Defy The Alpha(s) novel Chapter 234

Chapter 234: Tell Violet

Nancy never thought she would leave District One. The Slums had been her whole world, the streets she had walked since childhood, and the place that had shaped her into the woman she was today. It was a place of no escape, until now.

Thanks to her ’son-in-law’, a title Asher had stubbornly reminded her of for days, the yoke was finally being broken. She was here in District Seven. Not just for a visit, not just for a job, but permanently.

The United Dorminia was divided into twelve human districts, numbered in order of status, wealth, and power. At the top was Aster City, the capital, where the Human President governed.

Outside of the human territories, beyond the districts, the four major werewolf packs, the North, South, East, and West, operated under the rule of the Alpha King.

For years, the Alpha King and the Human President maintained a tenuous peace, an agreement holding together the balance of power. Wolves had their lands and the humans had theirs. Although both sides cohabitated, everyone knew the structure wasn’t built on trust, but necessity.

Thinking about it now, at the bottom of the hierarchy was District One, the Slums, the poorest, most dangerous place in Dorminia. The government had practically abandoned it, leaving crime, and gangs to govern instead.

Just above it was District Two, The Forgotten, and District Three, The Undercroft. Though slightly better than the Slums, they were still plagued by high unemployment, corrupt local officials, and struggling families who had little hope of ever rising beyond their station. Children here were often put to work early, schools were underfunded, and progress was slow, if it ever came at all.

District Four, The Strugglers, and District Five, The Reconstruction Zone, were still on the lower end of the spectrum, but life there was a bit more stable. Jobs existed, though they were hard to come by. Education was moderate, and crime was less rampant than in the lower districts. People fought for better lives even if the opportunity was scarce.

District Six The Reformers, and District Seven, The Mercantile, where Asher was taking her, were the true middle-class territories. Infrastructure was decent, schools were better, and businesses flourished. District Seven was the trading hub, filled with markets, ports, and small enterprises. It was the district for the ambitious ones hoping to climb their way into the elite.

And then, there were the privileged districts. District Eight, The Gatekeepers, and District Nine, The Bluebloods, were upper-middle class, home to successful merchants, scholars, and those with valuable government connections. Technology and education thrived there. People from these districts often had direct ties to Aster City, making them more likely to secure powerful positions.

At the highest end were District Ten, The Aristocrats, and District Eleven, Aster’s Pride. These were the homes of old-money families, the kind whose wealth had survived the war. Influential politicians, corporate moguls, and high-ranking officials lived here, behind high-security walls separating them from the rest of the population.

And at the very top was District Twelve, The Chosen Royals. This was where the elite of the elite lived, the wealthiest and most powerful families in Dorminia. They groomed their children for leadership in Aster City, preparing them for high-level roles in government, business, and diplomacy. The cost of living was astronomical, the standard of luxury unreachable for anyone beneath them.

The higher the district, the harder it was to enter, and the harder it was to leave. There were strict border controls — at least on the upper class districts — regulations ensuring that people from the lower districts couldn’t just walk into the lives of the privileged. The wealthy weren’t interested in dealing with crime, poverty, or the desperate masses.

And so, moving up the ladder required either power or influence. Nancy had neither. But Asher did. That was how he had gotten her passage into District Seven, the easiest and secure place he could set her up quickly. It wasn’t at the top, but it was far from the underground she had lived in her whole life.

Although Nancy wasn’t sure if she should feel relieved or terrified of the change, one thing was certain, her life would never be the same again.

Right now, they were in some restaurant in District Seven, the scent of grilled meats, freshly baked bread, and expensive spices in the air. Nancy leaned back in her seat, feeling the satisfaction of a full stomach for the first time in what felt like forever.

This was nothing like the scraps she had fought for back in District One. The food here was rich, decadent, and seasoned just right, leaving an unfamiliar sense of contentment in her belly. She could almost close her eyes and drift away in the comfort of it.

Almost. But her nerves wouldn’t let her.

Nancy’s fingers tapped lightly against the table as she stole glances at the entrance, her anxiety mounting. When was Ezra, the supposed wolf who Asher claimed would watch over her and keep her safe, arrive?