Chapter 7

I crawled to the empty urn, pain forgotten, my world reduced to ashes.

"Hannah, be strong."

"Hannah, Mom loves you."

"Hannah, life's short—find happiness."

Mom's words haunted me, warm and tempting, pulling me toward the thought of joining her.

Derek's cold voice snapped me back. "Know you're wrong yet?"

I didn't want to hear him, didn't want to answer, didn't care what new torment he'd cooked up. He'd already destroyed my everything. Nothing else mattered.

My silence pissed him off. Brittany fanned the flames. "Derek, looks like Hannah's not backing down. Challenging you now?"

Bang—Derek kicked Mom's headstone, grinding her photo into the dirt. "Hannah, if you won't take the olive branch, then…"

"Then what?" I cut in, my voice dead, a bitter smile twisting my lips. "I've admitted fault, apologized, banged my head on the ground. Did you let me go?"

I didn't get it. Why should the innocent kneel and beg? Why did the guilty walk free? This world was cruelly unfair.

I stood, meeting Derek's eyes. "What's next? Make me kneel in a maid outfit? Let wolves violate me? Kill everyone I love?" I closed my eyes, voice barely a whisper in the wind. "Derek, I'm done. Just kill me."

A flicker of unease crossed his face, but Brittany jumped in. "Hannah, don't pull the pity card with that kind of talk! Life's not about death. We were just messing with you—don't make it a big deal." She turned to Derek. "You're not buying her act, are you?"

His hesitation vanished. He sneered. "You wanna die? Then die."

He ordered the burly wolves to throw me into the pit and bury me alive. They hesitated until he barked, "Do it! I'll handle any fallout!"

He thought I'd crack under death's shadow. But I didn't. I said nothing, letting them pile dirt and rainwater over me, silent, unbegging. As the mud neared my face, Derek shouted, "Stop! Hannah, you're off the hook. Stay here tonight and think about what you've done."

He stormed off with Brittany. I stared at the sky, rain washing away my tears, Mom's memories flooding me. She planted bright flowers for me, built a swing and played like a pup, taught me, "Do good, don't worry about what's ahead." She was right, and I tried so hard. But the darkness before dawn was too much.

When the first golden ray broke through the clouds, warming my face, I heard her voice again. "Hannah, be strong, be kind, be happy."

The gloom lifted, sunlight bursting free. I felt reborn. My phone buzzed nearby.

Hannah, your migration papers are finalized. Please confirm.

Hannah, the pack-wide team's sent someone to pick you up. You're cleared to go.

Two hours later, I stood in the place I'd dreamed of countless times. My coach hung my old team badge around my neck, solemn and proud.

"Hannah, welcome back to the pack!"