2

INKA’S POV

The home team host for Snowfang Falls, was warming up on the other side.

Then I saw the three famous triplet brothers everyone was talking about.

The oldest, Hunter, the captain—he’s a center, the best goal scorer ever. The middle one, Seth, a stay-at-home defenseman, and the youngest, Zane, the brick wall—his defensive strength was nearly impossible for opponents to break through.

They were amazing to watch, the pride of the academy. Every girl at the academy dreamed of them. Except me. I didn’t even dare look them in the eye.

I’d seen them around school before, of course. Hard not to when they were basically royalty at Snowfang Falls Academy. But I always made sure to keep my distance.

I knew what they thought of me. Everyone did.

Last week, I’d been walking to class when I saw all three of them coming down the hallway. My heart had started racing, and I’d immediately ducked into the nearest bathroom to avoid them.

Through the crack in the door, I’d heard Seth’s voice. “Was that the Ravencrest girl?”

“Yeah,” Hunter had replied, his tone flat. “The corrupt Alpha’s daughter.”

“I heard her dad stole from dozens of families. Including hybrids who barely had anything,” Seth had continued, disgust clear in his voice.

I’d pressed myself against the bathroom wall, trying not to breathe too loud.

“Can’t believe she still shows her face here,” Seth had added.

“It’s not entirely her fault what her father did,” Zane had said quietly. But then added, “Still, Dad said we should stay away. Bad association.”

“Obviously,” Hunter had agreed. “Our family can’t be connected to criminals. Even indirectly.”

I’d waited in that bathroom for fifteen minutes, making sure they were long gone before I came out.

Another time, I’d accidentally left my textbook on a table in the library. When I came back for it, I’d seen Hunter holding it, checking the name written inside.

“Inka Ravencrest,” he’d read aloud to his brothers.

Seth had wrinkled his nose. “Just leave it. Don’t touch her stuff.”

“I was going to turn it in to the librarian,” Hunter had said defensively.

“Why bother? Let her deal with her own problems.” Seth had walked away.

Hunter had stared at the book for a long moment, his expression conflicted. Then he’d set it down and left without turning it in.

I’d watched from behind a bookshelf, my cheeks burning with humiliation.

The worst had been in the cafeteria two months ago. I’d been carrying my tray to an empty table in the far corner, trying to be invisible as always, when Cessy had deliberately stuck her foot out.

I hadn’t seen it coming.

My foot caught on hers and I went down hard. The tray flew from my hands, food splattering everywhere—on the floor, on my clothes, on the shoes of students nearby.

The entire cafeteria went silent.

“Oops,” Cessy said loudly, her voice dripping with fake concern. “So clumsy, Inka. You really should watch where you’re going.”

Her friends burst into laughter.

I’d dropped to my knees immediately, my face burning with shame, trying to clean it up with shaking hands. Tears were already forming in my eyes but I blinked them back desperately.

“Pathetic,” I heard someone mutter.

“Just like her criminal father.”

“Bad luck follows her everywhere.”

Then I’d heard footsteps approaching. I’d looked up through blurry eyes to see Zane standing there, holding napkins.

For one hopeful second, I’d thought he was going to help me. That maybe, just maybe, someone would be kind.

“Here,” he’d said, his voice stiff and uncomfortable. He’d held out the napkins but wouldn’t come closer, keeping a careful distance like he didn’t want to get too near. Like I was something contagious. “You should clean that up before someone slips.”

His tone wasn’t mean, exactly. But it was distant. Reluctant. Like he was forcing himself to do the bare minimum of human decency but wanted it over with as quickly as possible.

“Thank you,” I’d whispered, my voice barely audible.

He’d nodded once, his expression carefully blank, then turned and walked back to his table where Hunter and Seth were waiting.

I’d heard Seth’s voice carry across the quiet cafeteria. “Why’d you bother? She probably tripped on purpose for attention.”

“She needed help,” Zane had replied quietly.

“She’s the daughter of a criminal, Zane,” Hunter had said firmly, though he kept his voice low. “We can’t be seen helping her. People will talk. Our family has a reputation to protect.”

“Did you see who tripped her?” Zane had asked.

“Does it matter?” Seth had shot back. “She’s cursed. Bad things happen around her. That’s just facts.”

I’d stayed on my knees, cleaning up the mess with the napkins Zane had given me, while the entire cafeteria watched. While Cessy and her friends laughed. While the triplets sat at their table and did nothing.

No one else had helped. No one ever did.

After that, I’d made it a point to avoid them completely. If I saw them in a hallway, I’d turn around and take the long way. If they entered a room, I’d find an excuse to leave. If they sat near me in the library, I’d pack up and move to a different section.

It was better this way. Better to avoid them than to see that look in their eyes—that mixture of pity and disgust. That uncomfortable expression that said they knew I was suffering but couldn’t bring themselves to care because of who my father was.

They thought I was tainted. Criminal blood. Bad association. Cursed.

And maybe they were right.

Now, watching them warm up on the ice, I kept my eyes down, trying to make myself as invisible as possible. The last thing I needed was for them to notice me here.

I forced my attention back to Derek, the only person who’d ever looked at me like I was worth something.

“There he is,” Cessy sighed dreamily. “Isn’t he perfect?”

She was right. Derek was perfection. Tall, muscular, with green eyes that could pierce right through your soul. And that confident smile with dimples literally made my knees go weak.

The first two periods flew by, packed with action and cheers. The score was tied. Derek and Hunter were both working their asses off for this game. Since this was the final round of the annual inter-academy and pack tournament.

Hunter and Derek faced off multiple times, the tension between them electric. At one point, Derek slammed Hunter into the boards hard enough to make the crowd gasp.

I found myself holding my breath, worried for Derek, but Hunter had just shaken it off.

And somehow, every time Derek scored a goal, my chest swelled with pride, even though he was playing against my academy.

What’s more, every time Derek scored, he’d look up at the stands where I was sitting. Like he was giving me a sign.

My heart raced. He was the only one who didn’t care about my father’s crimes. The only one who saw me for me.

Then came intermission.

The teams left the ice for break, but Derek didn’t follow his teammates to the locker room.

Instead, he skated over to the announcer’s table and grabbed the microphone while glancing in my direction.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” his voice echoed throughout the arena. “I have an announcement to make.”

The entire crowd went dead silent.

Down on the ice, I saw Hunter stop in his tracks near the tunnel. Seth and Zane froze beside him, all three turning to look at Derek with identical frowns of confusion.

“Three weeks ago,” Derek continued, his eyes sweeping the crowd until they found mine, “I found my mate.”

Shocked gasps filled the rink.

“Inka Ravencrest.”

And suddenly every eye in the arena was on me. The spotlight hit me in the middle of the crowd, bright and blinding.

Down below, I saw Hunter’s head snap toward me. Even from this distance, I could see the surprise on his face. Seth said something to Zane, both of them staring up at me with expressions I couldn’t read.

But I knew what they were thinking. Of course they were. The criminal’s daughter found a mate?

“Stand up, Inka,” Derek called to me. “Let everyone see you.”

My legs trembled as I forced myself to stand. Around me, I could hear whispers starting up.

“Is that her?”

“The cursed girl?”

“The corrupt Alpha’s daughter?”

“This has to be a joke.”

“Yes, everyone. Inka Ravencrest. Daughter of the disgraced Alpha, Marcus Ravencrest.”

I saw Hunter’s expression harden. Seth crossed his arms, his face twisting with that familiar disgust. Zane’s pitying frown appeared—the same look he’d given me in the cafeteria when he’d handed me those napkins but wouldn’t come any closer.

They were judging me. Just like everyone else.

“The same Inka,” Derek continued, “who kill her own mother just by being born. Who brings bad luck and suffering to everyone around her.”

Derek’s words stabbed straight into my heart. Oh my God. What is this?