"You're not Pack lineage. Move to the servants' quarters and work off your obligation." On my birthday, my parents handed me a fake lineage report with cold smiles. All because my sister said she wanted our parents to herself for a year, they dragged me into the dirt with their own hands. I didn't cry. I didn't scream. I just pulled out my phone and silently accepted my offer to Royal Crescent Academy. A year later, they cheerfully went to fetch me back. But when they saw the completely empty room? They went insane. Chapter 1 On my birthday, my parents handed me their gift: a lineage test. Mother smiled coldly. "The results are in, Leanna. You aren't Shadow Moon Pack lineage." Father didn't even look up: "Since you're not my daughter, you owe us for seventeen years of Pack resources. Hand over your Alpha heir title and move to the servants' quarters." "You'll work at Omega wages—no room, no board—until every cent is paid back." I didn't cry or scream. I just nodded calmly. Because last night, I had overheard everything outside their bedroom door. My twin sister, Hannah, had whined: "Mother, Father, my birthday wish is to be your only daughter! Just for one year, make Leanna a servant so I can have you all to myself!" Father had kissed her forehead: "Anything for our princess." Mother had smiled: "This year, we are all yours." They forgot that Hannah and I are twins. It was my birthday, too. Except my wish was completely different. I didn't want their love for a year—I wanted to leave this Pack forever. I pulled out my phone and silently accepted my offer to Royal Crescent Academy. But Mother and Father? They went completely insane. ... "Oh my god, Leanna!" Hannah covered her mouth and let out a sharp breath. "No wonder you're so hideous! You don't look like Father or Mother. Turns out you're just a fake." She said it loudly. Dramatic. The whole pack could hear. It was ridiculous that she'd forgotten we were twins. "So you're not my sister. You're just some rogue who crawled out of nowhere." Mother's face was distant and cold. "Leanna, the truth is plain. You are not our child. Tonight's party is for our real daughter." "You don't get to attend." I glanced at Hannah, her face glowing with triumph. Custom gown. A diamond crown worth a mansion. A silver Shadow Moon High pin on her torso—one of a matching pair, made for us sisters. Mine sat on the table in front of Father. And me? Faded shirt. Old jeans. Frayed cuffs. I smiled bitterly. How could you lose something you never truly owned? Father raised his voice. "Tonight, you move to the basement servants' quarters." "Since we raised you for seventeen years, you may stay and work here until you find your birth parents. Repay us for every bit of those seventeen years of care." "Omega wages. That's final." Pack members whispered. No one questioned the report. It had the Pack Registry seal. And the one who announced it was their Alpha. Beneath all those taunting, mocking stares, I bent to sling my backpack over my shoulder like a wretched clown. Hannah rushed over and yanked it hard. My broken zipper, held by a single pin, burst open—everything spilled. Hannah screamed. "See! I knew it! You've been stealing from us!" Among the scattered books lay a pink sanitary pad. Mother shifted uncomfortably. "Hannah, let it go. It's just a pad." "Mother, I'm the only daughter of Shadow Moon Pack now. What is she?" "Freeloading for years and now stealing from us." "I say she doesn't deserve it, so she doesn't." Hannah's heel crushed down on the pad. "There. I don't want it anymore. It's yours." I stared at the pad marked with her footprint. A heavy, suffocating weight settled in my throat. Finally, I bent down. I only picked up the books. Left everything else on the floor. After the party, Mrs. Warren, the housekeeper, led me to the basement storage room. About fifty square feet. A wooden bed buried in junk. A rusted iron window. The air reeked of damp and mold. Mrs. Warren stood in the doorway, hesitating. "Princess... Leanna, Alpha and Luna may only be angry for the moment. Once they calm down..." Her words trailed off as two cockroaches darted out from the corner and scurried away. She turned away, shook her head, and muttered as she left. "They look identical. How could she not be..." I sat on the wooden bed and pulled a fresh admission letter from my bag. Royal Crescent Academy was one of North America's top werewolf academies. It trained not just Alpha heirs, but also top warriors and healers. Today, I'd planned to tell them the good news at the party. There was no point now. I put the letter away, pulled out my phone, and booked a flight to Boston for seven days from now. ... That night, cramps hit. I had run out of pads entirely. I crumpled some toilet paper into a wad and tried to sleep. Coming out of the bathroom, I heard hushed voices down the hall. Mother's voice was soft. "Marcus, will Leanna hate us for this? She's still our biological daughter." Father snorted. "She kept picking on Hannah." "As the older sister, she never knew how to give in. Some hardship will do her good." "After a year, when Hannah's had her fun, we'll say the lineage test was wrong. Restore her status. She'll be thrilled." I stood in the dark, nails digging into my palm. The pain kept me sharp. Absurd. Ridiculous. What made them think that after being trampled into nothing, I'd just stand there waiting? They planned to restore my status in a year. But in seven days, I'd be gone. Chapter 2 The next day, I went out to buy pads. At checkout, the cashier told me my balance was insufficient. Impossible. I had 200 bucks saved. I knew I did. I walked home empty-handed. Back at the Alpha house, I pushed open the door. The three of them sat around the dining table, laughing. A gift bag sat in the center. Mother held the scarf like it was woven from moonlight, stroking it over and over. "My dear Hannah, you're such a thoughtful daughter. This means so much to me." Father spun the thermos in his hand, grinning just as wide. "I love your gift, sweetheart. That's my darling girl." Hannah pouted, leaning on Mother's shoulder. "But these two gifts only cost 200. You guys don't think it's too cheap?" Mother shook her head immediately. "Of course not. Anything you get for me, even something that costs 2 bucks, I'd treasure." Father didn't miss his chance to put me down and cheer her up. "Exactly. Unlike Leanna, who just spends the pack's cash and never bought us a single gift. Ungrateful. Nothing like you, Hannah..." They noticed me standing there. The conversation stopped abruptly. Hannah tilted her head and looked at me, her smile sharp with malice. 200 bucks. Two months of allowance. All my savings. I went cold. My wolf slammed against my ribs in rage. Before I knew it, I had grabbed Hannah's wrist and raised my hand. "Give me back my cash!" But the blow never landed. Father kicked me hard. My back slammed into the sharp corner of the coffee table. Sharp pain blinded me for a split second. Hannah raised her arm—barely a red mark—and wailed. "Father! Mother! It hurts! Did she break my wrist?" Mother shouted, panicked. "Call the healer!" Father grabbed the car keys. "Healer? No time. I'm driving Hannah to the pack clinic." Hannah pointed at me, crumpled on the floor. "I don't want to ride. She hurt me. I want her to carry me there." The nearest pack clinic was thirteen miles away. Mother give me a cold look. "Do what Hannah says." Father saw me struggling to get up and yanked me to my feet. "Stop faking. It was just a bump." "Carry Hannah to the clinic right now. If you make her injury worse, I'll kick you out of the pack this instant." I knew he wasn't bluffing. I couldn't leave yet. Not now. I crouched, hoisted Hannah onto my back, and stumbled toward the clinic. Father drove slowly behind us. "Leanna, keep her steady. If you drop my darling, I'll skin you alive." Mother frowned. "Walk faster! Don't delay my darling's treatment." Hannah leaned on my back, smug. "See? Nobody in this pack loves you." "You're just a stray dog nobody wants!" Words like that used to slice deep. Now I felt nothing. When I didn't react, Hannah went quiet. But just before we reached the clinic, a pin hidden in her pocket pierced deep into my back. I staggered and hit the ground. Mother and Father pulled the car over at once and ran to us. They pulled Hannah off me and rushed her into the clinic. Mother glanced back. "Since you're already here, go see the healer by yourself. We don't have time for you." I didn't go in. I had no cash. I sat on the steps until dark, then walked home. When I opened the door, they were waiting for me. So were two strangers. Middle-aged. Stained jackets. Hands twitching nervously. They reeked of cheap liquor and stale fumes. "Perfect timing." Father pointed at them. "These are your real parents. Go with them. Now." Chapter 3 The air went dead quiet. Mother walked over and took my hand, but her eyes stayed glued to the floor. "Leanna, listen—this isn't easy for anyone. But your real parents are here now. There's no reason for you to stay." I thought I could no longer cry. But tears spilled anyway. Seventeen years. For seventeen years, I had fought to earn their love, to prove I deserved a place within this pack. But they wouldn't even give me a corner to sleep in. Mother's hand started to lift—Hannah grabbed it before she could touch me. "Leanna, congrats. You're finally not a rogue with no parents." The middle-aged woman rushed over and grabbed my hand. Her nails were black and hard, digging deep into my skin. "My girl! We finally found you! Come on, let's go home!" The man claiming to be my father grabbed my other arm. "Yeah, let's go. Alpha and Luna have been more than kind. Don't keep pushing your luck here." "Wait." Hannah rolled her eyes and spoke with a grin. "Leanna, shouldn't you... thank Mother and Father or something? On your knees? I mean, unless you're embarrassed about being a rogue's daughter..." I froze. I turned to Mother and Father. "You think I should kneel too?" They both looked away. But silence was answer enough. "Come on, Leanna," Hannah said softly. "Everyone's waiting." I laughed, sharp and shattering. Something inside me shattered completely. Hannah wanted a show? Fine. I looked Mother and Father straight in the eyes and said it loud enough for the whole pack to hear. "We're done. You and me. And I've got nothing to do with Shadow Moon Pack from now on." Mother and Father exchanged a glance. I saw a flicker of panic in their eyes. But I'd already turned away, walking toward the strangers at the door. Mother's voice chased me into the hallway. "You still owe us cash! Everything the pack spent on you…" I stopped. Didn't turn around. "Fine." They thought they'd spent a fortune on me. They forgot. The daughter they gave everything to was their precious Hannah. Me? 300 a month. And most of it went to Hannah anyway. If I refused, she'd cry to them. Claim I bullied her and made her miserable at school. They'd lock me in my room. No food. Sometimes for days. Once, she told them I pushed her so hard she wanted to die. They made me stand outside in a storm. All night long. No going back to the Alpha house. No shifting to stay warm. I spiked a fever. Nobody came to check on me. It was always like this. They believed every word Hannah said. Nothing I told them mattered. My words. My tears. My pain. Worthless. Just like me. ... That night, I ended up in a run-down apartment reeking of mold and rot. Even rogues avoided it. No bed. No blanket. I slept on the bathroom floor. Windows stuffed with newspaper. Freezing wind slicing through the cracks. By morning, I couldn't stop shaking. Through the fever haze, I heard a woman's voice on the phone. "Alpha, Luna—she's sick. Really sick. She's running a fever." "Then take her to the hospital!" Then Hannah's voice came through the speaker, loud and clear. "Father, don't you think this is suspicious? She left last night, and suddenly she has a fever today? She's obviously faking it to make you feel guilty." Silence hung for a moment. Then I heard Father take a deep breath. "Don't call us again. She made her choice. Let her live with the consequences." Mother's voice, sharp with irritation. "She's not our daughter anymore. We're taking Hannah to pack training. Stop bothering us." The line went dead. No one came for me. I had no idea how long I stayed on that bathroom floor. At some point, I realized I had to move, or I'd die there—wolf or not. And then I'd never make my flight in six days. So I crawled. Bathroom to hallway. Hallway to front door. Front door to the street. Half a block before my legs gave out. I hit the pavement hard. That was the last thing I remembered.
Not enough history yet to show a trend.