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Gabriella "Northern Pack, here we arrive!" Raya screams excitedly as she jumps on the threadbare mattress, rolling to the extreme end so I can sit. "Do you know what this means for us, Gabriela? We could be lucky! Oh, thank you Moon Goddess." She'd escorted me to the Pack clinic to dress my wound. I didn't see her at all in the hall, so I assumed that perhaps she was helping Luna Angela prepare dinner in the Pack kitchen. "We could have a new life far away from here," she continued dreamily, her eyes brimming with happiness. "With kind, considerate Alphas. Pups. Love. Everything." "Hmm," I mutter absentmindedly, envying her a little bit. Though we are both omegas, Raya's life is smoother than mine. No one picks on her, nor do they mock her, and that's because her father is Alpha Storm's best friend. She has a set goal in life: find her fated mate, and everything else would fall into place. And me? I have to be related to the Alpha of our Pack who wants me to spy on the Northern Alpha. A mission that can end my life. Not that anything is worth living for anyways. I am not enthusiastic about the entire mate bond thingy, and finding my fated mate in the Northern Pack is highly unlikely. Knowing how Linda is, she'll try all she could to keep me away from the ball. And the ball will be my best opportunity at meeting with the Northern Alpha. "Earth to Gabriela," Raya says, snapping two fingers in front of my face. I pull myself out of my wandering thoughts reluctantly. "Is something wrong? You've been...quiet." I shake my head. "No, I'm fine. It's... it's nothing." I can't tell her about the mission Alpha Storm gave me. Here, in this pack, words pass through walls quicker than the wind. I don't want to risk getting her into trouble. "Alpha Storm has asked me to watch over Linda while we're at the North." Raya scowls. "She's no longer a baby, for crying out loud. Why does she need you as a babysitter?" I shrugs. "She's her father's daughter, isn't she?" "Indeed. So you might not be attending the ball, anyway? Or swoon over alphas with me as that witch will do everything in her power to keep you — " Just then, I notice a figure looming in the doorway and clamp a hand over Raya's mouth. She resists, brows creased, until Linda saunters into the room fully, her lips upturned in disgust. "Don't you girls have anything better to do than sit here all day and gossip?" I try not to roll my eyes and stand up. "I was about to come see you. Your father — " She slaps me with all her might, sending me flying to the other side of the room. I hit my left temple against the wall, and crouch, a warm liquid running down my hand. I groan, my vision blurred by a dizzying headache. "What do you think you're doing?" Raya exclaims in horror. "What did she do..." "Shut up," Linda thunders. "Or you'll join her. You have no right to question me!" I sit still, tears stinging my eyes. The pain from my finger injury plus the pounding headache has me incredibly weak. "You wouldn't dare." Raya says coolly. "And I shall be telling your father about this. You'll be punished, I'll make sure of it!" "Shut up, I said," Linda growls, raising a hand to hit Raya, but Raya catches her hand in the air just in time. She gives Linda a hard shove. Linda gasps as she fell, looking up at Raya in shock. "How dare you?!" "You're a disappointment," Raya spits. She hurries over to help me, tearing a little part of her dress to wrap around my head and helped me stand. "Come on. Let's get you to the clinic. Again." Linda still sits there, still not believing her eyes. We trudge past her outside. -------------- Traveling to the Northern Pack takes us a day and a half, and without Alpha Storm's heavy presence looming over me, I finally feel free for once in my life. But I can still feel Linda glare at me whenever I'm not looking. Raya had reported her to her father, and though it annoyed him to do so, he punished her for it. I was no longer obligated to look after her during our brief stay in the North. In fact, no one would attend to her, and when we were done, she was meant to spend two weeks in the Pack kitchen helping out. She also tendered a public apology to me. I didn't care for her apology. I don't care for Linda. I have bigger fish to fry. Alpha Storm's assignment. It's no surprise to me that he's taken this chance as his golden opportunity. My uncle has always had it in his head that if he could steal trade secrets away from other packs, it would lead him to acquiring more territory, therefore making him more powerful. Rather ironic in a sense, considering he can barely handle the pack he has now, and has to rely on the Elders to make important decisions for him. When we arrive at the North border, we're met with a small band of enforcers who greet us all warmly before escorting us over packlines. To my surprise, we're brought to an actual town and not just a large estate like our pack lives in. Houses and businesses on either side of a large road that seems to stretch all throughout the small town are busy with dozens of other shifters, who greet us and offer more warm welcomes as we pass through. We're soon brought to a small section of cabins close to the center of the town that overlooks the large mansion, where I'm sure the Northern alpha lives. Other female shifters from different packs are already here and getting settled in by the time we arrive, and we're soon turned loose with instructions to be at the mansion's doors by sundown. Thankfully, Raya and I are able to secure a room to ourselves, and once I've got the door shut to all of the chaos on the other side of it, I'm able to finally let myself breathe.