That evening, Ariana slowly walked down the quiet street toward her house.
The excitement about the scholarship still filled her heart.
For the first time in years, she felt hopeful about the future.
But as she got closer to her home, that feeling slowly disappeared.
Her house was small and old.
The paint on the walls was peeling, and the front yard was messy.
Ariana took a deep breath before opening the door.
The moment she stepped inside, a strong smell hit her nose.
Smoke.
And alcohol.
The living room was dark and messy.
Empty bottles were scattered across the table.
On the couch sat a middle-aged man with messy hair and tired eyes.
Her father.
Mark Stuart.
He was holding a bottle in one hand and staring at the television.
When he noticed Ariana, he frowned.
"You're late," he said roughly.
"I had work," Ariana replied quietly.
Mark scoffed.
"Work, school, studying… that's all you ever talk about."
Ariana stayed silent.
She was used to this.
Her father had changed a lot over the years.
After losing his job, he had become addicted to alcohol.
Most of the time, he didn't even care about what Ariana was doing with her life.
Ariana slowly walked toward the kitchen.
But before she could leave, her father suddenly spoke again.
"I heard something today," he said.
Ariana stopped.
"What?"
Mark took a long drink from his bottle.
"Something about the Sawyer family."
Ariana looked confused.
"What about them?"
Mark's eyes darkened slightly.
"I heard their Alpha died recently."
He leaned back on the couch.
"Those wolves think they own this city."
Ariana froze.
"Wolves?"
Mark laughed quietly.
"You wouldn't understand."
Ariana didn't say anything.
She quietly walked to her room and closed the door.
Sitting on her bed, she looked at the scholarship letter again.
Sawyer College.
She smiled softly.
This was her chance to escape this life.
But somewhere in the city…
Two brothers were fighting for power.
And very soon…
Ariana would unknowingly step into their dangerous world.