Chapter 3

Late that night, I sat at my desk while carefully organizing my application documents one by one. Suddenly, the door opened. Mom walked in with a cup of warm milk.

She set it on the corner of my desk and spoke gently. "Alice, drink some milk to help you relax. Ella was out of line when she broke your tiara today. I already scolded her for it. You've always been the sensible one, so don't hold a grudge against her."

I watched the steam rising from the cup but felt no warmth in my heart. I knew there was a hidden cost to this glass of milk.

Sure enough, as soon as Mom sat down on the edge of my bed, she said, "Your mentor from Moonlight Academy, Vera, called this afternoon to ask about the exchange program. I've already turned it down for you."

My hand froze in midair. I stared at her in disbelief. "What did you just say? Moonlight Academy is the most prestigious werewolf academy in the nation! People would give anything to get in!"

"But you can't go." Mom sighed, and her tone was full of reproach. "How could you make such a decision behind our backs? We're a family. We should discuss these things together.

"You're a young shewolf. Royal City is so far away, and you'll have to endure all kinds of hardships there. You might not even be able to come home for years. Wouldn't it be better to stay here in town, where your dad and I can look after you?"

I shot to my feet and yelled in a trembling voice. "I already told you about it! You were too busy choosing Ella's dress to even let me finish!"

"Can't you see how hard I work to take care of your siblings?" Mom frowned. Her expression darkened. "Tommy is under enormous pressure preparing for the Royal Werewolf Council exam, and Ella hasn't even awakened her wolf spirit yet. Don't you think I have enough to worry about?

"You've already awakened your wolf spirit. Why are you still so selfish? If you go to Royal City, who's going to help out when something happens at home?"

"What could possibly happen at home that requires my help?" I stared at her as Seraphina, the wolf spirit lying dormant inside me, stirred awake and let out an angry roar.

"Do you need me to lure a pack of rogues away from you in the mountains again, like I did yesterday? Is that all I am to you? Someone you can abandon whenever it's convenient? I'm your biological daughter too. Have you ever actually cared about my safety?"

Mom froze for a moment before throwing a fit. "Alice! How dare you speak to me like that? Your dad and I brought you into this world and raised you. Have we ever harmed you? We've always had your best interests at heart, and this is how you repay us? How could you think so badly of your own family?"

'My best interests?' My nose stung, and bitterness rose in my chest. 'Are you really thinking about my future, or are you simply afraid of losing a free maid you can order around?'

Seraphina thrashed violently inside me. I fought with everything I had to keep her under control. Just as I was about to suppress her, the door was suddenly kicked open.

Dad barged in with a furious expression. "How dare you!"

His angry roar was accompanied by a crushing wave of pressure that slammed down on me like a massive boulder.

Caught completely off guard, I tasted blood in my throat. I was forced backward into my chair, and my back struck it painfully.

"You've only just awakened your wolf spirit, and now you dare talk back to your own mother?" Dad pointed at the application forms scattered across my desk with a cold look in his eyes. "Your mother is absolutely right. Ever since you awakened, you've gotten too ambitious.

"You think you're strong enough to spread your wings and fly away! We're keeping you at home for your own good, and you have the nerve to throw our kindness back in our faces!"

He snatched the application form off my desk and tore it to pieces right in front of me. "Stay in your room tonight and think about what you've done! If you still don't understand your mistakes, you can go without dinner!"

He slammed the door shut so hard that dust fell from the doorframe. I stared at the scraps of paper scattered across the floor. My eyes were warm with tears, but I bit down hard on my lower lip and refused to shed a single tear.

Right then, my phone vibrated. It was a message from Vera.

[Alice, your mom called me, but Moonlight Academy's rules are clear. Any student who has awakened their wolf spirit has the right to make independent decisions. As long as you're willing to sign the agreement yourself, the slot is still yours. Bring your ID card to the academy's administrative office before noon tomorrow.]

Seraphina growled inside me. 'Go. You have to go!'

The next morning, I braved the bitter wind and made my way to the administrative office.

Vera slid the official admission agreement across the desk. Her gaze landed on the abrasions around my wrist, and a flicker of sympathy appeared in her eyes.

"The first year's tuition and miscellaneous fees are quite high, but I've secured a full merit scholarship for you. Your wolf spirit is exceptionally pure. You shouldn't have to waste your potential in a remote town like this."

I took the pen, but my fingers were still trembling uncontrollably. Still, I carefully wrote my name.

[Alice Gray.]

This time, I was making a decision for myself.

I returned home just in time for lunch. The dining table was laden with roasted lamb chops and creamy soup. The laughter and cheerful conversation of my family of four came to an abrupt halt the moment I walked through the door.

Tommy kept his head down and cut the meat without even glancing at me. Ella was sucking blueberry sauce off her fingers while Mom affectionately wiped her mouth with a napkin. Dad sat at the head of the table with a glass of red wine. His gaze swept over me indifferently.

"Come over here and serve us the soup before you eat," Mom said coldly. "After lunch, do all the dishes. Also, you'll be doing all the household chores for the next three months. We'll consider yesterday's matter settled."

In their eyes, this was considered an extraordinary act of generosity. But I didn't move. Instead, I turned around and went straight back to my room to pack my belongings.

My enormous wardrobe contained only two sets of worn-out clothes. Looking at the nearly empty backpack, I realized how little I was leaving behind, just as I'd left so little of myself in this family.

As I walked out of my room with my bag, Ella suddenly ran over and tugged at my clothes while pouting coquettishly. "Alice, I want the bacon bolognese spaghetti from that restaurant on the east side of town! Go buy it for me!"

Mom continued sipping her soup without even looking up from the dining table. "You made Ella upset yesterday. Don't you owe her an apology? If you can't bring it back, don't bother coming home."

Dad briefly looked up but said nothing. He was silently agreeing.

I stood in the entryway and looked at the four of them sitting together so harmoniously. They could have been a family portrait in an ornate frame.

From the very beginning, there had never been a place for me at that table.

I chuckled and said, "Sure. You said it yourselves."

I then pulled open the front door and stepped into the cold wind without the slightest hesitation.

Outside, the shuttle from Moonlight Academy was already waiting with its doors open. I took two quick steps and climbed aboard. I never looked back.