Chapter 2: The Meeting with Odina

Karen Steele stood in the doorway of her small cabin, her gaze lingering on the darkening horizon. The sun was setting, casting long shadows over the woods, and yet her daughter still hadn't returned. Raven had been gone for hours—longer than usual—and Karen's heart raced with worry. Raven was always independent, but she never stayed away this long without any word.

"Where could she be?" Karen muttered, pacing back and forth on the porch. Her hands trembled as she gripped the edge of the doorframe, her thoughts a swirl of confusion and fear.

She tried not to imagine the worst, but the silence around her seemed to press in like a heavy weight. Raven had always been a little different—quiet, observant, sometimes too aware of things she couldn't explain. It wasn't like Raven to vanish into the woods, especially not at this hour. Karen's thoughts turned to the oddities she'd noticed in Raven's behavior, her strange moments of silence, the way she seemed to almost feel the world around her. But that couldn't be it, could it?

Back at the park, the wolves led Raven deeper into the forest, their pace swift and unrelenting. Each step felt heavier as the cold night air nipped at her skin. Her mind spun with questions, but fear kept her silent. The red-haired woman walked beside her, her gaze sharp and calculating.

They approached a clearing lit by a ring of torches. At its center stood a massive cabin, its windows glowing with warm light. The wolves pushed the door open, revealing a grand hall filled with carved wooden furniture and hunting trophies.

A figure sat at the head of a long table. Odina. Her presence was commanding—tall, with silver streaks in her jet-black hair and eyes that seemed to pierce through Raven's very soul.

"Who is this?" Odina's voice was calm but carried an edge of authority.

"A rogue," the green-eyed man said, his voice steady. "She trespassed on our territory during the full moon."

Odina's gaze bore into Raven. "Is this true, child? Speak."

"I didn't mean to trespass," Raven stammered, her voice shaky. "I didn't even know… I didn't know what was happening to me."

The room fell silent. Odina's expression softened slightly, but her eyes remained watchful. "Your first shift," she murmured, almost to herself. "You're not just a rogue. You're… unclaimed."

"Unclaimed?" Raven asked, confusion lacing her voice.

Odina nodded. "A wolf without a pack. But there's more to you than that." She rose from her chair, her movements graceful and deliberate. "You reek of something… ancient."

The red-haired woman stepped forward, her tone skeptical. "Could she be the one from the prophecy?"

The room tensed. Whispers rippled through the gathered wolves.

Odina raised her hand, silencing them. "We won't jump to conclusions. First, we'll determine who she is—and where she belongs." She turned to Raven. "You will stay here until we uncover the truth. Try to run, and you'll regret it."

Raven nodded, too overwhelmed to argue. As they escorted her to a small room, one thought echoed in her mind: What prophecy?