Blood.

The taste couldn't be more familiar. I had long grown used to the salty, metallic taste that would soon follow the stinging burn on my face. As usual, Aubrey hadn't softened her blows.

"How dare you look at me like that?" she said with a sneer. Leaning down, she harshly grabbed my cheeks, her sharp nails digging into my skin. A little more pressure and she could probably draw blood. "Who do you think you are? How dare you slip your name into the selection?"

Instead of replying, I spat out the mouthful of blood. It splattered across her face, my saliva and blood mixing in with the thick, cakey layer of foundation she had on.

"You―!"

"I didn't do it," I said, effectively cutting her off. "Believe what you want."

She merely scoffed, roughly pushing me down against the floor. Her strength was enough to send me sprawling across the cold stone, its rough texture easily scratching lines onto my palms as I slid down.

Before I could summon enough strength to push myself up, the heel of her shoes dug into the back of my hands. A scream ripped from my lips, the sharp stiletto digging into my flesh and bone. It didn't matter how many times I had felt this before; the pain was always torturous.

"You're nothing but a useless, half-breed scum," she hissed. "No wolf, yet you're weak against wolfsbane, unlike your disgusting human mother. You're even lucky that Daddy is willing to keep you around as a servant for the packhouse."

I hissed when her fingers grabbed at my hair, yanking my head up at an uncomfortable angle.

"Don't even think about reaching your hands into places you shouldn't be, Harper," Aubrey said, her voice low, tinged with warning. I could feel her warm breath against my ear, a sickening sensation that sent shivers down my spine. "Learn your place."

When her fingers finally released my hair, it took all the strength I had left to make sure my chin didn't slam directly down onto the stone. The sound of her heels clicking against the floor echoed down the corridor, signaling her departure.

I coughed, blood dribbling down past my lips, droplets splattering on the ground as I pushed myself properly up.

Crazy bitch. Trust Aubrey to overreact every time anyone served as a threat to her position as the future luna queen.

There were hundreds of girls who had submitted their names for the selection. Even if mine hadn't been sent in, she still wouldn't have been chosen. Our pack — Stormclaw — would be considered too small and weak to be chosen by the alpha king of Shadowpelt.

Whoever had entered my name must've done so as a sick joke, knowing how Aubrey would react if she ever found out. And she always would.

I had barely gotten off the ground when the tolls of the bell caught my attention. My ears pricked as I slowly spun around where I stood.

Was there an attack?

"Harper!" A familiar voice pierced through the chimes, and soon enough, the speaker turned the corner and showed her face. "Oh, thank god. Harper, there you are!"

"Lydia," I said, raising a hand to wipe at the blood on my lips. "What's wrong? I heard the bells."

"We need to get out of here!" Lydia grabbed my hand, causing me to wince when her fingers grazed my newest injuries. She didn't notice, too concentrated on tugging me out of the poor excuse of a bedroom. "It's Shadowpelt."

"Shadowpelt?" I asked, confused. "Aren't they only choosing the luna queen next week? And why the war bells?" My expression darkened. "They're not attacking, are they?"

Lydia shook her head frantically. "Shadowpelt isn't attacking. They were attacked!"

"What?!"

"The Alpha King had just been overthrown and killed. The neighboring packs have all reported attacks. Stormclaw is next. We need to get out of here before we're all dead!"

Stumped, I followed Lydia as she dragged me in tow, forcing myself to match her pace as we rushed out of the basement. Aubrey was no longer anywhere to be found — thank heavens — which made our departure much easier. 

"But who?" My mind felt like it had been twisted and tangled as it worked hard to think of a possible culprit. 

Shadowpelt had been the ruling pack for generations. They had been challenged time and time again, yet, they hadn't lost even once. For centuries, they had proved their might and power. That was why it was so prestigious to be even considered as a possible luna queen candidate. If chosen, the position would guarantee a lifetime of prestige, riches, and luxury.

Lydia's footsteps did not slow down and I was forced to grit my teeth through the pain just to keep up. We scaled the stairs, going down winding corridors and dodging the wayward furniture that had been knocked out of place from the frenzy.

When we passed by the windows, I couldn't help my curiosity but peer out. The scene outside only left me speechless.

It had barely even been a couple of minutes since the bells first rang and yet, half of the grounds were already on fire. Buildings and sheds were set ablaze and bodies littered the floor― men, women, and even children. None were spared.

A howl pierced through the air, the wolf significantly louder than even the screams and yells of horror.

One by one, Stormclaw's warriors fell dead, no match for the invaders that easily advanced through our land.

"It's―"

Lydia was cut off by an explosion that blasted through the side of the building. The force knocked us off our feet, sending us soaring through the air. My back slammed against the opposite wall, eliciting a gasp of pain. On top of the injuries inflicted by Aubrey just moments prior, this was rubbing salt in the wound.

"Lydia…" I coughed out, groaning as I struggled back up. My ears were ringing and I could feel liquid trickling down the sides of my face. When I reached up and touched the trail, blood had stained my fingers red.

Lydia lay in a pile of rubble, unmoving at first. Then, she huffed out in pain, removing the rocks that had landed on her body. The injuries she sustained were nowhere as bad as mine― werewolves healed fast, after all.

She crossed the distance between us and helped me back out. I could see her lips move but the ringing in my ears hadn't ceased. As such, I couldn't make out a single word she said. She must've noticed as well, as she simply placed my arm over her shoulder, hauling me up easily.

We had barely limped a few steps down when a strange scent invaded my senses. Through the smoke, blood, and dust, there was an odd smell that permeated the air, stronger than everything else. My feet suddenly felt as though it was filled with lead, unable to move.

An intense desire rushed through me, filling me with the need to find the source of the smell. My eyes scanned through the discord but there was nothing that particularly stood out, nothing that called to me like this.

"Har― at's wro―?" Broken bits of Lydia's sentence could be heard and I could vaguely guess what she was asking. However, I couldn't find my voice.

The stronger the smell got, the further her words were thrown to the back of my head. I could feel the hair on my arms stand to attention and the air around me suddenly felt hotter than it did just seconds prior.

When I finally pinpointed the origin of the scent and turned in that direction, I was met with a sight that knocked the air out of my lungs.

For some reason, even with the distance between us, I could hear his voice crystal clear.

"Finally caught you, my little rabbit."