SERAPHINA'S POV
Today was supposed to be the happiest day of my life-my eighteenth birthday. The day I'd longed for, the day I would finally shift into my wolf and become a true member of the pack. I had dreamed of this moment, of meeting my wolf, connecting with her, feeling her strength, her voice in my mind. My father had shared tales of his first shift, his voice filled with pride as he recounted the pain of bones breaking and reforming, the raw power coursing through him as he met his wolf. My mother, too, spoke of it, how painful the first shift was, but how the agony was worth every second when you saw your wolf for the first time.
I had spent weeks fantasizing about mine. What would she look like? Would she be silver like my eyes? White, like my mother's wolf? Or maybe brown like my father's? The excitement, the anticipation, it had been building for years.
I stood in front of the mirror, adjusting my blue gown, the one I had chosen for this special occasion. The fabric clung to my skin, complimenting my tan complexion. I was always different-my skin darker than my parents and Savannah's pale tone. I'd asked my mother about it once, why I looked so different. She had smiled, stroked my hair, and said not to worry, that I was perfect the way I was.
"You look beautiful, Sera," my mother whispered from behind me, tears glistening in her eyes as she stood in the doorway.
"Thanks, Mum." I smiled at her through the mirror, my chest swelling with the desire to make her proud. I had always excelled in school, and the plan to attend university excited her as much as it did me. For a moment, everything felt perfect.
But then, Savannah's voice shattered the moment. "Don't let it get to your head, Sera. You're not that special." She rolled her eyes and gave me a cruel smirk.
Savannah. My younger sister, the thorn in my side since the day she was born. We'd never been close. We fought daily, her jealousy palpable every time I was near our mother. She always had Father's undivided attention, something I never seemed to crave as much as she did. She was spoiled, bratty, and vengeful.
I could still remember the day our relationship broke beyond repair. Father had enrolled her in my archery classes, and when I won the competition, she accused me of sabotaging her bow. Of course, Father believed her without question. That was the end of my archery, and the end of any chance of us being sisters.
I couldn't help but think back to the conversation I'd overheard between my parents just days ago. They had been whispering angrily in the study, Father's voice harsh as he spoke about my plans for university. "It's unnecessary for her. She's a girl, Eleanor. She'll have her mate and what then? She doesn't need a degree to be a good mate and mother. Besides, Savannah needs her. She can't be left alone. Seraphina should stay, take care of her sister."
His words had hurt more than I let on. He didn't see me as his daughter, not really. I was just a babysitter for his golden child.
"Come now, darling," Mother said softly, pulling me from my thoughts. "We should head downstairs. Everyone is waiting for you."
The estate was alive with excitement as we made our way to the grand hall. Guests were already gathered for the shifting ritual, drinking, laughing, dancing. It was the first grand celebration Father had ever thrown for me, but I knew it wasn't because he cared. This was about tradition, about legacy. The first shift was a significant event, and the daughter of one of the wealthiest families in the kingdom was expected to put on a good show.
I moved through the crowd, forcing smiles and polite conversations, but inside, I felt like an outsider. The weight of my gown grew heavier, the air stifling. I couldn't wait for this to be over. The plan I'd kept secret for so long was close to being realized. Once I shifted, I would run-run far away from this place, from my father, from Savannah. I would find my freedom.
As the sun began to set, I was led out to the large garden behind the house. The crowd gathered, eyes filled with anticipation. Some of the unmated wolves glanced at me, hopeful that I might be their fated mate. To them, I was a prize, a stepping stone to power. The daughter of Draven, the wealthiest man in the kingdom aside from the royals.
Father stood at the center of the garden, his face beaming with pride. Mother stood beside him, her smile strained, her eyes flickering with something I couldn't place. Fear?
I approached them, my heart pounding as I took my place beside Mother. Father cleared his throat and addressed the crowd.
"Today, we celebrate not only Seraphina's transition into adulthood but the strength of our family, of our legacy."
His words rang hollow. I glanced at Mother, searching for reassurance, but instead, I saw terror in her eyes. A deep, unsettling terror that made my heart race.
And then, the moment came. The moon rose high in the sky, full and bright. The air around me shifted, crackling with energy. My body began to tremble as the power surged through me, and I braced myself for the pain of the shift.
But it didn't come.
Instead, I felt a strange pressure building in my back. It started as a dull ache, but soon it turned into sharp, agonizing pain. I screamed and fell to my knees, clutching at the grass as my body contorted. The crowd gasped, and I heard my mother cry out, rushing toward me.
"No... no, please, no," she sobbed, her hands trembling as she reached for me. "This is what I feared... They'll know. They'll all know."
"Mum?" I gasped, struggling to speak through the pain. "What's happening?"
Before she could answer, the pain intensified, and I felt something tearing through the skin of my back. I screamed again, the agony unbearable. I turned, and to my horror, I saw them-black wings. Large, powerful, and dark as the night sky.
The garden fell deathly silent. Every pair of eyes was on me, their shock turning quickly to fear and disgust. My father looked as though he might faint. His face twisted with disbelief and horror.
"But... but she has the eyes of a wolf," he stammered, his voice barely a whisper.
The crowd began to back away from me, their murmurs growing louder, more fearful.
"No!" Father roared, pushing through the crowd. "This can't be! Eleanor, explain this!"
Mother rushed to my side, pulling me to my feet. "We need to leave," she whispered urgently. "We need to get out of here."
Savannah's voice cut through the panic. "You... you knew!" She sneered, pointing an accusing finger at Mother. "You knew she was an abomination, and you kept it from us!"
Father stormed toward us, his face contorted with fury. "Eleanor! Is this true? Is she... is she not mine?"
Mother broke down in tears, collapsing to the ground. "I'm sorry, Draven! I never meant for this to happen. I never wanted to hurt you. But you were gone for so long... I was lonely... and then I met him."
"Met who?" Father's voice shook with rage.
"A Fallen," Mother whispered, her words barely audible over the gasps of the crowd. "He was a Fallen, and I didn't know... I didn't know what I was doing. I'm so sorry, Draven. I hoped... I prayed that Seraphina would inherit more wolf than Fallen."
Savannah's face twisted in disgust. "I always knew she wasn't my real sister. But this? A half-breed Fallen? You're nothing but a curse. A shadow demon in our midst."
ale, his hands trembling as he backed away from me. "You... you are not my daughter," he spat, his voice cold, devoid of any love or warmth. "You are a stain on this family's honor."
His words felt like knives, each one sinking deeper into my chest. I looked at him, at the man who had raised me, and saw only hatred in his eyes.
"Mum... please..." I turned to her, desperate for something, anything that could make this right. But she was sobbing uncontrollably, unable to meet my gaze.
"I'm so sorry, Sera," she cried, clutching her hands to her chest. "I never wanted this. I never wanted this for you."
The crowd began to move, the warriors stepping forward, their faces hard and unfeeling.
"Mum, we need to go. Now!" I grabbed her hand, pulling her toward the house. "They'll burn us both if we stay!"
"Sera... I..." She hesitated, looking back at Father and Savannah, at the life she had built. "You go. Run. Don't look back."
"No, Mum!" I cried, my wings unfurling behind me. "I'm not leaving you here. We have to go!"
I tugged her to me, desperate, my wings beating against the wind as we took flight. But I was weak, my inexperience showing as I struggled to keep us in the air.
"There they are!" A warrior's voice rang out from below. Wolves shifted into their forms, howling as they gave chase.
My vision blurred as tears streamed down my face. My mother's cries were the only thing keeping me grounded, the only thing reminding me I had to fight, to survive.
But deep down, I knew there was no going back.
Without warning, my wings froze and we crashed to the ground. I groaned, trying to reach out to my mother but the warriors shifted and seized her.
"Do not move heathen or you bear the consequences."
It was useless to try to run or fight. My wings had retracted and I was helpless with no wolf. They seized me and led me to the gathering at the foot of the woods. Father's eyes met mine, not with the love and pride I had once known, but with a cold, hard disdain.
"You are no longer welcome here. You are a stain on our family's honor."
The weight of the truth bore down on me, crushing my spirit. I was an abomination, a half-breed whose very existence was detested.
Abandoned by the family I had once called my own, I was cast aside like a piece of refuse. The guards took me away, and I felt the crushing reality of my new fate settling in. I was taken to the royal pack cell, my new captors treating me as little more than properly. The once-proud daughter of a noble house had been reduced to a mere reject and an abomination. My life, once filled with hope, was now a landscape of suffering, fear, and regret.