Chapter 1 Chapter 1

That winter, we went skiing in Aespen, Amestia. It was where the rich and the werewolf nobles liked to hang out. However, an avalanche came out of nowhere. Dad grabbed Summer, my adopted sister who was fast asleep, and ran. Mom hurried out too, but she made sure to grab the little stray pup Summer had found. They got back to the Moonshadow Pack that same night and posted a bunch of photos online, happy they were all safe. They forgot all about me. A week later, I came home, all bruised and scratched. The Moonshadow Pack elders and the Vektar family friends were there, throwing a party for my parents and Summer to celebrate surviving the avalanche. Seeing me, my parents showed mixed emotions. They had thought of everything during the avalanche except for me, their own daughter. They had left me buried under the snow. Mom's eyes got a bit teary, and she hugged me tight. "My child... You've been through so much..." I used to dream of her hugs, but at that moment, I just stepped back a little and said without much feeling. "Thanks for caring." She paused, her arms still out. Summer looked at me with her amber eyes, not bothering to say any nice words. The next moment, she started crying quietly and spoke in a sweet voice. "Daddy... Mommy... I'm sorry, it's all my fault... If you hadn't had to save me, Rose wouldn't have gotten hurt… Rose, you can hit me. It's a happy occasion today. Don't let everyone here think that Mom and Dad left you because of me. It's my fault..." Her few words made Dad go from feeling guilty to really mad. "You deliberately chose to come back on this day? You want everyone to think we left you out?! You're so young, but you're so full of tricks. You don't even act like you're a part of this family!" I could not believe what I was hearing. Dad, the respected leader of our Moonshadow Pack, was saying those things about me, his own daughter. For five long days after the avalanche, I fought to stay alive under the rubble. There was no water or food, just the freezing cold and the scary feeling that death was close. I had tried over and over to reach out to them through the mind-link, but no one answered. When I tried to send the last message with my phone before it died, hoping to tell them where I was and leave my final words, I saw the messages my parents had sent instead. [The Moon Goddess kept us safe, all three of us are fine.] [We're so thankful to the Moon Goddess. Even the pet puppy is okay.] They were at home, getting cozy by the fire. They were all smiles, with Summer holding the little stray puppy she found. Meanwhile, I was in the snow, my hands numb as I dug through the ice. I kept going, driven by the need to survive, and I finally made it out. However, to Dad, my return was just a way for me to 'rebel' and 'start drama'. I lost the urge to explain myself, so I turned around and went to my room. Behind me, I heard Summer whisper smugly, "Dad, don't be mad. Rose was always the favorite, so she never learned any manners. We should give her time to figure out what's right." Dad just grunted. "I should've never brought her back. You're my good daughter, not her." I ran to my room. As soon as I heard those words, I could not stop the tears. I never had a place in this house, but I should've probably gotten used to that by now, huh? I dried my eyes and called my mentor, my voice steady and sure. "I've made up my mind. I'll go with you to Cascade City next week. I'll settle down there and focus on my medical studies. I won't come back." … The next morning, as the sun peeked in, Mom pushed my door open with a sigh. "Rose, you were so stubborn yesterday. Your dad just told you off a little, and you stormed off to your room. You really don't get it, do you? You embarrassed him in front of our family." She stopped mid-sentence when she saw the clothes by my bed. She had not noticed in last night's dim light, but in the bright morning, she saw my white shirt stained with dried blood. The marks were stark and shocking. She finally understood what I had been through in the avalanche. Dad came in after her and saw the shirt, his lips quivering in response. He started to say something. "Rose... I... I didn't realize...""I just want to get dressed. Could you please leave?" I said, staring at the ceiling, my voice icy. They never really paid me any attention. If Summer so much as scratched her finger, they would fuss over her like she was the most fragile thing. However, my legs could be sore and swollen and they would not even glance my way. They would just think I was seeking attention. It was not that they did not pay me any attention; they just did not care about me. Maybe it was the chill in my voice, but for the first time, I saw a flicker of worry cross their faces. They glanced at the dining table in the living room, where I used to place fresh Moonshadow flowers every day—a habit they always found pointless. "Rose, you haven't put out fresh Moonshadow flowers today. Want to go pick some with me later?" Mom asked, trying to sound casual. "No, thanks." There was a time when I would have jumped at the chance to spend time with my parents. However, that time was gone. I did not care anymore.

Chapter 2 Chapter 2

In three days, Summer and I would both celebrate our birthdays. Eighteen years ago, in Cascade City Hospital, Summer and I were mixed up and taken home by the wrong families. That mix-up started my 18-year-long nightmare. My adoptive father looked down on me, and my adoptive mother scolded me every single day... Mom wheeled in a giant mango cake to the party venue, but only Summer's name was on it. My name was missing, and I could not even eat mangoes without having an allergic reaction. Dad put Grandma's pink diamond tiara on Summer's head and said, "Happy 18th birthday, Princess Summer! We're so lucky for the Moon Goddess' mix-up that brought us a daughter like you." Mom added, "If the healer hadn't made that mistake, we wouldn't have found our Summer. Thank goodness for that mistake!" My parents were thankful for the very incident that made my life so hard. I watched the servants give Summer their handmade gifts. Previously, the servants had told me things like, "Don't even think about trying to be more loved than Princess Summer!""Remember, Summer is the real daughter of Mr. Vektar, the true princess. You're just a nobody from the Scarclaw Pack. Stay in your place!" Now, they were all sweet-talking Summer, and it was gross. "Happy birthday, Princess Summer!" Everyone cheered for her, and there was not one wish for me. Even so, I went back to my room and retrieved the presents I had picked out for my parents. I had never thought of today as just my day. It was also the day Mom worked so hard to bring me into the world. I should be thankful for that. When I got back to the party venue, Summer's eyes were wet. "Dad, does Rose not like me? She won't even wish me a happy birthday..." Mom and Dad looked upset like they were going to tell me off for being rude. However, when they saw the two scarves I made with my own hands, their eyes lit up with surprise. I knew our neighbors always bragged about the sweater their daughter made, and it made my parents wish for something like that. Mom held onto the scarf like it was her favorite thing. Dad put it on right away, forgetting he had just been about to scold me. He asked me gently, "Rose, when's your birthday? We'll make sure to throw you a big dinner." I looked at him and said slowly, "It's today." Mom and Dad looked at each other, shocked. Mom tried to laugh it off. "Haha, we knew that. We were just joking." She hurried to her bedroom and came back with a wolf bone necklace for me. "See, this was your gift all along." However, it had "Summer" written on it. I did not get mad like before, but Mom was all nervous, and Dad looked worried. Mom started searching everywhere. "Rose, you gotta believe me. I got one for you too—one for you and one for Summer!" She was talking fast, trying to sound like she meant it. "We bought them last month on our trip to Halavai, really. Rose, trust me!" Dad's face went all serious, and he nudged Mom, who then realized she had said too much. She looked all scared and sorry, like she was afraid I would get mad. It turned out they had gone on a trip last month without me… I should have known something was up when I got back from boarding school and found the front gate locked tight. I stared at the bone necklace in my hand, the one Summer had turned her nose up at before it ended up with me, and my heart felt empty. "It's fine. This one will do."

Chapter 3 Chapter 3

To make things right, my parents brought home all sorts of fancy stuff from the Silver Moon Market—moonstone earrings, a silver fang dagger, Moonshadow flower perfume... I ended up giving all those treasures to the few close friends I had in the pack as goodbye presents. Meanwhile, the video of me surviving the avalanche was all over the internet, topping the pack's trending charts. My parents knew it was me in that video right away. That night, they took me and Summer out to the fanciest place in the Moonshadow Pack, the Moonsplit. Dad kept lifting his glass, one drink after another disappearing down his throat. He kept saying over and over, "I've failed as a father... I'm sorry, Rose, so very sorry..." I was close to believing him. However, as the drinks kept coming and their cheeks got flushed, their real plan was revealed. Mom started carefully. "Rose, the video about you is the talk of the whole pack. You know everyone's looking for you, right? And you know Summer has always wanted to be an actress in Cascade City... So, we were thinking, why not let her take this opportunity? Your face isn't clear in the video anyway, and with this buzz, Summer could become a star." When she saw my expression go icy, Mom quickly said, "I'm not playing favorites. I just think... Opportunities should go to the one who wants them more. I love both my kids the same..." The same? I nearly burst into laughter when I heard her. All these years I had known them, they had never been fair. Suddenly, Summer's eyes filled with tears. "Rose, I know you've never liked me, but I really need this opportunity. Please, I'm begging you." I let out an icy laugh and whispered. "Alright, if you want this opportunity, it's yours. But first, you have to crawl around the hall like a little animal. Do that and I'll say yes.""You!" Dad's face turned red with anger as he shouted, "Stop this foolishness! Rose, how could you treat your sister like this!""I'm treating her badly, so what? Why are you so upset? When she made me stay outside our home, she asked the same of me. What's with the double standards?" Mom and Dad both went quiet. "Back then, you all told me Summer was just a kid and that she didn't know any better. You said she was 'stubborn' and made me do what she wanted." I took a deep breath, finally letting out years of bottled-up feelings. "Dad, remember when you took us hiking? When Summer said she felt left out, you left me alone in the woods. I had to walk back to the camp. I was just a kid too. Why do you favor her so much? If you want me gone, just say it. My life is yours to take since you gave it to me. "Mom, every time Summer did poorly on her monthly tests, you found ways to comfort her. When I came in first, you didn't even say 'good job.' You even missed my graduation. I thought I had a mom… I'm your real daughter! What did I do to deserve this from you..." By the end, my eyes were wet with tears. I thought they could not hurt me anymore. However, at that moment, my heart still broke. My parents looked at me, their faces full of emotion. I fought back the tears and managed a painful smile. "Okay, you'll get things your way. Summer can have the opportunity." My parents looked up to thank me, but then I said calmly, "I'll think of it as paying you back for giving me life. We're square after this." Dad was shocked. "What are you saying?" I made it clear. "From now on, you don't owe me, and I don't owe you. You're not my parents anymore, and I'm not your daughter." Mom freaked out. "No... No... You're my baby, Rose. You can't talk like that..."