A chance at freedom.

After Eren left, the party ended almost immediately. No one saw the point in celebrating without the Alpha’s son, and the guests slowly filtered out of the Beta residence, whispering among themselves about Eren’s sudden, dramatic outburst.

 Dior looked completely shaken. 

He and Alvin hurried off toward the Alpha’s mansion, determined to beg for Eren’s forgiveness, leaving only one person behind.

​Me.

​I had spent the entire day preparing for the party, and now I would spend the rest of the night cleaning up after everyone.

​"You are the reason this happened!" Abigail snapped, marching over to me. "I told you to stay away from my party. Everywhere you go, you bring bad luck."

​I said nothing, simply continuing to gather the broken decorations scattered across the floor. 

Seeing that I refused to react only made her angrier. With a scoff, she tipped the remainder of her drink over my head. The cold liquid soaked through my clothes and dripped onto the floor I had just cleaned.

​She tossed the empty cup beside me. "Clean this place up," she ordered. "Then hurry home. I still have laundry waiting for you."

​Her friends laughed quietly before following her out, each of them looking at me with open contempt. Soon, the hall was silent.

​I cleaned alone, trying not to think about the ache in my chest. 

My mate hadn't claimed me. For so many years, I had dreamed that the Moon Goddess would finally give me someone who would love me, someone who would see me and take me away from this miserable life. Instead, nothing had changed.

​Tears blurred my vision as I swept the floor. 

While picking up the shattered pieces of a glass bottle, a sharp edge sliced across my finger. I hissed softly.

​“Oh, Lucia... don’t look so defeated. Better days will come.”

​I froze. "Laurel?" I whispered through our mind link.

​“Yes.” For the first time in days, my wolf answered me. “You’ve been especially pitiful today. Even I couldn’t ignore you anymore.”

​A sad smile tugged at my lips. When Laurel first awakened on my eighteenth birthday, she had been just as disappointed as everyone else. “Of all wolves,” she had muttered back then, “the Moon Goddess paired me with the weakest omega?” After that, she rarely spoke to me. 

She had remained silent even after discovering Eren was our mate. Until now.

​“We should talk to him,” Laurel suggested. “The Alpha’s son could save us from this life.”

​I shook my head. "If he wanted to, he would have claimed me in front of everyone." The words tasted bitter. "He doesn't want me."

​Laurel was quiet for a moment, then she sighed. “Perhaps. But neither do these people.”

​The truth hurt.

​As I reached beneath one of the tables to collect the last bits of rubbish, a folded piece of paper caught my eye. 

I picked it up. It was an application form for Mountain University, a prestigious institution located in another pack’s territory. 

Across the top, bold letters caught my attention: Full Scholarship Program for Outstanding Students.

​My heart skipped. I had never even considered attending university. Ebisha would never allow it. She needed someone to cook, clean, and obey, not someone chasing dreams.

​“You should apply,” Laurel urged.

​I blinked. "You actually think I can?"

​“You’re unbearable sometimes,” she grumbled, “but you’re intelligent.”

​A memory surfaced. I had graduated top of my class in high school, but instead of celebrating, Abigail had made me regret it. 

She claimed I had embarrassed her by outperforming the Beta’s own daughter. After that, I stopped trying. It was easier to make myself smaller than to keep paying the price for succeeding.

​I looked down at the application again. For the first time in a long while, hope stirred inside me. It was small and fragile, but it was real.

​“Don’t overthink it,” Laurel said. “If you earn that scholarship, you’ll finally have a chance to build your own life.”

​I reached into my pocket and pulled out my old phone. 

Its cracked screen resembled a spider’s web, but it still worked. With trembling fingers, I opened the university’s website and filled in every required detail. 

When I pressed submit, I held my breath.

​A few seconds later, my phone vibrated.

​Application Received.

You have been shortlisted for the scholarship entrance examination.

Examination Date: Two Days From Now.

​I stared at the screen. For the first time since turning eighteen, I finally had something to look forward to.