Stacey, Jeanie, and Marnie always find ways to make my life miserable. Some days, it’s subtle—like ripping a book out of my hands and shredding it in the hallway while everyone watches. Other times, it’s more deliberate, like when they pulled my ten-page essay from the pile in English class and tore it to pieces right in front of me. They handed it back with a sarcastic “Whoops!” while the teacher just watched. I had the essay saved, so I reprinted it, but the teacher still marked it late and gave me half credit. When my father found out, he punished me for being “lazy,” not bothering to listen to my side of the story. I spent the weekend locked in my room with no meals, just sitting with my hunger and wishing Mary were still here—she would’ve snuck me at least a granola bar.

Leo was nowhere to be found when our father berated me that day. Since Mary left, he no longer has to pretend to look out for me. It’s just me now, navigating my way through the mess they all leave behind.

Most days, Stacey’s torment turns physical—pulling my hair, shoving me into walls, or “accidentally” hitting me with an overloaded backpack as she walks by. They’re careful not to leave marks in obvious places, though. I’m pretty sure a few of my ribs have cracked and healed so many times they’d snap with a sneeze. My wolf helps heal the worst of it, and she’s a good distraction, too, with her sarcastic commentary about Stacey and her minions. I love that wolf—she keeps me sane.

Stacey uses her cruelty strategically. She knows I’ll never let her hurt the younger kids, so she uses that against me, ensuring I’m always the target. But I let her. As long as she thinks I’m an easy target and stays away from the others, it’s worth it. I heal faster than she thinks, thanks to my Beta blood. If taking her abuse keeps the peace, I can handle it.

Having my wolf made life easier in some ways. We’ve figured out how to sneak out of my room at night when my father locks me in, and we hunt for food if he decides I don’t deserve to eat. It’s not the worst thing—at least I know I can survive on my own. Some days, I think it might be nice to just run away and live wild.

But that was before she showed up.

It was mid-November when the new girl arrived, and everything started to change. She showed up for the 5 a.m. mandatory pack training, where every high school student is expected to learn basic self-defense—even if they aren’t destined to become warriors. As we get older, training divides into tiers: basic training for everyone, intermediate training for patrol warriors, and advanced training for future elites—the Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta ranks, along with their mates.

I attend every training session, even the optional ones, though Leo hates that I do. I see the irritation on his face whenever I catch his eye across the training grounds. I don’t know why it bothers him so much, and I honestly don’t care. I stay out of his way and focus on my own training.

There aren’t many girls who attend the advanced sessions. Carra, a senior, is only there because her father makes her. She comes, trains in silence, and leaves. The Luna trains with us sometimes, and I admire her—she’s a great fighter with stories and insights I’ve learned a lot from. She and the other female warriors have taught me how to use my small size to my advantage, which most of the guys overlook. They love their mates and respect the female warriors, but in the end, they still believe they know better.

Training is the only time I get to breathe. Stacey and her minions wouldn’t dare pull anything in front of Leo, Aaron, Ryan, or the others. I get to exist without their torment—at least for a little while. I’ve even thought about joining the warrior ranks after school. I’ve been running patrol routes on my own, getting to know the border warriors and learning what it’s like to be the first line of defense for the pack.

Then the new girl arrived.

Our lead trainer called us together that morning and mentioned, almost as an afterthought, that we had a new member joining us. “She’s here with her uncle and aunt while her parents are working for the Alpha King,” he said, which instantly grabbed everyone’s attention.

Even Stacey had dragged herself to the sidelines in a short dress and sky-high heels, though, as usual, she had no intention of participating. I still don’t understand how she manages to avoid mandatory training.

Then the new girl walked in, and the whole place shifted.

She was tall, with long dark brown hair and striking golden-honey eyes. Her confident posture was the first thing I noticed—she carried herself like she owned the space. She wasn’t much older than me, but the way the guys’ eyes followed her every movement made it clear she was already commanding attention.

The thought of how Stacey and her minions would react to the sudden competition made me smile. Apparently, I smiled a little too obviously, because the new girl noticed. She turned and looked right at me, her eyes locking onto mine.

Kyle, the Delta, gave her a quick rundown of the session and told her to jump in. And just my luck—she headed straight for me, stopping right in front of me and holding out her hand.

“Kylie. Nice to meet you.”

For a second, I just blinked at her, trying to process the fact that someone was actually talking to me. I wasn’t sure what to do, and I hesitated just long enough to feel like an idiot.

She raised an eyebrow, amused by my awkwardness.

“Oh, uh... Selene,” I finally mumbled, shaking her hand quickly before dropping it and turning back to face the front, where Kyle was giving the next set of instructions. “Sorry. I’m not used to people talking to me.”

Sierra tilted her head, clearly puzzled by my awkward response, but before she could ask anything, Kyle paired us up to start sparring. I guess he figured I was as good a partner as any since she’d approached me first—and because I attend every training without fail.

Kyle is one of the few people who knows I plan to leave this pack and join the warrior ranks. He’s even given me a key to the training grounds so I can come and go as I please.

As Kylie and I started our warm-up, I stole a glance at her, wondering what kind of change her arrival would bring. Something told me things were about to get interesting. And for the first time in a long while, I felt a flicker of something I hadn’t felt in years.

Hope.