Chapter 3

My temples throbbed, and my chest grew tighter.

Because my wolf was unstable, I couldn't handle this kind of conflict.

I wasn't up to arguing with them. I pushed myself up from the sofa.

"I'm not feeling well. You should all go."

Before I could turn away, hands clamped around both my wrists.

Noah and Lisa each had hold of an arm, gripping so hard my wrists went red right away.

"You're not going anywhere until this is settled."

Noah frowned. "Apologize to Marian and eat the cake. Then we'll forget this ever happened."

Lisa chimed in. "Marian was nice enough to buy you a cake. Don't be so ungrateful."

I stared at them, suddenly struck by how absurd it all was.

"I'm allergic to chestnuts. The healer said I can never touch them for the rest of my life.

"You forgot. I didn't."

All four of them froze.

While they stood there stunned, I pulled my hands free, went upstairs, and locked my bedroom door.

Early the next morning, I brought a gift to Margaret, the Luna of our Shattered Star pack, to say goodbye.

She'd been close friends with my grandmother.

Before Grandma passed away, she often brought me to her house to play.

Now that I was leaving, it was only right to tell her.

When I reached the courtyard gate, I heard one of her people reporting to her.

To give them some privacy, I stepped aside to wait.

"Della? Why didn't you wait for me?"

Marian suddenly appeared beside me. She pitched her voice just loud enough for the people in the courtyard to hear. "I get it. You didn't wait for me because I'm just an Omega, lowborn and not worthy of meeting the Luna with you..."

I frowned at her.

"What are you talking about?"

She sounded hurt. "I know you look down on Omegas. You think we're beneath you..."

Inside, the voices went quiet, and footsteps approached behind me.

I cut her off. "The Luna's in a meeting with her people. If I went in now, I'd only be intruding.

"And that was a dirty trick."

Marian suddenly burst into tears. "I didn't know..."

Just then, Victor, Noah, and Lisa came around the corner.

They went over to Marian and stood protectively in front of her.

"Della, you've gone too far."

Victor's voice was cold and hard. "Marian's already sensitive and terrified of making mistakes. Why would you say she did something wrong in front of the Luna?"

Noah chimed in. "You know Marian worries about bloodlines and status more than anything, and you still said that on purpose.

"How did I never notice before how vicious you are? You can't even stand your own sister."

Their words left a heavy, bitter ache in my chest.

I remembered the winter ten years earlier.

When I first met Marian, her older siblings had been abusing her because she was an Omega. She didn't even have a warm coat. She stood shivering in the snow.

I felt sorry for her and gave her my fur coat.

My parents saw her injuries and felt sorry for her too. They asked the pack's elders to witness her formal adoption.

I looked at them calmly.

"I've never bullied Marian, and I've never looked down on her."

Marian sobbed louder and took a ticket out of her pocket.

"Della, I had someone buy another ticket for the extra show tomorrow. Please, forgive me."

She acted so humble, as if she'd been wronged at every turn.

Victor only grew angrier. "Della! Marian's done all this, and you're still throwing a fit?"

Noah took the ticket and tore it to shreds.

"If you won't forgive her, then don't go! And we're never watching stand-up with you again!"

When Margaret opened the door and came outside, Lisa immediately complained to her. "Luna, Della is being completely unreasonable!

"Marian bought her a new ticket to apologize, and she still won't let it go."

Victor and Noah immediately nodded along.

The three of them surrounded me, as if I'd done something unforgivable.

I stood there and suddenly wanted to laugh.

Once, Marian had wanted a moonstone tiara for a banquet.

The day I went to buy it, my wolf form suddenly became unstable, and I passed out on the way.

By the time I woke up and got there, someone from another pack had already bought the last one.

I had a craftsman make her a new one overnight. In the meantime, I lent her my own moonstone and gave her the shawl she'd always wanted.

No matter how I tried to make it up to her, Victor and the others were never satisfied. They acted as if I owed Marian.

Noah and Lisa joined in, calling me selfish and cold-blooded, and saying I looked down on Omegas.

I'd explained. I'd apologized. It still wasn't enough.

Now all Marian had done was buy a ticket to the extra show, and they said I was the one who wouldn't let it go.

I watched them turn everyone against me again, all to protect Marian.

I didn't even have the strength to argue.

I was leaving tomorrow anyway.