Trigger warning: Mentions of domestic abuse!
The forest was Coraline's favorite place in the pack lands and during days like these, when she was restless and her thoughts no longer like her own, the cover of the thick foliage provided her with a type of solace she rarely found anywhere else.
A light breeze blew the strands of her brown hair into her face, rustling the fallen leaves. Her favorite novel was open on her lap as she sat on a patch of grass. The pain in her back heightened when she leaned against the tree's rough bark but she was used to the stinging pain of the wounds he inflicted on her skin. It was the fear of what came next that usually left her paralyzed.
Not too far from where she sat was the final resting place of the first man she ever killed. It was an unmarked grave, there was no headstone or anything to indicate that someone was buried there.
Only Coraline and Nolan knew what happened that night four years ago.
Every few days, she returned to the same spot, not to grieve for the life that was cut short or because she regretted her actions but because the grave served as a reminder.
Any normal person would want to forget the events of that night but Coraline had never claimed to be normal.
Today there was someone else in the forest.
Coraline was lost in the pages of her book when she heard the footsteps. She shoved the book into her bag and rose to her feet. The forest was filled with a myriad of different scents but one of them stood out to her. She went in the direction it was coming from because she knew it was better to go to him than let him stumble upon her in the spot she claimed for herself.
After a few short minutes of walking through the forest, she caught sight of her older brother, Killian weaving through the trees and shrubbery.
A smile touched her lips when he came into view, waving her hand as she approached him. Killian didn't question why she was alone in the forest. Their wolf halves were often drawn to the open outdoors, it was why their pack lands were surrounded by forest. It didn't matter that her wolf hadn't fully emerged yet.
" Father is looking for you. The Alpha has called a meeting in the council hall." Killian said as soon as he reached her.
Coraline should have known. Killian never approached her or freely interacted with her unless it was at the behest of others.
After that they walked out the forest side by side but no other words were exchanged. Killian never tried to hide how little he cared for her and after years of prolonged distance, the silence between them became impenetrable. She didn't have anything to say to him and whatever words she once had for him were now lost in the churning sea that was her thoughts.
All the adults in the pack had already gathered in the massive council hall when she and Killian arrived.
Killian left her side immediately and went to stand by their father, the pack's beta. As the person who was next in line for the position, his place was by their father's side.
Coraline moved to stand by their mother but someone grabbed her hand, stopping her from taking another step. She turned to find her fiance, Nolan, behind her.
" It would look better if you stood beside me, don't you think?" He asked quietly with a charming smile directed at her, his dimples on full display.
A few years ago, his touch and that smile were all he truly needed to bend her to his will but now, as she stared back at him, she noticed that his expression was as hollow as the man himself.
It had almost no effect on her anymore, not while her back was still littered with the evidence of his latest outburst.
Nolan's grip tightened around her wrist in warning when she didn't respond. His charming smile was still firmly in place.
The action didn't go unnoticed. The prying eyes of the crowd, and their hushed whispers followed their every move but Nolan was the Alpha's charismatic son and they saw only what he allowed them to. And what they saw was their next alpha smiling affectionately at his fiancee.
Coraline could feel the weight of the envious stares of the unmated pack females but she refused to acknowledge any of them. They wanted what she had and that included Nolan's affections. She had been the target of their disdain from the moment Nolan set his sights on her at the age of thirteen.
None of them knew what he was like behind closed doors, and Nolan was happy to keep it that way. He enjoyed having a beautiful woman to flaunt on his arm by day and an object to take out his frustrations on at night and he kept her trapped in that constant cycle by keeping his boot on her neck.
He was the only other person that knew her dark secret. He knew because he helped bury the body.
Once again, she forced that practiced smile back on her face as she nodded. The smile was soft and gentle, the way the next luna of the pack ought to be.
As the Alpha's son and her fiance, he believed she owed him her compliance. He demanded her submission with angry fists on her broken body and most days she was too weak and powerless to stop it. To stop him. Not when he had one of the strongest wolves in the park and hers was still yet to emerge.
The Alpha stood from his chair to address the crowd, and the hall quietened immediately. Luna Elena remained seated, facing the gathered people with a serious expression on her face.
" We have faced more attacks from rogue packs in the last few months than we have in years. You have all seen the casualties we suffered from their last attack." Alpha Darian said, and a somber air swept across the hall as they recalled what they all lost during the last attacks. " The threat to our safety is worsening by the day and because of that, I have decided to align with the bloodstone pack in the war against the rogues."
Noise erupted among the crowd. Alpha Darian's proclamation was met with frantic murmurs as the people spoke over one another.
" We can't align ourselves with the bloodstone pack. Their Alpha is ruthless and he behaves like a savage!" A male voice shouted from the crowd. A chorus of agreement followed the man's statement.
The bloodstone pack lands was located further north and was known to be under the authoritarian rule of Alpha Alister Westbrook, a violent beast of a man. The bloodstone pack was larger in terms of landmass and population but many people were hesitant to associate with them because of their Alpha's cruel reputation.
" We can't trust the bloodstone pack to help us." Shouted someone else in the crowd. It was a female voice this time.
For decades the Alphas of both packs have maintained a kind of tenuous peace with one another that was as shaky and volatile as the weather. The nature of their relationship had bred distrust in the hearts of their pack members.
Nolan still hadn't loosen his grip. Coraline kept her expression unreadable as she regarded them all. They all had valid complaints but she knew that their words were wasted on Alpha Darian. It was impossible to change his mind when he already had plans in motion.
What the rest of the gathered people didn't know was that all the necessary arrangements to meet with the bloodstone pack to further discuss the peace treaty had already been made. Alpha Darian usually did as he pleased, and telling the rest of the pack of his plans was simply an afterthought.
Coraline only knew about his plans because she heard her parents discussing it.
But Alpha Darian didn't look perturbed by the questions being hurled at him. He kept a calm smile on his face as he patiently answered every question from the crowd but Coraline noticed the tension in his posture and the tightness in the corner of his eyes and knew instantly that his patience wore thin.
The calm smile remained on his face despite that, like a mask that was glued in place. He was just like his son in that aspect. They were a family of pretenders and Coraline was the worst of them all.
After the meeting, the crowd dispersed.
Nolan opted to walk her back home. Coraline didn't refuse when he led her out of the council hall. She had learned years ago that refusing him didn't always go well.
As they walked hand in hand, she saw Felicity sneering at her.
Felicity was one of the people that didn't bother hiding the disdain they felt towards Coraline. She and the others hated Coraline for seemingly stealing Nolan's affections. They also didn't think she deserved to be the next Luna of the pack.
The hateful sneers were tame compared to the words Felicity usually said about Coraline. Nolan's presence was the only reason Felicity held her tongue now.
' Take him,' Coraline wanted to say as they walked past Felicity and her friends. 'Take him if you want him so much.'
The words burned at the tip of her tongue but she swallowed them down and did what her mother taught her to do in situations like these. She stayed silent.