“What?! We can’t take her to Alpha Lucas!” Connor’s voice shook the room as he glared at his daughter, Selina. “He’ll reject her—mercilessly, without a second thought!”

Selina’s dark eyes, wide with defiance, met her father’s. “But why, Daddy?! She and her brother are wolves like us. This is so unfair! Kaia is my friend!”

Connor slammed his hand on the table, a growl rumbling in his chest. “Friend? Darling, you met her yesterday. Yes, she saved your life. Yes, she pulled you from death’s grasp. But that doesn’t mean you owe her yours! You don’t understand how dangerous this is!” His voice faltered, the guilt of his harsh words creeping in.

Selina’s lips trembled, and she sniffled as tears welled in her eyes. Her voice cracked as she whispered, “I can’t believe you’d say that... You’re the Beta of our pack, Dad. You’re supposed to protect the weak, to fight for what’s right. I thought—” she swallowed hard, “I thought you’d do anything for me. But maybe... maybe I was wrong. Maybe I’ll never be good enough for your love and care. Maybe if Mum were alive, you’d understand.”

Connor’s heart clenched, but before he could respond, Selina’s eyes flickered with gold, her anger igniting her transformation. Her fangs elongated, claws bursting through her fingertips as her bones shifted. In moments, her sleek wolf form stood before him, grey fur shimmering with streaks of white under the moonlight streaming through the window.

“Selina!” Connor stepped back, his voice both commanding and pleading. But the young wolf growled, turned her back on him, and bolted into the forest.

Her paws pounded against the earth as she raced through the woods, her heart shattering with every stride. Anger and pain rippled through her body. She couldn’t let this go. She wouldn’t. Kaia had risked everything to save her. And if her father wouldn’t help, she’d do it herself.

“Kaia! Kaia!” Selina’s desperate howls echoed through the silent forest. She darted between the trees, her wolf’s senses sharpening. The rustle of leaves caught her ear, and she stopped abruptly.

From the shadows stepped Kaia, her silver-grey hair catching the moonlight. Her black dress, worn and patched, fluttered lightly in the breeze. Her marine-green eyes, like the depths of a hidden ocean, locked on Selina.

“Come closer,” Selina urged, her voice low and soothing, her wolf’s form crouched in submission. “I’m not here to hurt you.”

Kaia hesitated but stepped into the clearing, the moonlight illuminating her sun-kissed skin. “Why are you here again, Selina? You shouldn’t be.”

“To see you,” Selina replied earnestly, her tail swaying softly. “You saved me. I had to find you.”

Kaia’s lips curved into the faintest smile before it vanished. “You shouldn’t get involved with me. Many have tried. They all failed, Selina. Some even died.” Her voice cracked as she looked away. “I’m not worth it.”

Selina’s wolf growled softly. “Don’t say that. You deserve more than this life of exile. You deserve happiness.”

Kaia chuckled bitterly. “You think your pity changes anything? It doesn’t. I’m trapped, Selina. Stuck between the human world and the wolf world. I don’t belong anywhere. And if I stay near you, I’ll only drag you down too. Your father is right. You should leave.”

Tears glistened in Selina’s eyes as Kaia turned her back. Without another word, the exiled girl disappeared into the shadows, her footsteps fading into the distance.

Selina stood frozen, her wolf’s ears drooping in despair. A soft crunch behind her made her turn. Her father stood there, his expression heavy with regret.

“It’s not safe,” Connor said quietly. “Not for her. Not for you.”

Selina didn’t reply, but as they walked away, her whispered words sent a chill through the night. “If I become Alpha Queen, I’ll rewrite the rules. For her. For others like her.”

Connor sighed deeply, placing a hand on his daughter’s shoulder as they left the forest behind.

Unbeknownst to them, Kaia had crouched in the shadows, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her amber eyes, glowing in the moonlight, lifted to the sky. A haunting, mournful howl escaped her lips, shattering the silence of the night.

Far away, in a towering castle, Alpha Lucas’s piercing black eyes snapped open. He stood at the window, his lips curling into a sinister grin as he heard the howl echo through the forest.

“Now I see you,” he murmured, swirling the blood-red wine in his golden goblet. “And I will find you.”

As the crescent moon vanished into the darkness, his laughter filled the night, chilling and foreboding.