmaiden, Rhea, tried to come to my aid, but one of our captors restrained her, delivering a harsh slap to her cheeks. They even spat on her face, threatening her life if she dared approach me.

I bit my lip, fighting back the tears that welled in my eyes. Despite my royal title and the impending responsibility of being the Alpha after my parents' passing, I was treated with contempt.

Like a nobody.

I wondered if anyone would come to my rescue. In the two days since my parents' demise, I felt like I was fading away. Most of the things they subjected me to were entirely foreign experiences.

I had thought I'd remain an entitled princess forever, until now. I looked less like a privileged royal and more like someone plucked from the streets, despite the royal blood coursing through my veins.

"Into the van, now!"

The guard who had struck my handmaiden ordered, pushing me inside alongside several other women from my pack.

I recognized a few faces among the captives. As I locked eyes with them, there was a glimmer of pity in theirs.

I responded by straightening my posture, lifting my head, and puffing out my chest, despite the circumstances. I wasn't particularly keen on receiving pity. Even if I were seeking sympathy, it wasn't from those who were sharing my plight.

Despite the unjust treatment I had endured, I noticed I was being treated with more leniency than the other women. For now, at least, I hadn't been stripped like they had been. I still wore one of my finer dresses, carrying myself with a regal air.

Yet, I bore bruises. Angry welts marred my pale skin from being roughly handled. My body ached and longed for some respite. Since the ordeal began, I had remained in chains. Only today had they granted me a reprieve, claiming we were being taken to a destination known only to the goddess.

I didn't dwell too much on where we were headed, instead relishing in the slight freedom I was granted. Instead of being bound, I could move my body more freely.

"My princess, you look weary! Have they been unkind to you too? And have you had anything to eat through all of this? Your hair seems disheveled and..."

"That's not important, Rhea," I interjected, gently halting her hands reaching towards my hair. "Looking my best won't matter to our captors. Besides, it's not my immediate concern. We need to strategize our escape rather than dwell on trivial matters that can wait."

Rhea gazed at me in amazement. She shook her head, a small smile gracing her lips despite our circumstances. She sniffled and wiped her eyes before meeting mine, teary-eyed.

"Why are you crying?! Did I say something wrong?" I grasped her hands, feeling their chill.

"No, not at all," Rhea assured me, shaking her head. "You seem remarkably mature and already carry yourself like your mother, even at such a young age."

"Being mature at 18 isn't particularly early," I asserted. "Age doesn't determine maturity, and someone needs to address this. Instead of wallowing in gloom and despair, we must take meaningful action, or we'll face dire consequences."

Rhea nodded, accepting the napkin I extended to her with a noisy blow of her nose.

While Rhea commended my maturity, it wasn't a recent development. I had always been this way, though my parents still viewed me as their little girl. Despite being eighteen, I believed I possessed more wisdom than some of the elders appointed in the pack. But I refrained from pointing it out to my parents, knowing they'd likely dismiss it as childishness.

My parents, my remarkable parents. They were the embodiment of selflessness, always striving to ensure others' comfort, even at their own expense. Now, they were gone, their selflessness rendered inconsequential.

I winced and jolted, inadvertently striking the side of the van as it came to an abrupt stop.

The Van's door swung open, revealing a rifle pointed in our direction, accompanied by orders to step out in an orderly manner.

Each woman filed into a building that I presumed was a warehouse. It was expansive and modern, its exterior resembling the meeting place we frequented back home. I gazed at it with a sense of nostalgia washing over me.

Yet, I couldn't help but wonder about the interior.

While the exterior bore a certain familiarity, it emanated a coldness that tempered my expectations. The guards mirrored the sternness of the building.

"Halt!"

We stopped, or perhaps it was just me, as I was the last to disembark from the Van.

My brows furrowed as I fixed my gaze on the guard who had issued the command. He advanced towards me, rifle still trained on me.

"Follow me."

"To where?" I blurted out before I could catch myself.

The guard fixed his gaze on me, and for a brief moment, I feared he might pull the trigger, the gun aimed directly at my head.

"Another question might cause your reunion with your parents." He grunted, then ordered, "Follow me."

Despite his callous reference to my parents' passing, which I deemed a low blow, I trailed after him with reluctance.