I'm Emma.

I'm a she-wolf. But I don't know what category I fit into.

My wolf looks more like a dog, and because of that, I'm a laughingstock to everyone.

Not that I wasn't already, since I'm the only one who's different here. Our pack is Momblack. Everyone has dark eyes and black hair, including my parents, who are the Alpha's Betas.

Both my father and my mother are Betas. Their strength nearly rivals that of an Alpha.

I'm the "freak" because I'm nothing like them.

I think if my brother Enzo hadn't been born alongside me — the golden child, their precious one — they would have accused my mother of betrayal.

I've asked my mom about my birth many times, but she says she doesn't remember much because she passed out as soon as my brother came out.

The only person who was with her disappeared mysteriously right after the delivery.

She said that night there was a blackout so complete she couldn't see a hand in front of her face — not even with our night vision.

A violent storm was knocking trees onto houses, so my father and the other wolves went out to help.

She said she screamed, but no one she knew came — until a woman appeared claiming to be a midwife. She didn't know the woman, but she was too weak to question anything. She just needed help.

She says my father found her asleep, already cleaned up, with two babies beside her.

He says that in that moment, he felt an incredibly powerful energy emanating from the babies.

But as soon as he laid his eyes on me — as our gazes met at the same instant — he "felt" that I was inferior to my brother.

As the days passed, with everyone treating me as less than him — since I was born thinner, frailer — my parents stopped sensing that power.

They took my brother to the pack's elder councilors, who said it was because he was still very small, and that the power would only be released along with his wolf.

I practically grew up alone. My father wouldn't let me play with Enzo, which made Enzo hate me.

The Alpha had a son the same day we were born. Enzo and he are best friends. Daniel will be the next Alpha. He, along with everyone else in town, loves making my miserable life even worse.

My mother is the only one who still shows me a little affection. It's nothing like the love I see in her eyes for my brother, but it's the bare minimum to keep me from feeling completely alone.

At school, I lived through hell on earth.

Everyone abused me, both physically and mentally. I suffered for being weak. I suffered because my wolf came early and was ugly. I had my first transformation at fourteen. My hair, already blonde, turned platinum white. I thought my face was beautiful, but everyone told me I was hideous. When I looked in the mirror, I swear I started believing I was hideous too.

In the pack, everyone is dark-skinned with black hair and light eyes.

Everything was stacked against me.

When my wolf emerged, I didn't have the strength to sustain her and ended up passing out. They found me in the forest. I was unconscious for three days.

I woke up with my parents in the room and my mother crying — because my father was demanding to know which dog her wolf had tangled with to produce this abomination.

Not understanding what he was talking about, I forced a transformation even though my body was still weak. What I saw in the large bedroom mirror was a feeble, sickly wolf — she really did look like a dog.

But that wasn't how I remembered it. I recalled that when I first transformed by the lake, I saw an enormous wolf with soft fur that seemed to radiate fire.

My mother wept, saying she had never betrayed him, that her wolf would never accept an affair. My father, blind with rage, refused to hear any of it.

He rejected her right there in front of me. I watched my mother scream in agony. I saw her wolf whimper. I felt that pain.

He looked at me, grabbed my frail little wolf by the scruff of the neck, and dragged me to the front of the Alpha's house, where a crowd had gathered to watch.

He threw me on the ground like a sack of potatoes. I was pelted with stones while everyone called me a freak.

My body ached. My eyes were barely staying open. Late that night, after spending the entire day curled up on the ground under the sun, I felt my body being lifted and cradled for a long time.

I woke up the next day in the middle of the forest, in a cabin, alone.

I had no memory of how I'd ended up there.

I returned to the pack a few days later and found my brother with the Alpha's son and their girlfriends at the house.

My father wasn't there. My mother wasn't either. I heard he'd gone searching for witches to restore my mother's wolf — that he'd regretted what he'd done.

He just didn't regret leaving me out there to die.

There was already a suitcase by the front door.

Julia, my brother's girlfriend, handed it to me with a smile.

I thought that was strange, since she doesn't like me.

Daniel and Cintia still tormented me, calling me a BITCH and other names I'd rather not repeat.

Enzo threw me out. I ran back toward the house because I caught my father's scent.

I didn't want to see him.

I reached the cabin, and when I opened the bag, I collapsed to the floor.

Inside was a dead dog, and all my clothes were soaked in dried blood.

It was horrific. I closed the suitcase and set everything on fire.

Going back inside, I found a bag with clothes, some fruit, and fresh meat on the small table.

"But — how?" I whispered.

I searched around the cabin but found no one. I couldn't even pick up a scent.

I never imagined that at fourteen, I'd have to fend for myself. The worst part was always the sleeping. It wasn't fear of being alone or sleeping in the dark — it was the disturbing dreams that haunted my nights.

I dreamed about the day they stoned me. I dreamed about things I'd never lived through, yet they felt real.

I'd wake in the middle of the night sensing a presence in the cabin.

But I saw no one.

"Is someone there?" I called out.

Silence.

No one answered.

Morning came, and an old man arrived at my door. I recognized him — the head of the Council. He told me I had to go back to school.

I didn't want to. I really didn't.

I already knew everything I needed to know. I'd always been the best in every class.

After a month of enduring attacks at school, I decided to stand my ground. I tried talking it out — that didn't work. So I punched Cintia square in the face. They expelled me, and honestly, I was glad.

Did I get beaten for it afterward? I did.

But at least I wouldn't have to see those bastards' faces every single day.

I spent two days in bed waiting for my bones to heal on their own. My healing process is slow.

Once again, I had no idea how I'd gotten home or who had carried me back.

Before leaving school, I'd taken several books from the pack's magical library.

I searched for any case like mine and found nothing — except one passage about a prophecy. It spoke of a daughter born of light and darkness who would bring salvation to the magical nations. Her powers would awaken when her first mating unleashed the supreme powers in both wolves.

Her mate would accept her as she was, and together they would reign over the earth.

I found it bizarre and didn't pay much attention. It had nothing to do with me anyway.

I thought about training magic. Even though I wasn't a witch, I wanted to try — and I succeeded. I trained for days.

In this place, I had no worries, no troubles.

I sensed that presence again — every time it brought food and clothes for me.

But I could never make it reveal itself. After training hard, I sensed the presence one morning, so I cast a magical barrier around the cabin, trapping it inside.

"Show yourself," I demanded.

Silence.

"Come on."

Silence.

In the dark corner of the room, I could make out the silhouette of a man. He didn't speak, but he watched me intently.

"Who are you? Let me see your face."

"I can't materialize for you, little one," Shadow said.

"Why have you been helping me?"

"It's my duty. Since you're talking to me now, let's start your training early."

"I don't understand," I said, trying to step closer.

"Don't come any closer," he warned.

"I stopped where I was. If he'd wanted to hurt me, I was certain he would have done it already."

"I'm going to help you strengthen your body through combat training and magic. Your wolf will only become her true self when your mate accepts you. By then, she'll be strong."

From that day forward, I spent my days fighting and strengthening my body.

Shadow told me I needed to be mentally strong too — or I could die easily if something ever hurt me badly enough.

My trips into town were rare, but every time I went, I came back with some new injury or more hatred in my heart.

I didn't want to hate the people I'd always hoped would love me.

But even the woman I once called "mother" now threw stones at me and blamed me for losing her wolf.

Enzo and his little friends followed me all the way out here and kept coming to intimidate me. I'd thought about blowing their brains out with a fireball, but Shadow said it wasn't time yet.

On my fifteenth birthday, I spent it alone. Not even Shadow appeared.

On these milestone days, we feel our wolves stirring inside us.

I hadn't transformed since the first time.

I didn't even know how to hunt.

I was at the edge of the lake behind the cabin, where I took my baths.

I sensed Daniel's presence.

Before I could react, he was on top of me.

I tried to scream, but his hands were over my mouth. I clamped my legs shut, but he forced them apart. I tried to break free with magic, but I was too panicked to control it.

I tasted the metallic tang of blood — from a punch he'd thrown that split my lip.

He was saying things that didn't make sense. He said I'd been calling out to him. He called me vile names. Just when I thought he was going to succeed in what he was forcing — I felt him hurled away, and he went dark.

Shadow carried me inside and made me sleep.

I woke up the next day, terrified.

But he assured me that monster hadn't managed to violate me.

Out of fear, I only went to the pack in the mornings, when all the young wolves were at school.

Daniel didn't come near me again. But he didn't leave me in peace either. I couldn't get anything I needed in town. I couldn't even buy clothes because he'd paid everyone to refuse to sell to me.

He already acted like he was everyone's Alpha, since his father had never set any limits for him.

Characters

Emma, 15 years old

Enzo, Emma's brother, 15 years old (hasn't awakened his wolf yet)

Daniel, 15 years old, future Alpha

Cintia, Daniel's girlfriend

Julia, Enzo's girlfriend.

I don't understand the point of dating when they know they might not even be true mates.

I received a message from my mother. She wants to see me at her house today.

I already know what it's about.

"Are you sure you want to face that family, little one?" Shadow asked.

"I have to go. If I don't, they'll come to me, and I don't want them here."

"I'll come with you."

"Then let's go."

Shadow has been by my side ever since he brought me to this cabin. With my magic, I'd managed to fix it up on the inside. I left the exterior looking the same, but the inside is quite comfortable.

I left the cabin and teleported to the pack, landing at the door of my old house.

I knew they were all home right now. It had been a long time since I'd seen them, since Daniel had forbidden everyone from coming near me.

My mother opened the door, and I was immediately met with hateful stares.

"Get inside," Silvana snapped. "You want Daniel to see you, you worthless girl?"

"I don't know why I thought it would be any different."

"Hi, Mom."

"Just get in and shut your mouth."

"Sit down, girl," Roberto said.

"For you to summon me here, it must be serious. As long as it's not that same subject again, I'm willing to listen."

"Look at this attitude, mother-in-law," Julia said with a smirk.

"You don't get to be 'willing' about anything, Emma. It's your fault I'm like this," Silvana snarled.

"My fault, Mom? Seriously?"

"I'm not to blame for any of this. I don't know how to do wolf-restoration magic, Mom. I don't even think that's possible."

"You will do it, you bitch. I know you're a witch too. I don't know how something like you came out of me. You are the reason for everything bad that's happened in our lives, Emma."

"I started crying. I truly didn't know what my fault was in any of this. I unleashed on them nearly everything that had been choking me for years."

"Are you sure this is my fault? I'm not the one who forced you to give birth to me, Mom. I'm not the one who withheld love from a defenseless child. Never in my entire miserable life did I disrespect any of you. I did everything I could to be noticed, to be loved by you. You separated me from my only brother the moment we left your womb."

"I didn't ask to be different. I just wanted to be loved. I didn't reject you — he did. The man who rejected you even knowing it could kill you. The man the Moon Goddess entrusted your soul to."

"I'm not a witch the way you think. Yes, I know some magic, but only the basics. I never had the chance to learn anything more."

"You're all hypocrites who only want to use me for your—"

SLAP.

The taste of blood filled my mouth again. My father. Again.

"Shut your mouth, you abomination," Roberto growled. "You should have died before you were born. You were never anything in our lives. If you can't help, then get out."

"And know this," Enzo added. "Tomorrow, when Daniel gets his wolf and his father presents him to the pack as Alpha, he's going to run you out of here himself. All these lands belong to our pack."

"I'd forgotten that tomorrow was our sixteenth birthday. I thought that if my wolf hadn't awakened early, I'd be euphoric and anxious for the long-awaited moment right now."

"You're so ungrateful, Emma," Julia chimed in. "Your mother just wants the chance to feel the bond again."

I lifted my head and looked at each of them. I spat the blood from my mouth. The sting on my cheek told me the mark was probably huge.

"I don't love any of you anymore. I don't want recognition from a single one of you. Know this — I will have my revenge on each and every one of you."

"Not just one of you. All of you. Everyone who ever stepped on me. And I'm going to start with you."

"I left that house the same way I'd arrived" disillusioned with the garbage family the Goddess gave me.

"To make things worse, Daniel was arriving with that fraud of his. I walked past them as if they were invisible."

"But I knew that bitch wouldn't let me go that easily."

"Where do you think you're going, you disgusting freak, without properly addressing your Alphas?" Cintia sneered.

"Excuse me? I don't understand."

"You don't understand, abomination? Starting tomorrow, when our wolves awaken and Daniel and I are recognized as mates, I'm going to personally drag you by the teeth to the pack gates."

"A chill ran through my stomach. I looked at Daniel, whose face held no expression at all. Cintia looked at him too, then flashed a wicked smile."

"Daniel stared at me with eyes darker than hatred itself."

"Get lost," Daniel said.

"I ran from there. At the edge of the forest, I teleported home."

"I couldn't cry. I could only feel rage. Pure hatred."

"Shadow was beside me. I suppose most people wouldn't be comfortable with a shadow man as their nightly companion."

"But in my case, I don't think there's a better friend than him."

"I'd stopped trying to see his face. I knew I never would."

He is my best company.