Chapter 1

I was the middle child of my family, and the Omega with the least presence in the entire Blackstone pack.

My older sister, Ava Hale, and my younger brother, Jamie Hale, had their birthdays circled in red on the calendar. Our parents always went out of their way to celebrate their birthdays each year.

But not a single person in the family remembered my 18th birthday.

It was only three days later when Mom, having flipped through the calendar, hurriedly made me a bowl of venison stew in belated realization.

"Here, to make up for your birthday that has already passed. Eat up," she said.

Her eyes never left the werewolf combat championship playing on the TV.

For Ava's birthday, the whole family went to her favorite amusement park, Winter Paradise. She also got a custom-made cake with the words "Our Pride and Joy" written on it.

For Jamie's birthday, Mom and Dad invited all of the wolf pups in the pack over for a party, and he got a mountain of gifts that day.

Since we were young, Ava had always been praised for carrying herself like a true Beta, while Jamie was the family's precious pup who'd been selected for warrior training.

The only thing Mom and Dad ever said about me was how well-behaved I was and how I never caused them any trouble.

I was no different from a streak of paint on the wall—right there in plain sight, but never seen or noticed by anyone.

Even today, as we raced up the highway to the Christmas camp up north, and with a blizzard that brought sub-zero temperatures, my family once again left me behind at a deserted rest stop.

I'd come out of the restroom to find that Ava and Jamie were scrambling to get back inside the SUV. Just as I was about to head over there, the SUV started moving, the snow crunching as the wheels rolled down the road.

I immediately ran after the SUV, shouting with all my strength, "Mom! Dad! I'm not in the car yet!"

But the snowstorm swallowed up my voice, and the SUV soon went around the corner, merging into the rushing traffic. Soon, it disappeared into the snowy blizzard.

I was rooted to the spot, watching as the car vanished from my sight. My lips quivered. "Mom… Dad… I haven't gotten in yet…"

My voice was so light, like a faint mist that was torn apart the moment it escaped my mouth. My shock and disbelief over this situation were soon drowned out by an icy numbness that washed over me.

I slowly withdrew my gaze and started looking around. The vast rest stop was terrifyingly silent.

Though the streetlights glowed yellow through the storm, the world was a white expanse. There wasn't a single other soul in sight.

Over in the distance, cars were rushing down the highway, the headlights stretching into blurry streaks. Not a single car stopped for me.

I was too scared to run around. My feet seemed glued to the ground.

A faint sliver of hope remained in my heart.

Maybe Mom and Dad would drive for a short distance before realizing that I wasn't in the car and immediately turn around to find me.

I clenched the hem of my sweater, staring fixedly at the entrance to the rest stop, hoping to see that familiar black SUV appearing in my vision once more.

The temperature continued to drop. The icy air seeped into my bones, chilling me from the inside out.

My toes went numb and gradually lost all feeling. My cheeks were raw and aching from the wind and snow. Tears welled up, but I didn't dare let them fall. I knew that even if I cried, no one would come to comfort me.

Unable to endure the piercing cold, I slowly returned to the restroom. Compared to being exposed to the elements outside, at least the restroom shielded me from the storm.

The silent restroom was filled only with the faint sound of my breathing and the howling wind outside. All of the hurt and past grievances that I'd deliberately tried to shove aside came flooding over me once more.

I remembered what had happened last Christmas. Ava received a brand-new fur coat, and Jamie got a limited-edition werewolf figurine.

What I got was a hand-me-down sweater from Ava, which she'd outgrown. The collar was already loose from repeated wear and washing, and the sleeves were fraying.

"It's still wearable, so let's not waste it," Mom said to me.

I recalled how Mom and Dad would always walk ahead of me, holding Ava's and Jamie's hands, whenever we attended one of the pack events. I would trail behind them, like an unimportant shadow.

Mom and Dad would never initiate the family mind-link with me either. My wolf was too weak, so I couldn't even maintain a stable mind-link on my own.

They found me too troublesome and thought I was a disgrace to the family, embarrassing them among the pack.

I didn't know how long I sat in the restroom, the last warmth in my body fading, my body growing cold again.

Just as I was about to fall unconscious from the cold, I heard faint footsteps outside the door.

My heart jumped, snapping me back to alertness. I stared at the door. Was it Mom? Had she finally realized I wasn't in the car and come back for me?