CHAPTER 1

"Why are you so different? Why can’t you just be small and petite like the other girls in the pack?"

Those were the words I had heard the most since puberty hit me and I began to develop just like any other lady was supposed to. I guess growing to have more curves than the others became a convenient excuse for girls like the one standing in front of me right now to always find a reason to pick on me.

"What if she sways the minds of our mates with that hourglass figure and that full chest?" one shrieked, shoving hard at my shoulders.

"The Moon Goddess made a mistake giving a nerd like her such a body," another muttered, shoving me back yet again.

That was two steps I had taken away from them now, and I still hadn't uttered a single word in my own defense.

Like they said, the Tracy Harnold they knew was a nerd who preferred spending time buried in books and research in the medical wing of the pack. I did my absolute best to avoid meeting pack members unless they needed to be treated, or if a pack meeting was mandatory.

"See how she isn’t uttering a single word?" the first girl called out, laughing loudly now. "One would think she’s mute with how quiet she is."

I forced my head down the exact moment I felt a small crowd of pack members approaching us. My palms clasped together tightly, and I kept my eyes glued to the floor as I spoke.

"There’s nothing I can do about how the Moon Goddess made me," I muttered, keeping my voice incredibly soft. "If I could trade bodies with any of you, I would do it in a heartbeat if it would put you at ease... trust me." I grabbed the hands of the girl next to me, raising my head just enough to meet her eyes. "Trust me, I would never gun for your mate or anyone else’s. The mate bond is too sacred for me to even consider such a thing."

I finally let her hands fall, lowering my eyes back to the floor. "I’m sorry if my body offended you in any way," I finished in a small, trembling whisper.

"Why the hell are you bullying such a poor girl over things she has no control over?!" a lady’s sharp voice rang out, followed by the sound of hurried footsteps approaching us.

I felt warm hands wrap around me, pulling me gently to the side. "You can raise your head up, love. You have no reason to hide in front of ones like this," she muttered, tilting my head up slowly.

"It’s fine, miss," I countered gently, biting my lower lip to look distressed. "They’re right about everything they said about me."

"Like hell they are! Just because you’re reserved doesn’t give them the right to look down on a poor girl. It’s so pitiful, really," she added.

The crowd that had gathered behind her nodded in agreement, all throwing looks of pure pity my way while whispering about how unfortunate I was.

"You stay away from her, girls, or next time I’ll bring this up directly to the Alpha," the lady said firmly, before helping me walk away from their presence.

As we walked, I tilted my head back slightly to glance at the girls who were fuming behind us, and the edges of my lips curved upward into a subtle, victorious smirk.

"Thank you so much, ma'am," I muttered, squeezing her hands gently as we came to a stop in front of the medical wing. "I have no idea what I would—"

"Don’t be sorry, love," the lady cut me off, offering a pitiful sigh. "They only pick on you because you don’t fight back. We’re wolves, fighting is in our blood. So how are you so weak, love?"

"Just watch out for those girls, they might come back," another lady in her group called out as they finally turned to walk away.

I bowed slightly, keeping my eyes submissively on the floor until they were completely out of sight. The moment they cleared the tree line, I straightened my posture, dusted off my clothes, and let my expression completely drop.

"What trouble did you get into this time around that someone had to accompany you back here?" my dad’s voice rang out the moment I stepped foot into the lab.

"I’m sure she remained silent while girls who are half her size picked on her," my mom added, shaking her head lightly without looking up from her microscope.

"What was I supposed to do then? You didn’t teach me how to fight, and I’ve always been stuck here researching with you," I breathed lowly, pulling out a stool and settling down.

"Wolves don’t need to learn how to fight, Tracy. It’s born within each and every one of us."

"I guess the Moon Goddess excluded that feature when she was forming my genes, just like she excluded a perfectly normal, petite shape from it, too," I mumbled, sticking my bottom lip out in a well-practiced pout.

"This is exactly why everyone in this pack always talks about how pitiful you are," my mom muttered sternly, turning around to face me properly. "They always have to help you out when you get picked on, and word of how unfortunate and fragile you are has spread completely through the pack. Imagine how those rumors affect our family's reputation."

My eyes met the floor yet again. This habit... I didn’t think I could let go of it anytime soon. It was far too useful.

"You guys know absolutely nothing about the woman you gave birth to and claim to have trained," my brother’s deep voice called out as he strolled into the lab from the back room.

My head immediately snapped up. Oh, he better not.

"Does she look weak in your eyes, Dad?" Mark added, stopping right in front of our father’s desk.

"Does she not? You’ve seen how the rest of the pack treats her, Mark. Pushing her around like a rag doll," my mom muttered with an exasperated sigh. "I wonder how her mate will cope when she eventually finds one." She stood up, stretching her arms. "You should talk to her. She’s your sister, after all."

Mark looked like he was about to say more, but I quickly stood up from my chair, shooting him a warning glare.

"I’m used to our parents' words already, brother, so don’t bother defending me," I breathed, intentionally ignoring the amused, knowing smirk settling on his face. "I can’t change the way I was born."

My dad groaned, getting up from his desk as well. "We’re leaving. I can’t stand hearing that I gave birth to a weakling," he added, taking my mom’s hand in his. "Finish the observation before we get back. We need to check the condition of our potential Alpha," he added, walking out the door without another word.

The exact moment the door clicked shut behind them, I turned around and slammed my hand on the table, facing my brother with a harsh, lethal glare.

"Would it fucking kill you to keep that darn mouth shut for once?!"