The day I got an S-rank in Senior Combat, I posted in the family chat: [Silverfang Cove graduation trip--when are we leaving?] Silence. An hour passed. No one answered. Then my little sister Nessa messaged: [Need a sponsor! Moonrise Festival tickets just dropped!] Mom and Dad instantly wired a grand. [Buy four tickets. The whole family's going.] Mom added a little wolf-kissy emoji. My brother Callum asked, confused, [Didn't we already go to Silverfang Cove last month for the Moonrise Festival?] What? They went last month? And me? Left waiting like a fool? [When did you guys--] Drowned. Dad: [We'll go again. Unity is our Pack's creed. No one gets left behind.] Whole family? Once again, leaving me out. Once again, ignoring my message. Once again, breaking a promise. If there was never a place for me in their world... Then I won't force my way in anymore. I left the chat and changed my application from Silverfang Academy to Moonshore Defense Academy, th0usands of miles away. For years to come, that road home would no longer have me on it. Chapter 1 The day I got my S-rating in Senior Combat, I sent a message in the family channel: [Silverfang Cove graduation trip--when are we leaving?] Silence. An hour went by. No one answered. Then my little sister Nessa messaged: [Need a sponsor! Moonrise Festival tickets just dropped!] My parents instantly wired a grand. [Buy four tickets. The whole family's going.] Mother added a little wolf-kissy emoji. My brother Callum asked, confused, [Didn't we already go to Silverfang Cove last month for the Moonrise Festival?] What? They went last month? What about me? They left me waiting like a fool? [When did you guys--] Drowned. My father: [We'll go again. Unity is our Pack's creed. No one gets left behind.] Family? They left me out again. They filtered my message out again. They broke their promise to me again. If their world never truly had a place for me-- Then I wouldn't force my way in. I left the chat and changed my application from Silverfang Academy to Moonshore Defense Academy, countless miles away. For years to come, that road home would no longer have me on it. ... The page confirmed the change. [Laurel Calder, welcome to Moonshore Defense Academy!] I reopened the family channel. Two minutes. 99+ messages. Nessa posted a screen capture. [Four tickets booked. This year's Moonrise Festival is huge--no matter what, everyone's coming with me!] My parents chimed in right after. [Reporting! All schedules adjusted, awaiting our little princess's orders.] Callum replied with a wolf-pup-salute emoji. Every message got a reply. No exceptions. Except mine. My messages vanished without a trace. My gaze drifted to the channel name. Welcome Home, Laurel🐺 It was built three years ago, specifically for me when I was brought back to Silverpine Pack. I was born during a huge territory relocation. My parents lost me when rogues attacked. For fifteen years, I lived in Willow Ridge with the she-wolf who found me, Maura Rossy. Willow Ridge was a remote border territory--just vast forests, low wooden cabins, and the patrol bell that rang every dawn. Until three years ago, during a border patrol, the scent-bond among wolves led my parents to me. When I first returned to Silverpine Pack, I thanked the Moon Goddess day and night. My father was one of the Pack's strongest Gamma Captains. My sister was the Pack's lovely spokesperson. My brother was the Alpha heir's second-in-command trainee. And the Calder Family had a label everyone envied in Silverpine Pack-- Unity. Closeness. Always protecting their lineage. The perfect family. When I was brought back, they did welcome me warmly. Since everyone was busy, they set up this channel for me. They said: just call out in here if you need anything, and we'll all come help. But whether I asked for the new school location or the way home-- No one ever answered. They always said they were "used to the four-person dynamic" and "needed time to adjust." But wasn't I the one who needed to adapt? Three years. Their go-to phrase--"the four of us"--never made room for me. Callum messaged: [Pack Grill for burgers tonight?] Three replies instantly: "Yeah." "Of course." "Sounds good." Pack Grill was just across from the market, a ten-minute walk. I held my stomach and stood up-- Mother sent a private message: [We four are going to Pack Grill tonight. There are leftovers in the kitchen--just heat them up.] But the kitchen only had two-day-old venison chili, with a layer of cold grease congealed on top. I took a photo and sent it to her. Half an hour. No reply. Until an hour later, the door opened. Callum walked straight to his room, eyes glued to his phone game. Nessa came in with shopping bags in both hands, humming as she went upstairs. I turned back to the TV and didn't move. Mother set down her bag and frowned at me. "Really? We come home and don't even get a greeting?" I snapped, "Did you greet me before going to Silverfang Cove?" Mother turned to my father, confused. "Didn't you tell her?" My father frowned, as if trying to remember. "She... didn't go that day?" I clenched my fists, my claws nearly digging into my skin. My wolf paced restlessly inside me, as if she didn't understand why the scent of the family she trusted most suddenly felt foreign. I'd waited the whole summer, more than a month, with eager eyes. Every time I brought up Silverfang Cove, they said to wait. And in the end--I was the only one left out. I pulled out my phone and sent Mother an emoji. A few seconds. No response. But for Callum and Nessa's messages, my parents had set custom howl notifications. Mother waved her hand impatiently. "So you didn't go. There's always later." My father nodded along. "Laurel, you're the older sister. Stop competing with Callum and Nessa and making things hard for us." "Competing?" I retorted. "You promised me Silverfang Cove." "If I got into Silverfang Academy, you said we'd go there to visit and get familiar with the area." Mother finally looked at me. "So what's your combat rating?" My father sighed. "Laurel, with your weak wolf, we're already sparing your feelings by not asking about your grades." "Sometimes not asking is protecting you. Isn't that enough?" I fell silent. The instant my results came out, I'd saved a screen capture and posted it in the channel. In case they missed it, I sent it again in a private message. Senior Combat Rating: S State Combat Ranking: No. 6 But even now, no one had seen it. Chapter 2 I'd been dead last before. The first combat test after I was brought back--I ranked at the very bottom of my cohort. Willow Ridge's little school didn't have a full combat program. No proper training grounds. No professional instructors. When I entered Silverpine High, I couldn't keep up with the training pace at all. The day grades came out, I saw disappointment in my parents' eyes for the first time. After the parent-teacher conference, my father said just one thing to me: "Laurel, you're a Calder." From that day on, I pushed like my life depended on it. When everyone else finished training, I stayed. Combat drills I didn't know--I ran them over and over. To build endurance, I'd run through the woods until dark, until Iris collapsed in the back of my mind and refused to move. I even convinced myself that if I could just be as good as Nessa, they'd finally see me. Then Nessa messed up. Brought home a D on her wolf-control test. Mother didn't look disappointed. My father didn't frown. That's when I got it-- There are endless excuses for being ignored. They're all just covers for one simple truth. I didn't bother defending my final rating. Quietly, I walked back to my tiny room--a converted storage closet--and started packing. Then I pulled out my phone and bought a ticket to Moonshore Defense Academy. Three days out. ... The next day, I went to the territory center to shop. Moonshore was down near the southern coast. Way hotter than Silverpine. I picked up sunscreen, breathable training gear, and a new pair of combat boots for field training on the beach. When I got home, Mother was just coming out of my room. She'd pushed my suitcase onto the balcony. "Good thing you already cleared everything out. Saves us the trouble." "Laurel, you'll sleep on the couch for a few days." I stared at her. "Why?" "Because I'm turning your room into a private training space." Callum poked his head out, grinning. "My second-in-command track instructor said I need a dedicated spot." "Anyway, you'll be in the dorms once you start at Silverfang Academy. No point letting the room sit empty." Mother tossed my blankets onto the balcony. "Couch or a human hotel--we'll book you a room. Don't worry, we're not abandoning you." She let out a breath. Like she'd finally managed to shoo away a guest who wouldn't leave. Honestly? I felt nothing. Didn't matter where I slept. In three days, I wasn't coming back. Mother pressed a photo into my hand. "Here. Your family picture fell on the floor. Keep it safe." I looked down at it. In three years, that was the only group photo with all five of us. The Calder Family took formal portraits every year before Pack Founding Week. The first year, they said they'd already booked a four-person package and couldn't add me last minute. The second year, I finally got in one--but they said the frame was tacky, so they retook it on their four-person trip and threw out the one with me in it. This year? I didn't even know they'd taken it. I stared at the photo. Five people, alright. My father, Mother, Nessa, and Callum in matching dark blue formal wear, Silverpine Pack crests pinned to their lapels. Only I was in my Silverpine High training uniform, shoved to the edge. The lighting, angle, shadows--all wrong. They'd removed me from a school photo and pasted me in. Just like in this family--always a blurry ghost. A shadow tacked on after the fact. It almost looked like I belonged. But if you really looked, you could tell I didn't fit. I turned, walked into the kitchen, ripped the photo to shreds, and dropped it in the bin. I didn't need a fake family. Chapter 3 That night, I grabbed my blanket and got ready to crash on the couch. Nessa blocked my way. "My friend's coming over in a minute. She's staying for two days. What's it gonna look like if she sees you sleeping here?" "Word gets out, and people will start saying we're abusing you." I stared at her. "So you actually know this isn't fair?" She went quiet for a second. "Do you have to talk like that?" She gave me a dirty look and went to get backup. Mother and my father came out and jumped in without thinking. "Nessa's just looking out for the Calder name. Why do you always have to make a scene?" "Laurel, are you even part of this family?" Three years back, and I'd been excluded the whole time. Now they needed me to be the bigger person, and suddenly I was family? I looked at them calmly. "So--where do I sleep?" Mother had it ready. "We'll book you a room at a hotel in human territory." My father added, "Just two nights. Once Nessa's friend leaves, you can come back." That was my place in their lives. Lower than an outsider. But it was the last night, and I didn't care anymore. "Fine." I walked to the balcony and grabbed all my stuff. My bus leaves tomorrow afternoon. I could check out and head straight to the station. This house? Not coming back. Mother texted me the reservation info, then finally noticed my luggage. "It's only two nights. Why are you bringing everything?" I shrugged. "Too messy piling it on the balcony." They were about to ask more, but Callum rushed out and grabbed them. "The designer sent two mood boards for my training room. Help me pick one!" Their heads turned toward his phone. I turned. Closed the door. The lock clicked, and for a second, I felt like I was back three years ago. Same suitcase. Same backpack. Back then, I'd been excited--hopeful. Now I was leaving with the same luggage and only one thought-- The farther, the safer. ... The hotel was near the human airport. The wolf scent in the air was so faint I could barely catch it. The instant I swiped the key card, a blast of mildew hit my nose. I threw open all the windows. The wallpaper was peeling at the edges. The AC rattled like it was about to die. The window faced a dimly lit parking lot. My stomach tightened. Lately, there'd been news about hidden cameras in human hotels. What if this place had one too? Iris stirred low inside me. Check it. My wolf rarely got this alert around human spaces. I followed a tutorial I'd seen and started sweeping the room. In the bathroom, I found it--a hidden camera. Right above the shower. My spine went cold. Iris bristled in my head, a low growl rumbling through her. I didn't think. My hand dialed Mother before my mind caught up. No answer. Third time, she picked up. "Mother..." My hand shook around the phone. "This hotel isn't safe. I found a camera--" Mother interrupted me, annoyed. "Then you should call the cops." "Nessa's throwing a welcome party for her friend, and I'm swamped." "Laurel, you're old enough. Figure it out." The line went dead. The dial tone hit my ear like a dull blade, slicing through my last shred of hope. I unlocked my phone and dialed 911. Then I grabbed my bag, opened the door, and stood in the brightest part of the hallway to wait. I wasn't going back in that room. Ten minutes felt like an hour. The cops took statements, gathered evidence, and brought me to the station for a report. By the time I signed off, the moon was already up. I stared into the dark, the fear still crawling under my skin. The officer noticed. Asked if I needed a ride home. I shook my head. That wasn't home anymore. "If it's not too much trouble--could you drop me at the station?" ... Five days later, back at the Calder house. Nessa's friend was gone. Callum's training room was done. Mother tidied up the couch as if something just hit her. "Alright, call Laurel back. She's got a place to sleep now." My father pulled out his phone and dialed. "We're sorry, the number you have dialed is not in service..."
Not enough history yet to show a trend.