Chapter 1: Celtic pack
CHAPTER 1: Celtic pack
AVELINE’S POV
There was a deep red hole on my twin sister’s chest. Blood was everywhere, staining her wedding dress.
“Emilia!” I called out to her in agony.
“Aveline, what have you done?” My father knelt on the ground, holding Emilia. His eyes were full of accusation. His voice trembled. “Did you rip your sister’s heart out, Aveline?”
“I didn’t, someone poisoned the wine…”
“EMILIA!” A heartbreaking scream rang out. It belonged to the man standing at the door wearing a groom’s suit. He was my sister’s fiancé, and also the new Alpha of the Celtic pack.
“Why did you do that, Aveline!” My father sobbed, holding my sister tightly. Tears wet his face.
“No, I didn’t.”
While I was still stammering, Alpha Atlas pushed me away and knelt beside my sister, his face twisted in agony. Then he turned to me, his face fierce. He grabbed my neck, pinning me to the floor.
“I will turn your life into hell, Aveline.” Atlas growled.
He squeezed his hand tightly. Life slipped away from my body. At that moment, looking at my sister’s body, looking at the anger of my father and Atlas, my body went numb with shock and fear. Since that moment, I swore to myself that I would find the killer, avenge Emilia, and show these two men that I was completely innocent.
Then darkness consumed me. I woke up.
Around me was a small room, cluttered with junk. I was lying on a small mattress spread out on the floor. Outside the window, there was still a thick layer of white snow. The sun was rising, casting weak rays on the snow. But deep inside I knew that layer of snow would never melt away.
Taking a deep breath, I reviewed each event in my life.
Celtic was a wild pack living in isolation, refusing to submit to the Lupine Empire to protect their freedom. The Emperor of the Lupine Empire was a dictatorial and cruel lycan. He had sent people to hunt us down.
After days of moving, the current Alpha’s grandfather chose this rugged mountain area to build the common house. Member families lived scattered throughout the territory to guard and alert the Alpha’s house.
Children from six years old went to school at the common house—where I was staying—via a trail and arrived at 10 a.m. At 4 p.m., they could choose to go home with an escort or stay if their parents knew.
I sat up, trying to clear my mind to prepare a clean space before the children arrived. Otherwise, Tracy would find an excuse to make me skip meals, and Atlas would have someone beat me.
A few days ago, my arm was beaten to the point where the bone was showing. At that time, a healer of the pack took pity on me and gave me a bottle of healing solution. I had to use the whole bottle to make my arm recover enough to work.
The bedroom door opened, and a gray-haired boy stumbled in. He wore only a pair of shorts that came to his thighs. He was a HUMAN, who had made my Gray like this?
“Gray!” I ran to support Gray and laid him down on the mattress. “What happened?”
I wiped his wounds with a towel while he told me. “Tracy wanted to have sex with me, I didn’t want to, so she dragged me into the room and…”
“Bitch!” I growled, my hands frantically cleaning his wounds before I looked for the instant healing potion. “Damn it, I’m out.”
“Aveline, will I not survive?” Gray whispered weakly.
“No, wait for me, I will go get the potion for you.” I held Gray’s face, looking deep into his gray eyes before kissing his forehead.
I ran outside.
Gray was a human omega whom Tracy found on the day of Emilia’s funeral. When found, he was naked, and had no memories at all. He learned, and learned very quickly, so that two years later he could do the work of a servant proficiently.
Even though Tracy was the one who had found him, Gray was always closest to me. I considered Gray my little brother. I considered Gray part of the reason why I should live. Gray was too innocent, he could be destroyed at any moment.
Thinking this far, I realized that I should protect him more. Clearly, Tracy had designs on him, but I still let him sleep separately. For it to happen like this! I will kill that bitch!
I opened the door of the medicine room, grabbing the instant healing potion. Just as I turned around, I was startled to see Atlas standing at the door. His face was dark.
“Alpha.” I lowered my hand, bowing my head.
Atlas walked to me, his hand lifting my chin as his amber eyes scanned my face. “Emilia.”
That’s right, my sister and I were identical twins. We had the same face, the same build. But that was not why Atlas was mistaken. He had always called me Emilia when he dragged me back to the house, making me do a job in which anyone could order me around and beat me.
Just like he promised, he turned my life into hell.
I am Aveline, I reminded myself. Atlas’s hand squeezed my chin tighter as he leaned in, forcing me into a kiss. I pushed him away from me. Atlas glared, holding my entire body with his other hand.
“What’s wrong? Why do you refuse me, Emilia?”
“Alpha, please. I need to return to my room…” I sobbed.
Atlas took a deep breath and muttered, “If you hadn’t killed my Luna, she would have granted you that favor by now.”
“I didn’t kill her!” I shouted unconsciously. Those words came from pure primal instinct.
Atlas shifted his grip to my neck, pinning me against the wall as he hissed. “Traver told me. You are a damn selfish brat. You wanted to climb into my bed and kill your own biological sister!”
“Fuck, I didn’t!” I growled. The memory of Gray waiting for me flashed through my mind, this time driving my anger. I raised my voice. “Let go of me, Atlas!”
Suddenly, Atlas’s grip loosened. His eyes widened in surprise as he looked from his hand to me. He stepped back, blocking the doorway, and asked, “Where did you learn that from?”
“I don’t understand anything, Alpha. Please let me return to my room, I will be punished whenever you want.”
Atlas’s and the pack members’ punishments always revolved around a few types. Omegas were starved, betas were sexually harassed, and Atlas always gave me whippings that made me wish I were dead.
Atlas did not move, I took a risk and called once more. “Alpha?”
That was when an explosion rang out.
“Celtic is under attack!” The Alpha barked into the hallway as he gave the order. “Omegas pack things, protect the children. Betas assist me. Urgent relocation!”
That was when I ran away to look for my Gray. However, I didn’t see Gray anywhere. The room was empty.
“Gray!” I screamed. I hurriedly ran out of the house.
The wolves around me were fleeing in droves, but wherever they ran, the snow beneath their feet exploded, causing white smoke and blood to splatter everywhere.
“Gray!” I called again.
“Emilia!” Atlas stood out in the yard calling me, but he was suddenly seized by two men.
Before I could understand what was happening, a hand wrapped around my waist, pulling me back until my back hit a solid wall of flesh.
“Hello, Aveline.”
I looked up, seeing the face of a strange man. He carried an overpowering and dangerous scent. He knew my name, he had caught me, would he kill me?
Where was Gray? My chest heaved. I couldn’t breathe anymore. As the man’s hand moved up to my cheek, something ripped through my mind, making me step back and letting that thing take control.
“Emilia!” Atlas’s voice rang out, but I couldn’t see him anymore.
