Olivia and Her Wolf in Ink

OLIVIA

"Move faster, you useless girl!"

I barely kept my balance as a basket of freshly washed clothes was shoved into my arms.

"Are you deaf? I told you to take those to the second floor!"

I lowered my head and tightened my grip on the basket.

"I'm sorry. I'll take them there now."

The woman standing before me clicked her tongue in annoyance.

"Honestly, I don't understand why the Alpha allows someone like you to stay in this pack. You're already eighteen, yet you still haven't shifted. You're nothing but a burden to everyone!"

I swallowed the bitterness rising in my throat.

Those words were nothing new. I had heard them so many times that I had practically memorized them.

Broken.

Useless.

Defective.

Those were just some of the names the members of the Crescent Moon Pack used whenever they saw me.

I was Olivia, Gamma Frank's biological daughter. Unfortunately, being born into a respected family didn't mean they treated me like one.

In this pack, a werewolf's worth was determined by the strength of their wolf. The moment someone turned sixteen, they were expected to undergo their first transformation.

But I never did.

Two years had passed since my sixteenth birthday, and I still hadn't shown any signs of having a wolf.

Not even the slightest connection to one.

Because of that, I was considered a defective werewolf. Someone who couldn't defend herself and would only become a liability during an attack.

It didn't matter that I was a Gamma's daughter. It didn't matter that I worked harder than most people in this pack.

Without a wolf, I was nothing.

"Olivia!"

I flinched when I heard my name.

"Are you planning to stand there all day?"

"No, ma'am."

I immediately walked toward the staircase.

I had barely taken a few steps when I heard two familiar voices coming from behind me.

"Look at her. She's still doing laundry."

"Well, what else can she do? She can't even shift. At least she can still be useful for household chores."

I recognized those voices instantly.

Doel and Dina.

My twin siblings.

They were two years older than me, and unlike me, they had been blessed with strong wolves. At least that's what I know.

They were also our family's pride.

Whenever they entered a room, people greeted them with smiles. Whenever they accomplished something, Father praised them proudly.

But whenever I did something, they either ignored it or criticized it.

I continued climbing the stairs, pretending I hadn't heard them.

"Hey, Olivia!"

Dina called out again.

I stopped and slowly turned around.

"What?"

She raised an eyebrow, seemingly displeased by my response.

"Is that how you talk to your sister?"

I lowered my gaze.

"Sorry. What is it?"

She exchanged amused glances with Doel.

"Nothing. I just wanted to remind you not to embarrass our family again. The regional competition is coming soon, and I heard that some students from our university will be participating."

Doel chuckled.

"Imagine that. Someone without a wolf joining a fighting competition. She wouldn't even last a minute."

They laughed.

I tightened my fingers around the basket.

I wanted to tell them that I wasn't interested in joining any competition. I didn't want to fight anyone, and I didn't want to prove myself to people who had already decided I was worthless.

All I wanted was to finish my chores, attend my classes, and return to my room without being bothered.

"Don't worry," I finally said. "I have no intention of joining."

"Good," Dina replied with a satisfied smile. "At least you know your place."

I turned away before they could see my expression.

After finishing my chores, I finally had some time to myself.

I went to the small room assigned to me at the back of the packhouse. It wasn't particularly comfortable, but at least I could have some privacy there.

I placed my bag on the bed and immediately unbuttoned the cuffs of my long-sleeved shirt.

My eyes landed on the intricate tattoo covering part of my left arm.

It was a wolf.

Not an ordinary tattoo, though.

Its body was composed of elaborate black patterns, with its head positioned near my elbow and its tail curling toward my wrist. Its eyes were shaped like tiny crescents.

I traced one of the patterns with my fingertips.

"Mom..."

A small smile appeared on my lips.

I could still remember the day my mother gave me this tattoo.

It was three months after my sixteenth birthday, shortly after Tony rejected me.

At that time, I thought my life was over.

Tony was my fated mate, the son of our Alpha. I had secretly admired him long before I discovered that we were destined to be together.

But one day after my sixteenth birthday, he rejected me.

And the worst part?

He chose my sister Dina as his mate instead.

I remembered standing before him, unable to understand why he was doing that to me.

"You're not suitable to be my Luna, Olivia. You don't even have a wolf. How can someone like you stand beside an Alpha?"

Those words had shattered whatever hope I had left.

I cried for days.

I thought there was something terribly wrong with me. I even wondered if the Moon Goddess had forgotten I existed.

But my mother never allowed me to believe that.

Three months after the rejection, she called me into her room and said something I never expected to hear.

"Olivia, you are not broken."

I remembered how she held both my hands while looking directly into my eyes.

"You come from a different bloodline, sweetheart. A clan whose wolves do not live inside their bodies the way ordinary werewolves do."

I stared at her in confusion.

"What do you mean, Mom?"

She smiled faintly.

"Our wolves are different. We carry them through tattoos, and when we summon them, they fight alongside us."

I had thought she was joking.

After all, I had never heard of such a thing.

But she was serious.

That day, she tattooed a wolf on my arm and taught me the first steps of awakening it.

"Remember, Olivia. Your strength doesn't depend on whether you can transform like everyone else. You must train your body and make it strong. The stronger you become, the more powerful your wolf will be."

I had believed every word she said.

And I still did.

Unfortunately, Mother had been frequently hospitalized since then. Her health had deteriorated, and no doctor in the pack could explain why she kept growing weaker.

I suspected that the tattoo had something to do with it, but whenever I asked, she would simply tell me not to worry.

I didn't know what else she had sacrificed to protect me.

All I knew was that she had always been the only person in this pack who made me feel loved.

I carefully buttoned my sleeves again.

No one could know about my wolf.

That was Mother's most important instruction.

And I intended to follow it.

The following morning, I arrived at the university earlier than usual.

I was a freshman, taking up fine arts. Unlike my siblings, who enjoyed flaunting their status as Gamma's children, I preferred staying away from unnecessary attention.

Unfortunately, that was almost impossible.

"Hey, isn't that Gamma Frank's defective daughter?"

I heard someone whisper as I walked past a group of students.

"Yeah. She's eighteen already, right? Still no wolf?"

"Poor thing. I heard even her mate rejected her."

"Not just reject her. He chose her own sister!"

Their laughter followed me.

I pretended not to hear them and continued walking.

I had learned that responding to their insults would only give them another reason to torment me.

When I reached the university courtyard, I noticed several students gathered around the announcement board.

A large poster sat at the center, written in bold letters—-

REGIONAL WEREWOLF COMPETITION

The announcement immediately caught everyone's attention.

I stopped to read the details.

The competition would run for seven days, with packs from different territories sending their strongest members to represent them.

The event would consist of several combat rounds, testing physical strength, fighting techniques, endurance, and strategic ability.

But what caught my attention most was the reward.

The winning participant would receive a substantial cash prize and, more importantly, one request granted by the Werewolf Council.

One request.

I stared at those words for a long moment.

According to the announcement, the request could involve matters concerning pack membership, provided it didn't violate the laws of the werewolf world.

My fingers slowly curled.

What if...

What if I could use that opportunity to leave the Crescent Moon Pack?

The thought made my heart beat faster.

I had wanted to leave for a long time. Mother had even encouraged me to do so after Tony rejected me.

But leaving wasn't as simple as packing my belongings and walking away.

I needed permission from the Werewolf Council, and I didn't have the resources to start a new life on my own.

This competition might be my only chance.

"Dreaming of joining?"

A familiar voice interrupted my thoughts.

I turned to find Dina standing behind me, with Doel beside her.

She followed my gaze to the poster, then let out a mocking laugh.

"You should be realistic, Olivia. That competition is for warriors, not someone who can't even shift."

"I know."

"Then why are you staring at it?"

"Nothing. I'm just reading."

Doel snorted.

"Don't tell me you're thinking of joining. You'd be lucky to survive the first round."

"I already said I'm not joining."

"Good," Dina replied. "It would be embarrassing if our family had to watch you get beaten up in front of everyone."

I didn't respond.

Instead, I turned away and headed toward my classroom.

I didn't want to waste my time arguing with them.

Little did I know, they weren't finished with me.

Later that afternoon, the university began accepting registrations for the competition.

Students who wanted to participate were instructed to submit their names to the organizing committee.

I was already inside my classroom, reviewing my notes, when Doel and Dina approached the registration table.

"Do you have the list of participants?" Dina asked the student in charge.

"Yes. Why?"

"We'd like to add someone."

The student handed her the registration form.

Dina took the pen and exchanged a mischievous glance with her brother.

"What's the name?" the student asked.

Dina smiled.

"Olivia."

The student paused.

"Olivia? Gamma Frank's daughter?"

"Yes. That's her."

"Are you sure? I thought she couldn't shift."

Doel burst into laughter.

"That's exactly why it's going to be interesting."

Dina covered her mouth, pretending to be amused.

"Don't worry. She's our sister. We know what we're doing."

The student hesitated before writing my name on the list.

Neither of them bothered to inform me.

They simply wanted to see me humiliated.

Perhaps they even hoped I would get seriously injured.

After all, what could an ordinary girl without a wolf possibly do against trained werewolf warrior students?

I was leaving the university when I noticed a group of students gathered near the registration area.

Someone was reading the participants' names aloud.

I wasn't particularly interested until I heard a familiar name.

"Olivia!"

I stopped walking.

For a moment, I thought I had misheard.

But then another student repeated it.

"Olivia of the Crescent Moon Pack!"

My eyebrows knitted together.

Why was my name on the list?

I immediately approached the registration table.

"Excuse me. Can I see the participant list?"

The student handed me the paper.

My eyes scanned the names until they landed on mine.

Olivia Norwood — Crescent Moon Pack.

My jaw tightened.

I didn't register for this.

"Who submitted my name?" I asked.

The student pointed toward two people standing a few feet away.

I turned.

Doel and Dina were watching me.

The moment our eyes met, they burst into laughter.

"Congratulations, little sister!" Dina exclaimed. "You're officially a participant!"

I stared at her.

"Why did you do that?"

"Why not? You're always complaining that people don't give you a chance. Now you have one."

Doel crossed his arms.

"Don't tell me you're afraid."

I looked at him without saying anything.

"What's wrong, Olivia?" he continued. "Are you going to cry? Or should we withdraw your name before you embarrass yourself?"

Dina laughed.

"Let her participate, Doel. Maybe she'll finally discover how useless she really is."

I looked down at the registration form again.

My name was already there.

They had signed me up because they thought I would be humiliated.

They wanted to see me fail.

They wanted to watch me get beaten by people stronger than me.

But they didn't know I had been training for years.

Every morning.

Every evening.

Even on days when my body ached so badly that I could barely stand.

Mother had made sure of that.

I slowly lifted my gaze toward them.

"Fine."

Their laughter stopped.

"What?" Dina asked.

"I said fine. I'll participate."

Doel stared at me, then burst into another fit of laughter.

"Are you serious? You actually think you can win?"

I gave him a small smile.

"I don't know. We'll see."

I turned around and walked away before either of them could say another word.

For the first time in a long while, I felt something other than sadness whenever I thought about my life in the Crescent Moon Pack.

Hope.

If winning this competition meant I could finally leave, I would do everything in my power to win.

They could laugh all they wanted.

They could call me broken, useless, and defenseless.

I didn't care anymore.

Because soon, they would learn that the girl they had spent years looking down on wasn't as helpless as they thought.

And perhaps, when the time came, they would regret ever underestimating me.