Chapter 2

They grabbed plates, loading them with food I'd spent the last hour preparing. None of them said thank you. None of them ever did.

As they filed out, Seth lingered behind. I felt his hesitation before he spoke.

"Happy early birthday," he said quietly, so his brothers wouldn't hear.

My head snapped up in surprise. "How did you…"

"Pack records. I was looking through them for a history project." He shifted uncomfortably. "Your file was there."

Before I could respond, Declan's voice boomed from the hallway. "Seth! Now!"

Seth gave me one last look, something unreadable in his expression, before hurrying after his brothers.

I stood alone in the kitchen, the scent of bacon grease and maple syrup hanging heavy in the air. My file. What else had he seen? Did he know about my parents? About what I really was?

The dream voice whispered through my memory again: *You must remember what you have forgotten.*

But some things were better left buried. I'd learned that lesson the hard way.

I finished preparing breakfast as the other pack members started to arrive to take their breakfast. They said nothing to me, which isn’t unusual and left me to eat. Omegas came in to take over. None of them spoke to me, which is normal, and well, I know I have to get ready for school.

‘Crap, my first shift is in two days, I need to find somewhere to do it, guess that’s a job for me after school. Thankfully, the Alpha heirs ain’t at school anymore, so at least that’s something.’ I think to myself, leaving to wash my hands and get ready for school.

I splashed cold water on my face in the tiny bathroom attached to the servant quarters, watching as droplets ran down my cheeks in the cracked mirror. The girl staring back at me looked tired, older than her almost-eighteen years. Dark circles shadowed my blue-green eyes, and my hair hung limp around my shoulders.

The first shift. I'd been dreading this moment for months, knowing it was inevitable but hoping somehow I could delay it indefinitely. Most wolves shifted for the first time on their sixteenth birthday, but I'd been a late bloomer, or so everyone assumed. The truth was, I'd been suppressing my wolf so thoroughly that she'd barely stirred in years. But as my eighteenth birthday approached, I could feel her growing restless, pushing against the barriers I'd built.

I pulled my hair back into a messy ponytail and grabbed my worn backpack from the floor. The weight of my textbooks felt heavier than usual as I slung it over my shoulder. Maybe it was the exhaustion from another sleepless night, or maybe it was my body preparing for the change to come.

The hallway was mercifully empty as I made my way toward the front door. Most of the pack members had finished breakfast and gone about their daily routines. I could hear the distant sounds of children playing in the common room and the low murmur of conversation from the dining hall.

Just as I reached for the door handle, footsteps echoed behind me.

"Ruby."

I froze. Alpha Marcus's voice carried the weight of absolute authority, and it was rarely directed at me unless I'd done something wrong. I turned slowly, keeping my eyes respectfully lowered.

"Yes, Alpha?"

He stood at the end of the hallway, his massive frame filling the space. Even in his fifties, Marcus Gallagher was an imposing figure, with broad shoulders, steel-grey hair, and eyes that seemed to see straight through you. The quintuplets had inherited his size, though none of them quite matched their father's commanding presence yet.

"A word," he said, gesturing toward his office.

My stomach dropped. Had he somehow learned about my transfer plans? Did he know what I was planning to do after my birthday? I followed him down the corridor, my sneakers silent on the polished wooden floor.

His office smelled of leather and pine, the walls lined with pack histories and territorial maps. He settled behind his massive oak desk and studied me for a long moment. I remained standing, waiting.

"Your eighteenth birthday is in two days," he said finally.

"Yes, Alpha." My voice came out steadier than I felt.

"And you'll be experiencing your first shift soon after."

It wasn't a question. I nodded, not trusting myself to speak.

Marcus leaned back in his chair, his fingers steepled beneath his chin. "The pack has been your home for eleven years, Ruby. You've served faithfully, without complaint."

Where was this going? I'd never heard him use that tone with me. “Alpha?”

“Your parents should be here,” he said, “you should have been able to grow up in your own pack.”

“It’s fine, Alpha, I appreciate everything that you have done for me upon my packs falling.”

His words stunned me into silence. In eleven years, Alpha Marcus had never once acknowledged my loss or my origins. I'd been treated as nothing more than another mouth to feed, another pair of hands to work. To hear him speak of my parents now sent a jolt of confusion through me.

"I..." I struggled to find the right response. "Thank you, Alpha."

He waved away my gratitude with a large hand. "Your father was a good man. A strong Alpha."

My heart hammered against my ribs. "You knew him well?"

"Well enough." His eyes took on a distant look. "We trained together as young wolves. Different packs, but the Council often brought promising Alphas together."

This was entirely new information. I'd spent years piecing together scraps of my past, and now he was offering pieces freely. I didn't trust it.

"Why are you telling me this now?" I asked, then immediately regretted my boldness.

To my surprise, he didn't reprimand me. "Because what happens after your first shift matters, Ruby. Your bloodline is pure Alpha. When you shift, that power will awaken."

My mouth went dry. "I don't understand."

"Don't you?" His gaze sharpened. "You've been hiding your wolf, suppressing her. Most late bloomers show signs of restlessness, of the wolf trying to break free. You've shown nothing."