Chapter 3

When the dishes were finally clean, I moved on to the next task—sweeping the floors, cleaning the windows, hauling sacks of flour from the storage shed to the kitchen. Each job was physically demanding, but I pushed through the fatigue, determined to finish before the midday meal.

The other pack members passed by occasionally, some of them nodding in acknowledgment, others ignoring me entirely. They were used to seeing me like this, dirty and tired, doing the work that no one else wanted to do. To them, I was just a fixture in the background, someone who existed to make their lives easier.

By the time the sun was high in the sky, I had finished my chores in the kitchen and moved on to the next part of my daily routine: cleaning the training grounds. The area was deserted now that the warriors had gone off to patrol, leaving behind a mess of discarded weapons, sweat-soaked towels, and the remnants of their morning workout.

I gathered up the equipment, my muscles aching from the constant strain, and carried it all to the storage shed. As I worked, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of bitterness. While the others trained to become warriors, learning how to fight and protect the pack, I was stuck cleaning up after them, as if I was nothing more than a glorified servant.

But what choice did I have? Without a wolf, I had no place among the warriors. Without a mate, I had no status in the pack. And as an orphan, I had no one to defend me, no one to speak up on my behalf. All I could do was work hard and hope that someday, somehow, things would change.

By the time I was finished, the sun was beginning to set, casting long shadows across the training grounds. I wiped the sweat from my brow and took a moment to rest, leaning against the wall of the storage shed. My entire body ached, my hands were raw from scrubbing and hauling, but the day wasn’t over yet. There were still more chores to be done, more ways to prove that I was worth something, even if it felt like I was the only one who believed it.

As I stood there, catching my breath, I heard footsteps approaching. I straightened up, expecting another warrior coming to mock me or give me another task, but instead, I saw Ava, the pack’s healer, walking toward me with a basket in her hands. Ava was older, with silver hair and kind eyes that had seen more than I could imagine. She was one of the few who didn’t treat me like an outcast, but even her kindness had its limits.

“Emily,” she called out, her voice gentle but firm. “I need your help with something.”

I nodded, grateful for the distraction, and hurried over to meet her. Ava handed me the basket, which was filled with herbs and bandages, and motioned for me to follow her back to her small cottage on the edge of the village.

As we walked, she glanced at me with a hint of concern. “You’ve been working hard today,” she said softly. “Harder than usual.”

“I have to,” I replied, trying to keep my voice steady. “I have to prove that I’m still useful.”

Ava sighed, and for a moment, she looked like she wanted to say something, but she held her tongue. Instead, she opened the door to her cottage and led me inside, where the smell of dried herbs and incense filled the air. I set the basket down on the table and began sorting through the contents, my hands moving automatically as I arranged the supplies.

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The next day, the village was abuzz with anticipation. It was the time of the month when the pack gathered in the Great Hall for the ritual of transformation. This was the night when those who had not yet transformed into their wolves would be given the chance to do so under the guidance of the elders. For most, it was a night of excitement and pride—a moment to finally prove their worth as true members of the pack.

For me, it was a night of dread.

I stood at the back of the hall, trying to make myself as inconspicuous as possible. The Great Hall was a grand, open space with stone walls and high ceilings, adorned with banners representing the pack's history. The air was thick with the scent of burning sage, meant to purify and prepare the young wolves for their transformation. Around me, the other unshifted were already beginning to show signs of their impending change—eyes glowing, muscles twitching, as their wolves stirred within them.

But I felt nothing. No stir of power, no tingling under my skin. Just the same emptiness that had plagued me for the past year. I tried to hide the anxiety bubbling inside me, but it was hard when I could feel the weight of everyone's expectations, even if they weren’t directly looking at me.

The elders began the ceremony, chanting in the ancient tongue as they called upon the spirits of the ancestors to guide the young wolves through their transformation. The atmosphere grew heavy with power, the air crackling with energy as one by one, the other unshifted began to change.

The sound of bones cracking filled the hall as the first transformation began—a boy named Nolan, who had been waiting for this moment since he turned sixteen. His body convulsed, muscles bulging as fur sprouted from his skin. In a matter of moments, he was no longer a boy, but a wolf—a powerful, sleek creature that howled triumphantly at the moonlit sky visible through the open roof of the hall.

Cheers erupted from the crowd as more and more of the unshifted followed suit, their wolves finally breaking free. It was a sight to behold—magnificent and terrifying all at once. The pack was filled with pride as they watched their newest warriors emerge.

But as each transformation took place, I remained unchanged. I clenched my fists, trying to will something—anything—to happen, but my body refused to cooperate. I was painfully aware of the fact that I was now the only one left standing in my human form.

The elders cast glances in my direction, their expressions a mix of concern and disappointment. Whispers began to spread through the crowd, growing louder with each passing second. I could feel their eyes on me, judging, questioning what was wrong with me.

Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Leon. The pack’s Beta, second only to the Alpha, Leon was a tall, imposing figure with a presence that commanded respect and fear in equal measure. His dark eyes scanned the room, and when they landed on me, they narrowed in disdain.

I tensed as he began to make his way toward me, his footsteps echoing in the now quiet hall. The pack seemed to part around him, giving him a clear path straight to where I stood. By the time he reached me, my heart was pounding so hard I was sure he could hear it.

"Emily," he said, his voice low and cold, "do you know what tonight was supposed to mean?"

I swallowed hard, trying to find my voice. "I... I do."

"Then why," he continued, his tone dripping with contempt, "are you still standing here like a useless lump of flesh, while everyone else has proven their worth?"

The words hit me like a physical blow, and I flinched, but I refused to look away. "I... I tried. But nothing happened."

"Nothing happened?" Marcus echoed mockingly, his voice rising so that everyone in the hall could hear. "Nothing happened because you are nothing, Emily. You’ve had more than enough time to prove yourself, and yet, here you are—still human, still useless."

My throat tightened as I fought back the tears that threatened to spill over. I didn’t want to cry in front of him, in front of all of them, but the humiliation was overwhelming. "I’m trying," I whispered, knowing how pathetic it sounded.

"Trying isn’t good enough!" Marcus snapped. "Trying doesn’t protect this pack. Trying doesn’t make you one of us. What use do we have for someone who can’t even manage a simple transformation?"

He took his steps closer, looming over me with his intimidating presence. "Do you know what happens to wolves who can’t shift, Emily? They get left behind. They get discarded because they’re a burden to the rest of us."

I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms as I tried to keep my emotions in check. But the frustration, the anger, the despair—all of it was boiling over. "I’m not a burden," I managed to say, though my voice trembled with the effort.

Marcus sneered. "That’s exactly what you are. And I don’t want to see your pathetic face around here again until you’ve figured out how to shift. If you can’t do that, then you’re better off disappearing altogether."