Cora's destiny arrived; the destiny that cursed her eyes at birth, the destiny that forced her parents to flee, the destiny that she always knew she had to face.

Cora had been outside the territory of Reiger for over a day now, making her way to the heart of the pack where the Alpha lived. It surprised her that the Alpha had not come for her already, but she had been told that it was far from customary. Everyone came to him, including her.

The deeper they went into the territory, the more agitated she became. Surely it was normal for to feel restless, right? She was in distant lands, surrounded by a foreign culture.

Destiny was easier to consider when living a boring, secluded life in my cabin.

Craning her neck upward and breathing in the cool air of night, her gaze trailed the rocky walls in front of her until she found the silhouetted edge against the starry sky.

Tall, jagged mountains encompassed the entirety of the Reiger capitol, only accessible via the ocean through a fjord, or a northern and southern plateau where the mountains granted passage.

And here was the formal entry via an extensive, tall tunnel.

Cora lowered her gaze back to the tunnel as they patiently waited for further instructions; they weren't quite certain where to take her, especially since she arrived during the night.

Vast braziers burned brilliantly against the mountains as torches lined the tunnels, and if the entrance was this brightly lit, she couldn't even imagine the details of the capitol.

She shifted her position on her horse, her tailbone and inner thighs sore and raw. She eyed the large, red banners that draped either side of the tunnel's entrance, with a black circle and four black claw marks painted over the circle on the banners.

According to Roman, that was the sigil of Reiger.

She sighed and closed her eyes, bracing herself for what would come next. Cora would probably never step foot outside these lands as a human again.

There was an Alpha waiting for her just beyond that tunnel.

Theran. The name of her future mate, of the male that she would create a family with. She looked down at her hands, dirt still stuck underneath her nails. She was too nervous to pick at them, which made little sense to her, and yet she could only seem to focus on Ben, or staring at the mountains.

Peering down at her brother to refocus herself, she frowned. Her self-pity dissipated like water hitting a scorched rock. Ben was so pathetic underneath his fur blanket that was made of bear hide, cloth covering the left side of his face. The bandages were less bloodied by now, although the wounds were still inflamed, swollen, and hot to the touch. Whatever salve Roman made seemed to keep infections at bay, at the very least.

Ben is so thin now, and we can let his muscles grow weak. Soon, baby brother, you'll awake and realize you're not home. I am sorry for that. Maybe one day I can send you back there.

Cora straightened her back as her horse stamped its foot and neighed. Gnawing on her lip, she looked around at the masses that idly stood by. Nearly a hundred lycans came to guard her, some females, and other males.

When they first came to her, nearly every one of them stared and sniffed the air around her, only inching as close as Oren allowed. But not one of them had attempted to speak with her. They just stared.

If she were to be honest, they intimated her.

These lycans were sharp with their tongue, spoke a foreign language much too quickly for Cora to pick up, and used their body to speak just as much as they did their words. They all carried themselves with guarded walls, not liking when one got too close.

Nearly all bore tattoos that were mostly shaped in geometric patterns, and she felt naked without at least one of her own. Most of their clothes were leather or cloth, and they bound their hair in either ties, dreads, or braids. Very few wore theirs plainly.

Not only was Cora's skin clean of tattoos, but her hair draped plainly behind her; just another reminder that she didn't belong. Not in the slightest. And yet her eyes dictated that she go to these lycans. I should have come here earlier. Years ago, even.

The delay in Oren returning only added to her nerves. She couldn't help but wonder if something displeased the Alpha.

She gripped the reigns tighter, her gaze focusing on the tunnel once more.

The sound of Hilda's horse nearing Cora arrested her thoughts, but she didn't take her eyes off of the mountains ahead. The witch got as close to Cora as possible, the heat from the her horse radiating onto Cora's leg.

Hilda said, "That banners are quite a spectacle."

"Yeah, it really is. It's as tall as our house."

"Roman told me that the four marks represent claw marks, and the circle is the moon. It's supposed to mirror the power of Reiger coming from Dagma, or their goddess of moon. All in the Bound Six have their own sigils."

Cora looked it over once more, swatting her arm when a bug bit her. "That's such a human thing to do. I never imagined them having one," she remarked.

"They differ from us, but are also quite similar in that they seek their own glory. A part of that is rooted in maintaining the power that their name carries."

Cora nodded her head, tucking her hair behind her ear in a noticeably new tick. She imagined lycans fighting for glory, establishing and maintaining their reign. How exactly was she supposed to fit into all of that? "I can't stop thinking of all the different ways I can mess this up."

Hilda replied with an amusement that made Cora glance at the witch. "Honestly, Cora, just don't turn this into another rabbit stew with beets, and we will be alright."

Cora frowned before a tepid smile appeared on her face that turned into a nervous chuckle, the witch eyeing Cora warmly. Hilda referenced the time that Cora made dinner after overhearing a conversation from the village about a unique pairing of ingredients. She liked beets and rabbit meat was close enough to chicken, so why wouldn't it go together?

The image of Cora's father giving her a horrid look when he looked into the pot, followed by Ben's dramatic declaration 'She's cooked it in blood!' made an enormous grin appear on Cora's face.

She even laughed with a few tears swelling in her eyes, reliving the memory. Some lycans glanced her way, but she paid them no mind. They couldn't understand her anyhow, according to Roman, as only the Ashmores and one other Clan specialized in translations.

Even if that weren't true, she couldn't not talk to Hilda, as that was all the sanity Cora had left.

Cora said, "I admit, I bake better than I cook. Thank the gods I don't have to marry a human, or at least he wouldn't be doing it for my cooking."

Hilda chuckled, and it was so nice to have such a simple, lighthearted moment. The mood, however, quickly died when Ben groaned from the carriage, and they both looked down at him.

And just like that, all the anger, fear, and uncertainty weighed down any smile she managed.

That was another thing that had changed on the journey...with each day that passed, she only grew angrier with what had happened, a rage burning with desire to repay Nailan—the lycan that injured Ben—and give him a scar to match. Nailan was already healed enough to run with a limp, and Ben still didn't even know he was out of Kamas.

It wasn't fair, and it ate at her.

Cora pulled on her face with a single hand, not sure how to handle these emotions. She had never gotten into a fight before, let alone an altercation of this magnitude. How did she handle this kind of abuse against her kin? What do I do once I am a lycan? They seem to engage in small fights, from what I've seen. What if I kill Nailan on accident?

Or on purpose?

When Cora felt eyes on her, she looked over to see a lycan scrutinizing her, those around him doing the same. She grit her teeth to prevent herself from displaying how exhausted she was at being stared at.

She wanted to yell at all of them for constantly gawking at her. She wanted to attack Nailan and tell him he had no room to whine or complain, and that if he dared look at Ben one more time she would test the strength of an Omni on him first.

"Hilda," Cora said, looking to the witch with wide, uneasy eyes. "What if I make the wrong decisions in there? Like, three months from now? Six months from now? Or even when I meet the Alpha? I am"—she looked down, struggling to put this into words—"I am angry...I am really angry."

Hilda took the time to gather her thought before speaking with severity, and yet maintaining reassurance. "Cora, I wish I could offer you every word of comfort until I ran out of breath, but to be truthful, this is where my guidance comes to an end" —Hilda paused, glancing at Cora who frowned—"I am a witch in the land of lycans. I have no genuine power here. In fact, these are your lands, now. I cannot guarantee Ben's safety, and neither can he. Only you can. I don't mean to overwhelm you, or add more pressure on you, but it is the truth. Those protected from the truth always feel like they fall without notice, and I refuse to shroud you in that false sense of security. It would only weaken you, and I will not fail you in that regard."

Cora breathed shallow breaths, her face twitching in the smallest ways from her nose to her mouth until her gaze aimlessly darted around. She didn't disagree, but wanted to retort and ask for more advice; she wanted what a child would want — an infallible answer that would solve all of her problems.

My lands now...she looked around at the lycans resting and waiting. This is really happening. Her eyes swelled with tears, blinking rapidly to keep them at bay. With an unsure voice, she managed out, "Yeah."

The lycans around sniffed the air, all standing up in alert. Cora couldn't see anything and guessed that someone was coming. She tucked her hair behind her ear and her heart raced at the thought of it being the Alpha.

Cora looked back at Hilda with as much determination as she could muster. "I will fight for you, you know. I will do everything that I can."

Hilda smiled, the lycans speaking lowly among themselves. The witch nodded to Roman and looked at Cora. "Make sure that one stays with your brother. He has proven useful, and if I am taken, I trust him with the wounds."

Cora wanted to say more to Hilda. To tell her more promises of protection. But Cora recognized she had to move on and lead, as Hilda had guided her to do so. So, Cora rode forward to talk to Roman, and the lycan looked up at her, his hair greasy and slicked back. His eyes widened. "Oh, wow. Your eyes are really red."

She raised her brows and acknowledged to the nearly full moon in the sky by pointing. "Uh, yeah, they do that this time of the month."

With excitement that distracted her, he asked, "What color are they when it's a new moon?"

"Hazel."

"Oh," he said, as if disappointed. "I'll have to see that to see if I like the red more or not."

She had learned that Roman was uncharacteristically extroverted, and it seemed to stem from a genuine place of curiosity. She didn't interact with enough people to understand if he was abnormal or not, but she felt like he was.

After a deep exhale, she gave him a smile that slowly dropped as she spoke. "Anyway, I came over here, Roman, because when we get in, they might take Hilda away. I need to know that Ben will be taken care of."

Roman straightened his back and spoke with sincerity. "I can watch the little guy."

The relief was immediate, and she said, "Thank you, it means a lot. Really" —she paused awkwardly before adding—"But um, what of your family, and the one Ashmore that wants him dead? Of Nailan? Is that really safe? What if he comes for Ben when Hilda isn't around, and if I am off doing something else?"

"Oh," he said, raising his brows. He sighed and ran his hand over his hair. "Um, yeah, not a bad point. Although, I think Oren knows better than to just let the kid die. I mean, I know my nephew is injured and will be for some time, but you're an Omni. Killing your only living relative is, well, the worst of politics. Even I know that. I'll do what I can to protect Ben, but you should remember that I am a healer, not a fighter. I can't hold off twenty Ashmores."

She flared her nostrils and pursed her lips, knowing there wasn't much more to do and yet felt like it wasn't enough. Then again, it was so much better than nothing. "I appreciate it."

Roman nodded, and sniffed the air before facing the tunnel himself, readjusting his position on the carriage so he'd be ready to ride.

A lycan running on all fours finally entered the tunnel. The reins of Cora's horse were moist from sweat by now. Is that the Alpha? Someone close to him?

The golden light from the torches cast heavy shadows on the lone lycan, who moved with haste. When they reached the clearing, their body morphed from that of a terrifying wolf and into a man with quick successions of shrinking and hair converting into clothes. The momentum of the lycan carried him into a few controlled steps.

It was Oren, and Cora let out a bated breath.

Oren spoke in their language, which comprised of a few sharp, harsh articulations. Roman translated for her, "The Alpha is ready for you at Vorran's Lake, where his throne and forum is located."

And like that, with little time to think, over half of the lycans turned to wolves, which was the most unsightly transformation of protruding bones and elongation of faces.

Once transformed they dwarfed actual wolves, although were shaggier and were covered in strips of hairless markings forged from scars. Their eyes maintained a sharpness that revealed something much deeper than an animal resided in there, and she found that the most unnerving part.

A few remained in their human form to guide the horses. When they entered the tunnels, her shoulders dramatically rose and fell as she nearly panted from nerves, worried it would collapse in on them. She had never seen one before until now.

But once inside she lost the vastness of the mountains. The flames darkened the stone where they licked too many times, and it helped her focus on not being afraid as that as a sign it had been operational for a very long time and probably rather safe.

When they emerged on the other end, she breathed in a huge breath of relief once she saw the starry sky above, the cool air welcomed in her lungs.

Her jaw dropped when she saw the vastness of the gorge, wrapped by towering peaks and ahead of them was an enormous lake. That must be the lake where the Alpha is.

The familiarity of Kamas hung on a thread as her new life awaited her, for better or for worse.

She was officially here.