Chapter One: “The Call to Return

TRINITY

The weight of a single message settled on my mind like a stone, unyielding and heavy. I sat on the edge of my bed, phone clenched in my hand, the screen’s blue glow illuminating my face in the dim room. 

1:00 AM. The text stared back at me, stark against the darkness. 

     “You have to return home, it’s the Accession Ceremony tomorrow. This is your duty, Trinity, to attend the Ceremony. And I miss you.”

I read it over again, every word pressing harder on the barrier I  had built between myself and the life I’d left behind. My aunt had sent it an hour ago, but I hadn’t dared to respond. To answer would mean to acknowledge it—acknowledge the call to return, the call to a place I had promised myself I’d never go back to. 

I set the phone down, its glow fading as I sat in the pitch-black room, trying to steady my breath. ‘Why should I go back?’ The question echoed inside me, clawing through memories I’d tried to forget. Returning would mean facing them all—the pack, my family, the triplets, and the pitying looks I’d left behind. 

My gaze drifted from the phone to the mirror in front of me, catching my own eyes in the reflection. I looked tired, older than my twenty-three years, as if the weight of my past had aged me in ways time couldn’t. My fingers tightened around my phone, almost hoping the screen might crack under my grip. It would be easier if I could simply break away from the words, from everything they summoned. 

A soft sigh escaped me, my thoughts spiraling back through memories I had tried so hard to bury. The glances, the whispers, the humiliation. Growing up, I had been the odd one—the girl who hadn’t shifted, the daughter of a human father, barely considered a wolf. I remembered the mockery in my cousins’ eyes, the disappointment in my grandfather’s gaze, and worst of all, the sting of the triplets Alpha’s laughter when they mocked me with the rest. 

My throat tightened. Why should I return to a place that had never felt like home?

In the silence of the night, my thoughts ran wild, surfacing wounds I had spent years trying to heal. I stood up, the hardwood floor cold beneath her feet, and moved closer to the mirror. Looking at myself, I almost saw two versions: the girl who had once hoped for acceptance, and the woman who had walked away to build a new life. But the old scars hadn’t faded nor entirely.

My eyes dropped to the small locket resting against my chest. I reached up, thumbing the cold metal absently. My aunt had once told me it belonged to my mother, the only thing my parents had left behind before they passed. It was my only link to a family I barely remembered. 

“Trinity, why would you go back?” I whispered to myself, the words catching in the stillness. 

Suddenly, my phone buzzed, jolting me out of my thoughts. I glanced down at the screen to see Cara flashing up at me. Cara, my best friend, the one person from that world who didn’t treat me like I was broken. 

I hesitated but finally answered, putting the phone to my ear. 

“Trinity!” she burst out, her voice full of excitement. “I had to check in. Are you coming back to the ceremony?”

“Still thinking about it,” I replied, trying to keep my voice steady, but the bitterness seeped through. “I’m not exactly eager to go parade myself in front of the pack, call the triplets my Alphas, and pretend everything’s fine.”

“Trin,” she said, her voice softening, “I know it’s hard. But it’s important. You know how serious the Accession Ceremony is—every pack member is supposed to be there, especially you.”

I scoffed, staring up at the ceiling. “Why ‘especially me’? They don’t want me there, Cara. The whole pack has made it pretty clear how they feel about me, especially the triplets.”

She sighed, her tone turning persuasive. “Look, I know it wasn’t easy for you, but things change. People grow up. Besides, your cousins are taking their places by the triplets’ sides as their mates since, well, none of them have found their mate yet. You know it’s a big deal.”

I frowned, a sour taste in my mouth at the thought. “My cousins?” Of course. The perfect little role models, adored by everyone. I could practically see them now, all dressed up, fawning over the triplets. I could see their pride, the smug looks on their faces, knowing they were everything I wasn’t. This was why my aunty insisted I return home. 

“Exactly,” Cara said. “And you, Trinity, have a place there, too. You have a right to be there just as much as anyone else, wolf or not.”

Her words lingered, piercing through the bitterness I clung to like armor. Cara always knew what to say, and that was part of why she’d stayed my friend all these years. But I could still feel the weight of the humiliation I’d buried so deep. Going back meant reopening old wounds, letting everyone who ever looked down on me see that I was still the same wolf-less outsider.

“Do you really think they’d care if I showed up, Cara?” I asked, voice barely more than a whisper. “The triplets tormented me all those years, my own family barely looked at me, and the whole pack watched it happen. They won’t care if I come. And the triplets… they’ll just see it as another chance to make sure I know my place.”

Her voice softened even more. “Maybe it’s time you showed them you don’t care what they think. That their opinions don’t define you. Come back for yourself, Trinity. Not for them, not for the pack, but for you.”

I chewed on her words, the anger still simmering, but something else began to break through—an ache I hadn’t felt in a long time. An ache to face them all, to let them see that I wasn’t some forgotten ghost, wasn’t the girl they used to push down.

“And besides,” she added, a teasing edge in her tone, “you’ll be able to watch your cousins flail around trying to impress the triplets. You know that alone is worth the trip.”

A reluctant smile tugged at my lips. Cara always knew how to lighten the tension, to make even the darkest situations seem a little less heavy. “Alright, alright,” I muttered, rolling my eyes. “I’ll think about it.”

“Oh, come on,” she laughed, “you know you’re coming. I can feel it.”

I sighed, the weight still pressing on me, but somehow lighter. “Fine. I’ll come.” The words surprised me as I said them, a quiet determination settling in my chest. I’d go back, and I’d face them all. Maybe I’d be the same girl they remembered or maybe they’d see something else, something stronger. 

“Good,” she replied, sounding relieved. “I’ll reserve a seat for you in the grand hall. It’ll be okay, Trin. I promise.”

I nodded, even though she couldn’t see it, my heart pounding as I took in the reality of what I’d just agreed to. “Thanks, Cara. I’ll see you soon.”

As I hung up, the room fell silent again, but this time, it felt different. I stood up, catching my reflection in the mirror once more. I could see the worry in my eyes, the tension etched in my face, but somewhere beneath it, there was something else. 

Maybe it was hope. Maybe it was determination. Maybe it was just the faintest hint of courage. Or maybe it was destiny pulling me back home.