Chapter 5

In the study, Mariah was holding a cup of coffee with a look of disdain on her face.

"Leave? Where do you think a werewolf like you can go after leaving the protection of the pack?

"I know you have some resentment in your heart, but Liam is still your son. What will happen to him after you leave?"

My answer came without hesitation. "Liam has always wanted a different mother. Evelyn is the best choice."

Mariah rejected the idea almost instinctively. "No! How could Evelyn possibly be Liam's mother?

"She's so accomplished, and she has a career of her own. How could she give all that up over something like this?"

I snorted. "What makes her different from me? Why can she not do it while I can?"

Mariah's gaze settled on me as if she were examining me. "If you walk out of here today, don't ever come back. We'll pretend you never existed."

I found it almost laughable. "Don't worry. Even if I die out there, I won't ask you to bury me."

Slap!

Mariah's palm struck my face.

I couldn't dodge in time, and my head was knocked to the side.

"We took you in out of kindness and gave you a place in the pack, yet you still have the nerve to be rude to me like this. You really have no sense of gratitude."

Was the place in the pack they had given me really just a place at the very bottom?

During my first year at the pack's hunting competition, I came in first and took Evelyn's place.

Mariah locked me up and announced to the entire pack that I had stolen the prey.

All the honors and prizes were given to Evelyn, while I was permanently banned from entering the hunting grounds.

As her adopted daughter, I had taken countless attacks meant for Evelyn, both openly and in secret.

I recalled the worst incident. Back then, I was poisoned with wolfsbane.

My entire body convulsed, and I ran a high fever for more than ten days. I nearly died.

I almost lost the ability to transform forever.

In their eyes, all of that was nothing more than a way for me to compete with Evelyn for their attention.

I turned around and wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth.

"Then I hope Evelyn gets to experience everything I've endured."

With that, I picked up the bone whistle from the table and turned around to leave.

Holding the bone whistle in my hand, I felt like I was holding my mother's hand again.

The sunlight outside was warm, and a gentle breeze swept past. Everything felt like freedom.

I pushed open the front door. Before I could take a single step outside, I heard Liam's voice behind me. "Mom!"