Chapter 3

There were three days left before my departure.

When I returned from work, I found five black garbage bags piled outside the apartment.

One of them hadn't been tied properly. The edge of a familiar notebook was sticking out.

I bent down and pulled it free, only to discover that the bags were filled with my belongings. There were old hunting maps, training certificates, a bone whistle, and the wrist guards my grandmother had made for me before she passed away.

Everything had been stuffed together carelessly. Many of the books had pages that were already crumpled beyond recognition.

I pushed open the door.

Mom was clearing out the cardboard boxes that belonged to me on the balcony.

"Why are my things outside?"

Without turning around, Mom answered, "Kalista is having her marking ceremony soon. Members of the Frostfang Pack will be coming over in three days. Our new home needs to look presentable. Those old books and notebooks of yours aren't useful anyway, so I figured we might as well get rid of them."

I stood where I was.

"Those are my things."

Dad frowned at me.

"You're always out on night patrol. What's the point of keeping so many things in our new home and taking up space? Kalista has a lot to prepare for her marking ceremony. The balcony needs to be cleared first so she can use it."

Kalista came out of her room with a new set of jewelry.

When she saw the garbage bags outside the door, she immediately put on a guilty expression.

"Blair, don't blame them. How about I move my things back into my room? It'll be a little crowded, but I don't mind."

Mom immediately stopped her while looking heartbroken.

"This is one of the most important events of your life. I won't let you suffer at a time like this."

Then she turned to face me.

"Blair has always been able to endure hardship. It doesn't matter where her things are. She won't mind."

I didn't argue anymore.

I simply walked out into the hallway and began searching through the garbage bags one by one.

The document folder I needed to report for duty at the northern outpost was gone.

Inside were my pack-seal certification, medical examination report, and transfer order signed by the captain of the guard.

If even one of those documents was missing, I wouldn't be able to report on time.

I asked Mom, "Where's the brown paper folder from the desk drawer?"

She thought for a long time.

"What paper folder?"

Keane was sitting on the sofa while playing a game.

Without even looking up, he said, "The one with a bunch of papers inside? I think I saw it when I brought some stuff to the recycling station to sell this afternoon."

I spun around and raised my voice.

"Where did you sell it?"

He was startled by my tone for a moment, but he quickly became defensive again.

"The recycling station nearby. I didn't think it was anything important, so I sold it with everything else."

I ran downstairs. It was raining outside.

The owner of the recycling station was loading bundles of cardboard onto a truck.

Ignoring the filthy water on the ground, I dropped to my knees and began digging through the piles of discarded paper.

The edges of cardboard boxes sliced open the back of my hands, and broken glass pierced my palm.

Blood mixed with rainwater and dripped onto the waterlogged pages.

I had no idea how long I searched. Finally, at the very bottom of the pile, I found the document folder.

The seal had already split open. One corner of my medical report was soaked. The pack seal had blurred from the dirty water.

But thankfully, I had found it, and it could still be used.

I clutched the folder to my chest and ran home. I was soaked and filthy.

The living room was already filled with things Kalista needed for her marking ceremony, including jewelry, clothes, and pack contracts.

My parents were gathered around Kalista and discussing everything she needed to remember. No one noticed the blood on my hands.

Kalista was the first to see the document folder in my arms.

"Blair, did you find it?"

I nodded.

Mom's expression darkened.

"You found it, didn't you? Then stop walking around with that sour expression on your face. When the Frostfang Pack comes here for Kalista's marking ceremony, don't go wandering around the living room looking filthy like this."

I lowered my gaze to my palm, where blood was still slowly seeping from the wound.

Suddenly, I recalled the year I had been accepted into the guard. I had wanted to buy a decent tactical backpack, but Mom had shaken her head and told me that the family had three pups to raise and wasn't wealthy. We needed to save money.

In the end, she gave me one of Kalista's old backpacks. The zipper was half broken, and the straps were nearly torn through.

Afraid that it would fall apart completely, I spent an entire night repairing it until it was sturdy enough to use. After that, wanting to reduce the burden on my family, I never asked Mom for anything again.

Now, two brand-new backpacks sat beside Kalista's feet. Their price tags were still attached. Each one was expensive.

Kalista followed my gaze and seemed to suddenly recall something.

"Blair, my white suitcase has gathered some dust, and I'll need it later. Remember to wipe it clean for me. Use a soft cloth so you don't scratch it. It's expensive."

Dad stood in the middle of the living room and pointed at my two remaining cardboard boxes.

"If you still want those, move them out to the balcony. Don't leave them in the room where they're in everyone's way."

I looked at the boxes and boxes of things that belonged to Kalista. Then I looked at the documents in my arms, which had nearly been sold as scrap paper.

I couldn't help but chuckle.

That night, I used tape to seal the document folder. I then pulled the old backpack with the broken zipper out of one of my cardboard boxes.

I didn't clean Kalista's dusty suitcase.

For once, I wanted to be selfish.

Quietly, I packed my clothes into the old backpack, one piece at a time.

In three days, I would leave this huge home I had earned through risking my life and move out for good.