Amanda
Alia couldn't run fast enough with small feet and I had to carry her and run as fast as my strength could. My heart was pounding hard and I couldn't dare stop to catch my breath for fear of being caught and dragged back to where I'd undoubtedly meet my death.
The unexpected attack that took place right before I got killed, ended up disrupting the entire palace. The entire guards left with the king to go fix the mess, and although Aaron thrusted Alia with Kira, since no guard was keeping me captive and everyone was too busy scattering around and worrying for themselves, I was able to wrench Alia from Kira.
Kira dared to try getting Alia back from me, and with adrenaline pumping through me, I slapped her hand and dug my fingers into her eyes, reveling in her pained yowl. Her blood from her eyes was still in my nails as I ran hard, and I didn't stop till it was nighttime.
We took shelter in an uncompleted building, and in there, I hugged Alia tight and cried, feeling relieved to still be alive and to have her with me. I also cried for Aria, wishing with everything in me that I could find her.
Alia wiped my tears away with her small fingers but I ibk cried harder.
~~~
We were currently heading back to my parents pack, I had nowhere else to go. It was gonna be beyond humiliating, but beggars couldn't be choosers. I was wearing some gold bracelets which I sold for some money, which I used to feed Alia and transport us to my parent's pack.
"Mommy?" Alia had called out at some point and I realized that I was silently crying. I wiped my eyes and turned to her, but she smiled at me and held my hand.
"Aria isn't dead, I can feel her inside me." She revealed and my eyes widened as I gaped at her. I never really believed in twin connections or telepathy because I had a twin and we literally hated each other while growing up.
"She isn't?" I whispered, hope clear in my voice. Alia nodded firmly before tapping her chest.
"I can feel her here. She's alive." She added and my mind went over what Aaron said about the twins having pools of magic in them. Could that be true? And where could they get that from?
I asked Alia if she could tell where Aria is and she ended up shaking her head. I deflated at first before asking myself what I expected to hear anyway.
~~~
When we got to Urat- my parents pack, to say people were shocked to see me would be an understatement. It was beyond humiliating that after five years, when they all got to see me again, it was when I was looking extremely tattered.
My parents were born in this pack, and they expected me to marry here, but Aaron came into the picture, and that plan went out the window.
When Alia and I arrived at my parents house, my parents were surprised to see me, but they thankfully didn't chase me away, and I sent a silent prayer to heaven because of that.
For the first time since I escaped Auravas, I was able to breathe well again.
My parents barely aged since I last saw them, and my twin sister was as gorgeous as she had always been. My parents only had two daughters, my twin- Rina, and myself.
Rina left to care for my daughter and feed her and I thanked her gratefully, while hiding my surprise because that was unlike Rina, especially since we always fought since I remembered. I honestly expected her to start laughing at my situation instead but that never happened.
I was alone with my parents before I explained what happened to them. They then went into a long rant of why they were against me marrying Aaron, and I had to apologize for eloping and bringing shame to them shame.
My mom waved me off. "There's no need for that, child, after all, the moon goddess clearly sent you back here at the right time."
I frowned in confusion. "What do you mean?"
After my question, my mother began to explain what she meant. "Remember the enigmas each pack has to annually send a maiden to, as appeasement or risk their king's wrath befalling them— well, this year, it ended up being our family's turn, and your sister- Rina, is the one who's to be sent off tomorrow. But now that you're back, you can just go in your sister's place!"
As my mothers words dawned on me, I instantly refused, because that sounded ridiculous to me. Why the heck should I fill in for my sister?
I wasn't even surprised by what my mother had just said. I knew I was never their favorite since I was young. Their favoritism had always been obvious, and that was why I ended up eloping, because if I hadn't gone with Aaron whom I believed I loved, they'd have just married me off to someone vile with lots of money who'd be willing to tolerate a wolfless wife. The favoritism was probably because my sister was everything I wasn't- she had a wolf, she was an epitome of beauty, and everyone loved her.
"Why can't you do this one thing for us?? Your sister is supposed to get married to the alpha prince of this pack. If you go in her place, she'll be able to do that." My mother added but I shook my head again.
"I- I can't do that, mother. I literally just escaped a hurdle and I have a child to care for-"
"The child would be cared for. She'll be safe here. Just do this one thing for us." My father added this time.
"I really can't, I'm sorry." I whispered, staring at my fingers.
"Selfish as usual, but are we surprised?? You've always been useless to us, and for the first time that we want you to be useful to us, you're refusing to be of help." My mother hurled at me and I felt anger coil in my stomach but I controlled myself.
"You can't expect me to willingly take the place of my sister who made growing up hell for me." I pointed out calmly.
"That's in the past." My mother snapped and I bristled before pursing my lips.
"My decision is final and I won't be taking her place. How can you even ask me to? The enigma's lands? You know people who are sent there never end up returning!"
My mother folded her arms. "You'll be able to return." She said but I snorted.
The enigmas– a rare class of wolves but powerful, stronger and deadlier, are at the top of the hierarchy of all wolves, which means they have power over us, and ruled over every pack. Every pack has their own kings, but those kings have to still answer to the enigma king- who is the alphas of all alphas, or the king of all kings. Despite the kings of every pack- including Aaron answering to him, none of them actually knows what he looks like, but they'd never dare go against all his rules, or step out of line.
My mother rose to her feet and spoke. "You'll do as we asked, or you'll never see Alia again."
I was on my feet at once, asking what she meant while my heart fell into my stomach.
She repeated herself calmly and I cried out in horror, rushing towards her but my dad shoved me away easily.
"How could you do this? After what I just went through?? You'll hold my child over my head???" I cried out desperately.
"It doesn't have to result to force if you comply easily." My father spoke next.
"Give me my daughter. We never should have come here." I said coldly, glancing around for my sister, or my daughter.
"Rina is with Alia. I texted her to take her out for a bit. They won't be returning because I've texted her to keep Alia with her till you agree to our request because I had a feeling you might refuse." She revealed and I gasped in outrage.
"What???" I cried out before starting to scream for my daughter to be provided to me. They assured me the screams were pointless because it wasn't changing anything, and then they informed me I had from now till tomorrow morning to make a decision, because tomorrow is the day the enigmas' messengers are gonna come to collect a maiden from this pack.
"The enigmas won't even want me! I'm not unmated. I've birthed a set of twins before. Trust me, Rina is better situated for this." I was grasping at straws at this point when they still refused to change their minds.
"You'll do just fine," my mother drawled and frustrated, I broke down again, unable to believe this was happening to me.
"You're horrible parents! Horrible!" I cried out but my father shrugged and responded.
"Aaron was horrible but you deserted us for him anyway."
"So this is punishment for that?" I yelled and he shrugged but remained silent.
I began to trash their sitting room, uncaring about anything but my daughter right now. I really shouldn't have come here. They're as horrible as they were to me while growing up.
The trashing I did to their furniture didn't faze them, and at one point, I ran out of the house and stepped in the middle of the street to begin screaming for help along with what my parents were forcing me to do, hoping someone will be able to help me. But no one came to my aid, and my voice ended up cracking. When I returned back to my parents house, my father snickered and called me stupid for thinking that little trick would change anything.
"Look, child. You need to come up with a response tonight. If you still refuse to do as we asked, your child would be killed. We'll pay someone to kill her, that way, you'll lose her like we'll lose Rina. But if you do as we asked, your daughter would be brought up well and cared for; you have my words on that." My mother's sharp voice pierced through my hazy mind next.
Instead of responding, I fell to my knees and began to beg for my daughter to be released to me. I was beyond desperate. This time yesterday I was almost beheaded, with the fear of never seeing my child again. And now. I was being threatened to walk into fire in exchange for this same child.
"No use begging, our mind won't be changed." My mother snapped after minutes. I sniffed, feeling my crumbled life giving out underneath me again.
"So… basically I have no other choice?" I whispered hoarsely, unable to recognize my own voice.
My parents nodded at the same time.
"That's right."