Chapter 1

　　Sophia

　　Only three days remained before my eighteenth birthday, and for the first time in years, I felt as though I finally had something to look forward to.

　　Kael was going to mark me. The thought alone made warmth bloom inside my chest.

　　Kael and I had met during our school years and eventually became each other's Chosen Mate. While other girls dreamed of finding their Fated Mate, I had never cared much about fate. Kael was already everything I thought I needed.

　　Growing up as the less favored daughter had never been easy. No matter how hard I tried, I always seemed to live in Olivia's shadow. But Kael had changed that. Whenever I felt invisible, he made me feel seen.

　　Carrying a small gift I had saved months to buy, I made my way to his house. When I arrived, I immediately noticed something unusual.

　　The front door wasn't completely closed and my footsteps slowed.

　　"Kael?" I called as I stepped onto the porch.

　　No answer came.

　　A strange feeling settled in my stomach. I pushed the door open and stepped inside. The house was quiet except for faint sounds coming from upstairs.

　　At first, I thought nothing of it. Then I heard voices.

　　"Oh..." A moan. "Harder..."

　　"Harder, please..." A plead. "I-I'm coming..."

　　Low, uneven, threaded with something that made my stomach drop before my mind could catch up.

　　My pulse stuttered. No.

　　I went upstairs and the noise grew louder when I stopped in front of the door. It as Kael's room.

　　My grip tightened around the gift box as I pushed opened the door. And on the bed, grabbing on the sheets were female hands.

　　Then Kael.

　　Beneath him, tangled in the silk sheets was my sister, Olivia.

　　He was banging her restlessly on the bed, shoving himself deeper onto the woman that wasn't me.

　　"Ah...Kael…" Olivia whimpered, clearly satisfied with Kael's hard length buried deep insider her. "Fuck me harder...oh!"

　　My entire body went numb, the gift box slipped from my fingers and hit the floor with a dull thud.

　　The two of them immediately turned toward the doorway. For a brief second, silence filled the room. I couldn't breathe.

　　The image before me felt impossible.

　　"W-What is this?" I whispered.

　　The hurt in my voice echoed through the room. But neither of them answered. And, Kael, he looked more irritated than guilty.

　　That realization hurt more than anything else.

　　He sighed heavily and started getting on his clothes. "Why are you even here? Didn't you see we're busy on something?"

　　The words struck me like a slap. I felt my eyes burn.

　　"Why…" I demanded. "Why are you fucking my sister?"

　　Kael's expression hardened. "Stop making a scene."

　　My heart felt as though someone had ripped it from my chest, and he was worried about a scene.

　　"How long has it been happening?" I asked. "Were you planning to tell me after my birthday? After you marked me?"

　　"There wasn't going to be a marking," Kael answered.

　　For a moment, I thought I had misheard him.

　　Three days from now, he was supposed to mark me before the entire pack. We had spent years talking about our future together, making plans and promises that I had foolishly believed would last forever.

　　"What are you talking about?" I asked, my voice trembling. "You told me you loved me."

　　Kael's expression did not soften. If anything, he looked irritated that I was forcing him to explain himself.

　　"No, Sophia," he said bluntly. "I told you what you wanted to hear."

　　The words struck me harder than anything else that had happened that afternoon. I stared at him, searching desperately for some sign that he regretted what he was saying, but there was nothing.

　　The warmth and affection I had always seen in him were gone, replaced by a cold indifference that made him feel like a stranger.

　　Then his gaze shifted toward Olivia. It was a small movement, but it was enough. The tenderness in his eyes when he looked at her was something I had spent years believing belonged to me.

　　"Olivia is my mate," he said simply.

　　As I stood there watching them together, a thought I desperately wished to avoid forced its way into my mind.

　　Chosen Mates could fall in love, but every werewolf grew up hearing stories about the irresistible pull of a Fated Mate. Looking at the two of them now, I couldn't stop myself from wondering whether that was what had happened.

　　Whether Olivia was the one fate had chosen for him all along.

　　The possibility made my heart ache in a way I could barely describe. I had spent years believing that what Kael and I shared was enough to overcome anything.

　　Now, I found myself wondering if I had been clinging to a future that had never truly been mine.

　　Tears blurred my vision. I felt as if my heart was torn into pieces. Without another word, I turned and ran away.

　　The walk home felt like a nightmare I desperately wanted to wake up from.

　　My chest ached with every step, and yet the pain wasn't only because of Kael. Deep down, a part of me already knew what I would find when I got home.

　　Olivia had always been the favorite.

　　If my parents had been forced to choose between us, they would have chosen her.

　　The moment I entered the house, I found them sitting together in the living room. My mother immediately noticed my tear-streaked face, and the worried look that crossed her features made my stomach sink.

　　"M-Mom... I saw Kael and Olivia together."

　　My father released a long sigh. That was all it took and the crushing weight in my chest grew heavier.

　　"You knew," I said quietly.

　　Neither of them denied it.

　　I closed my eyes for a moment. The tears stung, but surprisingly, I wasn't shocked. Hurt, yes. Devastated beyond words. What shattered me was realizing that they had watched me plan my future with Kael while knowing it was all a lie.

　　"Sophia, please listen," my mother began. "We were trying to avoid unnecessary conflict."

　　A bitter laugh escaped me.

　　"Unnecessary conflict?" I repeated. "They betrayed me."

　　My father remained silent for several seconds before delivering the final blow. "Kael and Olivia's Mating Ceremony has already been arranged."

　　The air left my lungs. "When?"

　　"On your birthday," my mother answered softly.

　　The day that was supposed to be one of the happiest days of my life.

　　"And we hope you'll support them," my father added.

　　In that moment, whatever remained of my heart finally broke. Looking at them, I realized that I had lost far more than Kael.

　　I had lost my family, too.