Chapter 1

Elena's pov

The day was indeed a stressful one, the last student had just left the classroom after the loud ring of the bell above the class door, and I finally let myself breathe. My desk was a mess, and my feet ached in my shoes. Another nine-hour day. Another stack of bills is waiting for me at home. But at least I got my pay today, will quickly cash it out on my way home.

I slipped into the restroom, did a touch up on my sweaty face. Then dash out to make a withdrawal.

Bank notes, Coins, it was a small money that made me feel rich because they were mine. My chest rose and fell with an exhausted type of satisfaction. People liked to whisper that I was just a criminal's daughter, a charity case accepted at Lycan Academy. But those gossips did not yield anything. I did that. I worked my ass for this. My sweat.

As I folded the money into my worn-out wallet, I thought of Marcus. The thought always came unsought, growing warm in my chest even when I tried to put it out. Marcus Blackthorn. My Alpha heir. My boyfriend of five years. My future, if only I held on long enough.

His world was one of creme de la creme, the 1% of the 1%. Vast estates, and effects that extended farther than I could imagine. But with Marcus, I believed our two worlds could unite. I believed we could be one regardless of our social background. Marcus made me believe so. He told me onetime on one of our sweet moments, that I was different, that he loved how I didn't suck up like the other girls he had met and I held onto that. I told myself, if I stayed devoted, disciplined, and patient, I would become his Luna.

I was going to have respect and a sense of belonging. And I wanted to wipe off the dirt my parents had rubbed on me.

I tucked my hair behind my ear, straightened my jacket, and forced my tired body into motion. The bus stop was cold, the night air biting. A bus came and I got on it. I quickly got a window seat and pressed my forehead to the cool glass.

Each time I thought of Marcus, my wolf stirred inside me, restless. She was always unsettled when I thought too hard about him, but I pushed her unease down.

He loves me, I whispered to her. He's my future. He has to be. Marcus said appearances mattered. That one day, when I was Luna, no one could laugh at my background because I would carry the Blackthorn name. I repeated those words in my head, it was my mantra.

The bus came to a halt at my destination and I lazily got down. The street was calm, though I could still hear the distant hum of insects and the faint bark of stray dogs. I walked quickly, eager for the warmth of home.

But when I turned the corner, my steps slowed down.

There, parked neatly in the driveway of the small townhouse Marcus and I shared, was a car I knew too well. Sleek, shining even under the dim streetlight. My best friend's car.

Gina.

My heartbeat fastened. What is she doing here? I thought

Maybe she came to drop something off. Maybe Marcus called her for something about the pack. My wolf had other ideas.

It growled low inside me. Suspicion, sharp and hot, rolled through my chest.

I shook my head. No. Gina was my friend. My only true friend. She knew my secrets, my shame, the nights I cried about Marcus's sharp words. She defended me when others mocked my father.

I swallowed and unlocked the door, pushing it open slowly.

Warmth greeted me, but not the kind that comforted. It was dense, scented. A scent that was not mine clung to the air sweet, floral, detailed.

I stepped inside, heart thumping. The living room was dim except for the golden glow of the lamp. Shoes littered the floor. Gina's. Marcus's. Together.

"Marcus?" My voice cracked.

A softened laugh. Female. From the direction of our bedroom.

My chest surrendered.

I walked forward, each step heavy, my body moving before my brain could stop me. The door was slightly ajar, shadows flashing against the wall. I pushed it open.

And my world shattered.

There they were.

Marcus, without a shirt, his lips pressed against Gina's neck. His hands intertwined in her hair. Her body arching against his like she owned him.

For a moment, my brain denied what my eyes had seen. I stood frozen, the notes I had cashed out slipped from my hand.

"Marcus?" My voice was barely a whisper of doubt.

He froze, turned his head, his eyes widened just enough to sell out shame before turning into cold irritation. Gina gasped, she held the sheet to her chest, and shame flashed across her face before she turned her face away.

Something inside me snapped. Not a scream. Not a sob. Just silence, sharp and empty. I swallowed hard, my throat tight.

I was not ready to hear any excuses. My body moved on instinct, carrying me out of the room, down the hallway, through the front door.

The bang of the door against the frame echoed so loudly behind me.

As I stepped out, the cold night air sliced my skin as I slipped into the street. My breath came out in a burst of speed, and my vision was blurred with tears. My wolf howled inside me, angry and hurt, demanding to tear, to destroy. But I held her back with my trembling fists.

I walked out of the driveway and I hated the sight of the car I once admired. Each step I took was agony, it was like walking on pins.

Five years of loyalty, of swallowing my pride, of clinging to Marcus as if he were my salvation. Five years of fantasies, of whispering to myself that his love would erase my shame. But it was all over now and I was left with nothing but the broken pieces of my heart.