I jumped out of the Bugatti’s back seat, the cold air biting through the thin fabric of my dress.

My voice, no longer trembling with emotion, had settled into a dead calm. “Alpha Joe, Beta Steve, you must have had a hard time traveling all this way.” My gaze dropped to the filthy hem of my dress, stained with the dirt of this rogue den.

“Five years is a long time. I’ve gotten used to it.”

“This place suits me just fine. I don’t miss home anymore.”

Joe’s lips pressed into a thin line, his wolf’s energy crackling faintly in the air.

“And besides,” I continued, glancing at the sleek, spotless car beside us, “I’m covered in dirt and filth. Wouldn’t want to stain your precious Bugatti.”

Alpha Joe’s chest rose and fell as he took a deep breath, trying to leash his growing anger.

“Julia Barrett,” he growled, his voice low and threatening, “what exactly are you trying to say?”

“I think I’m saying it pretty clearly,” I replied, crossing my arms.

Joe’s composure finally snapped. “Are you still blaming us? We came all this way to bring you home, and you’re still throwing a tantrum? How much longer are you going to act like this?”

His wolf flared just beneath his skin, his tone harsh and unrelenting. “Yes, we made mistakes five years ago, but were you completely innocent? Penny spent years wandering outside before finally returning to Midnight Ridge Pack. If you hadn’t constantly bullied her, gone against her in secret—”

“Would we have ever suspected you?”

A loud bang echoed as Joe slammed his fist against the car door. His voice turned icy, each word cutting like a blade.

“If you don’t want to come back, then don’t!” he snapped. “I no longer thought of you as my sister.”

My heart should have cracked at his words, but all I felt was a distant numbness.

“I’ll tell Mom and Dad you died in the rogue den,” Joe added coldly. Without waiting for my response, he got into the car and slammed the door.

The Bugatti roared to life, leaving me standing in the cold.

The winter wind wasn’t nearly as frigid as Joe’s words.

Even after five years of false accusations, exile, and suffering, they still couldn’t see past Penny’s inveracious mask. It didn’t matter anymore. Five years had hardened me. My heart was little more than a calloused wound, so numb that even a blade wouldn’t cut deep enough to hurt.

Beta Steve lingered, sighing softly like a man forced to deal with an unruly child. He reached into a bag they had brought from Midnight Ridge Pack and pulled out an ornate gift box.

“Your parents still care about you, Julia. Blood ties don’t break so easily,” he said, holding the box out to me like some peace offering.

I stared at it, unimpressed.

Steve’s voice softened. “Julia, don’t be stubborn. These pastries—Luna Felicia made them for you herself. And inside this bag is a dress they picked out just for you.”

A small laugh escaped me, sharp and bitter. My mate—Beta Steve Dolton—was Midnight Ridge Pack’s most talented warrior, the future Beta, and, once upon a time, my fated mate.

The memory of my first shift at eighteen surfaced unbidden. The strong scent of mint and pine had filled my senses, and my wolf had howled with joy in my mind. Mate.

Steve had always been the golden boy of Midnight Ridge Pack, a prince among wolves. And for a short, fleeting moment, I had thanked the Moon Goddess for blessing me with him as my partner.

But everything changed when Penny appeared.

The day she collapsed, coughing up blood, Steve had cradled her in his arms, glaring at me like I’d personally poisoned her. The bond we shared—the one I thought was unbreakable—frayed and snapped in that single moment.

I swallowed hard, forcing the memory away as my gaze fell on the box of pastries. Inside were dainty little macarons, each molded into the shape of a kitten.

Cute. Except I hated macarons. They were too sweet, too perfect. Penny’s favorite, not mine.

Then there was the dress—a soft pink monstrosity made of the finest silk. Penny’s favorite color. Mine love was midnight blue, the color of the sky just before it gave way to the stars.

Noticing my lack of gratitude, Steve’s expression turned cold, tinged with impatience.

“Julia, don’t be greedy,” he said, his tone sharper now. “Alpha Kenelm and the others have done their best to make it up to you. Penny was their real daughter!”

I stared at him, incredulous. “Greedy? I never asked you for anything."?”

His jaw tightened, but he said nothing.

“You have two days to think about it,” Steve continued, his tone dismissive. “After that, Joe and I are leaving. It’s your last chance, Julia.”

Chance. That was rich coming from him.

As Steve turned and walked away, I stood there in the cold, the box of unwanted pastries still in my hands.

They all thought I was ungrateful. That I was insatiable.

When I returned to my drafty little shack, it felt even emptier than usual—probably because all my belongings were gone.

The rogue overseeing my work leaned against the doorframe with a grin wide enough to show off his crooked fangs. “Miss Julia, no more mucking stalls for you. Fancy servants from Midnight Ridge Pack came by and cleared out your things. They’ve sent it all to the Allison Hotel.”

“You should go stay there.”

I glanced around the tiny shack one last time, taking in the broken window patched with cloth, the battered cot, and the faint stench of damp hay. This place had been my home for five long years.

I whispered under my breath, “Good riddance.”

As I walked through the cold, snow-covered streets of Rogue Den, memories of my life here replayed in my mind. For five years, I had woken up before dawn, shackled with silver chains like the lowest slave, braving the knife-sharp winter wind to cut grass and feed the Rogue King’s livestock. After an entire day of herding, I had to go to the mines to dig for ore.

Rogue Den was nothing like Midnight Ridge Pack’s perpetual spring. For most of the year, it was battered by icy winds and covered in snow.

These hands of mine—once soft, perfect for painting delicate strokes—were now a map of scars, callouses, and broken nails. Even my wolf, stayed quiet in the back of my mind, too weary from years of suppression to comfort me.

Alpha Joe wasn’t wrong.

The pampered princess of Midnight Ridge Pack had long since died.

Not in the cold of Rogue Den, but the day Penny was brought back.

From that moment on, she took everything that had once belonged to me—my parents, my brother, the love and affection that had once been mine. Whatever she wanted, I had to give up.

Because I wasn’t really their daughter.

I was just the greedy maid’s child. My mother had switched us at birth, leaving Penny to suffer in poverty for over a decade.

When I finally reached the Allison Hotel, its warmth hit me like a slap in the face. The scent of lavender and vanilla incense made me wrinkle my nose. Everything about this place screamed luxury—a world I’d been forcibly ripped out of and left to dream about from the depths of Rogue Den.

That’s when I saw her.

Penny.

She stood at the top of the grand staircase, a vision of delicate beauty in a soft cream robe, her silky brown hair tumbling over her shoulders like some kind of goddess.

My chest tightened. Not with envy—I’d been too broken for that—but with the stark reminder of how easily she’d taken everything from me.

She wobbled slightly, clearly about to step down barefoot. Before I could even process what was happening, Joe shot forward, scooping her into his arms like she weighed nothing.

“Are you out of your mind?” he growled, his tone soft but firm. “Why aren’t you wearing shoes? Rogue Den isn’t Midnight Ridge Pack—it’s freezing here. What if you catch a cold? You’re always so frail.”

Beta Steve—my ex-fiancé —appeared out of nowhere, holding plush slippers. He knelt down, gently cradling her ankle as he slipped them on.

Penny giggled, her voice light as air. “I didn’t think anyone would notice. You’re both too much.”

I stood at the bottom of the staircase, watching this nauseating display unfold.

My lips curled into a bitter smile.

Neither Joe nor Steve had mentioned she’d be here. Of course, they’d hidden her away, worried that the harsh winds of Rogue Den might harm her precious skin. Or worse, worried I might trouble her.

My wolf stirred in the back of my mind, her growl low and dangerous. You’re better than this, Julia. Don’t let them see you crumble.

I clenched my fists. “Crumble? Please. I’m practically a rock at this point.”

My heart had long since gone numb, but at this moment, it was like a fishhook had pierced into my flesh, dragging out a sharp, tearing pain.

My entire body trembled.

The one person who owed me an apology the most—I hadn’t even had the chance to see her.

Five years ago, Penny had been found and brought back to Midnight Ridge Pack.

That was when everyone realized the mistake.

Seeing her malnourished and frail from years in the slums, my family couldn’t wait to make up for lost time, showering her with everything they had.

Penny didn’t like me.

She deliberately tore her own clothes, then looked at me with hesitant, tear-filled eyes.

She didn’t have to say anything.

Everyone already knew what to believe.

My brother forced me to yield to Penny, claiming she was timid and pitiful.

My parents silently bought her designer clothes and let her choose as she pleased.

My fiancé, Beta Steve, personally taught her combat techniques and grew closer to her.

Penny and I shared the same birthday.

On that day, she suddenly said she wanted almond tea, brewed by me.

But after a single sip, her face turned deathly pale, and she vomited blood.

Joe, in his fury, struck me across the face.

His words were the cruelest curses I had ever heard.

“A bitched girl born of a bitch—just as vile!”

“You switched the almonds for peach kernels, knowing she’s allergic! Did you want her dead so you could keep playing princess?”

“I’m telling you now—Penny is my real sister. If anything happens to her, you’ll pay for it with your life!”

Because of that slap, I lost hearing in my left ear forever.

My fiancé had held Penny in his arms, flustered and panicked.

He didn’t say a word.

But his accusing eyes cut me deeper than any blade, slicing me into a thousand pieces.

I still remember the day Penny decided to become the poster child for ridiculous bravery. She stood before the Rogue King, her chin tilted in that defiant way that could only mean one thing—she was about to make a colossal mistake. And boy, did she deliver.

She called him a "barbaric mongrel," publicly scorning him in front of his own rogues. I swear, even the wolves watching from the shadows flinched at her audacity.

The Rogue King’s golden eyes glowed with fury. "If Penny isn’t sent to Rogue Den to answer for her insolence, Midnight Ridge Pack will face my wrath. My wolves will raze your lands until nothing remains but ashes and regrets."

That was the first time I saw Penny lose her composure. Her face went pale, and her eyes glistened with unshed tears. "I don’t afraid going," she whispered, her voice trembling in just the right way to tug at heartstrings. "But… I can’t bear to leave my brother, my father, and my mother."

Cue the dramatic silence as everyone looked at me like I was the answer to all their problems.

Alpha Joe, who had been standing as still as a statue, finally spoke, his tone cold and detached. "Julia, you’ll go in Penny’s place."

For a moment, I couldn’t breathe.

"Rogue Den is harsh and far away," Joe continued, as though justifying the decision. "Penny’s body is too fragile to endure it. Midnight Ridge Pack raised you for over a decade—isn’t it time you repaid the pack?"

Repay the pack? For what? Being a glorified punching bag and unpaid servant?

My father and mother said nothing, their silence heavier than any words they could have spoken. My mother eventually sighed, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Julia… we can’t bear to send you away, but Penny is our real daughter."

And there it was. The dagger twisted in my chest.

Beta Steve, my former fiancé, chimed in. "Julia, you’ve done too much wrong. You’ve hurt Penny time and time again. It’s only right that you go to Rogue Den and make amends."

I wanted to cry, but my throat was too tight. Penny cast me a triumphant look from behind her delicate mask of tears. She didn’t have to say a word—her victory was written all over her face.

And so, I was shipped off to Rogue Den, a desolate wasteland where even the wolves looked more feral than civilized.

The rogue overseers wasted no time reminding me of my new reality. "You think they sent you here to teach you a lesson? Nah, sweetheart. This isn’t punishment—it’s exile. They never wanted you to begin with."

He wasn’t wrong.

For five years, I labored under the harshest conditions imaginable. My hands, once soft, became rough and calloused, every scar a testament to the endless work. Feeding livestock, shoveling waste, mining for ore—each task more grueling than the last.

The winters in Rogue Den were unforgiving, the cold biting through even the thickest layers. My wolf, was my only companion in the long, silent nights.

But now, after five years, they had the audacity to send word that it was all a mistake. That the almond tea incident had been an error. That I was innocent.

They wanted me to come home.

Home.

The word felt foreign, like a language I no longer understood. What home did I have left?