1. Unhappy Birthday

Winter had wrapped the pack in a blanket of snow and cold, and though for most it was a season of celebration and warmth, for me it only meant another mark on the calendar of loneliness.

The festivities filled the air with laughter and singing while I watched from the shadows, feeling out of place in a home that had never been mine.

December tenth would be my birthday, but nobody remembered or cared. That day also happened to be the birthday of the Drake quadruplets, heirs of Alpha Caspian, destined to become the next leaders of the Winter Moon Pack. Wealth, beauty, and power seemed woven into their DNA, along with the contempt they felt for me. All of them except one. Ian, the youngest of the four, had moments of kindness that let me dream -- if only for an instant -- that not everyone in this place was against me.

My memories constantly dragged me back to the day my parents left me at Alpha Caspian and Luna Ivy's house. I was only seven, and fear had taken root in my heart the moment I crossed the threshold of that enormous mansion. "You'll be safe here. They'll take care of you," they'd told me. But reality was very different. Without an explanation or any promise of return, I became a burden -- one that had to pay off my parents' debt. How could they have left me to settle what they owed?

The days turned into weeks, and the weeks into years, each one heavier than the last. My life in the Alpha's house was limited to an endless list of chores that seemed to grow with every passing day. While the quadruplets enjoyed their childhood surrounded by luxury and attention, I struggled to find a single moment of peace amid the responsibilities they'd piled on me.

Alpha Caspian's house was majestic -- a fortress of stone and glass that rose imposingly among the snow-covered pines. In summer, the gardens bloomed with life, but in winter the landscape became a mirror of my own existence: cold, desolate, and hopeless. I spent most of my days in the common room, a vast space with a fireplace that barely managed to warm the frigid air around me.

Tomorrow I would turn eighteen and finally receive my wolf. That thought was the only thing that gave me a glimmer of hope. Soon I wouldn't be alone anymore. I'd have someone to hold on to, someone who could understand my pain and my fears. But on the other hand, the idea of finding my mate terrified me.

What if he also despised me, the way almost the entire pack did? What if my destiny was to be alone, even after getting my wolf?

I thought back to my past birthdays, each one marked by the quadruplets' cruelty. The first, when I turned eight, had been a brutal lesson in the nature of those around me. Axel, Sam, and Ian had burst into my little imaginary party, destroying any hope of happiness I might have harbored. Their taunts and laughter echoed in my mind, a sound that never faded.

.........

It was the day before my eighth birthday -- a day just like today -- and excitement bubbled inside me like the soda I'd planned to serve at my party. I imagined balloon decorations, the chocolate cake I'd always wanted, and my friends laughing and having fun. The idea of a day full of laughter and surprises filled my heart with joy as I combed my hair in front of the mirror, dreaming about how it would all turn out.

But reality was different. When the quadruplets showed up, the magical atmosphere I'd built in my mind vanished instantly. Axel, Sam, and Ian burst into the room like a hurricane. Their laughter rang through the air, but it wasn't joyful -- it was mocking, full of a cruelty I couldn't quite comprehend.

"Look who thinks she's the birthday queen," Axel sneered, with a crooked smile that froze my blood.

His eyes were full of mockery as he glanced around.

"You really think anyone cares about your birthday?" Sam joined in, his scornful tone hitting me like a punch to the stomach. I twisted inside hearing his words; his laughter echoed like my worst fears come to life.

I tried to keep my head high, clenching my fists at my sides.

"Yes! My friends care!" I shouted, but my voice had no strength behind it.

Axel stepped closer and looked me straight in the eye, his expression hard.

"Friends? You think anyone would want to be around you, Kitten? You're not even your own friend."

Every word cut deep, tearing the veil off my dreams and revealing the raw reality around me. Ian, who'd been silent, stepped forward, watching me with a look caught between pity and defiance. But even his presence, once comforting, felt like a betrayal since he was part of this hurtful moment.

"Maybe we could come to your party," he said, trying to break the tension, but it was useless.

What he said couldn't heal the others' words. Instead, it felt like he was opening the door to more pain -- making it clear that even if they came, it would only be to laugh at me.

Axel and Sam didn't stop there. They started telling stories that never happened, inventing jokes about my imaginary friends, laughing at things that should never have been laughed at. Their cruel show went on, each joke a direct blow to my heart, each laugh an echo that reverberated through my mind.

When they finally left, leaving me alone among tears and the echo of their cruel words, I knew that on this day -- at least in this moment, in the darkest corner of my heart -- the idea of a happy birthday no longer existed.

.........

My eighth birthday had been stolen by the cruelty of those who should have protected me.

Every year I tried to ignore them, tried to keep alive the illusion of a special day, but it always ended the same way. The hurtful words and cruel laughter destroyed whatever happiness I might have felt. My birthdays became a reminder of my place in the pack: alone, unwanted, and always in the shadow of the future Alphas.

I gazed out the window, watching the snowflakes fall slowly, covering everything in their path. Life inside the house went on as always, with preparations for the quadruplets' grand celebration in full swing. I was just a shadow in the background, busy fulfilling my duties.

I went to the small bathroom off the common room and showered quickly, wishing I could vanish with the steam that filled the room. The reflection in the mirror showed me a tired face, with shadows under my eyes and an expression of resignation I couldn't shake.

I'd grown, but the weight of my past years still pressed down on my shoulders.

With my hair pulled into a tight bun, I headed to the kitchen to start making breakfast for everyone. Although the house was enormous, full of luxurious rooms and endless comforts, I'd been assigned a tiny, barely furnished room. It was a reflection of my place in the pack -- a constant reminder that I didn't belong.

That day, like every other, I would work without rest, tending to the needs of those who despised me. But a small spark of hope burned inside me: soon, all of this would be over. And when it was, I'd leave behind the Alpha's house, the Winter Moon Pack, and the quadruplets who had turned my life into a living hell. My freedom was only six months away, and though the road ahead was uncertain, I knew I wouldn't look back.

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