Chapter 4 Celeste

It started like any other day-until the dean's announcement turned it on its head. Lessons were canceled early, and while most students celebrated their unexpected freedom, I trudged toward the gates, feeling the weight of dread settle over me. A part of me wanted to savor the towering trees and vibrant flowers lining the academy grounds-normally my solace from the suffocating confines of the packhouse-but even their beauty felt mocking today, carefree and untethered to the worries plaguing me.

"Catch you tomorrow, Zenny!" Cole called out with a wave, his boyish grin a little too bright.

I forced a smile, lifting my hand in a half-hearted farewell. "Yeah, see you."

As soon as he was out of sight, my mask slipped. My pace slowed, and I sighed. The idea of going home hours earlier than usual wasn't a relief; it was a punishment. Five extra hours at the packhouse meant five extra hours avoiding Sid. My stepbrother never needed a reason to torment me, and if he caught me before dinner, it would be like handing him a gift-wrapped opportunity.

By the time I reached the packhouse, my stomach was already churning with anxiety. The cabin loomed in front of me, its weathered wood and chipped paint a perfect reflection of the neglect within. I ducked into the overgrown bushes, avoiding the main entrance. Years of survival instinct had taught me that the less visible I was, the safer I'd be.

The side door was my goal-a squeaky, little-used portal into the kitchen. From there, I could slip upstairs to my room unnoticed. But as I crept around the side of the house, voices froze me in place.

I recognized them immediately: my father's deep timbre, my stepmother Celeste's sharp edge, and the sickly smooth tone of Sid.

They were in my father's office, adjacent to the gym.

Curiosity fought with caution, but my feet moved on their own, bringing me closer to the cracked window. I crouched low in the shrubs, my pulse quickening as I strained to make out the words.

"This cannot be happening. We are not ready," Celeste hissed, her tone sharper than usual.

"I know," my father replied, his voice laced with frustration. "He was supposed to arrive in two days, but I've just received word-he's en route to our territory now."

He? My breath hitched.

"The Lycan King?" Sid asked, feigning concern.

My chest tightened. The Lycan King. Everyone knew the stories-his power, his ruthlessness, and the curse that left him without a mate. Even packs stronger than ours trembled at his name. Why was he coming here?

"I don't know what he wants," my father admitted, his heavy boots thudding against the floor as he paced. "But we need to tread carefully. If he's dissatisfied, it could mean disaster for all of us. Especially with the rogues becoming bolder."

I pressed myself further into the shadows, my heart hammering.

"We need an offering," Celeste said, her voice taking on a calculating edge.

"What could we possibly offer him?" Drake muttered, his frustration palpable.

There was a pause before Celeste spoke again, her tone almost too casual. "The Lycan King has a taste for beauty. And Olivia could be...presentable with some effort."

The words struck like a slap, leaving me stunned.

"She's a burden to this pack anyway," Celeste continued, her voice dripping with malice. "This solves two problems at once. He walks away satisfied, and we rid ourselves of her useless presence."

Blood roared in my ears. I clung to a desperate hope that my father would refute her vile suggestion.

"She's worthless, Celeste," Drake said coldly. "The Lycan King won't want such a meager offering."

Tears burned behind my eyes, but I stayed rooted, unable to tear myself away.

Celeste's voice softened, turning syrupy. "You're underestimating her, darling. She could pass for a token of respect if we dressed her up, hid the truth about her mother, and spun a tale about a tragic first union."

I bit my lip to keep from crying out. She was erasing every shred of my identity with her lies.

Drake hesitated, his silence more damning than anything he could have said.

"I think it's a brilliant idea," Sid chimed in, stepping into the conversation like a serpent slithering into a nest. "But there's something you all should know about Olivia."

Panic flared in my chest. What now?

Sid's voice took on a falsely solemn tone. "This morning, she...forced herself on me. She kissed me, and when I rejected her, she threatened to accuse me of something terrible."

I clamped a hand over my mouth, disbelief and fury coursing through me.

"What?" Drake's voice exploded with anger.

"I didn't want to say anything," Sid added, his mock humility as believable as a wolf in sheep's clothing. "I didn't want to tarnish her reputation."

Celeste gasped theatrically. "Oh, Sid, you poor thing! Why didn't you come to us sooner?"

Drake's disgusted growl was the final blow. "If that's the case, we're better off without her. The Lycan King can have her."

The world seemed to tilt. My vision blurred as my father's words echoed in my mind.

I wasn't just expendable to them. I was a problem to be solved, a pawn to be traded away for their convenience.

But something shifted in me at that moment-a spark of defiance. If they thought I'd go quietly, they were dead wrong.