Prologue

"Heiress on trial for killing her father"

"Billionaire heiress sentenced to 12 years for murdering her father"

"21-year-old Delphine Menes, daughter of wealthy Alpha Desmond Menes, found guilty in the killing of her father"

"Menes' family disowns estranged daughter following incarceration"

"Future Luna officially exiled from Menes' pack!"

Not a second after the final verdict was announced, the news spread like wildfire across the stations. Delphine hadn't even set foot in prison yet, and her face was already on every magazine, newspaper, and television, and it was all the same headline written in bold letters. It was the scandal of the century.

While the world was already solidifying her name and face as a cold-blooded killer, Delphine was still trying to make sense of what was happening in her life. The rate at which it was changing was impossible to keep up with. It was like a nightmare she never dreamed of had somehow become her reality.

No one could believe that the beloved father-daughter duo ended up in such a tragedy, especially not Delphine. In her mind, her father was just badly injured, and she didn't know who was responsible, but the reality was brutal.

The truth, as was told by every media outlet in the city, was that her father was dead, and she was the one responsible. How? She did not know because she couldn't remember anything from that dreadful night, but all the evidence given was against her. It didn't matter that she couldn't piece together what had truly happened, because the prosecutors already did.

The intense trial made Delphine start to believe she was guilty, and by the end, everyone, including the jury, believed it too; the decision was unanimous. She didn't stand a chance.

Because of her status, being followed around by cameramen was an ordinary thing for Delphine, but this time the circumstances were different. Leaving the courthouse was an absolute nightmare. Flashes of light blinded her from all directions, and the mixture of never-ending questions and angry chants left her even more delirious than she already was.

In the crowd, Delphine desperately searched for a single familiar face, anyone who had known her, or even believed she was innocent, but she found none; she was completely alone. Going through such a situation by herself was soul-crushing, but she knew the worst was yet to come.

The commotion scared not only Delphine but her wolf as well, which threatened to break free from the handcuffs and run. It took every bit of strength she had left to keep it under control; otherwise, it would have caused her bigger problems. The last thing she needed was another case.

Everything that happened afterward felt like a nightmare she desperately needed to wake up from. The processing, the medical and security screening — it all went by in the blink of an eye, and before she knew it, Delphine was being taken to prison to serve her sentence.

St. Luna maximum-security prison was where she was to be confined. Delphine had only heard stories about the place growing up, and they were all terrifying. Never in a million years would she have imagined that she would end up in such a place, and yet there she was, about to become a prisoner.

The fear she felt the moment she set foot in the ice-cold building was unlike any she had ever experienced before. Every sense in her body told her danger was up ahead. As they escorted her to her cell, every muscle in her body trembled, as if it knew what to expect. Little by little, her consciousness returned, and only then did reality set in. The reality that she was now a criminal.

The banging of metal bars and inmates' howls startled both Delphine and her wolf, and they only grew louder. The prisoners in St. Luna were all terrifying. They were all large and covered in massive scars and tattoos, but the scariest thing about them wasn't even their appearance; it was their aura. They all looked like they could swallow her whole, and she was certain they could.

All the eyes that watched Delphine through their cell doors looked at her as if they were ready to pounce on her. Since she had zero combat experience because bodyguards always protected her, she knew she was in for it when their doors finally opened. 

By the time she had reached her cell, Delphine felt mortified and already begging to leave, but she couldn't. All she could think about was her fall from grace; it couldn't have been more painful. The heiress of one of the top 5 wolf packs in the city was now condemned to a tiny prison cell to be locked up for years. 

As she entered the tiny room and sat on her bed, the cell door shut loudly behind her, making her heart sink. Delphine curled up into a ball and cried because, as helpless as she was, it was the only thing she could do. Tears streamed down her face and wet the grey pillowcase under her head.

While she was deep in her sorrow, a pair of attentive hazel eyes stared at her from the bed opposite hers. A young redhead, who would be her cellmate from then on, watched her cry for a while before speaking.

"They're gonna eat you alive in here, princess"

Delphine heard her but chose not to respond, because she already knew she was done for.

"I'm telling ya, keep crying like that and everyone here will treat you like prey." The young woman's insistence garnered a response.

"I don't... belong here," Delphine whispered

"Ha! How many times have I heard that?" The redhead mocked. "Buckle up, princess. It doesn't matter if you belong here or not; this is your new home now, and your new roommates aren't particularly friendly"

The warning only made Delphine feel worse. That was what her life was going to be like for the next 12 years: trying not to become prey.