The Spurned Heir

I was spurned. Everyone in the Shadow Pack treats me like a slave, all because I was born bringing pain instead of joy, unlike other pups who arrive to warm welcomes. It’s terrible to be hated from birth for something you don’t understand, for a fault you’re only discovering years later. I woke before sunrise, dragging myself out of bed despite feeling weak. But I dare not lie back down; doing so would earn me broken bones and a beating that would make me feel less than human. I’m not just a slave, an omega—I am lower than all of it.

Dad despises me, and his rage flares every time he sees me. He regrets ever becoming my father, and he never misses an opportunity to threaten me, saying he’ll kill me or banish me someday. This is all because I supposedly killed my mother, but…is that really the truth? It doesn’t matter. Everyone concluded it was my fault. My mother died after enduring excruciating labor to bring me into this world, risking her own life so I might live. The pain she went through that night is still a dark story in everyone’s minds. I’ve heard she convulsed, that her legs were stained with blood. I’ve heard so many painful things, and I can’t help but wonder how she must have felt. Did she curse me for putting her through such agony?

What would you expect from a wolf that’s strange, awkward, demon-like? When her screams intensified, Dad couldn’t bear to listen anymore. He burst into the labor room and demanded they kill me to save his beloved wife. But, even in her final moments, she fought to bring me into this world. I came out, but at that very instant, she slipped into a coma. Two days later, she died. And that’s when my strange appearance was noticed—my mismatched eyes, the searing power within me. I knew I was a wolf, but there was something else, a force dividing my being, something I couldn’t control. And, worse yet, I was weak all the time.

Dad has since mated with another werewolf, and they have two children together—a boy and a girl, ages 14 and 13. They add to my torment. I looked at myself in the mirror, catching a glimpse of my worn-out reflection. I shut my eyes, refusing to see more. My name is Layla. I bear the surname Kellen, though I rarely tell anyone; no one would believe I am the daughter of Alpha King Dolph Kellen. He is feared by other packs, having risen to great power after conquering two packs and claiming their lands. People respect him as if he’s a god, his wolf one of the fiercest known.

Opening my eyes, I brushed aside the fringe of my dirty black hair, wishing it could be washed and styled, wishing I could look clean and presentable. My eyes were still heavy; I’d had little sleep and craved more, but I couldn’t risk lying back down. Missing my daily chores would bring another round of punishment. Today, however, I’ve decided to sneak away to school. I want just a glimpse of that grand place where wolves from different packs gather to learn. I’m forbidden from stepping beyond these walls, but my curiosity won’t let me rest. I’ve found a secret passageway, and today is my only chance. Father, his new mate, and the beta are all visiting a neighboring pack.

Dolph keeps me bound in this house out of shame, believing I would disgrace his lineage if anyone saw me. I am his firstborn, yet I brought him only sadness by taking away his beloved mate. He despises me as much as he loved her. Instead of the royal princess I might have been, I’m nothing but a slave. He doesn’t even acknowledge me as his daughter.

I’m seventeen, and yesterday was the first time I shifted. It was agony—the pain was so intense I thought I might die. Alone in my room, I felt my bones cracking, my body heating up as I transformed into a wolf. I cried as it happened, feeling as though my skin was on fire, my strength seeping away as my muscles tore and reformed. But when it was over, I was elated. My wolf, Daciana, was finally free, bounding within me with joy. Shifting will eventually get easier, I know. But something strange happened after that first shift. I sensed another animal within me, a different kind of beast. Each time I try to reach out to it, there’s no response. It’s as if it’s…sleeping.

I glanced back at the mirror and muttered my daily wish. "Could these mismatched eyes be changed, please?" I silently pleaded to the moon goddess.

“Layla, you’re wasting time. Hurry up! We’re going to school today—I can’t wait to see some handsome wolves. Who knows? Maybe my mate is there!” Daciana, my inner wolf, chimed in, her excitement contagious.

“With these blue and red eyes and a birth that killed the Luna, do you really think we have a chance at finding a mate?” I replied, feeling that familiar pang of rejection.

“Oh, God! Layla—she’s coming!” Daciana shrieked, and I knew instantly who she meant. Scarlett, my stepmother. I rushed to the kitchen, speedily stacking plates in order and starting to wash.

“It worked! My lie got you moving quickly!” Daciana chuckled, making me laugh despite everything. She’s my only happiness, the one being who hasn’t rejected me.

After some time, I was done with the dishes and picked up the broom to sweep the sitting room and hallways. Bent over, sweeping the last hallway, I was exhausted but couldn’t afford to stop. Today is different; one slip-up and Dad would shatter my small chance of going to school. My legs shook as weakness spread through me. Just as I awkwardly raised the broom, it struck someone on the head.

Looking up, I felt a jolt of horror as I recognized Scarlett, the new Luna, my father’s second wife. She’s no mother to me—her hatred for me knows no limits.

“I—I’m sorry…” My apology was cut off as she slapped me hard, sending me to the ground.

“You’ll never kill me like you killed your mother, you little devil!” she screamed, her face red with fury. She kicked me in the stomach, making me yelp, then picked up the broom and struck my back, sending waves of pain throughout my body. And, suddenly, I felt a fierce urge to shift and devour her—not into my wolf, but into that other beast stirring within me…

"Layla, I feel a strange presence here..." I heard my wolf whisper, making me bite my lower lip. I swallowed the lump in my throat, shutting my eyes tightly. This feeling was strange, unsettling, and completely new—I feared what it might mean. I didn’t know what I would turn into, but my greatest fear was becoming something that might end the life of the second Luna. The beast within me seemed furious, barely contained.

A kick landed hard on my belly, forcing me to nearly cough up blood. I opened my eyes, desperate to plead for mercy. I had been wrong to strike her, wrong to miss her approach. I never would’ve expected anyone to come by at this hour. “Please, I’m... very sorry,” I pleaded to the hot-tempered Luna, who glared at me, breathing heavily as if she might devour me whole.

"Can you just tell me why the Alpha King is still keeping you alive? You are a demon, a killer! You have no right to live in this world!" she sneered, hatred blazing in her eyes.