Chapter 1

The cause of death was severe blood loss.

That day was supposed to be the day I received the moonstone from Dad and became the heir of the pack.

The day before, another pack had appeared at our border for reasons no one knew. Amelia Dunleigh said she did not want to worry Mom and Dad, so she mind-linked me instead.

I was badly wounded protecting her, and my blood stained the snow red. She ran back ahead of me and even kept our parents from knowing where I was.

They deliberately ignored my mind-links too.

I dragged my broken body back, crawling one step at a time.

Mom and Dad had spent three whole months preparing for the coming-of-age ceremony, and I did not want to let them down.

In the end, no one cared about me. Everyone had gathered around Amelia as if she were the center of the world.

Outside the door, the entire pack had come together to cheer for Amelia becoming the heir.

My parents watched her with pride and introduced her to everyone. "This is our daughter."

It was not until someone finally remembered me that the cellar door was pushed open.

The moment the light came on, the crowd went silent for a second.

"Why is there so much blood?"

Blood covered almost the entire floor, and the walls were smeared with bloody handprints and dents where fists had pounded them.

The ambulance arrived quickly.

"You'd have to hit a wall really hard to leave marks like these. Didn't any of you hear it?" the doctor asked.

Someone answered weakly. "She always made a big deal out of nothing, so I thought this was more of the same."

Someone else remembered. "She did get out once. We were just worried she'd ruin today's ceremony, so we—"

The first time, I broke the lock and ran out to find someone to heal me.

The moment they saw me, they did not bother hiding the disgust in their eyes. Without a second thought, they knocked me out and threw me back into the cellar.

The second time, I pounded on the walls and caught the attention of an elder who had always doted on me.

He only spoke through the door, unhurried. "Elowen, the Alpha is doing this for your own good. Look how well-behaved Amelia is. Stop being so rebellious all the time."

My life was draining away fast, and I slowly lost the strength to escape. They thought I had finally learned my lesson and left satisfied.

"Where's her guardian? How old is she?"

Dad slowly pushed his way in from the back of the crowd, unable to speak for a moment.

Today was supposed to be my coming-of-age ceremony too.

"Where are her parents? Come here and explain what happened," the nurse was still calling.

Dad walked over, holding Amelia's hand.

Amelia wore a princess gown and a golden crown, and the moonstone around her neck glittered.

She dragged her feet, crying as if she had been wronged. "What's so urgent? Today's our coming-of-age ceremony, mine and Elowen's. It isn't even over yet and I haven't had any cake."

Mom did not even glance at where I lay. She hurried to comfort her. "It's just a cake. I'll get you ten different flavors later, okay?"

The nurse beside them clenched her fists and raised her voice. "Would you two please identify the body? And stop disrupting the scene."

Only then did Mom turn her eyes to my body.

The color drained from her face. She took two steps forward and forced her voice to stay calm. "Elowen, get up. Stop pretending. You're embarrassing yourself."

Amelia looked frightened and hid in Dad's arms. "Dad, why does Elowen look so scary? Does she not want me to have my coming-of-age ceremony?"

The doctor brought out the equipment and tried CPR, rescue breaths and the defibrillator, yet the line on the monitor stayed flat the entire time while the machine let out one long, steady beep.

I floated above them, watching as if it were a TV drama that had nothing to do with me. My heart had gone so cold that even the smallest flicker of feeling seemed pointless.

Only then did Mom realize something was wrong. "Elowen! Wake up!"

I would no longer rush to soothe her the way I used to, forcing out an "I'm fine" even when my life hung by a thread.

Only silence answered her.

This time, I did not have to pretend to be strong anymore.