Chapter 1The day I received my admission letter, I instinctively shouted toward the living room of the packhouse, "Dad, Mom, I got in! I'm SSS-Rank!"
"I can finally go to the Realm and meet Hunter and Aaron at the academy!"
The only answer was silence.
Four small dolls sat on the couch: Alpha Dad, Luna Mom, my brother, and my mate, Alpha Aaron.
They stared at me with their round button eyes, silently keeping me company, just as they had on countless nights before.
That was when I remembered.
A year ago, my sister Lydia had gotten sick.
They said it was because my grades were too good, that I had put too much pressure on her and nearly driven her to suicide.
Somehow, I became the person who needed to be hidden away. They sent me to a run-down apartment an hour from our pack.
On my first night there, a drunk man next door banged on the wrong door. I hid under the blanket, too terrified to even cry. I called my parents, my brother, and Aaron again and again, but the only thing I heard was the cold, endless busy tone.
Just before dawn, Mom finally sent a message.
"Stop calling. Lydia gets upset whenever she sees your number."
After that, I made those four dolls to look like them.
They ate with me, slept beside me, listened to every bit of progress I made, and listened to the sadness I had no one else to tell.
But this time, when tears slipped down my face, I didn't reach for them.
I stood there and looked around the cheap apartment I had lived in for the past year.
Paint peeled from the walls in large patches, exposing gray concrete underneath. The curtains had been washed so many times they had turned stiff, and dark mold stains clung stubbornly to the corners. The old air conditioner buzzed overhead, but all it blew out was hot air.
During the hottest months of exam prep, I sat at that desk every day studying. By the time I finished a single paper, I had sweated enough to shower twice.
And yet the Greenwood Pack wasn't poor.
My parents, Hunter, and Lydia lived in a grand four-story packhouse built like a castle in the center of our territory.
Lydia had her own study, her own music room, even a separate room just for her dolls and collectibles.
When they sent me away, Mom had only frowned and said, "It's just for a year. There's no need to rent anything expensive. Once the warrior selection exam is over, we'll bring you home."
But more than half a month had passed since the exam results came out, and no one had mentioned bringing me back.
I lowered my eyes and reached for the dolls, intending to put them away, when my phone suddenly buzzed.
It was a message from Mom.
"Jenna, come back to the packhouse later. We need to discuss university applications."
I stared at the words "come back to the packhouse." The part of me that had already gone cold stirred again despite itself.
Maybe they still remembered me.
I hurried downstairs. The bus felt too slow, so for the first time in my life, I splurged on a car.
When I pushed open the packhouse door, the living room was lively.
Dad, Mom, Hunter, and Aaron were all there.
Lydia sat in the center of them, surrounded by four beautifully wrapped gifts. Mom stroked her hair, her voice impossibly gentle.
"Sweetheart, you did so well this time. Your combat rank was B-Rank. Our pack only has four C-Rank warriors and one B-Rank, and that's you. Lydia, you can go to college in the Realm now."
Hunter grinned. "Then it has to be Lunar Crest Academy. It's the best werewolf academy, and I'm there too."
Aaron frowned. "No. She should go to Eclipse Warrior Institute. It's basically the Ivy League of the werewolf world, and I can take her to the coast."
The two of them argued as if they were fighting over the most precious treasure in the world.
I stood in the entryway like a thief who had wandered into the wrong house.
After a long moment, Mom finally noticed me. The smile on her face faded a little.
"Jenna, you're back."
The laughter in the room stopped instantly.
Lydia shot me a glare, gathered up her gifts, and disappeared into her room. The others looked at me awkwardly until Hunter spoke first.
"Why are you standing there? Come sit down."
I walked over in silence and sat on the single armchair at the far end.
Dad cleared his throat. "Your rank came out?"
I nodded. "Yeah."
"And?"
I had barely opened my mouth when Mom cut in.
"That's not the important part. We asked you back to talk about university applications."
She avoided my eyes. "Don't apply to schools in the Realm."
"Lydia studied for a whole year just to reach this rank. If you go to the Realm too, she'll probably have another breakdown."
My fingers dug into my palm. The pain spread slowly, almost numb.
They knew perfectly well that the best werewolf universities in the entire realm were in the Realm, the territory ruled by the Alpha King.
But for the mere possibility that Lydia might feel upset, they were willing to give up my future without hesitation.
I looked at Dad, unwilling to give up.
He nodded immediately. "Listen to your mother."
I turned to Hunter.
He frowned as if the answer were obvious. "The Seaside has good schools too. Go there. It's closer to the pack."
Finally, I looked at Aaron.
He kept his eyes lowered and couldn't meet my gaze.
After a long silence, he said quietly, "Jenna, you've always been smart. You'll do well no matter where you go."
"But Lydia is different. She needs someone to take care of her."
---
Chapter 2
Smart.
That was the word I had heard more than any other growing up.
Lydia had always been cuter than me, and far more lovable.
The only thing I had going for me was that I was smart.
I only needed to read a textbook once to remember it. I could master combat techniques almost instantly.
But none of that ever made my parents love me any more.
Hunter was just as gifted, yet he was their pride, the future Alpha of the pack.
I, on the other hand, only earned a weary sigh from Mom.
"Why do you have to be so smart? It'd be better if you were more like Lydia. A little slower, a little more obedient. That's what's adorable."
Eventually, those words became everyone's excuse for favoring her.
They said Jenna was smart enough to take care of herself.
So the best food went to Lydia.
The prettiest new dresses went to Lydia.
Even our parents' love belonged to Lydia first.
The very trait that made Hunter worthy of praise somehow became the reason I wasn't worthy of being loved.
Then I met my mate, Aaron Foster, the future Alpha of the neighboring pack.
Back then, he hadn't met Lydia yet.
After hearing my story, he only frowned.
"People get spoiled for being less capable? What kind of logic is that?"
"Jenna, being smart isn't a flaw."
Later, he met Lydia. After that, I heard him laugh more than once.
"Your sister's a little clueless. It's actually kind of cute."
Even so, I still loved Aaron.
Because he had been the first person to tell me that being smart wasn't something to be ashamed of.
But now...
Even he was saying the same thing.
Silence settled over the living room.
Hunter was the first to frown. He tapped the coffee table impatiently.
"Jenna, say something. Mom and Dad are doing this for the good of the pack. They're not trying to hurt you."
I lowered my head. My throat felt so tight I could barely breathe.
After a long pause, I quietly replied, "Okay."
Everyone finally looked relieved.
Almost at the same time, they each pulled out a gift bag from behind them.
"Come on, don't look so miserable. These are your graduation presents."
"If Lydia got one, so did you. Don't say we play favorites anymore."
I looked at the four gifts in front of me, and my eyes stung even more.
What was this?
A slap across the face, followed by a piece of candy?
Besides, I had seen everything clearly.
Lydia's gifts were the latest smartphone, a new laptop, a limited-edition designer bag, and tickets to the concert she had been talking about for months.
Mine were a fountain pen, a book, a plain canvas tote, and a dress with the tags already cut off.
I took the gifts and stood to leave.
"Jenna."
Mom stopped me.
After hesitating for a moment, she asked, "Do you want to stay for dinner?"
A bitter smile tugged at my lips.
This was supposed to be my home. My pack.
Yet even having one meal here was described as "staying."
I swallowed the lump in my throat and shook my head. "No, thanks."
As soon as I walked outside, I threw all four gifts into the trash.
On the bus ride back, I came across Lydia's latest post.
[The person I can't stand is finally gone. Now I can actually enjoy my dinner.]
The attached photo showed Mom, Dad, Hunter, and Aaron gathered around the dining table.
Sea urchin. Lobster. Oysters. Eight dishes in total.
Every single one was seafood I was severely allergic to.
For the first time, I was actually glad I hadn't stayed. If I had, I would have only humiliated myself.
At a table full of food, the only thing I could have eaten was the basket of dinner rolls.
When I returned to my shabby apartment, I started packing.
In the living room, I turned the four dolls around so they faced the wall, as if they were being punished.
On my desk, the most eye-catching thing was a postcard. Aaron had given it to me before he ever met Lydia.
It showed Divine Eye Lake at Eclipse Warrior Institute.
In the lower right corner, his bold handwriting read: [Jenna, I'll be waiting for you at Eclipse Warrior Institute.]
I looked at it for two seconds.
Then I pulled it out from under the papers and tore it cleanly in half.
---
Chapter 3
The next day, I went to my usual part-time job at a coffee shop.
My job was simple. I put on a mascot costume and handed out flyers at the entrance.
The midday sun was brutal, and the thick costume trapped every bit of heat inside.
I couldn't take it anymore. I pulled off the oversized mascot head and crouched in the shade to drink some water.
"Jenna?"
A familiar voice came from behind me.
I froze and turned around.
My parents, Hunter, Aaron, and Lydia were standing a short distance away.
Aaron's Alpha parents were with them as well.
Hunter and Aaron's hands were full of shopping bags. I didn't have to guess who they were for.
When Mom saw me drenched in sweat, there wasn't a trace of concern in her eyes. Only embarrassment and anger.
"Jenna, didn't I give you money? You're the daughter of an Alpha and a Luna. Dressing up like this and handing out flyers in public, are you trying to make people think our pack mistreats you?"
My grip tightened around my water bottle.
"My allowance is one thousand dollars a month. My rent is nine hundred and fifty. How am I supposed to survive without a part-time job?"
Hunter frowned and shoved me hard.
"Watch your attitude! Is that any way to talk to Mom?"
Aaron stood beside Lydia, his expression conflicted.
After a moment, he finally spoke in a lecturing tone.
"Jenna, you're too sensitive. Lydia only gets a thousand dollars a month too. Whenever she runs out, she asks Luna Megan for more, and Luna Megan has never refused her."
"You never asked, so of course Luna Megan assumed you had enough. This is your fault. You should apologize to her."
I opened my mouth, but no words came out.
Lydia's one thousand dollars always arrived on time, sometimes even early.
Mine was different.
Every month, I had to remind Mom again and again. She delayed it over and over until the very end of the month, then sent it over as if she were doing me a favor.
If I had actually asked for more... would she have given it to me?
I already knew the answer.
No matter what I said, they would only accuse me of being ungrateful and immature.
So I simply picked up the mascot head again.
"Just leave. You're keeping me from working."
The heavy mascot head came down over my face, plunging everything into darkness.
The next second, someone shoved me hard from behind.
"Don't bully Mom!"
The mascot head was bulky. Even a light bump was enough to hurt.
This shove sent me stumbling forward. My forehead slammed into the hard inner shell of the costume, and my vision instantly went black.
I braced myself against the wall, dizzy for several long moments. Not a single person came to check on me.
Instead, Mom grabbed Lydia's hand first. "Lydia, are your hands okay?"
Hunter frowned. "You know how thick that costume is. Why would you push her? What if you hurt yourself?"
Aaron gently comforted her. "It's okay. No one's blaming you."
While they all crowded around Lydia, I staggered away.
My face was wet. I couldn't tell whether it was sweat or tears.
By the time my shift ended that night, my forehead had swollen into a large bump.
Thankfully, it was payday.
With the twenty-five hundred dollars I'd just been paid in cash tucked into my pocket, I headed to a food truck.
I wanted to treat myself to a roast beef wrap and an Americano.
Just imagining the savory flavor made me swallow, and for the first time all day, I smiled.
I handed the cash to the vendor.
Instead of taking it, he grabbed my wrist. "What's with you, kid?"
Holding up one of the bills, his face darkened.
"You look like a decent girl. Why are you passing fake money?"
He glared at me.
"Tell me. Where did you get these counterfeit bills?"
---
