Chapter 1 Chapter 1

At midnight, my soul floated out of the basement. My bedroom door was shoved open. My brother, Conner, barged in, scoffing when he didn’t see me. "Aren't you a little old to be playing hide-and-seek and throwing tantrums?" Normally, I would've argued back. But this time, I just floated beside him, unable to make a sound. Conner called my phone. It went unanswered. Annoyed, he raked a hand through his hair and casually flipped through the journal on my desk. There was only one thing written inside: 99. The number of times they had let me down over the years. Conner didn’t get it. He frowned, tossed the journal onto the floor, and left a voicemail. "Stop with the stupid games. Ella wants your homemade cookies, so get back here and make them for her!""It's her graduation day. Don't you dare ruin it. Get home within the hour, and I’ll forgive you." Conner pocketed his phone and returned to the living room. "Sophie's not in her room, and she's not answering her phone," he told our parents. "She always does this—blows things out of proportion, disappears, and waits for us to beg her to come back.""We've spoiled her," Dad said finally. "No one contact her this time. Let's teach her a lesson. She can cool off on her own, and she'll come crawling back tomorrow." Ella drifted over, gently tugging on Dad's arm, her face a mask of concern. "Dad, don't say that. What if something really happened to Sophie? Maybe I should text her? You know Sophie and I are so close." She lowered her eyes, the very picture of an innocent, gentle fawn. I watched as she pulled out her phone, her slender fingers tapping on the screen. [Hope you enjoyed getting marked up by those rogues. Who are you screwing now? The party was a blast, btw. Thanks for not showing up. It would be so much better if you'd just drop dead.] After sending it, she deleted the message and typed a new one. [Sister, are you okay? We're all so worried about you. If you're mad at us, just take it out on me. Please, just come home.] She held the phone up for everyone to see, a perfect portrait of a caring, considerate sister. Mom pulled her into a hug, her voice dripping with sympathy. "You're always so kind, Ella. This has nothing to do with you. Sophie is just being immature." Immature? A bitter laugh escaped my ghostly form, though no one could hear it. In their eyes, it was always about Ella. Who would even remember that today was supposed to be the day I received my Distinguished Service Award, an honor given only once every two years? Knowing they would all be celebrating Ella's graduation, I had told them not to bother coming to my ceremony. I never tried to compete with Ella for their affection. But just as I was about to leave for the ceremony, three rogue wolves had burst in and dragged me into the basement. I struggled, terrified. "How did you get a key to our house?" One of the men dangled a keychain in front of me. It was Ella's. "Don't bother struggling," he sneered. "You're not leaving this basement today.""I won't tell anyone, I promise. Please, just don't kill me… I'm begging you…" In the end, they ignored my pleas. They pinned me down, violated me, and bit my neck raw, taking countless photos amidst their foul taunts. I fought with all my might, and in the struggle, my head slammed against the corner of a table. Blood gushed out instantly. Terrified, they fled. I summoned the last of my strength, dragging myself across the floor to my phone and licking the screen to dial for help. Every werewolf can feel when a family member is in mortal peril through their pack bond, but they all just thought I was vying for attention. Not only did they decline my calls, but they even sent me a message: [Faking suffocation again? Drop the act! Your father and I don't have time for your drama! We've already severed our pack link to you!] Only my mate, Ryan, picked up. "Help me... Ryan, I'm dying..." His reply was cold and sharp. "Sophie, cut the drama. This is Ella's big day. There’s a limit to your attention-seeking! I already told you I'd make it up to you with a graduation present!" But… Ryan, I was already dying. A bitter smile touched my lips. Too bad. You'll never get the chance to make it up to me. Within 24 hours, the stench of decay will start to drift from the basement no one ever enters. Ella always said she wished I were dead, so no one would compete with her for your love. Now, her wish has come true.

Chapter 2 Chapter 2

My spirit was trapped in the living room, forced to watch their cozy family scene. My father, who usually went to bed early, was wide awake, sitting with Ella as she opened her graduation gifts. My mother was picking out stunning dresses online, promising a whole new wardrobe for Ella's graduation trip. "Mom, I already have so many clothes, my closet is full," Ella said in a sweet voice. "Then we'll put them in Sophie's room. She's always so focused on her duties she never buys new clothes anyway. She doesn't need the closet space.""Is that okay? Sophie will be upset…" Mom frowned. "Ella, you don't have to be so timid. This is something Sophie should do for you as her older sister." Conner sat nearby, diligently shelling pistachios for Ella. I couldn't say a word, just watching the warm scene unfold. Turns out, a spirit can cry. The warmth was theirs; the loneliness was mine. "But Sophie's still not back, and she's not replying to my texts," Ella said, her voice pitiful. "Is she still mad at us? I feel so terrible with her not here." At the sound of Ella's voice, the three of them finally shifted their attention from her and remembered me. Dad frowned instinctively. "Don't mind her. She just wants us to revolve around her. When will she ever grow up?" Mom's face showed a flicker of impatience. "It's just a Distinguished Service Award. They give one out every two years. Doesn't she know Ella's college graduation only happens once? Why must she throw a tantrum on a day like this!" Ella pouted playfully at Mom. "Mom, don't say that. Sophie will be sad if she hears you. She had to practically beg for that award… oh, did I just say that out loud?" Though she said that, the triumph in her eyes was impossible to hide. I knew Ella was never innocent. Growing up, her grades were never as good as mine. Even though Dad, Mom, and Conner adored her and always put her first, Ella would still occasionally fabricate evidence that I had plagiarized. Each time, Dad would beat me without question. From a young age, I told myself that one day, I would find my own mate and feel what it was like to be someone's first choice, just once. But I never imagined that two years after meeting Ryan, his heart would also start to drift toward Ella. I should have been sad, but perhaps I was already numb. My soul was too numb to feel so much as a ripple of pain. The housekeeper brought out a platter of desserts, all of them Ella's favorites. Naturally, they stopped talking about me. "Ella, college must have been tough. Here, eat more of your favorites." Dad and Conner kept feeding her, and soon her cheeks were stuffed like a chipmunk's. She smiled brightly, boasting about her achievements in college. She’d already landed an internship at a top investment bank on Wall Street; her future was boundless. Dad and Conner listened, showering her with praise. And I just floated silently to the side. The clock struck one in the morning. I still hadn't appeared. Mom seemed to feel a pang of guilt, finally remembering me. She placed a few slices of strawberry tart—a flavor Ella disliked—onto an empty plate and handed it to my brother. Her expression was a little unnatural. "Conner, save this for Sophie. She can have it when she's done with her tantrum and comes back. Let's not have her think we only favor Ella. See? We saved some for her." I stared at the tart slices, feeling nothing. Conner thought for a moment, then reached for the plate. Suddenly, Ella shrieked and snatched her hand back from where it rested near a gift. "Mom, it hurts! This gift—it's silver!"

Chapter 3 Chapter 3

Dad, Mom, and Conner immediately rushed to her side. Seeing the red, burn-like mark on Ella's palm, they panicked. "We weren't around any humans at the party. Which werewolf would send a gift made of silver?" Mom's eyes scanned the room, finally settling on an open gift box. "That gift box… is that Sophie's?" Ella immediately looked like she was about to cry. "Mom, please don't blame Sophie. The gift was on my bedside table this morning. I'm just happy she was willing to give me a present." In an instant, disappointment and rage filled Dad and Conner's faces. "I knew it! That's why she's been dragging her feet and not coming home. She was plotting to hurt Ella!""How could I have such a vicious sister?""Enough! Stop arguing and get Ella to the pack healer!" Dad kicked the gift box—the one Ella had stolen from my room—and slammed his hand on the table in fury. "We're out of gauze. I'll get some from the basement," Conner said before they left. Ella's eyes darted around. She grabbed Conner's arm. "Don't go. The healer will have gauze. It hurts so much…" If Conner had taken one step closer to the basement, he would have smelled the overwhelming stench of blood. But it was not to be. At Ella's words, the family hurried away, leaving only my spirit floating in the empty living room. I wanted to scream that I hadn't done anything. But I could no longer speak. And I knew that even if I could, they would never believe me. So be it. The housekeeper, hearing the commotion, came out to clean up the mess and sighed. "Miss Sophie, why do you never learn to protect yourself?" My spirit floated back to my room. Seeing the journal on my desk, a flood of memories washed over me. When I was ten, our family held the decennial Bloodline Awakening Ceremony. That day would determine every cub's future status and power within the pack. Conner was first. His wolf form was pure black, a symbol of power and future leadership. Dad looked at him with undisguised pride. When it was Ella's turn, her wolf was a rare snow-white, possessing a natural aura of peace that calmed all the pack members around her. Mom held her, calling her the family's treasure. Not wanting to disappoint my parents, I stepped onto the awakening platform filled with anticipation. But when my wolf form appeared, everyone fell silent. My wolf was just an ordinary gray wolf. No special abilities, no rare coat color, so plain that I would be lost in a crowd of pack members. From that day on, I became the family's "common one," someone not worth investing resources in. Even after I achieved the highest academic honors, they still believed bloodline determined everything. Conner and Ella enjoyed all the favoritism and resources. And I, like my wolf's bloodline— Was ordinary. Expendable.

Chapter 4 Chapter 4

My spirit followed Ella to the healer's clinic. Before long, my mate, Ryan, burst in. He rushed straight to Ella's side, grabbing her hand and anxiously examining the red mark on her palm. His eyes were wild with anguish. "How did this happen? What did the healer say?""Ryan, don't be like this," Ella said, her voice choked with tears, yet she managed a weak smile. "It's not Sophie's fault. She probably just wanted to surprise me and forgot for a moment that we werewolves can't touch silver…" The more "understanding" she acted, the darker Ryan's face grew. He looked up, his voice seething with anger. "Sophie? Where is she hiding now? Ella, don't be sad. I'll make sure to teach her a lesson for you!" We hadn't completed our mate bond, so he couldn't sense my death, much less know that I was right beside him, watching him in silence. After leaving the clinic, Ryan called my phone. When it went unanswered, he left a message. "Sophie, how could you be so vicious? Using silver to harm your own sister? I always thought you were kind, but you'd do something like this out of jealousy!" Ryan's voice was furious. "I was on my way to give you your award gift. It's a family heirloom, a pendant to congratulate you. But now, you don't deserve it. Consider this your punishment.""You'd better pray Ella is okay. Otherwise, consider our Mate Bond ceremony cancelled!" I listened to his accusations, my heart too weary to even feel a thing. I should have known long ago. We had fought over Ella many times before. During a hunting training session, he had been completely focused on Ella's agile form; when I tripped over a root, he just called me clumsy. When we ate together, he never remembered that I couldn't handle spicy food, yet he could personally bake over twenty different kinds of desserts to make Ella happy. I argued with him about these things countless times, only to be told, "You're overthinking it. I just think of Ella as a little sister." His coldness made me feel like a possessive lunatic. But I loved him so much. I thought his presence was a gift from the Moon Goddess, that he could be mine and mine alone. I was wrong. So completely wrong. My parents loved Conner and Ella for their bloodlines. Why did Ryan love her? I didn't know. And now I'd never have the chance to find out. Because now, whether I fell or was beaten, I would never feel pain again. After midnight, Dad, Mom and Conner finally returned home, exhausted. I floated in a corner of the living room and heard my mother sigh. "It's a shame Ryan's bloodline isn't strong enough for Ella. They'd be perfect together.""Look how attentive he was at the clinic." My spirit froze. Then I heard Dad speak. "Yes, Ryan is quite capable, and I think Ella likes him too. It would be perfect if they were mates. But these things are guided by the Moon Goddess.""Don't overthink it," Mom said. "Ryan's bloodline isn't worthy of our precious white wolf. It's better to let him be with Sophie. Their gray wolf bloodlines are a better match.""Even if he completes the Mate Bond with Sophie, he can still dote on Ella," she added casually, then looked up and noticed the house was dark. A faint, metallic smell hung in the air. "Looks like the moonstones in the house have run out of energy," Dad said, annoyed. "Conner, go to the basement and get a new one." Conner grunted in agreement and strode toward the basement. The closer he got, the stronger the metallic smell became. His wolf instincts made him frown, but he dismissed it as a dead rat in the house. "What's that smell?" Dad and Mom followed him toward the basement door. Conner pushed it open. A thick, nauseating stench of blood and decay rushed out to meet them. In the darkness, a body lay in a pool of dried, blackened blood, its eyes not fully closed. Conner stopped dead. "Sophie…?"