chapter 1

I stood frozen in front of the room. The faint sigh grew clearer, followed by the familiar creak of the bed.

Slowly, the doorknob twisted. I peered through the slightly open gap. My eyes narrowed. There were silhouettes of two people inside. Madison, my stepsister, was making out with a wolf man I didn't recognize.

I gasped, too shocked to realize I'd made a sound. Instantly, the movement inside stopped. The door swung wide open. Madison stood there, her eyes blazing red.

"What are you doing here?!" Madison snarled. She lunged at me, yanking my hair hard. I stumbled. "You were eavesdropping, weren't you?!"

"It wasn't on purpose," I said, trying to free myself from her grip. But she was too strong.

"Not on purpose? Nonsense!" Madison slapped me. I felt a stinging heat on my cheek. "You saw everything, didn't you? Tell me! What did you see?!"

"I didn't see anything," I tried to lie, but my eyes clearly betrayed me.

"Liar!" Madison shoved me against the wall. My head hit hard. My vision blurred slightly. "You saw me, didn't you? With him? Don't play dumb!" She grabbed my collar. "Listen carefully, you. Whatever you just saw, forget it. Forget it right now!"

"Why should I?" I whispered, looking into her eyes.

"Why? You still dare to ask why?!" Madison slapped me again. My cheek felt numb. "If you breathe a word about this, even a tiny bit, my marriage to Harper will be ruined!"

The wolf man stepped forward. "Madison, enough. Don't be so harsh," he said.

Madison shot him a sharp glare. "You stay quiet! This is my business!" Then she turned back to me. "Tonight, I'm going to teach you a lesson!"

She beat me thoroughly. It wasn't just slaps, but pushes, grips, and pinches on my arms. Her hands pressed hard into every joint. I held back the pain, trying not to scream. My breath hitched.

"Listen, listen carefully," she said, her face so close I could feel her cold breath. "You need to keep your mouth shut. Don't tell Alpha Harper about this. Never. Not a single strand of hair. Don't let Harper catch a whiff of your lies, or I won't hesitate to do something much worse to you."

"What will you do?" I asked, my voice hoarse.

Madison smirked cruelly. "You don't want to know. But believe me, you'll regret it for the rest of your life if you dare to open your mouth. You know Harper trusts me completely, right?"

I nodded. Harper Scott was my childhood friend who was now Madison's fiancé. Somehow, Harper had slowly drifted away from me and grown to resent me. He never believed anything I said. Especially about Madison.

Madison released her grip on me, making me slump to the floor. My whole body ached.

The wolf man behind her let out a long sigh. "Madison, that's enough."

"Quiet!" Madison snapped at him again. "Just go home. We're done for tonight!" The man nodded stiffly, then turned and disappeared from sight.

Madison turned her gaze back to me, sprawled on the floor. "Now go. And make sure your face doesn't show anything tomorrow. Act like nothing happened. Or you know the consequences."

Madison turned her back, stepped into her room, and shut the door in front of me.

…

Morning came, but not with peace. I moved around the kitchen, preparing breakfast. My body ached everywhere from Madison's beating last night.

As I served the food, Luna Eva glared at me. "What kind of soup is this?" She poked my bowl with a spoon. "It's so bland!"

I tried to explain. "I tried to season it according to the recipe."

"Recipe?" She sneered. "Are you deliberately trying to poison us? Or is your brain as empty as this soup bowl?"

I stayed silent. There was no point in arguing. She wouldn't listen.

"Besides, what's the use of this soup? There's no nutrition in it! Just water and pathetic vegetables." Without warning, Luna Eva snatched the soup bowl in front of her. She splashed the hot broth onto my hand. I stifled a scream. The heat spread, burning my skin.

"How clumsy!" Luna Eva snapped. She saw my reddened hand. "Now this dining room is dirty! Clean it up immediately!"

Alpha Albert, my father, just sat there. He sipped his tea. He didn't defend me. Once again, he did nothing. I nodded, holding back the throbbing pain. I took a cloth, wiped the table, trying to hide my red, slightly blistered hand.

Suddenly, a servant rushed in. "Alpha!" she cried, breathless. "There are messengers from the Moonshadow Pack."

Alpha Albert, who had been calm, instantly lifted his head. His face was pale. He turned to Luna Eva, his eyes widening slightly.

...

At midday, I carried a tray with a teapot to Alpha Albert's office.

Three large male wolves sat opposite Alpha Albert. They had the Moonshadow Pack's mark on their arms.

I carefully placed the teapot and cups on the table. I wanted to leave quickly, but Alpha Albert held me back with his gaze. He seemed to be telling me to stay there.

"Alpha Albert," one of the messengers said, his voice heavy, "we've waited long enough. That old debt needs to be settled."

Alpha Albert sighed. "I told you, I have nothing left for you. The Silvermoon Pack has already given most of our hunting territory to your Pack. What more do you want?"

The messenger smirked thinly. "That's not enough, Alpha Albert. A debt must be paid, and it's been a very long time. This is about honor. We've been patiently waiting." He glanced at his two companions. "We don't want to destroy your pack. We just want a guarantee."

"What kind of guarantee?" Alpha Albert asked, his tone sounding weary.

"One pure-blood descendant from the Silvermoon Pack." The messenger stared intently at Alpha Albert. "To be taken to our Pack. To become part of our core family."

My blood boiled. A pure-blood descendant? To be taken? I was shocked. My left hand accidentally bumped the teapot. The hot tea spilled, soaking the documents on the table and one of the messenger's arms.

"Idiot! Are you blind?! Useless!" Alpha Albert stood up. His hand rose, ready to strike my cheek. I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for the pain.

But no blow came. A large hand gripped Alpha Albert's wrist. It was the hand of the messenger sitting in the middle.

"Hold on, Alpha," the messenger said, his voice calm. "The child didn't mean to."

Alpha Albert turned to me with a murderous glare. "Get out of here! Quickly!"

I immediately turned around. My feet moved as fast as I could, even though my hand still hurt. I darted out of the room, but I didn't go far. I hid behind the wall, trying to listen.

"Who is that child, Alpha Albert?" The messenger's voice was audible.

Alpha Albert's sigh was heard. "Oh, her? She's my daughter. But she's useless, has no power whatsoever. Just forget about her.”