Raine POV
The forest had always been my refuge. But I couldn't stay there forever.
The walk home was supposed to clear my mind.
I kept my head down, my fingers still curled into fists from my encounter with Ronan. The scent of pine and damp earth faded as I stepped out of the forest and onto the dirt road leading into town. The Bloodmoon Pack's territory stretched around me, the houses growing closer together. I told myself I was fine. That Ronan's words didn't sting.
But the ache in my chest said otherwise.
The air here was different-thicker, suffocating. And then, just as I expected, it soured further.
The first warning came in the form of laughter. Sharp. Mocking.cruel, and too familiar.
I recognized the voices before I even turned around.
"Well, well," Ana Vaughn drawled, crossing her arms. The streetlight cast a golden glow over her sleek blonde waves, her sharp blue eyes glittering with amusement. "Look what crawled out of the woods."
Ana Vaughn-daughter of the current Beta. The pack's golden girl. The one who made sure I never forgot just how far I had fallen.
I used to be someone. My father had been the Second Beta, respected, powerful.
Now, he is dead.
And I was nothing.
Behind Ana, Kelsey and Mira smirked in unison, their perfectly coordinated outfits pristine, as if they hadn't spent the last hour chasing after Ana like well-trained pets.
I clenched my jaw, gripping the strap of my bag tighter. Keep walking. Don't engage.
I moved to step around her, but Kelsey blocked my way.
"Where are you running off to, wolfless?" she sneered. "Back to your little hole?"
The old Raine would've ignored them. Would've kept walking.
But tonight, my patience was running thin.
"Move," I said, my voice even.
Ana gasped dramatically. "Did you hear that, girls? She's growing a spine."
Mira snickered. "Maybe she thinks if she acts tough, she'll finally shift."
The words hit harder than I wanted them to.
"Or maybe," Ana mused, tilting her head, "she finally realizes that no one in this town wants her." Her smile sharpened. "Not her pack. Not her family. And certainly not Ronan."
A flicker of something cruel passed through her eyes. She stepped closer, lowering her voice.
"Even your father would've been ashamed of you."
The world tilted.
I don't remember moving.
One second, I was standing still. The next, my hands had shoved Ana backward, the force of my anger pushing her off balance.
She stumbled, eyes wide. Then her shock turned to rage.
"You little bitch-"
She lunged at me.
Pain exploded across my cheek as her palm connected with my face. The sting made my vision blur, but I refused to give her the satisfaction of seeing me break.
Laughter rang out around me.
"That's not how you behave to those better than you, wolfless."
I clenched my fists. "I don't have time for this."
"But we do," Kelsey chimed, her voice dripping with faux concern. "You've been spending so much time alone, Raine. It's kind of sad."
"More than sad," Mira giggled. "Tragic, really. Beta's daughter should be strong. Respected." She tilted her head, eyes gleaming. "Then again, I guess that's hard when your father isn't around to protect you."
The words hit like a slap.
Because that was the difference between Ana and me.
Her father was still here, still powerful, still making sure the pack treated her like royalty.
Mine was gone.
And with him, everything else.
Ana stepped closer, her lips curling. "Maybe you should just leave already. Save everyone the embarrassment."
For a split second, I almost let the words sink in.
Because they weren't wrong.
My family was ashamed of me. My mother barely looked at me, my sister made sure to remind me I was lesser, and my father...
My father would have never let me be treated this way.
But he wasn't here anymore.
So I did what I always did.
I swallowed the words.
Buried the hurt.
Lowered my gaze-
No.
Not tonight.
Not anymore.
I lifted my chin, meeting Ana's icy gaze head-on. "You're right about one thing," I murmured. "Beta's daughter should be strong. Respected." My lips curled. "But you're just daddy's spoiled little princess, desperate for an Alpha who doesn't even want you."
Ana's smirk vanished.
Kelsey and Mira sucked in sharp breaths, eyes darting toward Ana as if waiting for her to explode.
And she did.
"You bitch-"
Her hand shot out, aiming for my face.
But this time, I caught her wrist before she could land the slap.
Silence.
For the first time, Ana looked surprised.
"You want to hit me?" I asked, my voice calm. Steady. "Do it. But don't expect me to just take it anymore."
A flash of something dark crossed her face-anger, disbelief, maybe even the smallest trace of unease.
Kelsey and Mira shifted uncomfortably.
Ana yanked her arm free.
"You'll regret that," she hissed, her voice lower now, full of promise.
Maybe.
But as I turned and walked
away, shoulders squared, heart pounding, I realized something.
For the first time in years, I wasn't just enduring.
I was fighting back.