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?

Penny descended the staircase , her mink-trimmed shawl bouncing with each step. Her feet were tucked into plush slippers, and the scent of something outrageously expensive perfume wafted toward me before she even reached the bottom step.

When her gaze landed on me, her doe-like eyes widened in startled fear, the corners of her mouth trembling.

“Big sister…” she said softly.

I said nothing, my eyes trailing over her perfectly polished appearance—manicured nails, flawless skin, and the kind of Jewelrys that screamed privilege.

Meanwhile, my own cracked, frostbitten fingers curled into fists at my sides. The bitter cold of Rogue Den hadn’t just bitten at my skin; it had left marks that no amount of Skin care products could cover.

Penny’s eyes glistened, her nose reddening . A single crystalline tear rolled down her cheek.

“Sister,” she whispered, her voice shaking just enough to sound vulnerable, “are you still angry with me? You haven’t forgiven me?”

I raised an eyebrow but stayed silent.

“It was my fault,” she continued, her hands clutching each other like a penitent saint. “The Rogue King… he was supposed to punish me. You suffered for five years because of me.” She paused . “We’re here to take you home.”

Home? I let out a sharp laugh under my breath.

Penny approached me with a cup of tea. “If you drink this,” she said, her voice soft , “it means you’ve forgiven me. Okay?”

Her hands trembled as she extended the cup toward me.

Then,The tea spilled.

The hot liquid splashed over my frostbitten hands, seeping into the cracks in my skin. The sting was immediate and sharp, an agony that triggered an instinctive reaction.

Before I could think, I shoved Penny back.

She didn’t hit the floor.

Beta Steve—my former fiancé—was suddenly there, his arms wrapped around her like a protective cocoon. His glare burned into me as if I were some feral animal who had lost all reason.

Then came my brother. His boot collided with my side before I could even brace myself, sending me sprawling to the floor. My head struck the ground with a dull thud, and warm blood trickled down my temple.

“She didn’t mean to spill the tea!” Penny cried, her voice trembling as she clung to Steve’s arm. “She’s hurt… Please, don’t blame her!”

But her words, of course, were drowned out by Alpha Joe’s thunderous voice.

“Julia, after five years, you’ve learned nothing! You still dare to bully Penny?”

I bit down hard on my lip, willing myself to stay silent. What was the point of speaking? No matter what I said, I would always be the villain in their eyes.

Joe’s face twisted into a mask of rage, and Beta Steve tightened his hold on Penny as if I might leap at her again.

Slowly, I sat up, ignoring the ache in my ribs and the sticky warmth of blood on my forehead. I wiped the blood away with the back of my hand and bowed deeply toward Penny.

“I was careless,” I said, my voice calm and measured. “I apologize for pushing Miss Penny.”

Steve’s brows furrowed, a flicker of guilt passing over his face. Penny, looked horrified, on the verge of tears.

“Sister!” she cried, her voice high and wavering. “How could you bow to me? You’re not my servant—there’s no need for this!”

Alpha Joe with a cold, dismissive tone. “If she wants to act like a servant, so be it. Let her stay here and suffer. We’re leaving.”

I stayed frozen in my bow as their footsteps receded, my wolf growling softly in the back of my mind. Good riddance, she snarled. They don’t deserve to call themselves your family.

She was right, of course.

For a moment, when I’d first seen them, I’d felt a flicker of hope—a stupid, naive hope that maybe they’d changed. That maybe they’d come to take me home because they finally cared.

Good thing I overheard the servants talking.

Good thing I had already given up on going back with them.

Returning to Midnight Ridge Pack would mean returning to a place where I had no place.

Returning to be mocked, humiliated.

For just a moment, when I first saw them in Rogue Den, I had been happy.

For just a moment, I had wanted to tell them.

That I was getting married.

That I wasn’t a slave anymore.

That soon, the future Rogue King of Rogue Den would give me a home.