4.

DAISY

By the time I sneak back into the house, the morning sun has already risen fully.

I made it back just in time.

Now, I’m back in my room, shifting to my human form again and entering the bathroom for a quick morning shower. In there, the hot water cascades over me, and I close my eyes, letting myself have this moment of peace.

I'm alive. I have my wolf, and everything is different now.

Done, I step out and dry myself with a towel before drying my hair too and rummaging through my wardrobe. I select an oversized shirt and simple cotton pants and quickly slip into the soft clothes. My hair is damp with the strands clinging to my cheeks, and I tuck them behind my ears before flopping onto the edge of my bed.

The moment I sit down, my mind drifts back to the forest.

That wolf. The way he stared at me with those piercing green eyes, as if he could see straight into to my soul. The way we ran together despite being strangers. The way he held back, letting me lead, matching my pace when he could have easily outrun me.

Who is he?

My lips curve into a smile before I can stop myself. I’m smiling again like a fool. My heart is also thumping wildly inside me with every loud beat reminding me of the run I had this morning, including the inexplicable connection I felt with that wolf whose name I don't even know.

‘You like him,’ Rayla purrs in my head.

‘Not this again,’ I mumble, though my cheeks are warm and flushed, betraying my words. I press my palms against my face, trying to cool the heat spreading across my skin.

'You're blushing Daisy. I can feel it. Your heart is racing. You can't stop thinking about him.'

'I barely know him Rayla! We ran together for maybe fifteen minutes. That's hardly—’

'You enjoyed those fifteen minutes. Don't lie to yourself.’

“Ugh,” I groan and fall back onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling. She's right, damn her. There's something about that wolf that I still don't understand, and I can't seem to get him out of my mind.

However, I can't afford distractions. Not when I have so much at stake.

Just then, three soft knocks at my door stop me from falling too deeply into daydreams. Is it Louise? Has she discovered that something went wrong? Is she coming to confront me?

I sit up straighter.

“Come in.” I call out, forcing my voice to sound normal and relaxed.

The door opens.

My breath catches.

Gigi!

For a moment, the entire world stops existing. I can't believe my eyes, but Gigi Mason—the Beta's daughter and my only best friend—is standing right there at the door with a nervous smile and she's holding a small box wrapped in blue foil paper. She's wearing a soft yellow sundress that brings out the warmth in her brown eyes, the same eyes that always cared for me and everyone around her. Her brown hair is tied in a messy ponytail with little wisps escaping to frame her face.

Tears prick at the corners of my eyes, and I have to blink rapidly to stop the tears from falling. She looks exactly the way she did before everything fell apart in my old life. Before Louise murdered her like garbage.

“Happy birthday, lollipop,” she says with that charming smile I thought I'd never see again. She enters and closes the door behind her.

My throat tightens painfully. Even her teasing voice is still the same.

“Hi,” I manage to croak out so that my silence doesn't give off any weird vibes. My heart is pounding so loudly I can barely hear anything else.

She's here. She's alive.

And I'm going to make damn sure she stays that way.

She plops down beside me at the edge of the bed, the mattress dipping with her weight. Her familiar jasmine scent wraps around me like a blanket.

“Daisy?” She tilts her head. “Are you okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Hell yeah.

“Maybe I have,” I laugh, trying to wave it off casually, but the sound comes out broken and shaky. I clear my throat. "I just... didn't expect to see you so early.”

"Are you kidding? It's your eighteenth birthday!" She bumps her shoulder against mine playfully. “Any special plans for your big day?”

"Nothing special." Just exposing my murderous stepsister and reclaiming everything she stole from me. “Seeing you again is the greatest gift I could ask for.”

The words are truer than she can possibly understand. In my past life, after I became crippled, Gigi visited me everyday until she suddenly stopped. And then came the news of her death. Before then, I kept wondering if she had finally decided to abandon me, if she had grown tired of my pathetic existence.

But no. Louise killed her. Louise took her away from me deliberately and murdered her just to isolate and torment me deeper.

Not this time. This time, I'll protect my best friend.

“So,” Gigi waves the fancy box at me with a mock-offended expression. “Are you saying my gift is in vain?”

"You know what I'm talking about," I reach out and take the gift from her. "But thank you, Gigi. Really.”

"Don't be so dramatic," she interrupts me with a laugh, reaching out to stroke my damp hair with her gentle fingers. The simple gesture of affection warms my heart. "You're my best friend. You think I'd let your eighteenth birthday pass without a present? Please. I've been planning this for weeks.”

Best friend.

The words hit me hard. The worst thing I did in my previous life was not trusting the people around me who genuinely loved me. Gigi warned me. And later, when I heard she was dead after weeks of silence and not visiting me anymore, it was already too late. She got torn away from me before I even realized how much I needed her. I was too late to save her. Too late to tell her how much she meant to me. Too late to apologize for not trusting her warnings about Louise.

I let Louise poison my mind against everyone who tried to help me, isolating me until I had no one left.

But I won't make that mistake again.

I open the fancy gift box carefully, and inside the box is a beautiful gold necklace with tiny charms shaped like stars. The blue clam shells between each golden charm remind me of long summer days at the beach when we were children and just building sandcastles and collecting shells.

Simpler times. Innocent times.

“This is beautiful,” I laugh softly, shaking my head. My vision blurs slightly as I trace one of the charms with my fingertips. “You’re trying to bribe me aren't you?”

She gasps dramatically, clutching her chest. “Me? Bribe you? I would never! But if that's so..." She leans in, "would you be willing to take me to your birthday party tonight? As your date?”

“I can't believe you just asked me that!” I nudge her shoulder. “You are the first name on my invitation list. You're always the first name.”

“My pleasure, your highness,” she says with an exaggerated curtsy that makes both of us dissolve into laughter.

My goodness. Gigi and I had a blast pretending to be princesses when we were kids. We used to raid her mother's old jewelry boxes and play dress up and curtesies, and eighteen years later, our friendship is still as strong as ever. She knows me better than most people. We were shy around each other when we met for the first time when we were kids—two awkward little girls forced together at a pack gathering, but growing up together bonded us in a way no one understands because what we have is a bond that can never be broken except by death, which Louise ended up using against us in my past life.

Well, not this time. I won’t let Louise touch her. I will defend my father, Gigi, Rayla, and everyone who treats me with their whole heart.

“Thank you,” I say and pull her into a hug, memorizing the feeling of her being alive and warm in my arms.

After releasing her, I lift the necklace, “so are you going to put this on me or should I—”

“Yes of course,” she practically bounces with excitement, taking the necklace out of the box, “Turn around.”

“Yes ma'am,” I smile and turn my back to her, letting her put the necklace on me. I lift my damp hair out of the way, and her fingers brush against the nape of my neck as she fastens the clasp of the necklace.

I feel like the luckiest person in the world.

Done, she taps me to turn around. I do, staring down at the clam shells and admiring them. The necklace is beautiful, delicate but strong. Just like our friendship.

"There," she says as she admires the necklace too. “It looks perfect on you.”

“Thank you.”

“I should go before your sister catches me in here,” she says all of a sudden, her smile faltering slightly as she glances towards the door with a nervous expression I recognize all too well. “You know how Louise gets.”

My own smile drops at the mention of Louise. Gigi had told me many times before that she did not like Louise because something about my stepsister felt wrong. She warned me that Louise is not as kind as she seems, but I never believed her words because Louise covered my eyes with sweet lies. I actually defended Louise against Gigi's concerns, choosing the viper over the friend who truly cared about me.

It's one of my deepest regrets.

But I'm not that gullible Daisy anymore.

Before Gigi can stand, I reach out and grab her hand, holding it tightly. "I know Louise isn't as innocent and kind as she looks," I say firmly, meeting her eyes with an intensity that makes her blink in surprise. "I'll protect you. Will you trust me?”

Her eyes are still wide in shock, as if she never expected that I actually had such a point of view, “I thought you…” she trails off, clearly struggling to reconcile this version of me with the one who always defended Louise.

“I was blind,” I cut her off softly. “I trusted her, but recently, I've started seeing things more clearly. You were right about her, Gigi. She's not a good sister. And I know that now.”

“I told you, and you are finally willing to believe me!” She smiles pleasantly and squeezes my hand. "I've been so worried you'd continue to be deceived by her. I was starting to think I'd lose you to her manipulation.”

"You won't lose me. I promise.”

She sighs. “So what are you going to do now?"

"Don't worry,” I pull her into a hug and whisper into her lush hair. “I won't let Louise succeed. You don't have to always walk on eggshells or leave because of her anymore. I'm going to handle this. I have you.”

“And I have you too,” she whispers back, and I can hear the trust in her voice. "I believe you. I've always believed in you.”

“Me too.”

We stay in each other's arms for a while. I don't have any plans on how to make Louise eat her own shit, and I'm making this up as I go, relying on memories of a future that has so many dimensions.

But I do know what Louise is capable of. I've lived through the consequences of underestimating her.

And this time, I have the advantage.

“Alright,” she pulls back slightly to look at me, her eyes searching my face. "Happy birthday, Daisy. This is going to be a year you'll never forget.”

Yep. She has no idea how right she is.

"Thank you," I murmur, touching the necklace she gave me. The charms feel like a talisman. A symbol among the many reasons for everything I'm fighting for.

Today is my eighteenth birthday. The day everything should have fallen apart.

But that’s not going to happen. Not anymore.