Chapter 1 - Sunshine

Hated.

It felt like I was born with the word branded on my skin.

The Blackwood Pack's celebrations were my own personal hell, a repeated reminder that I was an outsider, forever peering in. Maybe I was a fool to ever think I truly belonged.

As the pack's lowest servant, I was a shadow, always running, always jumping at the beck and call of the higher-ups. "Hey, servant! More wine, you useless mutt!" a Delta barked, his voice sharp with impatience. I felt like a trapped animal, ready to bolt.

"Please… just a moment!" I begged, a single tear clinging to my cheek, too fragile to even fall. I raced down the hallway, returning as quickly as I dared with a fresh bottle of red wine. "Here it is, Delta Stan…"

"Just get out of my sight. You're an eyesore!" another Delta grumbled beside him. I didn't need to be told twice. I fled the room.

This was my life, a never-ending cycle of servitude and scorn. The Moon Goddess, if she even existed, had clearly forgotten me. I was less than dirt, an afterthought. She probably had more worthy wolves to bless. I found myself back in the hallway, my thoughts spiraling down. For a moment, I let myself hope for something better. "I need to disappear," I thought desperately, turning towards the safety of my tiny room.

But before I could reach it, a sharp tap on my shoulder stopped me. Stunned, my body trembled as I slowly turned, bracing myself for the usual abuse. But then, my eyes met Lysander's, and a surge of relief pierced through me.

"Cousin! Was that really necessary?" I asked, addressing my kin, who had recently become the Alpha's Beta.

"Cousin? Are you serious? You're even dumber than the pack thinks. Go get more soup for the pack members in the outer chamber." He ordered, his voice dripping with a hostility I barely recognized.

I stood frozen, paralyzed by his words, until he shoved me with unexpected force. I stumbled, struggling to keep my balance, but failing. I braced myself with a hand, watching as Lysander walked away, as if I were nothing more than dust on the floor.

'We were supposed to be family', I thought, a wave of bitterness washing over me. Did kinship mean nothing in the face of wealth and power? Could my parents, who lived far from the Manor, feel the same disdain, willing to sacrifice me to protect their own standing?

Hating me was a way to climb the ladder, a shortcut to favor. But I was nothing, a nobody. So what was the point?

Daring not to anger my cousin any further, I ran as fast as I could to the kitchens, ladling generous portions of steaming soup and delivering them with obedience. As I emerged from the outer chamber, my eyes met Lysander's again. He glared at me as if I were his sworn enemy. "We're supposed to be family," I muttered under my breath, my voice barely audible. "I should be under your protection. If not for me, then for the sake of my father, who raised you after you lost your own parents." He let out a harsh laugh, then spat on me without a second thought.

I recoiled in shock, staring at my tattered dress, his saliva glistening like poison in the dim light. A surge of rage coursed through me. How could he be so cruel? Tears welled up in my eyes, blurring my vision.

"Now get lost before I throw you off the mountain cliff," he threatened, his voice cold and menacing, and I didn't hesitate to flee.

Finally, I found refuge in my cramped room, its walls closing in on me like a suffocating embrace. I ripped off the soiled dress and quickly changed into another, equally worn, but at least free of his disgusting spittle.

"The Alpha is about to make his entrance!" I heard Lysander announce at the top of his lungs, followed by the shrill clang of the summoning bell. The familiar thunder of wolves running echoed through the halls, signaling the start of the ceremony.

The Alpha must not reach the meeting hall before everyone else. It was pack protocol and a sign of respect.

I rushed out of my room and joined the stampede, squeezing through the throng of wolves. When I finally reached the hall, I was relieved to see that the Alpha had not yet arrived. "Oh, look, even lowly Sunshine thinks she matters," a she-wolf sneered, drawing the attention of the surrounding wolves to my presence. "Can you not stand beside or behind me? Your very presence is offensive."

Laughter erupted as I retreated, feeling a wave of humiliation wash over me. I was terrified of being pushed outside the meeting hall altogether, but no one wanted to be associated with me. "Hey, you should be cleaning and serving. You have no business listening to the Alpha's announcement… unless you actually think you have a chance of becoming the Luna," someone jeered, their voice dripping with sarcasm.

How could the Moon Goddess make me so visible, only to subject me to such constant embarrassment? "I…"

The laughter intensified, effectively silencing me.

"Her name is Sunshine," a woman said, her voice laced with a hint of amusement. "Who knows, she might actually bring a positive light to our Alpha and the pack if the Moon Goddess decides to grant her a chance." My body tensed at her words.

I dared not become the Luna of this pack. I wouldn't survive a single day.

"She'd only bring bad luck and a sun I despise," another added, their voice filled with venom. I continued to shrink into myself until I found myself outside the meeting gate. I couldn't bring myself to go back in. The shame was a tangible barrier, holding me back.

"What do I do now? The Alpha mustn't see me out here," I whispered to myself, my voice barely audible. I took a deep breath and squeezed my way back inside, steeling myself for the inevitable onslaught. The worst they could do was kill me, I reasoned, trying to find some semblance of courage. I made my way through the crowd, this time, all eyes were on me, their gazes burning into my skin. I could feel their judgment, their scorn, their utter disdain.

I just kept moving, trying hard not to touch anything or anyone, until I found myself in the center of the room, close to the table laden with drinks that everyone planned to toast with after the Alpha's speech. I stared at the bottles, my mind racing. 'If there were already enough drinks, why did Lysander request more from the store earlier today?' I shook my head, trying to dismiss the thought, and stayed put, hoping to simply endure this ceremony night and escape with my life.

I could feel all eyes on me, but I acted as if they were nothing, even though their gazes felt like tiny daggers piercing my skin. "So tell me, Sunshine, who do you think stands a better chance of becoming the Alpha's chosen Luna?" Gia, a she-wolf known for being the Alpha's childhood friend and rumored to be his future mate, approached me, her eyes narrowed. I turned, desperately searching for a space to breathe, but found none. I glued my gaze to the ground, hoping to become invisible. Everyone laughed, their amusement echoing through the hall. "Oh, that's right! You could stand a better chance if you grovel enough, right? Xander is thick in bed!" Gia spat, her voice dripping with venom. My ears burned as the laughter grew louder. She sounded so confident, one would think she had already sampled the Alpha's delights. "Don't you think so? Oh, lest I forget, you haven't had a taste of the Alpha, have you?"

"Even if she died today and woke up tomorrow, she could never have a taste of the Alpha. She belongs to the rogues," a he-wolf sneered from the gathering, his words laced with cruelty.

My body tensed, every muscle coiled tight. I brushed back my long hair, trying to regain some semblance of composure, and managed to meet Gia's gaze. She stared down at me with utter disgust, her eyes filled with malice.

"How dare you look at me?" she hissed, her voice barely a whisper. "Now you've just fallen into my trap."

Kick!

"Argh!" I cried out as I fell hard on the floor, clutching my stomach in agony. "Gia, I didn't deserve that!" I managed to gasp out, and a collective gasp rippled through the crowd.

The audacity! They thought, fueling Gia's already burning anger. "You haven't even tasted the Alpha, and you think that mere fantasies give you the right to disrespect and challenge me in front of everyone?" She spat, her face contorted with rage. She grabbed my hair, yanking me to my feet with brutal force and shoving me straight towards the huge table filled with glasses and bottles of wine.

I crashed into the table with a sickening thud, the sound of shattering glass filling the room.

Bottles shattered, their shards cutting into my skin, as the heavy table toppled over, crashing down on my head. I looked up in distress, the shame washing over me like a tidal wave. It was a heavy weight, suffocating and wearing me like a cursed dress. Words disappeared from my lips, lost in the sea of humiliation. I knew I would bear the full brunt of the Alpha's wrath for this. "Alpha Xander will kill me!" I cried silently, my eyes darting towards the door with tears already streaming down my face.

The door suddenly flew open with a resounding crash, and the Alpha made a grand entrance, his council flanking him. He stopped abruptly, his domineering gaze sweeping across the room, taking in the scene of utter chaos before him. His eyes, dark and piercing, locked with mine, and I shivered with a chilling certainty that my life was about to finally end.