Chapter 1: The Moonlight Grass They Stole

Ember POV:

Antiseptic and copper. The smell of a losing battle.

My shift at the pack infirmary had ended three hours ago, but I stayed behind to organize inventory and finish reports nobody else wanted to do.

As an Omega with a damaged wolf spirit, I had no strength worth mentioning, no healing abilities, and no special gifts. All I had were my hands, my determination, and the hope that one day things would get better.

I limped up the stone steps leading to the Pack House.

The old burn scar on my knee ached with every step. It was a permanent reminder of the fire that had taken our parents ten years ago. The same fire had nearly taken me too. Ever since that night, my wolf had remained silent.

Broken.

Dormant.

Incomplete.

Most wolves shifted before adulthood.

I never had.

But today was supposed to change everything.

For three years, I had saved every credit I earned.

Every extra shift.

Every skipped meal.

Every sacrifice.

All of it had gone toward buying a single rare herb.

The Moonlight Grass.

The only treatment known to heal damaged wolf spirits.

My only chance to finally awaken Sera.

My only chance to stop being the family's disappointment.

I pushed open the heavy oak doors.

"Where is it?"

The voice thundered through the hallway.

My body instantly froze.

Ryker.

The Pack Alpha.

My eldest brother.

The power behind his words carried Alpha Command.

My knees nearly buckled.

I looked up and saw him standing at the top of the staircase.

Beside him stood Axel, my second brother and the Pack Doctor.

"Where is what?" I asked quietly.

"The Moonlight Grass," Axel snapped. "We know you bought the last batch from the trader today."

My heart sank.

They knew.

"I bought it for myself," I said carefully. "It's for my treatment."

"Willow has a migraine," Ryker replied.

His voice was cold.

Emotionless.

As if what he was asking meant nothing.

"A migraine?" I stared at him in disbelief. "Ryker, do you know how much that herb cost?"

"She needs it."

"I need it too."

"Willow comes first."

The words hit harder than any physical blow.

"This herb can restore soul damage," I whispered. "It's my only chance to shift."

"Don't be selfish, Ember," Axel said, adjusting his glasses. "Willow's condition is fragile."

"She's fine and you know it."

The temperature in the room seemed to drop instantly.

Ryker's golden eyes flashed.

"Bring the herb to Willow's room. Now."

The Alpha Command wrapped around my throat like chains.

I wanted to refuse.

I wanted to scream.

I wanted to tell them exactly what I thought.

Instead, my body obeyed.

I walked upstairs to my room.

My hands trembled as I opened the velvet box.

The glowing blue herb rested inside.

Three years of sacrifice.

Three years of hope.

Three years of dreams.

I carried it to Willow.

The guest suite used to belong to our mother.

Now it belonged to the adopted girl who had somehow replaced me.

Willow lay comfortably on a chaise lounge.

Healthy.

Perfect.

Smiling.

"Oh, Ember," she said sweetly. "You brought something for me?"

I didn't answer.

I placed the herb on the table.

My fingers lingered on the box for a second longer.

Ryker immediately took it.

"Leave."

That was all he said.

Leave.

Not thank you.

Not are you okay.

Just leave.

I limped out of the room.

Before the door closed completely, I heard Willow giggle.

"It smells terrible."

The door clicked shut.

So did something inside my chest.

Back in my room, I collapsed onto the bed.

Moments later my phone buzzed.

An email.

Subject: Acceptance Notification — Project Silver Dawn.

I stared at the screen.

Project Silver Dawn.

The most prestigious research facility in the country.

A closed fifteen-year program.

No visitors.

No communication.

No contact with the outside world.

Fifteen years.

My fingers tightened around the phone.

It wasn't just a job offer.

It was an escape route.

That evening, the pack gathered for the Moon Festival.

Families laughed together.

Children ran through the square.

Bonfires lit up the night.

I stood alone.

I reached out through the Mind-Link.

Ryker?

Axel?

Nothing.

Silence.

Then static.

They had blocked me.

Again.

Across the square, I spotted them.

Ryker was holding Willow's hand.

Axel was fixing her scarf.

They looked like a happy family.

A family that no longer included me.

I called Axel.

He answered immediately.

"What?"

"I thought maybe we could light the first festival log together."

Silence.

Then a sigh.

"We're busy."

"Mom and Dad always wanted us to do it together."

"Willow's asthma is acting up."

"What?"

"We're taking her to Moon Island."

My stomach dropped.

Moon Island.

The place they had promised to take me for my birthday.

"You promised that trip to me."

"Stop being jealous, Ember."

The call ended.

I stared at the dark screen.

Something inside me finally gave up.

Still, I wasn't ready to stop trying.

I used my last emergency savings to buy gifts.

A protection crystal for Ryker.

A rare medical manuscript for Axel.

And a silk dress for Willow.

One final peace offering.

One final attempt.

At the hospital, I walked into Willow's VIP room.

"Happy Moon Festival," I said softly.

Willow immediately grabbed the gift bag.

"Let me see!"

She pulled out the dress.

"It's pretty," she admitted.

Then her eyes flickered toward Ryker.

A strange smile appeared.

A calculating smile.

She deliberately stepped on the dress hem.

"Ah!"

She threw herself backward.

"My ankle!" she screamed. "Ryker! Ember pushed me!"

I rushed forward instinctively.

"Let me help—"

My damaged leg caught the rug.

I crashed into the metal bed frame.

Crack.

Agony exploded through my knee.

Blood immediately soaked through my jeans.

"Get away from her!" Axel roared.

He rushed straight to Willow.

Not me.

Never me.

"You vicious snake!" he shouted. "You planned this!"

"Axel... I'm bleeding."

"I don't care."

The words struck harder than the injury.

"Stop pretending to be the victim."

Ryker stepped forward.

His shadow covered me.

"Get out of my sight."

Alpha Command crushed my lungs.

I forced myself to stand.

Blood dripped onto the floor.

My knee throbbed.

My heart hurt even more.

I left without another word.

Outside, a storm raged across the night sky.

Rain soaked my clothes within seconds.

I stood there trembling.

Broken.

Alone.

Forgotten.

Then I opened the Silver Dawn email again.

My finger hovered over the acceptance button.

For years, I had begged my brothers to love me.

For years, I had waited for things to change.

They never did.

So this time, I chose myself.

I pressed ACCEPT.

A private jet would leave before dawn.

Fifteen years.

No contact.

No return.

As I climbed the boarding stairs hours later, I looked back at the Pack House one final time.

The place where my heart had been broken again and again.

"Happy Birthday, brothers," I whispered into the wind.

"I hope you enjoy the silence when you realize the sister you tortured is gone forever."

Then I stepped onto the jet and left my old life behind.