Chapter 3

First thing in the morning, the Hallowells got ready to pick up last-minute travel supplies.

Just as I passed by, Trish called out to me.

“Anna, get changed. You’re coming with us to the mall. We can buy you some things you like.”

My mind went blank.

Trish wanted to take me out and buy me things.

My heart skipped several beats at the thought.

In all my eighteen years, Trish had never once taken me anywhere, much less offered to spend money on me.

During the ride to the mall, I looked out of the window with a mix of emotions.

Did it hit Trish that she had neglected her youngest pup and wanted to make up for lost time?

Once at the mall, Kayson and Kaylee excitedly shuttled Trish and Brandon from one store after another.

We entered a clothing store where the sales associate clearly knew Trish and Brandon very well.

With a polished smile, the sales associate approached us briskly.

“Ma’am, back with the pups to get new clothes?”

The sales associate spotted me from the corner of her eye, and her smile faltered.

“And this is? One of your pack servants? I’ve never seen her before.”

Trish glanced back at me.

In my faded T-shirt and worn-out clothes, I looked completely out of place beside my well-dressed family.

She turned away indifferently, not even correcting the sales associate.

I gripped the hem of my shirt, a dull ache tightening in my chest.

Trish was ashamed to admit that I was her pup.

Kaylee chose two new hunting outfits, while Kayson picked out two sets of new armor.

Trish beamed, praising their aesthetics.

She instructed the sales associate to wrap everything up. Struck by a thought, she turned to me tenderly.

“Anna, go pick something out. A she-wolf should always make an effort to dress up a little.”

Drawing a deep breath, I swallowed down the grief and selected a silver cloak.

The cold in the Northern Territories was brutal, so I needed a cloak to shield myself from the elements.

I had just held the cloak up when Kaylee dragged Trish off to another part of the store to check out the shoes.

Feeling awkward, I stood there and put the cloak back.

At the checkout, Kayson and Kaylee had their arms full of new gear. I, on the other hand, had only bought a cheap pair of gloves.

The sales associate rang up the mountain of purchases and handed us the bill.

“That will be eight thousand dollars.”

Trish nodded and shoved me toward the register.

“Pay the bill, Anna.”

I looked at her in disbelief.

“Why?”

Trish furrowed her brows, her tone assertive.

“You earn plenty of money working part-time. What’s the problem with spending a bit on your own family?”

As color drained from my face, I shakily took a step back.

So this was the real reason why she brought me along.

She wasn’t trying to get me some clothes. Her eyes were set on my money.

Blinking back the tears, I yelled out my refusal.

“No! The money is to cover my living expenses for the rest of the year!”

Without lifting a finger, Kayson and Kaylee always had plenty of money in their bank accounts.

I had to slave away at part-time jobs just to scrape together my tuition and living costs.

If I were to lose the money, my life up in the Northern Territories would be impossible.

Faced with my defiance, Trish turned flushed with rage.

“We provide a roof over your head, food, and clothes. What other expenses do you need to cover? You bought something today, didn’t you? We’re only asking you to pay the bill. Why are you being this difficult?”

The werewolves in line to be rung up threw us judgmental looks.

Caught in the heat of the moment, I raised my voice.

“I picked out a fifteen-dollar pair of gloves, but they got stuff worth thousands.

“I have no obligation to pay for your extravagance.”

Kaylee’s closet was too packed to fit anything else, while Kayson collected exclusively limited-release sneakers.

Yet, Trish and Brandon never spent a single dime on me.

Meanwhile, I was stuck with the worn-out rags, living on next to nothing.

Trish was taken aback by my out-of-character public defiance.

Flying into a rage, she struck me across the face.

Half my face went numb, and I hit the floor hard.

While I was too dazed to pick myself up from the floor, Brandon approached with a grimace and reached into my pocket to retrieve my bank card.

He ran the card through the terminal. With a beep, the payment was successful.

I looked up, despair crushing the air from my lungs.

In that moment, everything became clear.

To them, family was nothing but an excuse to exploit me. I was done with this family.