Chapter 1

Myla eyed her reflection in the mirror with a tinge of annoyance. Seriously, what age was her elegant figure supposed to lock in? She was just a day away from turning 18, yet here she was, still a bit on the chubby side. And she didn’t want to cut back on her love for food, not one bit.

With a sigh, she glanced at the clock—5:33 am. She had just finished cooking breakfast for the pack’s elders. Helping them every morning was something she genuinely enjoyed, but the ungodly early hours were starting to wear on her. She hefted the giant food box onto her back, ready for the morning delivery.

If only she had her wolf with her right now, she would’ve sprinted back to the house with the wind whipping through her fur, the pavement a blur beneath her paws. Instead, she stomped back inside and headed for the shower, pointedly ignoring the bruises she’d inadvertently given herself during her morning duties.

Her wolf, or rather the absence of wolf-like behavior, weighed on her mind. It boiled down to two possibilities: either she had no wolf at all, or her wolf was the most calm and collected one in the world. She got dressed quickly, slipping on her crescent moon-shaped earrings. Her foster father, Alphonse Scara, gave them to her on the first day she came to live with him. She’d worn them countless times since, maybe even a bit too much, but they were her first gift in life, and she treasured them.

Alphonse, the leader of the Moon Stone pack, had taken her in when she was just eight, orphaned by tragedy. Being part of his family came with its blessings and curses. Blessings included the love and care she received, treating her as his own. The flip side was the deep-seated resentment from his son—a sentiment that cut deep. She’d been foolish enough to fall for him, to develop an inexplicable crush.

‘Well, I can’t be blamed. He’s really...’

Her train of thought derailed as Alphonse walked into her room. An involuntary eye twitch followed; this was one of the top reasons she yearned to escape the pack’s confines. Privacy was practically non-existent; anyone could waltz in whenever they pleased, no knock, no warning.

The pack operated like an oversized family, extended to the maximum degree. But seriously, didn’t they get that families needed personal space too?

“Good morning, Myla. Thanks for the food you delivered; the pack wouldn’t know what to do without you,” he said as he settled onto her bed.

“Oh, it’s nothing, Mr. Scara,” she replied, brushing imaginary dust from her worn-out clothes. She was seething inwardly. No one touched her bed; that was the one rule she managed to enforce. Why was the leader of the pack disrespecting that rule?

Alphonse abruptly fell off the bed, seemingly embarrassed, as he got up from the floor.

“I forgot about your rule, sorry,” he said with a smile.

“I hope you’re preparing well for tomorrow—happy birthday in advance,” he winked and quickly left the room.

Myla rapidly blinked, bewildered. ‘What just happened? Why did he fall? Was he divinely reminded or something?’ Unbeknownst to her, his son had witnessed everything. He gritted his teeth and stomped downstairs.

Myla walked to school happily, but her demeanor instantly switched when she entered the building. This school was among the top ten reasons she had to leave the pack.

As she walked down the hallways, whispers followed her from three corners. Now she wasn’t sure if she heard voices since none of their mouths were moving, but the looks they sent her way were worse than any words.

Why were they picking on the orphan kid? Oh, that’s right—she was taken into a powerful family. Not like she chose it or anything.

She hunched over, trying to minimize her presence as she hurried to her locker. She had dropped her bag and picked up the needed books when she was smacked in the head with a locker door by Hailey Bark. She didn’t need to look; she already knew who it was.

‘She picks on me like it’s my fault she has a stupid family name,’ Myla thought as she tried to walk away.

“Oh my, I didn’t see you there, Myla. You need to be more careful,” Hailey said, a smirk passing across her face.

Myla nodded and continued walking away when Hailey grabbed her and smacked her into the lockers.

“Oh, sorry. I must have exerted too much strength. I forgot you were the pack loser with no wolf,” Hailey laughed. Myla could have sworn she saw stars.

“Oh my, I didn’t mean to say it like that,” Hailey’s face looked innocent and sad. The people around were trying to comfort her instead of the girl who had been smashed into the lockers.

Myla sighed. She was getting tired of this game.

“I tried—I tried to get along with Myla, but she hates me. She hurt my face,” Hailey slid to the floor in an Oscar-worthy performance.

Myla’s eye twitched again. The third reason she wanted to leave this godforsaken pack—why were bitches allowed to roam free?

Before she knew it, she was pushed to the locker, a hand beside her head and a palm bruising her shoulders.

“How dare you?! Apologize to her right now,” Alex growled. This was the part she hated the most—her foster brother and his stupid alpha strength. His face twisted in a sneer as he grabbed her shoulder with the entirety of his large hand. She took two seconds to admire his handsome face before yelling in anger.

“Why you support a stranger over your father’s daughter?!” She purposely didn’t look away. His look of fury was too hot to pass up, even if he was a douchebag.

“Report to the principal’s office now!” He shoved her to the ground. Myla held back tears. He did this enough that she shouldn’t be surprised anymore, but whenever words like those fell from his mouth, she felt like death.