Chapter 1

Alyssa’s POV

The Red Maple Camp was not a kind place. It was created to imprison criminals and dangerous wolves. I certainly didn’t belong there, I was surprised I had lived this long. For the past five years, every breath I took and every word I muttered resulted in pain and punishment. 

It was my turn to clean the floors as part of my daily chores and I pulled at the wound on my back from the countless beatings and whippings I’d taken. I let out a hiss of pain, the wound and hunger making me dizzy. I took a deep breath, leaning on my hands to take a small break.

My wolf, Carys, whimpered in warning, but it was too late when my watcher walked in. His eyes moved to the floor as he saw I wasn’t finished before his gaze roamed my body, making me shiver in disgust.

I expected him to beat me for slacking off, but instead, he said, “It’s your lucky day Alyssa. Alpha Henry has come to collect you.”

That couldn’t be right, could it? Had my father truly come to take me away from this place?

Though I was treated as a slave for my supposed crimes, I was the daughter of an alpha before this. Only four packs, excluding the Royal Family, had magic running in their blood. My father ruled the Ice Heart Pack where the Alpha family could manipulate the power of ice or snow. I hadn’t yet inherited that power so was even more of a target to the other wolves. When my mother died, I was his only family and he was mine.

But when I turned thirteen, everything changed completely. My stepmother, Vivian, came into our lives and my father was enamoured by her. He had been without a mate for so long it was starting to take a toll on him, so when Vivian caught his attention and the affection was returned, I didn’t want to stand in the way of it. Even though it hurt that I wasn’t enough for him.

Vivian had been so kind to me in the beginning, insisting that she wasn’t going to replace my mother. She would take time to bond with me, bring me gifts and cook for me and gradually I began to accept her as my mother, I was glad my father had chosen such a kind, loving woman to look after him and me. But when she got pregnant, that all changed. 

I was looking forward to a new sibling because the only one I had, my step-sister Freya, and I didn’t get along too well. My father put it down to jealousy, but Freya had always been cruel to me.

My stepmother took me to the attic with her to show me some new things for the baby, and once we were up there she began screaming and shouting. I didn’t know what she was talking about before throwing herself from the attic stairs, causing a miscarriage. 

From her shouting, people hurried to her right away and she pointed a weary hand up at me, whispering, “Why?” as she fainted. 

My father didn’t even ask me what happened before he sent me to the Red Maple Camp as punishment. Being an Alpha’s daughter did me no favours in that prison. It made things worse for me.

“Don’t keep the alpha waiting, Mutt.”

I hadn’t brought many things with me when I got sent to the Red Maple Camp so I didn’t have anything to take with me save the filthy clothes on my back. I paused when I got to the gates, seeing the two warriors sneering at me with disgust. I had only tried to escape once before, and it led to a sword at my throat and beatings that left scars. I didn’t attempt it again.

As soon as I made my small, frightful steps out of the gate, I spotted my family’s carriage parked, my father, tall, strong and stern, standing outside it, the emotions on his face hard to understand.

I’d wondered how I’d feel, seeing my father there for the first time in five years. He’d not once come to visit me, not once asked me what happened. Just shipped me off to this cruel place with little more than goodbye. He had aged with grey hair littering his temples. I couldn’t imagine what he saw in me, no longer a little girl of thirteen.

“Alyssa,” He said my name sternly as if it hadn’t been five years since he’d last seen me. He gestured for the carriage. 

“Alpha,” I returned his greeting and stepped past him into the carriage.

As I walked passed him I felt him tense up. Was it because of the title or because I was now treating him like a stranger? What did he expect after all these years? Did he know what they were doing to me in there?

“It has been a long time, daughter.” He started, awkwardly.

“Yes.” I didn’t know what else to say to him.

“I…” He started, looking out of the window, “I’m sorry I didn’t come to visit you.”

I didn’t answer that. Did he think he would show up after so long had passed and expect things to remain to same? Expect forgiveness? I had been placed in the same prison as murderers and psychos. The overseers were strict and cruel and kept us weak despite the hard labour they made us do. We were only given one meal a day and I learned quickly I had to fight to protect what was mine if I didn’t want to die. 

I had no friends. No one to guide me. My first shift was painful and I had no one to help me through it. I was mocked by the prisoners and guards alike.

Throughout those five years, I wanted him to come and save me from that place. And now he had, but it was too late and I had gone through too much.

“You have a little brother now. I expect you to behave yourself this time,” He tried to carry on the conversation, but the memory of Vivian’s last pregnancy sent a chill down my spine.

Vivian had sacrificed my first sibling to get me out of the way. Now I had a new brother for her to manipulate my father with.

“Father, do you still not know?” I asked. Why would he get me out of prison if he still thought I was capable of such a thing?

“Not this again,” He grumbled, rubbing at his temples

“But father, she’s the one-”

“I will not have this slander against my wife! You will treat her with respect or I will send you right back!” He shouted with his alpha voice.

He’d given me no choice but to mumble, “Yes, Alpha,” as I locked the rest of my words away.

My father sighed, holding me with his harsh stare, “Your time away was meant for you to respect and to learn some discipline. But if you harm a hair on your brother’s head I will forget you are my daughter. So be good and don’t make me regret this. It was Vivian who encouraged me to make amends.”

I didn’t know what the woman had up her sleeve, but I knew it wasn’t going to be good. 

I’d rather jump out of this carriage than have to face her in more underhanded schemes and the bullying of my step-sister, but maybe this was my chance to redeem myself and prove my innocence. I would let her and my father think the Red Maple Camp had broken me until I had enough evidence to take her down.

“The reason I’ve collected you is that you’re now eighteen years old and we can find your fated mate to strengthen our pack."