My mother had been missing for ten years. For ten years, my Alpha father, Richard, hated me. He blamed me for her disappearance. He hated looking at my face because I didn’t look enough like her. So, he adopted Sophia, a girl who looked eighty percent like my mother, and spoiled her rotten. Richard took her on trips, brought her to pack gatherings, and announced to everyone that Sophia was the sole heir of the Sunward Pack. Meanwhile, I wore oversized hand-me-downs and lived in the drafty servants’ quarters of the packhouse. He let Sophia bully me, frame me, and even push me into the lake when he knew I couldn’t swim. “It’s what you deserve,” he would say. And for a long time, I believed him. I thought it was my fault. Until my sixteenth birthday, when the true Luna of the Sunward Pack finally returned. My sixteenth birthday was only three days away. Every year on this day, Richard threw a massive birthday bash for Sophia. This year was even more special. Sophia was turning sixteen. Richard was anxiously waiting for her to shift and manifest her wolf, hoping she would be as powerful as my mother was at sixteen. Every single student in my high school class had received an invitation to Sophia’s celebration. Except me. “Ella, please don’t be upset,” Sophia said, standing by my desk with a look of pure pity on her face. “I’m sure Gamma Marcus just miscounted the invitations and missed you by mistake.” I kept my head down, staring blankly at my textbook. I didn’t even give her a glance. I had been dealing with Sophia’s petty, fake-innocent tricks for ten years. I was used to it. “Sophia, why are you even explaining things to her?” one of our classmates snapped, standing up to defend Sophia. “You are way too nice. That’s why she keeps taking advantage of you.” “Exactly! She’s just a demoted Omega,” another chimed in. “Alpha Richard was kind enough not to throw her out of the pack territory. He let her stay and work for food, and this is how she acts? She even stole your things! If I were you, I would have asked the Alpha to banish her a long long time ago!” “She’s an ungrateful leech! Always causing trouble.” “Sophia, she’s just jealous. She’s jealous that Alpha Richard loves you, and jealous that you’re going to inherit the Sunward Pack.” “Honestly, she shouldn’t even be allowed near the ceremony. Who knows what drama she’ll stir up? We can’t let her ruin the Heir Recognition Ceremony.” “Well, she lives in the Blackwood packhouse anyway. Why would she need an invite? During the Alpha’s celebration, a low-ranking Omega like her should just stay locked in the servants’ quarters. It would be embarrassing if she showed her face.” “Agreed!” Sophia waited until they finished their rants before she spoke up in her sweet, mock-gentle voice. “Oh, guys, don’t say that about Ella. Even if it’s my big day, it’s also Ella’s birthday.” She turned to me, her eyes dripping with fake sympathy. “Ella, I’m really sorry. I wanted to invite you to cut the cake with me, but Dad strictly forbade it. You know what you did back then… Dad is already being extremely generous by letting you stay in the pack.” I threw my pen right at her face. “Get lost!” Ten years ago, on my sixth birthday, my mother went missing while trying to retrieve a special birthday gift she had ordered for me. Her fate remained unknown. Richard went completely insane searching for her, but he found nothing. Back then, I cried every day, begging for my mom. My mother had spoiled me. Whenever I cried, I got whatever I wanted. One day, the nanny couldn’t stop my crying and brought me to Richard. Richard glared at me with absolute hatred and kicked me away. “Get out!” “How dare you cry?!” “If you hadn’t thrown a tantrum for that stupid birthday, Lillian would never have gone missing!” “Never let me see your face again. Get out!” From that day on, I fell from being the pack’s pampered princess to an unwanted burden. Whether I got to eat or not depended entirely on the maids’ mood. Later, Richard found an orphaned girl on one of his trips who looked remarkably like my mother. Her parents were dead, so he adopted her. He gave her my bedroom. He gave her my dresses. He gave her my birthday. He even gave her my identity. When he brought six-year-old Sophia to pack gatherings, I was locked at home, abused by the maids and eating rotten leftovers. The day he announced to the entire Sunward Pack that Sophia was his only daughter, I realized I had completely lost my father.
I walked home after school, covered in bruises. Sophia was extremely popular in class. The second I threw my pen at her, a boy had jumped up and shoved me hard. My forehead slammed against the sharp corner of a desk. Everyone watched, their eyes filled with cold indifference and amusement. From elementary school to high school, I hadn’t made a single friend. Sophia made sure to lead the entire school in isolating me. I wasn’t afraid of being alone. I was afraid because the teacher demanded my parents come to school on Monday. The boy’s parents had come to the school that very afternoon, fiercely defending their son. “My son was just doing the right thing! Everyone saw it. Ella attacked Sophia first. Sophia is the Alpha’s daughter! What right does a demoted Omega have to put her hands on Sophia?” “Oh, my sweet boy, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?” “Someone as unstable as Ella shouldn’t even be allowed in this school. Who knows what she’ll do next?” With blood trickling down my face, I couldn’t help but think: *If my mother were here, she would have defended me like that too.* She wouldn’t turn a blind eye to my injuries, the way my father did. When I got home, Richard was carefully checking Sophia’s face for any scratches. The moment he saw me walk in, his face darkened instantly. “You knew Sophia had her Heir Recognition Ceremony tomorrow, yet you tried to ruin her face.” “Ella Blackwood, your mother was the kindest soul. How did she give birth to such a malicious child like you? Sometimes, I seriously doubt you’re even hers!” “Was ruining your mother’s life not enough for you? Now you have to ruin Sophia’s too?” I stared at his face. I had been looking at that expression of pure disgust for ten years. Ten years ago, he wasn’t like this. When my mother was still here, he adored me. Although he sometimes expressed regret that I didn’t look like her, he still gave me his absolute best. He named me Ella, telling me I was the most precious treasure of the Sunward Pack. He bought me gorgeous dresses and expensive jewelry. For my fifth birthday, he gifted me an entire estate. Once, when a kid pushed me at preschool, he was so heartbroken that he not only made the kid’s entire family apologize, but he also ordered the pack’s elite warriors to train me in self-defense. He told me, “If anyone bullies you, Ella, you fight back. I don’t care who they are.” He also told me, “No matter what happens, Mommy and Daddy will always have your back.” The man who once promised to always have my back was now standing before me, demanding to know why I had hurt his precious Sophia. “Go back to your room and rot. Don’t come out until I give you permission!” From beginning to end, Richard didn’t spare a single glance at the bleeding wound on my forehead. And from beginning to end, I couldn’t summon the courage to tell him what the teacher said. He wouldn’t go to school for me anyway. For the past ten years, the only parent-teacher conferences he ever attended were Sophia’s.
After being locked up all night, my wound became badly infected. As a wolf who hadn’t shifted, I had no healing abilities. I was no different from a regular human. I tried to go out to find the first-aid kit. When I pushed the door open, I saw that the main hall was crowded with Sunward Pack members. Several elders were gathered around Richard and Sophia. The warmth and affection on Richard’s face were things I hadn’t seen in a decade. “As the Alpha of the Sunward Pack, you must be incredibly busy,” one elder praised. “But you’ve raised Sophia so well. She is truly a credit to your bloodline.” Richard smiled warmly. “Sophia is a good girl. She’s my only daughter. No matter how busy I am, I will always make time for her.” Sophia clung to Richard’s arm, acting cute. “Daddy is the best dad in the whole wide world! I just wish we had more playtime together. Daddy, we haven’t visited any other packs this year!” Richard let out a helpless, indulgent laugh. “Alright, alright. After your birthday ceremony, I’ll take you wherever you want to go.” I blinked, feeling completely numb. I had seen this scene play out too many times to feel pain anymore. Yet, inevitably, my mind drifted back to ten years ago. When my mother was still here, I used to cling to her arm just like that, making all sorts of silly, spoiled demands. My mother never said no to me. She had an emerald necklace that she wore for years. Once, I told her I liked it, and she immediately took it off and put it around my neck. “Ella, you must cherish this necklace,” she had said, stroking my head. “It was left to me by your grandmother. I’ve worn it for so many years.” At that time, her eyes held a deep sadness and nostalgia that my six-year-old self couldn’t comprehend. On the other side of the hall, an elder suddenly brought up my mother. “Sophia, do you ever miss Luna Lillian? She was an extraordinary Luna. I heard you want to be just like her. Is it because of her influence?” The atmosphere in the room froze for a second. My mother’s name was a strict taboo to Richard. Usually, if anyone dared to bring her up, Richard would fly into a rage. But today was Sophia’s Heir Recognition Ceremony. Richard was busy paving the path for her future. Sophia’s face fell into a sad expression. “I miss Mommy every single day. I wish I could see her. I want to become as remarkable as she was, or become an outstanding Luna just like her.” She pulled out a necklace. “This necklace is a keepsake Mommy left for me. Whenever I’m sad, I look at it, and I feel like Mommy is still right by my side.” Seeing that necklace, my mind snapped. An uncontrollable rage surged inside me. That was the emerald necklace my mother gave to me! Over the past ten years, Sophia had taken everything from me. This necklace was the only thing I had left. I charged forward and snatched the necklace out of her hands. “Ella Blackwood! Who allowed you out of your room?!” Richard’s voice boomed, his face turning pale with anger. “Ella? What are you doing?” Sophia stood up, looking perfectly helpless and confused. “Sophia, when did you steal my necklace?!” I demanded. I checked the box where I kept the necklace every single night before bed. It was safe in its box last night. During those dark years when nobody cared about me, touching this necklace was the only thing that kept me going. It was proof that someone had once loved me. It was proof that my mother actually existed. “What? Steal?” Sophia gasped, looking completely innocent. “Ella Blackwood! Have you not had enough of your tantrums?! This is a public ceremony!” Richard roared. “I don’t care about your stupid ceremony! This is my mother’s necklace! Why does she get to have it? Hasn’t she stolen enough from me?!” “And my mother is not dead! Sophia, shut your mouth! This is not some relic!” “Alpha Richard, who is this…?” the elder asked hesitantly, looking at me. Sophia panicked slightly and looked to Richard for help. Richard’s eyes turned icy. “She’s just a demoted Omega. She was punished before for stealing pack property, and now she’s trying to steal Sophia’s things.” I clutched the necklace tightly, my entire body going cold. Even though Richard had announced to the world that Sophia was his only daughter, and even though Sophia called me a demoted Omega at school, this was the first time he had openly denied me as his daughter in front of the entire pack. The panic on Sophia’s face vanished instantly, replaced by a smug smirk. Taking advantage of my shocked state, she snatched the necklace back. “Ella, you must have mistaken it. This necklace isn’t yours.” “If it were anything else, I would gladly give it to you, no matter how expensive. But this was left to me by my mother. I can’t give it to you.” The pack members in the room whispered, looking at me with disdain. “She’s a demoted Omega and she still can’t behave. She knew today was an important ceremony, yet she came here to cause a scene just to get the Alpha’s attention.” I didn’t care what they said. I just wanted my necklace back. “Give it back to me! That is the last thing my mother left me! Give it back!” I lunged and grabbed Sophia’s arm. She intentionally let her hand go loose. The necklace slipped from her fingers and crashed onto the marble floor. The emerald pendant shattered into several pieces. My mind went completely blank. The last piece of my mother was gone. “Are you satisfied now?! Get out!” Richard yelled, his eyes looking as if he wanted to tear me apart. Sophia began to cry. “Ella! You’ve gone too far!” The pack members whispered their condemnations. But I couldn’t hear any of it. I dropped to my knees, desperately trying to gather the shattered pieces of the emerald. The sharp shards sliced into my fingers. My tears dripped onto the wounds, warm and stinging.
I was completely ostracized by the Sunward Pack. What happened at the ceremony spread like wildfire. Everyone felt sorry for Sophia and Richard, while I became the target of endless insults and mocking. A few classmates spread rumors within the pack, claiming the Alpha was incredibly merciful for letting me stay, and that Sophia always tolerated my abuse at school, yet I kept bullying her. “What an ungrateful wretch!” “The Alpha was so kind to let a demoted Omega stay in the pack, and she repays him by stealing and ruining a sacred ceremony.” “That was real emerald, right? Anything from the Blackwood house must be incredibly expensive. Where would a low-ranking Omega get an emerald necklace? She definitely stole it.” “I feel so bad for Sophia. Her mother’s keepsake was shattered just like that. She should make Ella pay for it!” “Sophia looks so much like Luna Lillian. I used to admire Lillian so much. Seeing Sophia cry breaks my heart. If Lillian were still alive, she would be devastated.” “Lillian adored her daughter. If she knew her daughter was being bullied like this… sigh.” *Lillian was my mother.* Hearing their gossip felt like a blunt knife twisting in my chest. If my mother were still alive, would she feel sorry for me? If she were here… would she even recognize me? Would she, like Richard, take Sophia’s side? After all, it was my fault she went missing. And after all, I didn’t look like her at all. For Sophia’s Heir Recognition celebration, the entire class showed up. They banged on my door, shouting insults and throwing trash outside my window, demanding justice for Sophia. I was locked in my room. Richard’s orders. He didn’t even want to step foot into my room. He stood outside the locked door, shouting his lecture. “Ella Blackwood, how can you face your mother after what you did?! That necklace was her most prized possession! It was your grandmother’s heirloom!” “Do you hate your mother that much? Do you hate Sophia that much? Do you have any idea how long Sophia prepared for this ceremony?!” “If your mother saw what a monster you’ve become, she would regret ever giving birth to you!” After Richard left, Sophia unlocked the door and walked in. “Ella Blackwood, how did it feel to hear Dad call you a demoted Omega in front of the entire pack?” “You really are thick-skinned, still leeching off the Sunward Pack. You killed your mother, and Dad hates you to death. He wishes you were dead, he just hasn’t said it out loud yet.” I ignored her, staring out the window. Outside, the party was lively. The lawn by the lake was decorated beautifully. Flowers, banners, balloons, and a champagne tower. Gift boxes of all colors piled up on the grass, and the birthday cake was ten tiers high. That was the scene of my memories. The birthday of my dreams. Ten years. Every single year, I had to watch someone else live out my birthday as the main character. Someone outside called for Sophia to cut the cake. Sophia’s face twisted in anger at my silence. “Ella Blackwood! I am talking to you!” “Why didn’t you just die with your mother?!” She snatched the broken emerald shards from my hand and threw them out the window, straight into the deep lake. I bolted upright. Without thinking, I climbed onto the windowsill and threw myself into the lake. Screams and gasps echoed around the lawn as ice-cold water rushed into my nose and ears. Before I lost consciousness, I thought I heard my mother’s voice. I heard her calling my name. “Ella! Mommy is here!”
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