Chapter 2: The Birthday Gift

Three days earlier, on Elara's birthday, I had still believed my family loved me somewhere beneath all the resentment.

I'd planned to leave early because I had my Silvermoon Devotion Medal ceremony that evening. Since I couldn't stay for Elara's entire party, I gave her my gift ahead of time—a small figurine carved from redwood.

The moment Elara's fingers touched it, she dropped it with a shriek.

"That's silver..."

I stared at the figurine in confusion. It was unmistakably redwood.

"Elara, what are you talking about?"

Before I could pick it up, my father stormed across the room.

"How could you be so cruel?!"

My heart dropped.

"I didn't! I don't know how this happened!"

But nobody listened.

Elara curled into herself, trembling while Mom rushed to her side. Adrian stood behind them with a disgusted expression, as though I'd deliberately tried to poison my own sister.

My father pointed toward the door.

"Get out, Diana."

"Dad, please..."

"I said get out!"

I stumbled outside with tears streaming down my face. The door slammed behind me, cutting off every word I tried to say.

I ran blindly into the forest.

The trees blurred around me as I wiped at my eyes. I couldn't understand how everything had changed so quickly. I'd never hurt Elara. I'd spent years protecting her, covering for her, and giving her things I could barely afford.

Yet somehow, I was always the villain.

I stopped beneath an old oak tree and looked up at the moon.

"Moon Goddess..." My voice broke. "Please. Just treat me gently for one day. Just once, let me know what it feels like to be loved the way they love Elara."

There was no answer.

Instead, something moved behind me.

A low growl rolled through the darkness.

I turned.

Three rogues stepped out from between the trees.

I tried to run, but one of them caught me before I could take two steps.

They shoved me into the mud. I screamed and fought, but their laughter only grew louder.

The leader grabbed my hair and forced me to look at him.

"You're not walking out of here alive."

I begged them to let me go.

They didn't.

In the struggle, my head struck a sharp tree root. Pain exploded through my skull, and warm blood ran down my face.

The rogues panicked when they realized how badly I was injured. They fled into the darkness, leaving me alone beneath the cold moonlight.

I crawled toward my phone.

Every movement sent another wave of pain through my body. Somehow, I reached it and dragged it closer with trembling fingers.

I tried calling my parents first.

The call failed.

The pack bond had been severed.

They had cut me off because they believed I had intentionally hurt Elara.

With the last strength I had, I called Theodore.

The moment he answered, I whispered, "Help me... Theodore... I'm dying..."

There was a pause.

Then his voice came through, cold and irritated.

"Diana, enough. This is Elara's big day. Have some decency and stop competing for attention."

My fingers tightened around the phone.

"I'm not... I'm really hurt..."

"I'm done with this."

The call ended.

I stared at the dark screen.

For eighteen years, I'd believed Theodore would be the one person who would always come when I called.

But when I needed him most, he chose her again.

My vision blurred.

The cold ground pressed against my cheek as my heartbeat grew weaker and weaker.

I thought about the medal waiting for me at the pack ceremony.

I thought about the future I'd wanted.

And finally, I thought about the simple wish I'd made beneath the moon.

Just once, I wanted to be loved.

Then everything went dark.