Chapter 1

The moment my parents heard Liam's answer, their faces lit up with smiles.

"Oh, darling, thank you so much. Victoria didn't save you for nothing."

Then my mother—Alice Taylor, Luna of Silvermoon Pack—pressed her hands to her face and sobbed with joy. "Our Victoria, the one we've been waiting for all these years—she's coming back!"

My father—Jack Davis, Alpha of Silvermoon Pack—pulled her into his arms, his own eyes reddening.

"We finally made it to this day."

"Jack, we never have to look at that fake and pretend she's her again!" My mother kissed him, trembling with excitement.

In their eyes, I had always been nothing but a stand-in for Victoria.

Ever since I could remember, they'd forced me to become her.

I never had my own birthday—I always celebrated hers.

Victoria loved mango cake, so every year on my birthday, that's what I got.

They'd look at me, call me by her name, and wish her a happy birthday.

Then they'd watch me eat it—knowing full well I was allergic to mangoes.

I nearly choked to death from the reaction.

And they just said Victoria would never have been that dramatic.

Victoria loved dresses, so even when it was ten below freezing and my skin was turning purple, they made me wear them.

Victoria was the strongest alpha of our generation, so they had me training every single day.

I pushed myself until I was on the verge of collapse, but I didn't dare stop—terrified they'd get angry if I didn't measure up to her.

Every single day of my life, I was learning to be Victoria.

Her hobbies, her tone, the way she walked… I had every detail memorized.

I tried so hard to become her, just to make my parents happy, just to make them love me.

But no matter how much I gave, all I ever saw in their eyes was disappointment.

"She's still not like her!"

"She'll never be Victoria!"

Every year on the anniversary of Victoria's disappearance, my mother would break down. She'd hit me, screaming through her tears:

"Why wasn't it you who disappeared?! You counterfeit—give me back my Victoria!"

I thought I just wasn't copying Victoria well enough, so I tried even harder.

I abandoned every piece of myself and became her.

The only person who ever made me stop was Liam.

At the wolf training camp, I was running drills against Victoria's combat footage, gasping for air, when Liam walked up and stopped me—his face dead serious.

"Margaret, stop mimicking someone else. You are your own person," he told me.

He gave me the courage to be myself.

And now—he was the one who just said yes to trading me away.

To bring Victoria back.

Even if it meant I might die.

The one person who actually gave a damn about me—he chose her too.

So in that moment, when he chose her, my heart clenched so tight it hurt.

"So you want her too? Not me?" My voice cracked, tears streaming as I screamed at him.

He turned his head away, guilt flickering across his face. His voice came out rough. "Victoria's been missing for so long—we've searched everywhere. This is just… a way to give the Alpha and Luna some comfort."

My whole body was shaking.

"So I'm just… the one who's supposed to be thrown away? Sacrificed?"

His brow furrowed.

"Margaret, stop making a scene. Your parents have been suffering all these years missing your sister. Can't you cut them some slack?"

I didn't say anything. I just clenched my fists and held his gaze, stubborn.

His frown deepened.

"Calm down first. We'll talk about the bonding ceremony later."

He turned to leave. I reached for him—and he shoved me off.

I stumbled and fell backward into the mud. My parents didn't even move to help me.

They were too busy happily discussing what to prepare for Victoria's return.

"Liam's right. Go cool off. Your sister coming back is a good thing—what's wrong with you, picking a fight with him?" My father shot me a look of pure disapproval.

"Just ignore her. She's always been like that—petty and mean. Nothing like Victoria." My mother didn't even bother hiding the disgust on her face.

Then they walked away together, arms linked.

The pack members who'd come to witness the ceremony saw which way the wind was blowing—no one wanted to offend the Alpha. They all got up and left.

In an instant, the once-crowded bonding ground was empty. Just me.

I could hear them whispering as they walked off.

In their mouths, I was nothing but "Victoria's vessel."