Chapter 1: The Lifestyle Before the Death of the Betas

The dense forest surrounding Moonstone Pack shimmered under the glow of the full moon, the towering trees whispering secrets with the wind. Deep in the heart of the pack's territory stood a cozy wooden cabin, a modest home that had housed Rose since infancy. It wasn't the grand estate of the Alpha's family, nor the sturdy brick homes of the pack warriors, but to Rose, it was the only place that had ever truly felt safe.

It was the home of Beta Samuel and his mate, Lillian, the second-in-command of the pack and the only parents she had ever known. They had found her as a newborn, abandoned at the borders of Moonstone Pack, wrapped in nothing but a tattered blanket. While others in the pack were wary of taking in an orphan with unknown origins, Samuel and Lillian had embraced her without question.

Despite their high-ranking status in the pack, Samuel and Lillian led a simple life. Their days were spent training warriors, managing pack affairs, and mentoring younger wolves. But no matter how busy they were, they always made time for Rose.

Lillian would braid Rose's long, raven-black hair each morning, humming old lullabies as she did. Samuel would take her on long walks through the pack lands, pointing out the best hunting spots and the safest routes to take in case of danger.

"You have to be strong, little one," he would say. "The world isn't kind to those without power."

Rose didn't quite understand the weight of those words yet, but she nodded anyway, wanting to make her adoptive father proud.

Though they were strict when necessary, their love was unconditional. They celebrated her small victories—her first transformation, her first successful hunt, the day she finally landed a proper punch during training. They were there for every scraped knee, every nightmare, every moment of doubt.

And yet, outside of their home, the world was not so kind.

Moonstone Pack was a strong and structured society, and bloodlines meant everything. Every pup born into the pack could trace their lineage back generations, each family taking pride in their rank. Rose, however, had no lineage, no history. She was an anomaly, a nameless girl with no past.

The other children in the pack were never outright cruel to her, but they kept their distance.

"She's not one of us," they would whisper when they thought she couldn't hear.

Even the adults regarded her with wary eyes. Many tolerated her out of respect for Samuel and Lillian, but they made it clear she was not truly part of the pack.

"She shouldn't even be here," some would murmur when the betas weren't around. "We don't know where she came from, what she might be."

Rose pretended she didn't hear. She smiled when she was supposed to, kept her head down, and did everything she could to blend in.

Still, it hurt.

Pack school was supposed to be a place where young wolves learned about their history, honed their abilities, and formed bonds that would last a lifetime. For Rose, it was a battlefield where she fought to prove she belonged.

While others shifted into wolves with ease, hers had taken longer to emerge. While others trained in combat with partners, she often trained alone. Even when she did get paired up, her partner would always hesitate, as if afraid that touching her would somehow taint them.

Kenneth, the Beta's only son, was one of the few who showed her kindness. They had grown up together, practically raised as siblings. He was the only one who would spar with her without hesitation, who would sit beside her at lunch when no one else would.

"They're just jealous," he'd say, nudging her when he noticed her frown. "You're smarter than half of them and faster than the other half."

Rose would smile at his words, but deep down, she wasn't sure she believed them. No matter how hard she trained, no matter how much she learned, she could never change her blood.

The Alpha's family was the epitome of power and prestige. Alpha Gregory ruled the pack with an iron fist, and his mate, Luna Eleanor, was just as formidable. Their children—the quadruplets Aaron, Adrian, Alexander, and Atlas, along with their younger sister Hailey—were the heirs to the pack.

They were everything Rose wasn't. Born of noble blood, trained from birth, and destined for greatness.

The quadruplets barely acknowledged her existence, except when it was to remind her of her place.

"Stay out of our way, orphan," Aaron had sneered at her once after she accidentally bumped into him.

She hadn't meant to. She had been carrying a stack of books too tall for her small frame, and she hadn't seen him coming. The books had gone flying, and the entire hallway had gone silent.

Adrian had laughed. "You're weak. You shouldn't even be in training."

She had swallowed her pride, gathered her books, and walked away.

Hailey was worse. Unlike her brothers, who dismissed Rose as an insignificant speck in their world, Hailey took pleasure in making her feel unwelcome.

"She's not even a real wolf," Hailey had said once, loudly enough for the entire dining hall to hear. "Who knows? Maybe she's part rogue."

Laughter had erupted around her, and Rose had wished, just for a moment, that she could disappear.

Despite everything, Rose had found solace in her home. Samuel and Lillian had always been there to shield her from the worst of it.

Until the night they weren't.