Chapter 3
Sia's POV
I didn't stop running until I reached the dimly lit corridor of the main house. The wet, cold fabric clung to my skin, and all I wanted was to lock myself in my room.
"Sia! Wait up!"
Jace's footsteps pounded behind me. He ran up the stairs, out of breath, and stopped right in front of me.
“Jace? Why did you follow me?”
"I wanted to make sure you were okay." His face flushed red. "I'm so sorry about ruining your dress. I'll pay for a new one, or—"
"It's fine, Jace. Don't worry about it." I stepped back.
He scratched his head awkwardly. "I heard a rumor... someone said you went to Alpha Aldric's office to apply for an academy outside our territory. Is it true? Where are you going?"
I stiffened. "It's none of your business, Jace."
"If you stay in the South, I can apply to transfer with you." His green eyes burned with urgency. "I've liked you for a long time, Sia. Just give me a chance."
"You can't come with me," I said quietly. "I'm going to the Northern Lycan Academy."
Jace gaped. "The North?! Are you insane, Sia? That's a frozen slaughterhouse! You can't survive there—"
"What's going on here?"
A razor-sharp voice cut through the air.
Cain stood at the end of the hallway, staring us down.
Shit！If Cain started digging, my escape plan was dead.
I quickly stepped between them. "Nothing, Cain. We were just discussing academies."
Cain ignored me entirely. He walked forward, stopping inches from Jace. Suffocating Alpha pressure rolled off him, making the air feel like lead.
"I don't remember giving a low-ranking warrior permission to corner my sister in the dark." His voice dropped to a lethal whisper. "Get back to the pavilion before I strip you of your rank."
Jace paled, his wolf instinctively submitting. He turned and sprinted down the corridor.
Once his footsteps faded, Cain turned his freezing grey eyes back to me. Before I could blink, he grabbed my wrists and pinned them above my head, slamming me against the stone wall.
"Let go of me, Cain!"
"Discussing academies?" His tone dripped with mockery. "He looked ready to beg you for a chance. Since when do you let random warriors talk to you like that?"
"Since it became none of your business," I shot back, meeting his eyes. "Go back to your future Luna."
His smirk vanished, replaced by a dark sneer. "You are my sister, Sia. Everything you do is my business. What did he mean by 'you can't survive there'? Where exactly do you think you're going?"
I kept my face blank. "An elite combat academy in the Southern mountains. He thinks I'm too weak. Just like you do. So why do you care?"
Cain studied my face, searching for lies. His gaze lingered on my lips for a moment before his expression darkened. He slowly released my wrists and stepped back.
"Forget it." He scoffed. "You belong to this pack. You're not going anywhere. Now go to your room."
I didn't waste a second. I turned and walked away.
The next morning, Samara insisted on taking me shopping—a belated birthday gift, she claimed.
"Oh, Sia, you absolutely must try this on!" Samara purred, dragging me into the city's most expensive boutique.
Cain followed us inside, hands shoved into his pockets. He leaned against a pillar, completely ignoring me.
Samara pulled a dress from the rack and held it against my body. It was a deep crimson red gown—almost identical to the one she'd worn the night before, but the neckline plunged dangerously low, and the back was completely exposed.
"It's perfect for you," Samara laughed, pushing me toward the changing rooms.
I didn't want to cause a scene, so I took the dress and walked in. The red silk clung to every curve of my body, the fabric hugging my waist and hips like a second skin. The low neckline framed my collarbone, and the exposed back left nothing to the imagination. I looked like a cheap knockoff of Samara.
When I stepped out, the store was completely empty.
The shop assistant walked over. "Your brother and his fiancée already left, miss. They paid for the dress and said to meet them at the jewelry store next door."
A lump formed in my throat. He couldn't even be bothered to wait. I clutched the heavy paper bag against my chest and walked out into the street.
The high-end jewelry store was right next door. As I approached, I stopped outside the pristine glass window.
Cain was standing inside, holding Samara's hand. He smiled—a rare, genuine smile—as he gently slipped a massive diamond ring onto her finger. Samara squealed, throwing her arms around his neck, and he pulled her close. They looked radiant.
I stood on the sidewalk, a forgotten ghost watching the life I could never have.
Cain suddenly looked up, his grey eyes locking onto mine through the glass. His smile vanished instantly, his gaze dragging down my body with unsettling intensity.
Before I could process it, he was in front of me. He barked at several male wolves who were openly staring:
"Keep walking if you want to keep your eyes."
Then he turned on me, chest heaving. "What the hell are you planning to do with that dress, Sia? Why would you buy something like that? Is this your new trick? You just love attracting the attention of every random male on the street, don't you?"
"Cain—"
Before I could finish, he froze.
"Wait… you bought…" His eyes narrowed. "You bought a dress exactly like Samara's."
He stepped closer.
"Did you think that by wearing her colors, you could actually copy her? That it would change something between us?" His voice dripped with disgust. "Let me make one thing clear to you, Sia. You can wear her clothes all you want, but you will never be Samara. You'll never be a Luna. Dressing exactly like her is just cheap, pathetic imitation. It honestly makes me sick."
The words hit like a physical blow. My cheeks burned under his merciless judgment, but I forced myself to meet his freezing grey eyes. My nails dug into my palms.
"This is the dress Samara picked out for me," I said quietly. "She insisted I buy it."
