章 1: Little Runt
Sophia stared at the mirror and winced, disliking her reflection.
She was different from the other girls in her pack. While most of them had long, black hair and heart-shaped faces with sharp features, her hair was as red as fire.
Growing up, kids had teased her, calling her a hothead even though she was the most mild-mannered girl in the group. Even her wolf had red fur. She had a small, round face full of freckles and light blue eyes.
"Stop staring at yourself so much. You're going to break the mirror with your vanity," Liz remarked sarcastically.
Sophia turned to her sister and snapped, "I'm not being vain. You know how much I hate the way I look!"
Liz shook her head. "You're crazy. Everyone thinks you're beautiful."
"Yeah, by everyone, do you mean you and Mom?" Sophia laughed bitterly.
"No, silly, not just me and Mom. Elija, too," Liz smirked.
Sophia felt a flicker of hope. Elija, the pack beta's son, was only a few years older than her, and she'd had a crush on him since they were kids. They had grown up together, so she was convinced he saw her as nothing more than a friend. "Why? What did Elija tell you?"
"He said he finds you absolutely adorable."
Sophia rolled her eyes. "See? He thinks I'm adorable, like I'm some kind of puppy. I'm sick of being called 'adorable' or 'cute.' Why couldn't I be seen as… I don't know… sexy?" she complained. "You know, kind of like Artemis."
"Artemis is a bitch," Liz declared.
"Liz!" Sophia exclaimed, then playfully threw a pillow at her.
"What? It's true. She acts like she's the shit just because guys pay a little attention to her. But let me tell you something. She isn't all that. You know who is beautiful, though?" Liz said in a hushed tone, as if she was about to share a juicy secret.
"Who?" Sophia asked, matching her sister's enthusiasm. Life in the pack was kind of boring, and gossip was one of her few sources of excitement.
"The Ashbourne triplets. I heard a rumor that they're all ridiculously beautiful since their mother is a Fae. Faeries are supposed to be the most beautiful creatures in the world. And one of their beta wolves is a half-incubus, so he…"
Sophia quickly cut off Liz. "Shh… Stop talking about the Ironclaw pack. You know Father hates them. Besides, they're all hybrids. Remember what he said about hybrids?"
Their father, Jeremiah, the Alpha of the Bloodmoon pack, had drilled into them that the blood of hybrid wolves was tainted and that they didn't deserve to live among pure-bred wolves. Hybrids used magic powers and didn't fight fairly, unlike the Bloodmoon pack. Sophia was taught never to associate with them.
"Don't tell me you believe all that crap. Father is just prejudiced against them," Liz waved her hands dismissively.
"Don't let the Alpha hear that," Sophia grinned. Liz was free-spirited and didn't follow the rules as strictly as Sophia did. Sophia wouldn't have been surprised if Liz ended up running away with a hybrid.
"I also heard a rumor that one of the triplets is evil and did horrible things since he was a child, like lighting a town on fire," Liz giggled.
"And that's funny to you?" Sophia wrinkled her forehead. "Never mind, don't answer that because I don't want to know about your disturbing thoughts. Where is Father, anyway?"
Liz shrugged. "He left earlier with a bunch of others. He didn't say where. He just told us to make sure we stay safe."
Their conversation was abruptly cut off by the sound of bells ringing outside. The noise was deafening, making the ground tremble beneath them.
Liz jumped up from the bed, her big brown eyes reflecting her fear. "It's the warning bells. Something is happening outside."
Sophia grabbed her hand urgently. "We need to get to the basement, quick!"
Liz shook her head vehemently. "No way. I'm not running away like a coward. Whatever it is out there, I want to fight it like a real werewolf."
"Liz, no! The Alpha doesn't want that. He ordered us to hide, remember? Only the sons join the battleground. We're supposed to keep ourselves hidden," Sophia protested.
"Wake up, Sophia. This isn't the nineteenth century. Don't let Father treat us like we're nothing but breeding machines. He'll see our worth once he sees us fighting. Come with me. Everything is going to be fine," Liz insisted.
Sophia wasn't convinced. As the smallest in the pack, she felt like the weakest link. "No, I can't." The dread that filled her at the thought of what might be out there made her resolve even firmer.
"Fine, then I'll go by myself. Go hide in the basement," Liz ordered.
"No, Liz, don't go out there! I have a terrible feeling about this. I think there's evil lurking outside. I can feel it." Sophia shivered as a chill pierced through her bones. She couldn't bear the thought of losing Liz—her only friend.
"Evil? Hah. Maybe it's one of the triplets. In that case, I'd be lucky to see the beautiful bastard," Liz replied lightly.
"Don't joke around. It's—" Sophia was cut off by the sound of screaming outside. She ran to the window, her heart sinking as she saw the fire consuming the neighborhood. Pack members ran in panic, desperately trying to extinguish the flames, but it was futile.
But who could have done this? Thick black smoke billowed, obscuring much of the scene.
"Get away from the window, Sophia, and go hide. I'll be right back," Liz said, and before Sophia could protest, Liz dashed out the door.
Fear surged through Sophia. What if something happened to her sister? She hesitated at the basement door, looking down the dark stairs. It would be a safe place to hide. But how could she hide like a coward when Liz might be out there fighting for her life? The sound of more screams reached her ears, and determination filled her.
She opened the front door and ran outside, but her progress was quickly halted. Her foot snagged on something, and she tumbled to the ground, pain flaring in her face. Struggling to get up, she glanced back to see what had tripped her. Her blood ran cold as she saw the mangled body of a pack member lying on the ground. It was a brutal sight, as if a wild beast had torn him apart.
Shit, it was a bad idea not to hide.
A shadow loomed over Sophia, making her look up. Chills ran down her spine, and the tiny hairs on her neck stood on end as she felt the presence of the large figure above her.
It was a massive black wolf, nearly three times her size. Her eyes met with its striking green ones, which glowed like emeralds. The wolf's gaze felt as though it was scrutinizing her, as if assessing whether she was worth the effort of an attack.
Should she play dead? Did that ever work for anyone?
The wolf shifted before her eyes in a transformation that was faster than any she had ever seen. Standing upright, he remained imposing, his size dwarfing her small frame. He looked at her with what initially seemed like contempt, but then his lips twisted into a mischievous smirk.
"Did you get lost, little runt?" he growled.
Sophia's breath caught in her throat, her body frozen in fear.
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