Chapter 1

The day I received my admission letter, I instinctively shouted toward the living room of the packhouse, “Dad, Mom, I got in! I’m SSS-Rank!”

“I can finally go to the Realm and meet Hunter and Aaron at the academy!”

The only answer was silence.

Four small dolls sat on the couch: Alpha Dad, Luna Mom, my brother, and my mate, Alpha Aaron.

They stared at me with their round button eyes, silently keeping me company, just as they had on countless nights before.

That was when I remembered.

A year ago, my sister Lydia had gotten sick.

They said it was because my grades were too good, that I had put too much pressure on her and nearly driven her to suicide.

Somehow, I became the person who needed to be hidden away. They sent me to a run-down apartment an hour from our pack.

On my first night there, a drunk man next door banged on the wrong door. I hid under the blanket, too terrified to even cry. I called my parents, my brother, and Aaron again and again, but the only thing I heard was the cold, endless busy tone.

Just before dawn, Mom finally sent a message.

Stop calling. Lydia gets upset whenever she sees your number.

After that, I made those four dolls to look like them.

They ate with me, slept beside me, listened to every bit of progress I made, and listened to the sadness I had no one else to tell.

But this time, when tears slipped down my face, I didn’t reach for them.

I stood there and looked around the cheap apartment I had lived in for the past year.

Paint peeled from the walls in large patches, exposing gray concrete underneath. The curtains had been washed so many times they had turned stiff, and dark mold stains clung stubbornly to the corners. The old air conditioner buzzed overhead, but all it blew out was hot air.

During the hottest months of exam prep, I sat at that desk every day studying. By the time I finished a single paper, I had sweated enough to shower twice.

And yet the Greenwood Pack wasn’t poor.

My parents, Hunter, and Lydia lived in a grand four-story packhouse built like a castle in the center of our territory.

Lydia had her own study, her own music room, even a separate room just for her dolls and collectibles.

When they sent me away, Mom had only frowned and said, “It’s just for a year. There’s no need to rent anything expensive. Once the warrior selection exam is over, we’ll bring you home.”

But more than half a month had passed since the exam results came out, and no one had mentioned bringing me back.

I lowered my eyes and reached for the dolls, intending to put them away, when my phone suddenly buzzed.

It was a message from Mom.

Jenna, come back to the packhouse later. We need to discuss university applications.

I stared at the words come back to the packhouse. The part of me that had already gone cold stirred again despite itself.

Maybe they still remembered me.

I hurried downstairs. The bus felt too slow, so for the first time in my life, I splurged on a car.

When I pushed open the packhouse door, the living room was lively.

Dad, Mom, Hunter, and Aaron were all there.

Lydia sat in the center of them, surrounded by four beautifully wrapped gifts. Mom stroked her hair, her voice impossibly gentle.

“Sweetheart, you did so well this time. Your combat rank was B-Rank. Our pack only has four C-Rank warriors and one B-Rank, and that’s you. Lydia, you can go to college in the Realm now.”

Hunter grinned. “Then it has to be Lunar Crest Academy. It’s the best werewolf academy, and I’m there too.”

Aaron frowned. “No. She should go to Eclipse Warrior Institute. It’s basically the Ivy League of the werewolf world, and I can take her to the coast.”

The two of them argued as if they were fighting over the most precious treasure in the world.

I stood in the entryway like a thief who had wandered into the wrong house.

After a long moment, Mom finally noticed me. The smile on her face faded a little.

“Jenna, you’re back.”

The laughter in the room stopped instantly.

Lydia shot me a glare, gathered up her gifts, and disappeared into her room. The others looked at me awkwardly until Hunter spoke first.

“Why are you standing there? Come sit down.”

I walked over in silence and sat on the single armchair at the far end.

Dad cleared his throat. “Your rank came out?”

I nodded. “Yeah.”

“And?”

I had barely opened my mouth when Mom cut in.

“That’s not the important part. We asked you back to talk about university applications.”

She avoided my eyes, “Don’t apply to schools in the Realm.”

“Lydia studied for a whole year just to reach this rank. If you go to the Realm too, she’ll probably have another breakdown.”

My fingers dug into my palm. The pain spread slowly, almost numb.

They knew perfectly well that the best werewolf universities in the entire realm were in the Realm, the territory ruled by the Alpha King.

But for the mere possibility that Lydia might feel upset, they were willing to give up my future without hesitation.

I looked at Dad, unwilling to give up.

He nodded immediately. “Listen to your mother.”

I turned to Hunter.

He frowned as if the answer were obvious. “The Seaside has good schools too. Go there. It’s closer to the pack.”

Finally, I looked at Aaron.

He kept his eyes lowered and couldn’t meet my gaze.

After a long silence, he said quietly, “Jenna, you’ve always been smart. You’ll do well no matter where you go.”

“But Lydia is different. She needs someone to take care of her.”