CHAPTER 1

Ailsa’s POV

The enrollment form trembled in my hands as I filled out my information at the Werewolf Military Academy registration desk. My fingers keep cramping from gripping the pen too tightly, and I couldn't stop glancing over my shoulder every few seconds. They're not coming, I told myself for the hundredth time. You made it. You're free.

But freedom felt fragile when it had been bought with so much pain.

Three days ago, I was still trapped in that house, still believing my father might somehow choose me over his precious stepdaughter. How naive I'd been.

Three days earlier...

"You will marry Leon Blackwood, and that's final." My father's voice cut through the air like a blade as he stood behind his mahogany desk, not even bothering to look up from his papers.

My heart hammered against my ribs. "Father, please. You know what they say about him. Three mates—all dead within months of their weddings."

"Rumors." He waved a dismissive hand. "The Blackwood alliance will save our pack from bankruptcy. Your marriage is a small price to pay."

Small price. My life was a small price. I swallowed the bitter taste in my mouth. "I'm your daughter. Your blood. Doesn't that mean anything?"

Finally, he looked up, his cold gray eyes meeting mine. "You're an Omega, Ailsa. The weakest link in our bloodline. At least this way, you'll serve some purpose."

The words hit like physical blows. I'd heard variations of this speech my entire life, but it never stopped hurting. "I've worked hard. My grades are perfect. My thesis on pack dynamics could revolutionize—"

"Your thesis?" His laugh was harsh. "You mean the one Melody will be presenting at the upcoming conference? The one that will actually bring honor to our family name?"

My breath caught. "That's my work. I spent months researching—"

"Prove it." He leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. "Where's your copy?"

I opened my mouth, then closed it. There was no copy. There never was, because every time I completed something, it mysteriously disappeared from my room, only to reappear later with Melody's name on it. And when I complained, I was told I was being paranoid, jealous, delusional.

"That's what I thought." He turned back to his papers. "The wedding is in two weeks. Melody has already helped plan everything. Try to be grateful that someone as powerful as Leon is willing to overlook your... deficiencies."

Deficiencies. The word echoed in my head as I left his office, my legs barely carrying me down the hallway. Everything I'd ever accomplished had been stolen, twisted, or dismissed. Every achievement credited to my stepsister, every failure magnified and thrown in my face.

I found myself in the small storage room that served as my bedroom—barely large enough for a single bed and a desk, tucked away in the servant's quarters while Melody occupied the master suite that should have been mine as the Alpha's biological daughter.

The tears came then, hot and angry. I buried my face in my pillow to muffle the sobs. Why wasn't I enough? Why wasn't I ever enough?

A soft knock interrupted my breakdown. "Ailsa? Can I come in?"

Melody's voice was sickeningly sweet. I wiped my eyes quickly. "What do you want?"

She entered without waiting for permission, her perfect blonde hair gleaming in the dim light. Everything about her screamed superiority—from her designer clothes to the Luna-in-training pendant around her neck.

"I heard about your engagement. Congratulations." Her smile was sharp as a knife. "Though I have to say, I'm surprised Leon agreed to it. Usually, he has better taste."

"Get out." My voice was barely a whisper.

"Oh, don't be like that. We're going to be sisters-in-law soon." She perched on the edge of my bed uninvited. "Well, briefly anyway. I give you three months, tops. Leon doesn't have much patience for... disappointments."

I looked up at her, seeing the calculated cruelty in her eyes. "Why do you hate me so much?"

"Hate you?" She laughed, the sound like breaking glass. "I don't hate you, Ailsa. I pity you. Do you know what it was like, growing up hearing about the 'real' Alpha's daughter? The legitimate heir who would take everything that should have been mine?"

Her mask slipped, revealing the venom underneath. "But you know what I discovered? You're pathetic. Weak. And Omega who can't even fight for herself. It was so easy to turn your father against you. So easy to take your work, your room, your place in this family."

The words hit like physical blows, but I forced myself to stay silent.

"The best part?" She leaned closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Leon already knows you're nothing special. He's only marrying you for the alliance. But I'll be there, offering comfort when you inevitably fail to please him. Just like my mother offered comfort to your father when your mother abandoned you both."

My hands clenched into fists. "My mother didn't abandon me. She left an abusive marriage."

"Is that what you tell yourself?" Melody's smile widened. "Your father told me the truth. She couldn't handle having such a disappointing daughter. She ran away rather than face the shame of raising an Omega."

"That's not true."

"Isn't it? Then why hasn't she contacted you in all these years? Why didn't she fight for custody? Why didn't she take you with her?" Each question was a dagger to my heart. "She left you here because she knew you were a burden. Just like everyone else knows."

She stood, smoothing down her skirt. "Enjoy your wedding preparations, sister. I'll be sure to visit Leon frequently after you're gone. Someone needs to help him through his grief, after all."

The door clicked shut behind her, leaving me alone with the crushing weight of her words. Was she right? Was I really so worthless that even my own mother couldn't love me?

For hours, I sat in the darkness, her words echoing in my mind. Every cruel comment, every dismissal, every moment of feeling invisible in my own home crashed over me like waves.

But then, in the depths of my despair, something shifted. A spark of anger, of rebellion, of pure survival instinct.

I don't want to die.

The thought was simple, but it cut through everything else. I didn't want to marry Leon. I didn't want to become another casualty in his string of dead wives. I didn't want to spend whatever time I had left being tormented by Melody and ignored by my father.

With shaking hands, I pulled out my phone and scrolled to a contact I'd blocked years ago. My finger hovered over the number for a long moment before I pressed call.

It rang twice before a familiar voice answered. "Hello?"

"Mom?" My voice cracked on the word. "Mom, it's me. It's Ailsa."

Silence stretched between us, filled with years of hurt and misunderstanding.

"Ailsa?" Her voice was barely a whisper. "Oh my god, honey, is that really you?"