Valentina

My father, Yuma and I sat as the only passengers in the train car. Yuma sat at the opposite end of the car from my father and me, glancing every so often our way but giving us enough space for privacy. Before me, the rows of empty seats made me feel worse about traveling to a territory so far away and so damn cold.

When the conductor came by and asked for tickets, Yuma stood and flashed him two one-way tickets and another for a round trip. He nodded at my father, I assumed, solidifying what he’d said back at the house about Sunya having expected Cassius to ride to Hidden Spear with me.

With a frustrated sigh, I felt the sting of unshed tears in my eyes. My vision blurred, and my cheeks glistened with relentless weeping that I couldn’t seem to control. I hated being there, even though I’d brimmed with excitement on my past train rides. I’d ridden on trains before with my father to thrilling festivals and on diplomatic trips to meet distant packs. I’d always been over the moon to learn about new cultures and meet new people, all while proudly representing Silver Ash.

But that was when I knew I would be heading back home after each journey, back to the comforting familiarity of my pack's territory. It’d been when I knew I was bringing back vital and exciting information from new and exciting places to Silver Ash.

I looked around, inspecting the train’s emptiness and loudness. It burned my ears, shook my insides, and compounded my unease. The cranking noise of the train tracks under us made my teeth chatter. Or perhaps it was the dropping temperature. The train seemed like a monster, dragging me further and further away from my home.

“Valentina, look out the window,” Cassius said beside me. I turned and gasped at the beautiful scenery that stretched before me, illuminated by moonlight. Trees that adorned lakes and the mountain edge trailed the unbeaten path. The lakes sparkled under the high moon and twinkled like the stars they reflected. It had snowed recently, and a blanket of it covered what used to be the lush green.

If I was honest, it was quite pretty. Its purity—ugh purity. It sorely reminded me of my virginity and my one-way ticket to Hidden Spear. Lillian was right. Why couldn’t I have just had sex early like she did? Why did I have to be so damn … ugh!

My father reminisced about the time he and my mother had snuck away from Silver Ash to be naughty before conceiving Antonio. He said there was a cave amongst the mountains with a magnificent view of the mountains where Alphas sometimes took their brides. But I grumbled and spun back around in my seat.

“The only view I want to see is of Silver Ash.” I didn’t want to hear anymore, and to hear him mention my mother was like a dagger in the chest.

“I’m just trying to make you feel better,” he replied, his voice pitched with sorrow. “Only, I’m not sure how to do that right now. This is one of those occasions when I truly am feeling the loss of your mother. She would’ve known what to say.”

My heart tugged at his words and drew me closer to him, but something inside of me stirred like a tempestuous storm. I wanted to comfort my father, but his words weren’t comforting me. Nothing was, and nothing could.

This shouldn’t have happened. How could he let this happen?

Cassius wrapped his arms around me in an embrace. Emotion gripped his voice, and while he continued, my insides rattled. How could he let this happen? My thoughts swirled with unanswered questions. I hadn’t been in the room when this had been decided, and I wondered how much of a fight my father had really put up to keep this from happening.

My father said, “I tried so hard to give you all the things your mother would have, but I know as a man, there are things I couldn’t tell you or teach you. I know that a daughter never needs her mother more than at her wedding, and that’s doubly true under these circumstances.” He paused for a moment and lifted my chin so I could stare into his sad face. But that something inside of me tensed and grew with every passing second. My mind returned to the question: how could he let this happen to me?

The further and faster the train moved, the more my blood boiled until it burst past a point of no return. My hands balled into fists and they shook with contained rage. I held my breath to stop the outburst, and all of me swelled with anger and despair.

HOW COULD HE?

“I’m going to do my best to support you through this.”

But I stood, unable to control my fury.

“If my mother were alive, she wouldn’t have let this happen!”

Just then, the train lurched to a sudden, jolting stop. I gasped and reached out, clutching a nearby pole to steady myself. My father, ever the protective figure, rose and ushered me to stand by his side. Gazing out of the window, I could see the snowfall had intensified. It had thickened into a blinding flurry, nearly creating a whiteout around us. The landscape was no longer a pristine winter wonderland but had instead become a stark, frozen wilderness, and I felt a chill deep within my bones, knowing that we were venturing further into the heart of Hidden Spear territory.

Yuma stalked toward us, his expression neutral. I looked him over, admiring his calm through the ordeal. Where was he when Sunya needed talking to? This guy is the calmest wolf shifter I’ve ever seen.

“Do not be alarmed. It has started to snow heavily, and the train has gotten stuck. It’s unusually early in the season for a storm, so the engineers were caught unprepared.” He looked between us both as Cassius and I settled back into our seats. I glimpsed at the door, and— trying not to make my thoughts obvious—I returned my attention to Yuma as he continued. “They will clean off the tracks, and we’ll soon be back on our way. We’re lucky that we left tonight because during big storms, train service stops. If we had waited until tomorrow, we might not have made it in time for the wedding.”

Shit. I really am trapped.

My chest tightened at the realization.

Within moments, a train worker opened the door to the car to facilitate moving their deicing equipment onto the tracks. A few others came from the back of the train to help.

I turned my attention back to the large brown door, and my pulse surged when one man pulled it open. The frigid wind that swept through the train car made me shiver to the bone. Cassius cursed lightly under his breath at the biting gust. My breath puffed in front of me in a white cloud as I peered around the working men and glimpsed the mountains in the far distance.

I could have run right then and escaped out there, into the freezing wilderness. Run, Valentina, my conscience told me. I inhaled and paused, trying to think through the plan, and fast.

How long could I survive? I could hunt for a few days before I’d really need shelter, and maybe that would be just enough time.

Goosebumps covered my arms at the fantasy of freedom that lay before me. I’d have a life of my own if I left. I’d be able to live how I wanted to live, be who I wanted to be, without some Alpha jerk wanting me to marry his son. Though, I’d be dishonoring Silver Ash by fleeing and reneging on the deal.

And it would get pretty lonely, but only for a little while.

I stood straighter, and my heart raced as my conscience screamed at the rest of my body to make a run for it.

Now, before it's too late! Go, Valentina!

My muscles twitched, ready to spring into action. My blood tingled as if I was preparing to shapeshift and take my freedom back. Then, in an instant, the future I imagined was transformed. Instead of freedom, I envisioned bloodshed, carnage, and the horrifying image of my father's head impaled on a Hidden Spear stake. I shivered again, and guilt held me in my spot on the cold train.

I couldn’t live with knowing my pack would face attacks from Hidden Ash. I knew I wouldn’t survive the painful remorse of my selfish acts just to get out of marrying a stranger if anyone from my pack lost their lives. For years, I had put Silver Ash first, and I truly couldn’t see myself doing anything but that. This was no exception.

So, I crossed my arms and plopped back down to my seat. Sooner than I’d hoped, the train started again, chugging closer and closer to my dreaded destination. There was no more room for second thoughts or retreat; the deal was sealed, and so was my fate.

The realization sank in with a heavy weight. I would be a Hidden Spear bride, all in the name of preserving my pack from the looming threat of war and bloodshed.

Maybe I really was a heroine.

Maybe this had been my destiny all along.