such a wolfless disgrace.

Lilith's POV.

"Nora is such a beauty to behold, take a look at her dress, it must have cost a fortune,"

"She's such a little princess,"

I stood by the corner of our living room, listening to the group of girls drool over my sister; it was her birthday and of course, our father hosted the fanciest birthday party just like he always did every year.

I was genuinely happy for her; for such affection she procured from our father, but as much as I tried so hard to stay that way, I couldn't help the cold jolt of pain that surged through me as the image of the loneliness I was subjected to during my own birthday flashed through my head.

Pushing the haunting thoughts to the back of my head, I exhaled deeply and walked fully into the room; the least I could do was enjoy the party anyway, it was shocking that I was allowed to attend this time, other times, I was either locked away in my room till the party was over or made to watch from a hidden corner.

"And here comes the cursed wretch," they suddenly turned towards me.

I forced myself to ignore the weight of their stares even as it pressed hard against my chest.

“Why is she here tonight?” someone whispered, though not nearly low enough, I could hear them clearly.

“I thought they kept her locked away during important gatherings like this,” another voice followed immediately.

I did not react.

I had learned, over time, that reacting only made it worse, acknowledging them only fed whatever satisfaction they derived from my discomfort, and so I kept walking as though I hadn’t heard a single word.

This has been my life since my eighteenth birthday when my wolf remained adamant, refusing to be awakened, everyone else my age had their wolves awakened as early as from ten years of age, my sister, Nora had her wolf awakened at seven... That earned her our father's unconditional love while I on the other hand got treated like a piece of trash, to the point where even the servants were allowed to treat me as something beneath them.

“Hey.. you.” a cold voice suddenly jolted me out of my trance.

I turned slowly, my gaze settling on one of the servers standing a short distance behind me, her eyes scanning me with a cold stare.

“You’ve been standing around long enough,” she said as she gestured toward a nearby table littered with empty glasses and discarded napkins. “Start clearing these before the guests begin to complain.”

For a moment... just a moment, I simply stared at her... This is my family event, and she's a servant, but somehow she could still get to order me around? How bad has my situation gotten?

Her expression hardened instantly noticing my resistance. "Do you need me to call your father?” she asked, her gaze narrowing slightly as though daring me to refuse. "Should I inform him myself that you’ve decided to be unhelpful tonight?”

Father... That was all it took.

Whatever fragile resistance had sparked within me moments ago disappeared completely, because I already knew how this would end if I chose to push back.

"I'll do it," I murmured quietly, lowering my gaze as I turned toward the table she had indicated, my hands already reaching for the scattered glasses before she had even stepped away.

I picked up the first glass and placed it onto the tray, followed by the next, and the next.

Around me, the murmurs continued.

“They actually made her work tonight?”

“Well, what else is she good for?”

"Such wolfless disgrace, I would have disowned her if I was her father."

Their words echoed in my head as I continued clearing the table.

I moved on to the next table, and then the next, gathering plates, glasses, scraps of food left behind.

“Careful,” a blonde girl muttered as I reached past her, pulling her arm slightly away as though my touch alone would contaminate her. “Don’t touch me.”

“I wouldn’t want whatever she has,” another added with a dry laugh. “Imagine being cursed like that.”

I said nothing, and kept moving.

Because what else could I do?

Argue? Or defend myself?

On what proof?

The moment I took out the last trash, it occurred to me that this isn't my crowd, if I stayed any longer, I'll be subjected to serve them even more while watching them enjoy a life I could never have.

So quietly, without drawing attention, I turned and started walking back to my room.

But as I passed Nora’s door, I stopped.

My gaze lingering on the door longer than it should have... It was her birthday, and despite everything; despite the distance between us and the way she has treated me, I found myself wanting, if only for a moment, to act like a sister.

At least wish her a happy birthday.

My hand lifted before I could stop myself, hovering briefly before I knocked softly against the door.

No response came.

I hesitated for a moment, then pushed the door open... And instantly, I wished I hadn't.

Nora was pressed against the wall, her body arched into his, her fingers tangled in his hair as their lips locked in an intimate kiss.

It wasn't just any random guy.

It was Xavier, my boyfriend.

My vision blurred instantly, my heart slamming violently against my ribs as the reality of what I was seeing struggled to fully register.

“No…”

Slowly, they pulled apart, their attention shifting toward me, and you'll think they'll be overwhelmed with remorse or guilt, but nothing of the sort happened... They looked rather pissed for the interruption.

“Lilith,” Nora blurted breathlessly, entirely unaffected. “You should learn to knock properly.”

I stared at her, then at him, my chest tightening painfully as I tried to speak.

“Xavier…” My voice trembled. “What… what is this?”

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I didn’t think you’d find out like this,” he admitted.

My heart sank. “What does that even mean?” I whispered.

His gaze met mine then, and whatever hope I had left... Died.

“I was never with you because I wanted you,” he said. “I needed a way to get close to Nora."

The world tilted, my breath hitched violently as the words sank in.

“You’re lying…” I shook my head weakly, tears spilling freely now. “You have to be... this isn’t...”

“Stop,” Nora cut me off, her eyes narrowing slightly as she looked at me. “Do you really think someone like him would ever choose you over me?”

I turned slowly to face Xavier. “I loved you…” I whispered.

"That was your mistake," Xavier didn’t hesitate to lash out. "The lowest ranking servant in this pack holds more value than you, Lilith, why would I subject myself to such mockery?"

That was more than I could take, and in a swift move, I turned around and ran.

I didn’t think, neither did I stop, or looked back.

I just continued running until I was out of the house and into the forest; It was dark and scary, but I didn’t hesitate... Instead I ran even more faster.

I didn’t stop, even as tears blurred my vision beyond recognition; I just kept going... deeper and deeper, until suddenly I heard voices.

I froze instantly, slipping behind a tree as I tried to steady my breathing, my heart pounding so loudly I was certain it would give me away.

Slowly, I leaned just enough to see whoever the voice belonged to and what I saw made the blood in my veins run cold.

A group of men stood a short distance away, dragging something between them, something that hung lifelessly.

No...

Not something.

Someone.

The body looked completely still, as though whoever it was had no life in them anymore.

“Move faster,” one of the men growled. "We don't have all night."

“I’m telling you, he’s not fully gone,” another muttered, adjusting his grip slightly. “I felt it earlier.”

"Then he will die completely by suffocation in the cave. Either way, he's not going to survive."

A chill ran down my spine as I watched on.

I didn’t move, didn’t breathe.

Didn’t dare make a sound.

I only watched…

As they dragged the body closer to the cave.

I did not move, neither did I breathe, or even dared to blink too hard, afraid that the slightest sound would draw their attention toward me and turn me into the next body being dragged across the forest floor.

“Just dump him and let’s go,” one of them muttered. "Someone could be going on a haunt and see us here."

They carried the body into the cave, then came back out after a few seconds.

Their footsteps began to retreat, the sound of their movement gradually fading as they walked away.

Still, I didn’t move, not immediately.

I waited for several minutes to be sure they were far gone, then slowly.. very slowly, I allowed myself to breathe in.

This was my chance.

I could leave... I should leave.

Every instinct screamed at me to turn around, to run back the way I came and put as much distance as possible between myself and whatever horrors had just unfolded before my eyes.

This had nothing to do with me.

I had already suffered enough tonight... and the last thing I needed was to involve myself in something dangerous, that could easily take my life.

But what if he is still alive and I could save him?

I was scared, like really terrified.

Everything about this was dangerously risky, and yet, my feet moved, and not towards the route back to the pack, instead it was towards the cave.

Carefully, I emerged from behind the tree, my gaze darting around one last time to ensure I was truly alone.

Then, with a deep, shaky breath, I walked towards the cave.

My heart pounded louder in my ears as I moved further in, my eyes slowly adjusting to the darkness until shapes began to form, and then....

I saw him... His face.

My breath hitched, as I quickly recognized the face.

It was Alpha Oliver, the leader of our pack.