Chapter 3

I had to escape this territory. I needed money.

I went back to the dirtiest bar in town. Staring at the clock on the kitchen wall, I slaved away for fifteen hours a day.

So what if I was the combat prodigy who broke the record?

Right now, my hands were frozen red, soaking in harsh industrial cleaner as I scrubbed mountains of greasy plates.

If I just got my 800 bucks for the month, I could buy a ticket out of here.

At noon, the bar's entry bell chimed.

"Alpha! Luna!" The owner was a low-ranking wolf. His terrified voice pierced the noisy dining room. He bared his neck in complete submission.

I walked out carrying a tray of clean glasses and froze.

It was my parents, Rowan, Julian, and Willow.

They had just come from the fanciest boutique in the Capital. They were holding shopping bags of all sizes.

And me? I stood in front of them in a ragged apron covered in slop and grease.

Like a pathetic clown.

Sylvia's cold eyes swept over me. She scowled in disgust. "Harper, must you humiliate this family like this?"

I clenched my jaw and kept my mouth shut. I didn't need dignity right now. I needed cash.

Carrying my tray, I kept my head down and tried to walk around them.

"Harper..." Willow suddenly blocked my path, her eyes red.

She reached out her perfectly manicured hands, trying to grab my filthy sleeve. "Please don't be mad at the family. I know you're jealous I get to go to the Capital..."

I dodged her by instinct.

I didn't want to ruin her expensive designer dress. More than that, I just didn't want her touching me.

But the second I stepped aside...

Willow let out a bloodcurdling scream.

She threw herself backward in a dramatic fall and crashed onto the greasy floor!

"It hurts... it hurts!" Willow clutched her chest, gasping for air. Tears streamed down her face. "Harper's aura is attacking me! She hates me so much!"

We didn't even touch, and she claimed my wolf was attacking her.

What a pathetic lie!

But nobody even gave me a chance to explain.

"Harper!" Rowan let out a furious roar.

His Alpha command slammed into my back!

The sheer force pinned me to the corner. My knees crashed into the floor. A tearing pain ripped through my chest. The heavy taste of blood instantly filled my throat.

I gasped for air, glaring at the people in front of me.

Julian rushed over instantly.

He scooped Willow off the floor and held her tight. He was so incredibly gentle with her.

Then, he looked up at me. His eyes were full of disbelief and pure disappointment.

"Harper, how did you get so vicious?" Julian's voice was cold and accusing. "Even if you lost your Capital spot, you can't try to kill Willow! She's your own sister!"

I swallowed the blood in my mouth. Clenched my teeth. I didn't beg.

What was the point of explaining?

To them, fragile Willow was always the victim.

And I was always the jealous monster.

"Take her home. Call the Pack Healer." My father Marcus shot me a freezing glare.

They swarmed around crying Willow and left the bar without a backward glance.

Leaving me completely alone. I used the wall to drag myself up under the cold, disgusted stares of the owner and customers.

Evening hit.

The fifteen-hour shift was finally over.

I dragged my broken body to the register.

"Boss, today is payday." I wiped my hands, trying to keep my voice steady. "One full month. 800 bucks."

This was my lifeline.

It was my freedom, bought with shredded pride, dignity, and blood.

The low-ranking owner avoided my gaze. He wouldn't look at me.

His hands shook as he pulled a thin envelope from the drawer and handed it over.

The envelope felt weightless.

My heart dropped. I ripped it open.

Empty.

Not a single cent inside!

"Where is my money?!" I grabbed him by the collar. My eyes flashed red. My wolf howled like a maniac inside me.

"Harper... calm down!" The owner shook in pure terror, his voice trembling. "It was the Luna... The Luna sent the Head Enforcer to confiscate your entire paycheck!"

I froze like I'd been struck by lightning.

"The Luna said..." The owner gulped and stuttered, "She said to consider it a deduction for your monthly pack tax..."

Pack tax?

I lived in a drafty, rotting shack without even firewood for the hearth, and she was charging me 800 bucks for pack tax?!

"That's not all..." The owner lowered his head, his voice shrinking. "The Luna also said... you attacked Miss Willow today. So this money is going toward rare herbs to soothe Miss Willow's wolf..."

All the oxygen vanished from the room.

I looked down, staring at the empty, worn-out envelope in my hands.

My blood ran cold.