Chapter 1

It wasn't until I drifted out of the dungeon that I realized I was dead.

Guided by the moonlight, I made my way to the living room and found Mom and Dad sitting on the couch with Julia between them.

Mom's eyes were red as tears silently slipped down her cheeks, while Dad turned his face away, unwilling to let his grief make Mom and Julia even more upset.

Julia wore an elegant moon-white dress, but even beneath the warm golden light, there wasn't a trace of color in her face.

She struggled to speak, her voice unmistakably weak. "Mom, Dad, Tessa said she was in pain earlier. Can you let her out? We can celebrate our birthday together."

For the first time, Mom didn't give Julia what she wanted.

She tried to smile, but after struggling for a long moment, all that escaped her was a broken sob.

"You only have today left, and you're still pleading for that liar? You know better than anyone how much she loves pretending to be sick just to get our attention..."

Perhaps Julia looked too pale, because Mom stopped before saying anything crueler.

She finally managed a smile and gently coaxed her, "Today is your birthday. Can you stop thinking about Tessa? I just want you to spend your final birthday happy. One birthday that belongs only to you."

Julia said nothing, but the tight crease between her brows made her disapproval clear.

I walked over and gently leaned against her shoulder.

Because of the curse and Julia's Wolf Wasting Syndrome, Mom and Dad had never allowed me to hug her.

They were always scolding me, driving me away, treating me as though I were Julia's enemy.

As if simply getting too close to her would make her die faster.

Julia saw all of it, and it filled her with guilt.

That guilt was why she always stood in front of me and argued for me whenever Mom and Dad ignored me.

She was the one who convinced them to let me attend a birthday celebration for the first and only time.

When I was nearly killed after being injured by silver, she was the first to find me and call for a healer.

When we were kidnapped together and Mom and Dad only remembered to rescue Julia, she was the one who desperately reminded them that I was still in the rogues' hands.

She was always using her frail body to protect me, trying to make up for every time our parents overlooked me.

"Tessa, it's all my fault. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have had to suffer any of this."

She had once apologized to me with guilt written all over her face.

Mom happened to hear her when she came in with Julia's medicine.

She shoved me aside so hard that I stumbled, then hurried to steady Julia by the shoulders.

"Don't listen to anything Tessa tells you. Whatever she says, it's only because she's jealous of you. She's always been looking for ways to make the curse come true sooner. Have you forgotten?"

I clutched the elbow I'd knocked against the doorframe, overwhelmed with shame.

That had happened when we were ten.

For the first time, I had ranked first in training at the pack academy.

I thought Mom and Dad didn't love me because I wasn't trying hard enough. I believed that if I did well enough, they might finally pay a little more attention to me.

What I didn't know was that Julia had fallen unconscious because of Wolf Wasting Syndrome, and Mom and Dad had no room in their minds for anything but her.

When I excitedly held up my results, Mom's face darkened. She struck the sheet from my hand so hard that the thin paper tore.

She shouted at me, "You're a heartless little monster! Julia is dying, and you can still stand here showing off as if nothing is wrong!"

"You think coming first gives you something to brag about? Why can't you be more like Julia? She's gentle and kind. She doesn't scheme the way you do, always trying to compete with her for our attention!"

"Get out! Until my Julia gets better, I don't want to see you anywhere near me!"

My entire body went rigid. I couldn't understand why Mom was treating me that way.

I turned to Dad, silently begging him for help.

He only glared at me just as coldly and ordered in a low voice, "As Alpha of this pack, I order you to leave."

My heart shattered.

In my grief, the small spark of anger inside me turned toward Julia, lying unconscious on the bed.

Tears streamed down my face as I screamed at my parents, "Why is she the only one you ever see? I hate you! I hate Julia too! She took everything from me! I wish she'd never wake up! Then maybe you'd finally care about me!"