The first lesson my parents taught me was the strong prevailed. Those at the top ruled over everyone; they were respected and could have anything they wanted with the snap of their fingers. To get to the top, you had to be among the strongest. Those who were weak were destroyed—they were devoured and forgotten by those around them.

Being a child, the last thing you wanted to hear was if you didn't meet expectations then you would be forgotten. Being an adopted child, the desire to make a mark was stronger. I digested those words and strove to live up to them day by day.

I was the beta of my pack. I was adored in the eyes of my parents and fellow members. I was at the top and yet, it still somehow felt like I was at the bottom.

"How long are you going to stand there?"

Sweat beads rolled off my body as I finished my daily training. Judas, my cousin, and alpha, pushed himself from the tree he'd been leaning against and walked toward me.

"Are you still pissed about Cronan leaving the pack?"

I scowled at his words. "No."

Judas looked me up and down, examining in that infuriating way that made it appear as though he could see into my soul. "Liar."

"I'm not." I turned around and continued hitting the water bag we had set up on the small, outdoor training ground.

"It's okay to miss him."

"I don't. It was his decision to leave," I said and hit the bag harder.

"So you're happy for him?"

"Yes," I grounded out. "Very happy."

Judas let out a low chuckle, the kind that grated my nerves. He had this way of pushing buttons without raising his voice, without even trying. It was infuriating.

"You know, Reed, you've always been bad at hiding your feelings. You might as well admit it. You're mad. Not because he left, but because he left you."

I stopped mid-punch, hands dropping to my sides as I turned to face him. "Why would I be mad? He's free to make his choices."

"Because," Judas said, taking a step closer, "Cronan was your closest friend. Your brother, in everything but blood. You think I don't notice how things changed when he left? You don't train the same. You fight harder, but not smarter. You're just... trying to outlast the pain."

"Don't you have more pressing matters to tend to other than pissing me off?"

"I'll leave you alone, but you should know by now that bawling up your emotions never turns out well."

"Yeah, yeah. Piss off, Jude," I grumbled a little more snappishly than intended.

Judas was unbothered by my words for the most part though. He rolled his eyes, stuffed his hands in his pockets, and walked off leaving me alone in silence again—like I preferred.

He didn't know anything. Cronan made his choice and though I didn't agree with him, it was ultimately his choice to make.

I didn't miss him.

I didn't.

"Josephine!" A familiar voice called out in the distance, causing my bad mood to grow. Was this 'National Irritate the Hell Out of Reed Day' or something? "Josephine?!"

The voice drew closer and I briefly considered attempting to leave before they reached me, but I stopped myself. I was already here. If they had a problem with my presence then they could leave.

"Josephine—"

The voice came to an abrupt halt and I locked eyes with Dashiell Armstrong, my mate once upon a time ago. His face scrunched into a look of disgust and I had to fight the urge to scoff.

He ruined my ceremony and somehow still managed to look at me as if I was the scum between his toes.

"Reed," he spat as if just saying my name was a burden.

"Dashiell," I replied coolly, wiping the sweat from my brow and crossing my arms. I wasn't about to let him see any hint of weakness, not after what happened between us.

For a moment, we just stood there in silence, the tension thick enough to choke on. He looked the same as he always had—tall, broad, with sharp features that were once handsome to me. Now, they were just a reminder of betrayal.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice flat but laced with an edge that told me my presence irritated him more than he'd admit.

"Training," I answered simply, not bothering to elaborate. "What about you? Looking for Josephine?" I asked, referring to his cousin.

His jaw clenched, and I could tell the mention of her name struck a nerve. Good. "That's none of your business."

"I don't care enough for it to be my business," I said, shrugging. "Just curious why you're yelling her name like a lunatic."

He took a step closer, his dark eyes narrowing. "You've got a lot of nerve, Reed. After everything you've done, you think you can stand here and—"

"Everything I've done?" I interrupted, my voice rising despite my best efforts to stay calm. "You've got it backward, Dash. Don't pretend I'm the only one who ruined things. You ruined the ceremony, Dash," I said, my voice cold and steady. "Not me."

His face hardened, and for a moment, I saw something flicker in his eyes—regret, maybe. But it vanished as quickly as it came, replaced with that same disgust he'd worn since the day he left the ceremony.

It always managed to anger me.

"And you fucked me to get that position in the first place. What does that say about you, Reed?"

I shook my head and let out an exasperated sigh. "I did not sleep with you because of that! I—"

"You knew I was training to be beta. You knew I liked you ever since our bond formed. You slept with me, rejected me, and then challenged me at my lowest to become beta. What does that sound like to you, Reed?"

"That isn't what I was trying to do—"

"Whatever," he cut me off with a bitter laugh. "I don't have time for this. Let's just agree to stay the hell away from each other, yeah?"

He didn't give me the chance to argue as he turned around and left to continue yelling for Josephine. I waited until he was no longer in sight before resting my head against the water bag.

When did everything become so fucked?

The sound of footsteps returned and I lifted my head, expecting to see Dashiell back again, but nobody was there. My eyebrows furrowed and I scanned the area.

"Dash—"

The crack of a gunshot split the air before I could finish his name. Pain exploded in my side, sharp and hot, sending me stumbling back. I gasped, my hand instinctively pressing to the wound as I looked down to see blood seeping through my shirt, dark and thick.

For a second, everything around me seemed to blur. The world spun, my legs weakening beneath me as I tried to make sense of what had just happened. My mind screamed to move, to react, but all I could feel was the searing pain spreading through my body.

I dropped to my knees, my vision swimming as I struggled to stay conscious. Who—? Why?

Another figure emerged from the trees, their face hidden beneath the hood of a dark jacket. My senses were dulled by the pain, but I forced myself to focus, to at least try to see who had shot me. My wolf instincts screamed at me to shift, to heal, but I was too slow, too disoriented.

I heard the faint crunch of boots on the dirt, the figure slowly approaching. My breathing grew labored, every inhale sending more pain shooting through my body.

"Reed!" a distant voice shouted, but it felt far away like it was underwater. Judas? No—this was different. Someone else. Closer.

The hooded figure stepped over me, their face still concealed. They knelt, their hand reaching out toward me. My instincts flared, but I was too weak to fight, to do anything but watch as they leaned in closer.

"You're not as untouchable as you think," a voice whispered coldly in my ear.

And then, they were gone, disappearing as quickly as they had appeared, leaving me bleeding and gasping for breath on the training grounds. The world around me started to fade, my body growing numb as the pain dulled into a distant throb.

Just before I lost consciousness, I heard another shout. Closer this time. My name, urgent and filled with panic.

"Reed!"