Arisa

Life always has a way of throwing unexpected surprises. But I didn’t like the kind of surprise that happened to me.

It all started two years ago, when I was found inside a house, unconscious and helpless.

To put it simply, I was never the type to attract much attention. Like a shadow, I just tried to keep myself calm and invisible.

I’d call it a terrible time.

When I woke up in that house, I was surrounded by people who told me that my family had committed treason and murdered Eve, the lover of the future Alpha of the Blood Claw pack.

They said the two were mates, even though it hadn’t been officially declared yet, but their relationship was extremely close.

That night, aside from the deaths of several werewolves, Eve disappeared for a few days, and the body found in the burned East Building was hers.

Honestly, I had no idea why I was even there. The only thing I could remember was someone calling my name, and then I lost consciousness.

Trying to explain this to them was pointless. No one listened. That very night, they decided to keep me as a prisoner in the pack, someone to ridicule and scorn.

“Work properly, bitch. If you can’t do it, your hands will get hurt.”

Another reason they didn’t kill me was because I happened to be one of the best at fixing machines, and even improving them.

I still remember their amazement at my impressive skills.

I wish it had lasted, just by continuing to obey their every demand. But this was my prison, a massive dome-like fortress, built of steel and ruled by sheer dominance. When they first found me, I thought death would come swiftly.

But Jade chose not to execute me. No, he thought that would be far too merciful for someone like me, the only one left from the traitorous family, the one who had killed Eve.

He wanted to make sure I lived through hell.

“I told you to do it properly!” Glenn—that bastard finally kicked my hand, causing the tools I was holding to scatter across the floor.

My hand slammed into the ground. A sharp pain shot through it, forcing a grimace out of me.

Glenn, the Beta, laughed along with the other werewolves in the room.

“I’m sorry… I already said this requires concentration to build the cylinder block…”

Their laughter drowned out my words, showing just how little they cared for any explanation.

I swallowed hard and forced myself to stay calm.

Of course, their true intention was only to torture me. Well, I acted as if nothing had happened and simply continued my work. Without anyone by my side, I wasn’t sure how much longer I could survive.

I guess I could say I was a little lucky afterward, once they left my workspace, filled with the stench of oil and metal.

I sat down again, exhaling repeatedly.

Those damn memories. They’re so hard to remember. It’s complete torture. I can never feel at peace, constantly trapped in difficult situations.

Whenever I’m forced to leave this warehouse-like place, they watch me closely and whisper to each other with serious expressions:

“That jealous woman. She’s so obsessed with Alpha Jade.”

“She thinks she can replace Eve? She’s nothing but a bastard child from a traitorous family.”

“Alpha Jade is too kind for letting her live.”

Sometimes I feel angry hearing all their hateful accusations. Don’t they realize, I don’t even know the truth myself.

I know Alpha Jade is an incredible man—handsome, with mesmerizing black eyes.

I’m sure many women admire him.

But am I really obsessed with him? I don’t feel that way at all.

And Eve’s death… that happened two years ago, just before her nineteenth birthday.

At the age of 19, werewolves receive the blessing of the Moon Goddess.

They find their true selves, and finally, Eve and Jade would become mates.

At least, that’s what they said.

Strangely, something about that story never sat right with me.

If they hadn’t officially been confirmed as fated mates, they shouldn’t have made such claims.

And in just four more hours, I’ll turn nineteen, right after midnight. Maybe a small celebration is fitting.

To be honest, I’m just hoping for one peaceful day after all the cruelty I’ve endured.

The werewolves are gathered in the center of the hill, celebrating their victory. The sound of engines howling like their own voices fills the air.

They’re gathered around a bonfire, and I know Jade is there.

Beside him will be an empty space, the spot that once belonged to Eve. That powerful man shows eyes filled with deep loneliness.

As the sky grows darker, I slowly prepare to enjoy my moment. No cake with thick cream, just a stack of five thin pancakes I rushed to make, topped with leftover blueberry jam from a week ago.

I arranged it nicely enough, paying attention to its aesthetics, with a single candle in the center.

“Perfect,” I murmured with a fake smile.

There’s no other choice. This is a pitiful celebration for someone like me. And if the Moon Goddess has any mercy left for me, maybe… just maybe… she’ll grant my wish.

Waiting for the clock to strike exactly midnight, I sat in the middle of the messy room after tying up my long hair.

At the right moment, I lit the small candle, gazed at it for a few seconds, then blew it out. Afterward, I covered my mouth.

Moon Goddess, help me. I just want to find my happiness...

If that's too much, can I at least be free from all of this?

I knew my wish sounded childish—naive, even. But here I was, just like an ordinary human. Broken hands don’t heal instantly, not when I still have no powers. And they wouldn't let me die that easily either.

“Happy birthday to me,” I whispered.

A second later, I heard a voice in my head.

“Arisa!”

I wasn’t completely sure… but that voice screaming inside my head came with a pain so intense, it felt like my body was breaking. The pain kept coming, and for several moments, I couldn’t even breathe.

“Hang in there. It’s me, your wolf!”

I could hear it… I could truly hear it… and it wasn’t like what they said.

Why did gaining my wolf come with so much pain?

I’d never heard of anything like this, like the appearance of a wolf was trying to rip my soul away.

Over and over again, I forced myself to breathe and hold on. And finally, the pain faded.

“You did well.”

My body collapsed to the floor. The arrival of my wolf completely drained me.

“You…”

“Yeah, just like you guessed. I’m Dona, your wolf.”

I could feel it clearly, my breathing grew heavier.

As I looked down, I realized I was no longer human. With four fur-covered legs and sharper vision, it finally hit me, I had become a wolf.

But… there was something different. A color I had never seen before. Bright ginger fur—almost like a fox.

“Why?”

“You’ll find out.”

I couldn’t say anything, even though I didn’t understand what she meant.

But right after that, a loud ringing pulsed through me, like ripples spreading out, building until my head throbbed in pain.

Dona took over for a moment to keep me from passing out, forcing our body to return to human form.

I collapsed weakly onto the floor.

“…Who?”

I felt something powerful. My heartbeat quickened, my body trembled uncontrollably. My gaze locked onto the door.

Footsteps echoed, growing louder.

“It’s him! He’s coming!”

Dona was losing control inside my head, screaming loudly. And then, the door opened, and she roared:

“MATE!”

My mouth fell open, my breath caught in my throat as I saw the face that entered.

No…

No…

It couldn’t be.

I didn’t want this, but… this can’t be happening.

There’s no way he’s my fated mate! This is a curse!