Alle Kapitel von The Unwanted Pack Daughter: Kapitel 1 – Kapitel 10

Dinner ended with Mom wrapping Lena’s scarf around her neck while Dad texted his driver to bring the SUV around. They were still arguing over who should handle Lena’s training before tryouts.“My school fees still haven’t been paid,” I said.Mom pulled out her keys. “Your father is handling school expenses this year.”“She’s registered with your pack,” Dad said. “Don’t dump the bill on me.”“She’s your daughter.”“Funny how you remember that when you need my credit card.”The manager hurried over to open the doors for them. Two patrol officers watched through the glass as I stood between my parents with the overdue notice in my hand. Neither wanted to take it, as if the first one who touched the paper lost.Dad finally transferred the money. “Competitions, applications, one thing after another. Why do you sign up for so much? Good grades don’t mean you know how to live in a real pack.”“The scholarship application was free. This is my regular school bill.”He glanced at his phone. “The

On the last afternoon before fall break, Dad’s SUV pulled up outside the school. The medal from awards night was still in the front pocket of my backpack. Neither of my parents had asked to see it.Lena’s skis and a brand-new set of snow gear filled the back. Mom was adjusting her goggles while Dad freed a strand of her hair from the zipper of her jacket and promised they would inspect the slopes as soon as they reached the cabin.Their smiles faded when they saw me, as though I had interrupted a family moment that was never meant to include me.Mom recovered first. “You don’t enjoy snow training. Staying here to study makes more sense for you.”“I never asked to go.” I held out the overdue notice. “The cafeteria froze my account. You said you’d transfer my living expenses last week.”Relief flashed across her face. “We need to get on the road. Grant, send her enough to cover it.”Dad shoved his hands into his coat pockets. “It’s Sea Cliff’s year. You deal with it.”“She’s your daughte

As the plane climbed, a sharp ache pierced the spot behind my ear. The bond didn’t snap with a sound. It simply vanished the moment we crossed the edge of Sea Cliff territory.My fingers tightened around the armrest. For a long time, I didn’t move.I’d imagined instant relief. Instead, the emptiness felt like walking through a house after all the furniture had been taken away and seeing its outlines on the walls. My wolf paced inside me, searching for the pack scent she had known since birth. When she couldn’t find it, she curled up and refused to come out.A flight attendant offered me water. I took two sips and emailed Ms. Bennett.[Everything is going according to plan. I’m on the plane.]I didn’t contact my family. They had received my acceptance letter, my graduation invitation, and copies of my transfer paperwork. Mom had responded to the request about clearing her storage room. Dad hadn’t responded at all.I had given them enough chances. I couldn’t turn the pain of leaving into

Two months into the semester, Dad sent me an old picture. I was nine, grinning through the gap in my front teeth while holding a map booklet Black Pine patrol gave to young wolves.[I remember how much you loved patrol when you were little. I guess your research grew out of that.]I stared at the picture for a long time. I had found that booklet in a box of discarded supplies. Dad remembered seeing it in my arms, but he didn’t know I had read it until the cover came loose.He was finally searching for pieces of my childhood. He was years too late.Mom mailed me a box of clothes with a note that said, [It gets cold there.]Most of the clothes were things Lena had outgrown. One sweater still had her name written inside the cuff. I texted Mom that I would sort through what I’d left at Sea Cliff in the spring and she could donate everything else.[I’m not cleaning out old clothes,] she replied. [I’m trying to take care of you.]I didn’t argue. Care shouldn’t arrive in a box and leave the r

Spring fieldwork began in a steady rain. Redwood, the county rescue service, and two nearby packs each sent a team into the mountains with portable radio repeaters. Our goal was to test the dead zones predicted by the model before another rescue went wrong.I was assigned to the eastern route with a research assistant named Callum. He could repair almost any piece of field equipment, but an old knee injury made him slow when he shifted. He had no problem admitting it.“Give me the equipment pack,” he said. “You can handle the sprinting.”I shoved a spare battery into his hands. “If you fall behind, I’m leaving a trail of granola bars.”“Make them chocolate, and we’ve got a deal.”We gave each other a hard time all morning, but we worked well together. That afternoon, one test segment produced results far outside the model’s range. I checked the coordinates and discovered that our map still treated a recently opened construction tunnel as solid rock.One of the partner representatives l