Chapter 4

Malakai.

I froze. I wanted to disappear. I wanted the floor to open and swallow me whole. I was standing in a smoke-filled kitchen, covered in stain and flour, looking like the failure everyone said I was.

Malakai stepped into the kitchen, his nostrils flaring. He looked at the smoke, then at the blackened roast on the counter, and finally, his gaze settled on me.

"Dinner is ruined, Malakai," Cecily said, stepping toward him and sliding her arm through his. She looked at me with a pout that didn't reach her eyes.

"Jasmine was supposed to take care of it, but... well, you know how she is. She’s just not capable of doing things right."

Malakai looked at the burnt meat, then back at me. He let out a short, mocking exhale. "I expected as much. Some wolves are born to lead, and some aren't even fit to follow. It’s a good thing I didn't join my future to someone who can’t even handle cooking."

He turned his back on me, pulling Cecily closer. "Come on. Let's go into town . I’ll buy you the best dinner in the territory. We don't need to stay in this smoke."

My father, Garrick, appeared behind them. He just looked at the ruined meal with a deep, weary shame. I was pretty used to it by now, since i was little, since my mom died and he married Vivienne, he had stopped caring about me.

"Clean this up, Jasmine," he said, his voice flat.

"And don't let me see your face for the rest of the night."

They all turned and left. The sound of their laughter followed them down the hall, punctuated by the heavy thud of the front door closing as they headed out for their "celebration."

I stood alone in the ruins of the kitchen. The smoke began to clear, leaving behind a silence that felt heavier than the fog. I looked at the blackened roast, the physical manifestation of my failure.

Reaching into my pocket and I pulled out my phone.

The email was still there, waiting.

I tapped the email.

TO: Jasmine Ashford

Dear Ms. Ashford,

It is with great pleasure that we inform you of your acceptance into Ivory Spire Elite University for the upcoming academic year…

I stopped breathing. I read it again. And again.

...Due to your exceptional academic record and your unique perspective, you have been awarded the Full Moon Excellence Scholarship covering all tuition, housing and allowances.

A sob escaped my throat not a sob of pain, but a jagged, desperate cry of hope.

Yes!

It was real. I wasn't just leaving; I was going for free. I was going because I was better than my family gave me credit for, I screamed joyfully using my palms to cover my mouth so no sound would come out.

After spending hours cleaning up I went to my room excited, I immediately hit the video call button needing to share this good news with Freya.

She picked up on the first ring as usual, her face lighting up the screen. She was already in her pyjamas with a fuzzy headband pulling her hair back.

"Oh my goddess, Jas! You look excited like you just won the lottery. Tell me! Did it come?"

"I got it, Freya. The full-ride. The Ivory Spire scholarship. I’m out, OMG. I’m actually getting out."

Freya was screaming silently into a pillow so she wouldn't wake her parents

“YES! I knew it! I freaking knew it! Take that, Crested Mountains! My best friend is officially a Ivory Spire Student. Wait—did you tell your dad?"

"Are you kidding? They went into town celebrating Cecily’s Mating to Malakai. If they knew I got a full-ride to the same school she’s paying full tuition for? Vivienne would probably try to sabotage my scholarship.”

"Don't you dare tell them then. We are going to be absolute icons on that campus, Jas. No one knows us there. You can be whoever you want. A scholar, a heartbreaker, a rebel...

I was literally laughing softly for the first time in days, “I think I'm done with heart related stuff for a while, Freya. I just want to breathe. I want to walk around and not feel like a 'defect like my sisters call me”

"You were never the defect, babe. You were just in the wrong pack and family. Pack your bags tonight. I’m picking you up at 4:00 AM on the dot. We’ll be at my parents cabin by sunrise, drinking iced coffee and planning our takeover of Ivory Spire. Ready?"

"I’ve been ready for a long time, Freya. See you at four."

I hung up and looked at my beat-up suitcase under the bed. For the first time, the heavy weight of the rejection bond felt a little bit lighter. Malakai may have his Beta title and my sister.

But I had a future to work for …