The mountains of Grey Hollow were always quiet, but tonight the silence felt heavy. My family, the Arkwrights, were famous for being solid. For generations, we were the dependable Betas the muscle and the mind that kept the pack running. We weren't flashy, but we were respected.
Tonight was the night that was supposed to settle my future. My twin sister, Lyra, and I stood in the center of the pack circle. It was our sixteenth birthday, the night of our first shift.
Lyra went first.
I watched her body snap and rebuild. It looked easy for her. When the fur receded and she stood there, a glowing star mark was burned into her collarbone. It was the mark of a Luna. Her blonde hair looked like actual gold under the moon, and her blue eyes were so bright they almost hurt to look at.
The pack went wild. My mother ran forward, wrapping a thick wool blanket around Lyra's shoulders. My father was already beaming, his chest puffed out like he was the one who had just shifted into a legend.
"Elara Arkwright," Elder Cornell called out. His voice was gravelly and impatient. "Step forward."
My legs felt like lead. I was always the "bigger" twin. In a pack that prized lean, fast hunters, my curves and my weight were a constant topic of conversation. I walked to the center of the stone circle, my heart hammering against my ribs. I just wanted a brown wolf. A normal Beta wolf. Something that would make my dad look at me the way he was looking at Lyra.
I stood there. One minute passed. Then two.
The moon felt hot. Not a gentle glow, but a searing heat that started in my lungs. I didn't glow. I didn't get a mark. Instead, I doubled over, coughing so hard I thought my ribs would crack.
"Water," I wheezed, reaching a hand out toward the crowd. "Please, I need water."
No one moved. The celebratory cheering for Lyra had died down into a cold, sharp silence. I looked at my mother. she was busy tucking a strand of hair behind Lyra's ear. I looked at my father. He wasn't moving. He was just staring at me with a look of confusion that was quickly turning into shame.
Then, the shift hit me like a physical blur.
It wasn't smooth like Lyra's. It was a messy, painful heat. As my bones broke, a scent exploded from my skin—thick vanilla and heavy lilies. It was sweet. Too sweet. I saw the male wolves in the front row twitch. Their eyes bled into a dark, hungry gold.
When the fur finally finished growing, I tried to stand. My paws felt weak, like they were made of jelly. I hit the dirt, my chin slamming into the grass. I was small. I was white. And I was shaking.
"Elara Arkwright awakened as an Omega," Elder Cornell announced. His voice sounded disgusted.
"What?" My father stepped into the circle, his face pale. "An Omega? Look at her. Are you sure? That's impossible."
"The moon doesn't lie, Beta Arkwright," the Elder replied. "She is a rare breed, but she is weak. Look at her. She can't even hold her own weight."
I looked at my father, begging him with my grey eyes to pick me up. Instead, he stayed back. My mother's brows furrowed as she pulled Lyra closer to her, as if I were contagious. Lyra didn't look sad. She had a tiny, sharp smirk on her face as she buried her head in Mom's shoulder.
"I think it's because of her weight," my mother whispered, but in the silence of the woods, everyone heard it. "I think the Moon Goddess chose this because she's... soft. She doesn't have the discipline for a Beta wolf."
"This is a disgrace," my father snapped. He didn't even look at me anymore. He turned to Ray, a red-haired Gamma who worked under him. "Ray, cover her up when she's back in human form. Have her walk back to the manor. Through the back woods."
"Sir?" Ray asked, looking at me with a bit of pity. "Shouldn't we wait for the Alpha to see her? He's on his way back."
"I'm taking Lyra to the Alpha myself," my father said, his voice cold as ice. "Get this embarrassment out of my sight."
He turned his back on me.
"Father, it was so hard," Lyra whimpered, playing the part of the exhausted hero.
"I know, honey," Dad said, his voice suddenly warm again. He kissed her forehead. "Tell me whatever you want, and I'll get it for you. You made us so proud tonight."
"Thank the Goddess we have you," Mom added.
They walked away. They didn't look back once.
I started to change back, the skin-to-skin contact with the cold grass making me shiver. Tears blurred my vision. My heart felt like someone had driven a dagger into the center of it and was slowly twisting the handle.
I heard the whispers from the pack members as they cleared out.
"I knew she was a letdown."
"Can you imagine? A future Luna and an Omega in the same house? Mr. Arkwright must be humiliated."
"She's probably been stuffing herself with donuts instead of training. No wonder her wolf is a joke."
"But that smell... it's dangerous. It makes my head spin."
Suddenly, a pair of warm, rough hands covered my ears. Ray was kneeling over me, wrapping a rough wool blanket around my shaking shoulders. He didn't look at my body; he just looked at my eyes.
"Don't listen," Ray whispered. "Only focus on the path. Walk to the house, Elara. Don't look at them. Just keep moving."
I clutched the blanket, my knuckles turning white. I couldn't say thank you. I couldn't say anything at all. I just looked at the moon and wondered why it hated me so much.