Chapter 1 A DARE

GINGER'S POV:

"We have to keep going!" Mother's voice pierces the night as we sprint through the fog-choked forest. The pale moonlight barely breaks through the mist swirling around the trees.

It's been nearly thirty minutes of relentless running-running from someone who is supposed to love and protect us. My lungs burn, and my legs feel like buckling, but then I hear my father's growl echo through the night. The sound sends a jolt of adrenaline racing through my veins, forcing my legs to move faster. Fear clouds my thoughts, and in my panic, I sidestep. Pain erupts in my foot as I fall into a trap, the metallic jaws snapping shut around my leg like a predator's teeth.

"Mother!" I scream, but my voice barely gets through the dense fog. She is already far ahead. My father's growl grows louder with the sound reverberating through the forest. My heart hammers as I claw desperately at the trap, my fingers coated with blood.

"M-Mo-" The word sticks in my throat as his glowing red eyes pierce through the fog. My breath hitches, freezing me in place. With a sickening snap, the trap opens, but my leg buckles beneath me. I collapse onto the damp ground, causing my father to chuckle as he closes in, bloodlust burning in his eyes.

"I told you, Ginger, you can't run from Daddy. My precious little girl."

I scramble backward, scraping my flesh on the cold ground, until I slam into a tree.

"I told you it wouldn't happen again, but you called them on me. You separated us!" His voice grows guttural and monstrous. "If we can't live as a family, then you all will die." His laughter rings as he raises a paw, his claws glistening under the moonlight.

"Dad, no!" I scream, waiting for the strike with my eyes shut-

Forcefully, I jerk upright, drenched in sweat, my chest rising and falling rapidly as I gasp for air. It takes a moment to realize it's a dream. I'm on my bed in the dim hotel room mother moved us to at the Shadow Pelt Pack for safety. I glance down at my trembling hands, trying to steady myself. The nightmare always ends the same, leaving me haunted by the events that tore my family apart.

My father had always been my hero until the night I walked in on him, pinning my mother against the wall, a broken vase in his hand as he choked her violently.

The terror of that moment resurfaces as I remember grabbing Daisy, my little sister, and locking us in my room upstairs. His frantic knocks and desperate pleas still echo in my ears.

"I didn't mean it, Ginger! I'll never do it again!" he cried. But all I could hear was the voice of a monster. It was only then I realized that my mother's "allergies" were just excuses to cover the bruises.

That night, I called the Red Pack police. They came swiftly, dragging him away as his roars shook the house. Mother didn't say a word to Daisy or me. Instead, she packed our belongings and sent us to Everbloom Sanctuary, a place meant to shield children from troubled families. But nothing could shield me from the guilt my father placed squarely on my shoulders.

I reach for the nightstand drawer, my fingers searching for the only tool that ground me-a razor blade. The sharp sting of the blade has become my way of numbing the emotional pain, even if just for a moment. I roll up my sleeves at once, ready to relieve myself. As I hold it in my trembling hand, my phone's ringtone pierces through the silence.

Startled, I fumble, and the blade slips from my grasp, landing with a faint clink on the floor. I inhale sharply as I stare at the metallic blade, then glance at the small line I've made on my wrist. A tear falls from my eyes.

"Ginger?" Mother's voice rings through the hall, her footsteps approaching, drawing me back to reality. I wipe my tears, hurriedly rolling down my sleeve and covering the blade with a blanket as I try to feign a smile to cover the cracks. She opens the door, smiling warmly as though everything is perfect.

"Your friend's here," she says, scanning the room. "And why does this place look like a vampire's coven?" She flicks on the light, making me groan.

"Mom!" I protest, but she ignores me, turning to yell, "Come on in!"

Hana steps into the doorway before I can speak. She is the Alpha Princess of the Shadow Pelt Pack, and we met at the sanctuary. Her family was dealing with her father's ailment, the then Alpha King of the Shadow Pelt Pack, who died weeks later.

"Now you girls have fun, but do not move anything, remember the moving company will be here any moment, and I cannot afford to pack twice," Mother says, then leaves.

I had almost forgotten Mother had found 'the perfect house in the pack,' in her words.

"Dress up," Hana says the moment Mother leaves.

"What?" I ask in confusion as I rub my aching wrist. She rolls her eyes. "The hockey team's throwing a party, and Caspian will be there. You should check, he has probably called you."

At the mention of Caspian, my heart flutters. He's been my comfort at the sanctuary, and we've made out a couple of times. When he asked me out, I left him hanging because I wasn't sure at the moment because of the circumstances surrounding my family. I scramble for my phone and see his missed call, along with a voicemail.

"Hey, babe, we're having a party. If you'd like to come, I'll pick you up." His voice sends a wave of warmth through me, causing my face to heat up.

"Stop blushing and get dressed!" Hana teases, pulling open my wardrobe, which has my already packed luggage. I shouldn't be out, because my mind is in a haze, but I need something to quiet the storm in me.

Minutes later, I'm dressed and heading out with Hana. My mother sits in the living room, sipping wine calmly.

"Have fun," she says, "but don't stay out too late because you start school tomorrow. I will text you the details of the new house and be home before nine!" I nod slightly before leaving.

She's never been this calm about me leaving the house, but Hana, being the Alpha Princess, gives me immunity.

"Your mom is cool," Hana says to me as we get into her car and she turns on the ignition. "I have all these stupid rules to follow as a princess, and worse, I have three brothers before me who have to die at least before I can dream of the throne." For the first time all evening, a genuine smile creeps up my lips.

"Trust me, she wasn't like this," I say, and she shrugs, speeding off.

**

Hana and I arrive at the party quickly. The huge house buzzes with music, laughter, and the acrid scent of weed.

"They're in the kitchen," Hana says as soon as we walk into the crowded house. "I have to run, so enjoy yourself." She vanishes before I can speak.

I take a deep breath, then make my way through the chaotic house with my mind spinning. Caspian will surely take my mind off the pain, like he always does, I say to myself, but nothing prepares me for what I see as I enter the kitchen.

There on the counter is a shirtless girl with Caspian's face buried in her chest, and a crowd of students watching like it's something casual. We're not official, but he has declared his interest, and seeing him this way hurts me.

The air in my lungs leaves as soon as his eyes lock with mine as he pulls away. I turn on my heel, walking as fast as I can. I thought he was different. Well, he said he was, and I believed him, but what I have seen has proven otherwise, and I should leave.

"Ginger, wait!" he calls out, grabbing my hand as I reach the front door. His hands don't make me feel safe at the moment, and all I can feel is coldness. I spin around and slap him before he can finish his excuse.

"It was a dare," he stammers, but the damage is done...