Chapter 1

Perched atop the pack house, I drank in the moon's luminescent splendor. It was full and compelling, as though it beckoned me. My gaze dropped on my wristwatch.

11:59 pm.

A single minute remained. What if it didn't happen? A pang of sorrow echoed through my heart at thought. For half a decade, I've spent every birthday in this same spot, under the moon's gaze, yearning for the shift that eluded me five years ago.

Today was a similar vigil, my fifteenth birthday. My one wish was to shift. Just once.

I knew the day would pass unnoticed by others. The surprise birthday parties of yesteryears were long forgotten. Things had changed. Everything had.

As the Alpha's daughter, I was considered a stain on the pack's honor, a sign of its weakness. No more, I thought.

I glanced at my watch once more. Ten seconds left. Closing my eyes, I braced myself, my pulse echoing my fear, nervousness, and anticipation. I counted the seconds, each one hanging in the air.

9..8..7..6..5..

My heartbeat quickened.

4..3..2...

My breath came in short, sharp gasps.

...1.

I waited for the excruciating pain of my bones rearranging themselves.

But nothing happened. No painful transformation, no shift. I was forced to confront a harsh reality - I was indeed a disgrace to my pack, and their disdain wouldn't wane.

So, I resolved to put an end to it all. I flung my eyes open, narrowing them with newfound resolve. This was my liberation. No one would dictate my life, use me as a pawn in their game. I leapt from the roof, filled with determination. I dashed to the garage, hastily stuffed my clothes into a bag, and exited swiftly.

Then, I sprinted towards the woods.

It was an act that forever changed the trajectory of my life.