Chapter 2

It was late evening when I stood from where I'd lain curled up on the wooden floor.

Silently, I put my hands up to my hair and tugged, sending the tiny pins holding my hair up in the intricate hairdo pouring to the ground.

I tossed the veil pinned to the back of my head away, not even caring where it landed and walked to the small door at the side of the church. 

The little field outside was deserted and I thanked the Goddess for that. I wasn't sure I would be able to stand seeing any sneering gazes.

Thankfully, the church was near one of the woods that bordered Ravensong and my parents pack, Stormfang.

With a final gaze at the Ravensong Pack house in the distance, I trudged into the woods, the lengthy train of my dress dragging behind me sluggishly. 

I walked for what seemed like hours, but was really only just a few minutes.

Stormfang was very close to Ravensong. My eyes were swollen with tears and they stung anew whenever I thought of what had happened.

I couldn't wait until I was back home, already imagining the fury on my father's face and the comforting hug my mother would give me.

Logan didn't know it yet, but he had just made an enemy of Stormfang's alpha. 

I reached the borders of Stormfang, marked by a large oak tree that stood sturdily in the centre.

As I expected, a pack warrior apprehended me as soon as I crossed in.

He silently took in my dirtied wedding dress, sweeping train, and sullen expression, but wisely kept his mouth shut. He gave a short bow. 

"Where are my parents?", I asked, sounding clogged. 

"At the pack house, ma'am", he answered respectfully. 

Usually, I hated the deference with which the rest of the pack treated me simply because I was the alpha's daughter, but today, I didn't exactly care.

I might've even welcomed it, craving the feeling of being respected after being so thoroughly disrespected by Logan and his slut mate.

I nodded at him thankfully, stepping around him so I could be on my way. The man looked uncomfortable as he stepped in front of me, blocking my advance. 

I raised a tired eyebrow at him. "And?"

He looked at his feet as though he was afraid to meet my eyes.

"Speak up, man!", I snapped, feeling another onslaught of tears begin to come. I desperately needed the comfort of my parents.

"You are not to enter the pack", the man muttered. 

"Excuse me?" I dimly wondered what the man had been indulging in. 

"Do you not know who I am?", I questioned. Even if he didn't, the wedding dress should have clued him in.

Everyone in Stromfang knew the alpha's daughter was getting married today.

"I do", the man said apologetically. "It's just that I have orders not to let you in the pack."

My eyebrows raised disbelievingly. "Orders from whom?"

"Um...your father, ma'am."

I barked out a laugh. "My father would never give an order like that. Let me through."

The man shook his head and stayed resolvedly put.

I scoffed, then tried to walk around him. "This is a very poor joke. When I tell my father about this, you'll be searching for a new job."

The man bent his head again. "I'm sorry, ma'am. But I'm really following orders."

"Orders! In what sick world would my father order you to not let his daughter in the pack? His heir? Get out of the way please. I've had a long day, and I'm sure you've noticed."

The pack warrior looked like he'd been forced to swallow something unpleasant when he took me by the arm as I tried to get past him again.

"What is your problem?", I yelled. "Let me go this minute or you'll regret it!"

"He'll regret it if he does", another voice cut in. 

I whirled around to glare at a man I recognized - my father's chief of border patrol.

Unfortunately, the pack warrior was still holding on to my arm, so when I turned, I twisted it behind me. I winced, then turned back to tell at him as he hurriedly let me go.

"You oaf!"

"My apologies", he quickly murmured, then bowed hurriedly to his boss before scampering away. I turned haughtily to look at the man who had joined us. 

"What is the meaning of this?", I demanded. "What orders?"

The man shook his head. "Sorry, princess. But your father was very clear. You are not to be granted entry into the pack."

I gaped. "Did he at least say why?"

His gaze travelled up and down my dress of shame. "My guess is it had something to do with your failed wedding?"

"Your guess?", I asked shrilly. 

The elderly man sighed. "Would you like me to repeat to you what he said?"

"Word for word", I demanded.

"Very well." He cleared his throat, then took a deep breath as he prepared to imitate my father. "Tell Isabella that I do not want to set my eyes on her.

If she's such a failure that she can't do something as simple as wed a silly boy, then she has no business being the future Alpha of this pack.

She had one task, and she failed at it. She can return when she has our alliance with Ravensong figured out."

My mouth fell open and two fat globs of tears suddenly dropped down my cheeks. 

"My father did not say that", I told the grey-haired man in front of me. "My father would not say that!", I protested again.

He bent his head. "I'm sorry, Isabella."

The tone of his voice led me to believe that maybe he didn't approve of this. He was after all one of my father's closest friends. 

"Did you not talk to him?", I whispered. "Try to convince him that this is foolishness?"

The man shook his head. "You know how your father can be, dearie. I had no say in the matter."

"And Mom? Did she have no say too?"

"I'm not sure I'm in a position to say this, but the Luna and the Alpha may have had a slight disagreement."

I scoffed, then sniffed. "Slight disagreement? None of them even care about me!"

"Princess, you know that's not true..."

"Isn't it?", I sneered. "Because it sure looks to me like they're turning away their only daughter when she's just been turned away by the man they wanted her to marry too!"

The old guard shook his head helplessly. "Princess..."

"It's okay", I reassured through tears. "I'll leave."

"But if the Ravensong alpha turned you away, where will you go?"

I gave him a sad smile which I'm sure he saw through. "Don't worry. I'll be fine. I am alpha material, despite what my father thinks."

I exchanged another sad smile with him before turning away, heading back in the direction I'd come, towards the border.

Just like that, I had no home, no belongings. It was amazing how much could happen in such a short time. 

I walked through the woods until I came to a forked path. One was the one I'd come through, the one that led to Ravensong.

The other one led deeper into the woods, towards no-man's-land. It was dangerous territory, one that I'd never been on. 

Barely even stumbling in my silly silver wedding shoes, I turned and took the uncharted path.