"Reject our bond?" Damien's voice dropped to a dangerous growl. "You dare say that on my son's birthday?"

His eyes flashed red as he towered over me.

"Always making everything about you," he snarled. "Trevor has been looking forward to this day for months, and you choose now to throw your little drama?"

I tried to push myself up, wincing as sharp pain shot through my wrist. "Damien, please—"

He grabbed my injured arm and yanked me to my feet."You're nothing but a burden we've carried for two years. A murderer we saved from prison."

The front door opened, and I felt the air grow colder as Patricia, My stepmother, swept inside. Her eyes narrowed when she spotted me.

"What's this mess now?" she asked looking at the blood on the marble floor. "I spent a fortune getting this place ready for Trevor's celebration, and you're ruining it with your dramatics?"

Damien's grip on my arm tightened. "She's threatening to reject our bond."

Patricia crossed the room and slapped me hard across my already bruised face.

"You dare?" she hissed. "After we saved you from a life behind bars? After we gave you a position in this household most wolves would kill for?"

"Patricia," Damien cautioned. "Try not to damage her face too much. She still needs to appear presentable at the party."

"Presentable?" She scoffed. "This little nobody will never be presentable. She'll never have Vivian's class."

Her finger jabbed into my chest. "Listen carefully, girl. You're going nowhere. That bond you're so eager to reject is the only thing keeping them from reopening your case. One word from Damien, and you'll be facing silver bars for the rest of your miserable life."

"Go upstairs and make yourself presentable for Trevor's birthday," Damien commanded. “-that's an Alpha command!"

My body jerked in response to his command because of the mate bond.

"And don't you dare embarrass me in front of the pack tonight," he growled, yanking me up by my arm. "There will be consequences if you do!"

I limped to my bedroom, tears streaming down my face. The remnants of my mother's dress lay scattered across the floor.

Ten years ago, before Vivian entered our lives, Damien and I had been inseparable. I loved him with every fiber of my being, dreaming of the day our pack fathers would announce our mating. I still remember how he would sneak to my window at night, bringing me wildflowers and promises of forever, whispering that no one would ever come between us.

Then my father married Patricia , and her daughter Vivian joined our pack. Beautiful, cunning Vivian who set her sights on Damien immediately. She didn't care that he was my destined mate - she wanted him, and within months, he was under her spell.

I carefully gathered the pieces of my mother's dress, trying to salvage anything I could. The fabric was beyond repair, but I tried to mend it.

Lost in my task, I didn't hear the door open again until Damien was standing over me.

"What are you doing?" he demanded. "I told you to get ready."

Without waiting for an answer, he yanked me up by my arm and dragged me to the closet, pulling out a silver dress I'd never seen before.

"Put this on," he ordered. "And fix your face. I can't have you looking like a victim at my son's birthday."

He threw the dress at me and stormed out, leaving me staring at yet another command I was expected to follow.

An hour later, I walked into the transformed living room, where pack members and Trevor's school friends filled the space.

"Smile," Damien hissed in my ear. "Look like you actually want to be here."

The party was a sea of unfamiliar faces giving me familiar looks of hatred. Trevor stood with his friends, pointing and snickering as I passed.

“Everyone look! The murderer decided to show her face! Bet she's planning which one of us to push down the stairs next!"

"Don't stand too close to her," Trevor continued. "She's a curse.”

The adults laughed openly now, raising their glasses. Damien did nothing to defend me, instead chuckling along with his pack members.

Suddenly, the room fell silent. All heads turned toward the entrance.

Selena Wilson walked in, Trevor's favourite and Damien's mistress for the past six months. She was Vivian's former best friend who quickly became Damien's comfort after her death.

She wore the exact same silver dress as me, except hers was clearly designer. Worse, Vivian's diamond luna ring sparkled on her finger. a ring Trevor would have attacked me for touching.

Trevor's face lit up. He broke away from his friends and ran to her.

"Aunt Selena!" he cried, throwing his arms around her waist. “You came!”

“Of course, sweetheart. I wouldn't miss your special day." She stroked his hair lovingly. "I brought your favorite chocolate."

Trevor turned, his eyes finding me in my matching dress. His face darkened instantly.

"Look everyone! The murderer is copying Selena now!" he announced loudly. "First she killed my mom, now she's stealing Selena's style!"

Trevor marched toward me. "You'll never belong here no matter what you wear or who you pretend to be. Everyone sees right through you."

"Trevor, come cut your cake!" someone called, breaking the moment.

"In a minute," he replied, never taking his eyes off me. Then he reached for a glass of red wine from a nearby table.

"You know what would look better with that dress?" he asked, and before I could step back, he tipped the entire contents over my head.

The cold liquid soaked through the silver clothe, staining it red as it dripped down my face and chest.

"Now you look like what you are," Trevor announced to the silent room. "A killer with blood on her hands."

No one moved to help and damien didn't even look my way instead he was kissing Selena openly.

Trevor turned and grabbed her hand. "Let's go cut my cake, Aunt Selena. I want you to help me with the candles."

Selena smiled at him. "Anything for you, my favorite boy in the whole world." She looked back at me with triumph in her eyes. "Someone should really clean that mess up before it stains the floor."

The party continued as if I didn't exist. I wasn't surprised, I'd never belonged here. For five years, I'd been nothing but a replacement, a scapegoat, someone to blame for their pain while they healed in their own ways.

I'd always felt sorry for Trevor, believing his hatred stemmed from grief, but now I realized some wounds weren't mine to heal.

When the last guest finally left, Damien cornered me with his eyes filled with disgust.

"Clean this mess up," he ordered, gesturing to the broken glasses and spilled drinks littering from earlier party games. "When you're done with everything outside, pack up all the trash, and maybe then you can come back in." He reached into a nearby closet and tossed cleaning supplies at my feet. "And for Luna's sake, stop looking so pathetic. You're embarrassing yourself."

I nodded silently, too tired to argue as he turned and walked away, his arm sliding around Selena's waist. They laughed together, whispering as they climbed the stairs to our bedroom

The night air bit into my skin as I gathered broken plates and half-empty glasses, wincing as pieces of glass sliced my already injured hands.

For hours I worked, cleaning every trace of the celebration that had become my humiliation. When I finally finished, I tried the door handle, only to find it locked.

I knocked harder when no one responded. Inside, someone had turned the music up to a loud volume. I pounded with both fists until my knuckles bruised.

"Hello? Can someone open the door!" I called, my voice breaking from the cold.

"Please, it's freezing out here! Let me in!"

Trevor's face appeared at the window. "My dad's busy with Aunt Selena right now. They told me to tell you they need private time."

"Trevor, please," I begged, my teeth chattering. "Just open the door."

"Why would I help a murderer?" he spat. "You should have died instead of my mom. Maybe the cold will finish what the stairs couldn't!"

His laughter faded as he disappeared back into the warmth of the house. I tried every door, every window, finding each one securely locked. Desperate and shivering violently, I made my way around to the back of the house where my bedroom window overlooked the garden.

Through the curtains, I could see them, Damien and Selena, naked on the bed that was supposed to be mine. The bed I'd been banished from months ago when he claimed he couldn't stand my touch.

“She's pathetic," Selena moaned as Damien moved over her. "The way she just stands there taking everything. No wonder you can't stand to touch her."

"She means nothing to me," Damien growled. "Never has. The only reason I keep her around is to avoid the scandal of rejecting a mate. Once Trevor's old enough, I'll get rid of her for good."

"Promise?" Selena purred, wrapping her legs around him.

"I promise. You're the only one I want. You've always been the one."

I stumbled backward. All this time, I thought I was enduring punishment for a crime I didn't commit. Now I realized the truth—I'd been kept in a cage serving a purpose until I wasn't needed anymore.

The wind began to howl around me, snow beginning to fall as I lied against the house. The old dog cage in the corner of the yard was the only shelter available. I crawled inside and was, surrounded by the smell of wet fur and poop.

Hours later, the back door finally opened. I stumbled inside, my limbs nearly frozen to find Damien in the kitchen with his shirt misbuttoned and Selena's lipstick smeared across his neck.

“Where have you been?" he demanded, not bothering to hide the evidence of his night with her.

I walked past him without a word, heading straight to our bedroom. I pulled my suitcase from under the bed and began filling it with what little I could call my own.

Damien leaned against the doorframe. "Where do you think you're going?"

"I'm leaving," I said quietly, continuing to pack. "And I reject our bond. Accept it or not, I'm done."

He laughed, the sound sharp and cruel. "You can't reject what saved you from prison. You're mine until I say otherwise."

"I'd rather face silver bars than spend another day in this hell," I replied, zipping the suitcase shut. "Trevor has Selena now. He doesn't need me, and neither do you."

Damien's eyes darkened. "You ungrateful little—" He grabbed my arm, fingers digging in painfully. "You think I'll just let you walk away? After everything we've done for you?"

"What have you done except punish me for a crime I didn't commit?" I wrenched my arm free. "I'm done being your prisoner."

His nostrils flared. "You smell like a wet dog. Go clean yourself up and make breakfast. You're embarrassing yourself with this pathetic display."

"I'd rather die than spend another minute pretending to be part of this family," I said, lifting my suitcase.

As I turned toward the door, Trevor's voice rang out from the hallway.

"Wait! I have a gift for you before you go!"

I turned, foolishly hoping for some reconciliation.

Instead, I saw Trevor's small hands gripping his birthday bow, an arrow already notched. His eyes was filled with hatred as he released the string.

"This is for my mother," he whispered.

The arrow flew straight and true, aimed directly at my heart.

"Die, murderer!" Trevor screamed as the arrow sliced through the air.

I tried to dodge but wasn't fast enough.

The arrow missed my heart but tore through my arm with a painful thud. Pain exploded as blood immediately soaked through my sleeve and dripped onto the floor.

I fell back, collapsing against the wall while holding my wounded arm.

Trevor didn't look horrified by what he'd done. Instead, his eyes lit up with excitement as he ran toward me.

"I missed!" he shouted, reaching for the arrow still in my arm. "It should have gone through your heart, murderer!"

His hands gripped the arrow shaft, trying to wrench it out so he could try again. I lashed out with my foot, catching him in the stomach. He fell back, slipping in the pool of my blood and falling onto his backside.

"Trevor!" Damien's roar echoed through the house as he rushed to his son, completely ignoring me bleeding out on the floor.

He scooped Trevor into his arms, wiping blood from the boy's face. "Are you hurt? Did she hurt you?"

"She kicked me, Dad!" Trevor sobbed, burying his face against Damien's chest. "I was just trying to show her my new bow and she attacked me!"

Damien's eyes blazed red as he turned on me. "You dare lay hands on my son? After everything we've done for you?"

"He... shot me," I gasped through waves of pain, pressing my hand against the wound. "He said... he wanted... to kill me."

"Now you're blaming a child?" Damien snarled. "You think I don't see what you're doing? Playing victim when you've brought nothing but misery to this family?"

Selena appeared at the stairs, running down to Trevor's side in nothing but Damien's shirt.

"Oh my goddess! What happened to the poor baby?" She knelt beside them, cradling Trevor's head against her.

"She's saying Trevor shot her on purpose," Damien growled. "Trying to paint my son as some kind of monster."

Selena's eyes widened. "Are you seriously accusing a child of attempting murder? It was obviously an accident! Children play with toys all the time!"

"A bow and arrow isn't a toy," I whispered, feeling lightheaded as blood continued to pool below me.

"He's just learning to use it," Selena argued, stroking Trevor's hair. "He would never intentionally hurt anyone. Unlike some people in this room with a history of pushing others down stairs."

Neither of them made any move to help me as I struggled to sit up and blood dripped between my fingers.

"Please," I whispered, feeling lightheaded from blood loss. "I need a hospital."

"You can handle it yourself," he sneered. "Wolves heal quickly. Stop being dramatic."

I struggled to my feet, leaving bloody handprints on the wall. "I can't stay here anymore. I'm leaving, and I will reject our bond whether you accept it or not."

His face darkened. "You can't reject what keeps you out of prison. Without our bond, there's nothing stopping me from telling authorities what really happened that night."

"You wouldn't," I whispered.

"Try me," he challenged. "One call is all it takes to have silver chains around your wrists for the rest of you miserable life."

I clutched the wall for support, the arrow still extending from my shoulder. "I'd rather rot in prison than spend another day here."

"Fine. You want compromise? Seven days in a week – we'll split them. You take Trevor Monday through Wednesday. I and Selena take him Thursday through Sunday. You still have a roof over your head, food on your table, and you avoid prison. Everyone wins."

"You call that winning?" I laughed bitterly. "I'm not sharing custody with your mistress. I'm leaving."

"Then leave!" Trevor shouted, his small face contorted with hatred. "Nobody wants you here anyway! Go die somewhere else like you should have instead of my mom!"

Selena stroked his hair lovingly. "Shh, baby. Don't waste your energy on her. She's not worth it."

With trembling hands, I grabbed my suitcase and staggered toward the door, leaving a trail of blood behind me. Not one of them moved to help me.

"Remember," Damien called after me. "The moment you step out that door, I'm calling the police. You'll be in custody before nightfall."

I turned back one last time. "Some prison would be kinder than this one."

Then I walked out and slammed the door behind me.Blood soaked my entire left side now, making me dizzy with each step.I fumbled for my phone and ordered an Uber with shaking fingers.

I just needed to get away. Far from this place and from these people who'd stolen five years of my life under the guise of mercy.

As I waited by the curb, the world began to spin around me.

The last thing I saw before darkness claimed me was headlights approaching through the snow, and then nothing at all.