A ghost haunting a house full of wolves who no longer saw me.
No crown.
No kingdom.
No mate worthy of the bond we once swore beneath the full moon.
Maybe—just maybe—walking away from this family, from this ungrateful pack, was the greatest birthday gift I could give myself.
Because I was done fading into the walls.
And deep within, my wolf shifted at last, whispering that the night still belonged to me.
The truth reached me the way it always did—carelessly, without regard, tossed at my feet like something I should be grateful to catch.
Ken was sprawled at the table, crumbs dusting the front of his shirt, speaking through a mouthful of crisps. “Camille booked the entire top floor at Starview,” he said casually. “Huge spread. Dad says it’s for all of us. Big pack thing.”
My hands froze on the mop. The wood felt slick with soap and age. “All of us?” I asked.
Nolan glanced up, lips curling into a grin far too sharp for a boy his age. “Not you, Grandma. Grandpa said you’re… not really fit for something like that.” His eyes swept over me. “I mean, just look at you.”
Not fit.
As if I were ill.
As if I were already disappearing.
As if I were a wolf too weak to count.