The She Wolf's Secret

CHAPTER 1

SIENNA

Three weeks.

That was how long we had been living with the Blood Moon Pack.

Three weeks since my entire world had been ripped away from me.

Three weeks since I had lost my home, my pack, my father, and the life I had known.

And apparently, three weeks was all it had taken for Sean to make sure I had no chance of feeling welcome here.

Sean was the Beta’s son, and he had made it his personal mission to turn everyone against me.

When I had first arrived, I had managed to make a few friends at school. That had lasted about a week.

Then Sean started talking.

I still had no idea what I had ever done to him.

I had never met him before coming here. I had never spoken to him. I had never insulted him, challenged him, or even looked at him the wrong way.

Yet somehow, he had decided I was his enemy.

And he had apparently decided that lying about me was the best way to deal with it.

He told people I was arrogant.

That I thought I was better than everyone else.

That I had insulted members of the pack.

That I was trouble.

Some of the things he had said about me were so ridiculous that I couldn’t understand how anyone could possibly believe them.

But they did.

Because Sean was the Beta’s son.

And because his cousin, Hayden, was the future Alpha.

Whatever they said was apparently treated as fact.

Hayden didn’t just believe the lies.

He encouraged them.

And because the future Alpha had decided I was fair game, everyone else seemed to think they had permission to join in.

I had become the pack’s favourite target.

There was only one person besides Sara who had refused to turn against me.

Carla.

She was quiet, kind and, thankfully, completely uninterested in whatever nonsense Sean was spreading.

We had almost everything in common.

We liked the same music.

The same movies.

The same books.

We both loved art.

Being around her was the only time I didn’t feel like I was constantly waiting for someone to attack me.

Right now, however, even Carla couldn’t stop the small object that hit the back of my head.

Thwack.

Pain shot across my scalp.

I kept my eyes on my science textbook.

I didn’t turn around.

I didn’t rub the sore spot.

I refused to give whoever had thrown it the satisfaction.

“You okay?” Carla asked through the mind link.

“Yeah. Same crap, different day.”

I heard her sigh.

“I don’t think those idiots are ever going to grow up.”

“The problem is Sean and Hayden.”

I glanced towards the front of the classroom.

“As long as those two keep encouraging everyone else, nothing is going to change.”

And I was right.

Nothing would change.

Not until I could leave.

That was the one thing keeping me going.

The moment I was legally old enough to make my own decisions, I was leaving the Blood Moon Pack.

I didn’t care where I went.

I didn’t care how difficult it was.

I just knew I couldn’t stay here.

I had already lost everything once.

I wasn’t going to spend the rest of my life trapped somewhere I was hated.

The bell finally rang.

The moment it did, Carla and I stayed in our seats.

We waited.

We had learned the hard way.

Leaving with everyone else meant being shoved into walls.

Tripped.

Pushed.

Having my books knocked out of my hands.

Sometimes I’d be slammed into desks.

By the end of some weeks, I had bruises covering my arms and legs.

Waiting a few minutes after class ended had at least reduced the number of bruises.

The fact that teachers had watched some of it happen and done absolutely nothing made it even worse.

In my old pack, a teacher who allowed a student to be bullied would have been dealt with immediately.

Here?

Apparently, it was easier to look the other way.

It told me a lot about the Blood Moon Pack.

It told me what their leaders considered acceptable.

And it made me appreciate my parents more than ever.

Eventually, the classroom emptied.

Carla and I stood and headed towards our lockers.

We spoke through the mind link as we walked.

Neither of us wanted to give anyone more ammunition.

“So,” Carla said, “I wonder what story Sean has invented today.”

“Who knows?”

I rolled my eyes.

“I’ve stopped trying to figure out what his problem is.”

“Maybe we should talk to his parents.”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because I don’t think it’ll help.”

Carla frowned.

“He’s my cousin, but that doesn’t mean I approve of what he’s doing.”

“I know.”

“My Grandpa Clay wouldn’t tolerate it.”

She sounded almost hopeful.

“He’d kick Sean’s butt if he knew what was happening.”

Despite everything, I almost smiled.

“Your grandfather sounds like an interesting man.”

“He is. We could tell him.”

“Maybe.”

I never got the chance to say anything else.

A hand slammed into my back.

Pain exploded between my shoulder blades.

My feet flew out from underneath me.

I hit the floor hard.

Pain shot through my ribs and wrist as my books scattered across the corridor.

Laughter erupted around me.

I pushed myself upright.

Students surrounded us.

Some were laughing.

Others were high-fiving.

Nobody helped.

Then I saw them.

Sean.

And Hayden.

Standing together.

Smirking.

I couldn’t tell which one had pushed me.

But I had a pretty good idea.

I slowly climbed to my feet.

Hayden stepped forward.

“What are you staring at?”

I looked him straight in the eyes.

“A couple of pathetic individuals.”

The laughter died.

Hayden’s expression darkened.

“You bitch.”

His hand moved before I could react.

Smack!

My head snapped sideways.

I hit the floor again.

The corridor erupted with shocked gasps.

For a second, everything went silent.

I tasted blood.

I slowly raised my head.

My cheek burned.

My wrist throbbed.

My ribs screamed with every breath.

But something inside me had changed.

I was done.

Done being scared.

Done staying quiet.

Done allowing these people to treat me like I was less than them.

I pushed myself to my feet.

I looked directly at Hayden.

“You two must feel pretty tough.”

His eyes narrowed.

“Picking on a twelve-year-old girl.”

I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth.

“Your parents must be so proud.”

Sean’s smile disappeared.

I took a step towards them.

“Honestly, you’re both pathetic.”

Hayden’s jaw tightened.

“I can’t believe I’m standing here looking at the future leadership of this pack.”

A few people shifted uncomfortably.

I looked around at the students surrounding us.

“And what’s even more pathetic is all of you.”

I swept my hand towards them.

“You stand there laughing. Watching. Cheering them on.”

Nobody spoke.

“You know what that makes you?”

I smiled bitterly.

“Cowards.”

Hayden took a step towards me.

“You should watch your mouth.”

“Why?”

I tilted my head.

“Because you’re the future Alpha?”

His eyes flashed.

“Because everyone is supposed to bow down when you walk into a room?”

I shook my head.

“Being Alpha doesn’t make you a good leader.”

I glanced at Sean.

“And being the Beta’s son doesn’t make you important.”

Then I looked back at Hayden.

“It just gives you a title.”

His expression turned murderous.

I should have stopped.

I knew I should have.

But after three weeks of swallowing everything these people had thrown at me, I couldn’t.

“This pack is going to be a joke when you two are in charge.”

A murmur moved through the crowd.

“Actually…”

I laughed bitterly.

“It already is.”

Hayden lunged.

His hand clamped around my arm.

Before I could react, he slammed me against the lockers.

Bang!

Pain exploded through my back.

His forearm pressed against my chest, pinning me against the cold metal.

I sucked in a breath.

He leaned closer until his face was inches from mine.

“I asked you a question, bitch.”

I stared straight into his eyes.

And said nothing.

His grip tightened.

I refused to look away.

He wanted me afraid.

He wanted me to beg.

He wanted me to acknowledge his power.

I wouldn’t give him any of it.

So I stayed silent.

Seconds crawled by.

My back was screaming.

My arm was beginning to ache.

But I kept my eyes locked on his.

He couldn’t hold me here forever.

Eventually, the bell would ring.

Eventually, students would leave.

Eventually, he’d get bored.

I just had to wait.

Then the bell rang.

Students began disappearing down the corridors.

One by one.

Until only four people remained.

Me.

Hayden.

Sean.

And Carla.

Carla stared at Hayden.

“Hayden, we need to get to class.”

He didn’t move.

“You need to let her go.”

“Don’t tell me what to do.”

Carla’s expression hardened.

“Seriously?”

She folded her arms.

“Do you really want Dad getting a call from the school because you’re late?”

That did it.

Hayden’s eyes flicked towards the clock.

His arm finally moved.

I dropped to the floor.

Pain ripped through my body as I landed.

Hayden looked down at me.

Then he turned towards Carla.

“See you at home, sis.”

He walked away.

Sean followed him.

I remained on the floor for several seconds, staring at the tiles beneath me.

I hurt everywhere.

My wrist.

My ribs.

My back.

My cheek.

But the worst pain was somewhere else.

It was inside me.

Carla crouched beside me and handed me my books.

“I’m sorry.”

I took them.

“He can be just as much of a jerk as Sean.”

I forced myself upright.

“I’ll survive.”

“You should come to class.”

I shook my head.

“I can’t.”

“Are you okay?”

“No.”

The honest answer slipped out before I could stop it.

I looked at her.

“I just need to clear my head.”

Carla hesitated.

“Do you want me to come with you?”

“No.”

I didn’t want company.

I didn’t want questions.

I didn’t want anyone telling me it was going to be okay.

Because right now, I didn’t believe it was.

I walked to my locker and shoved my books inside.

Then I closed it.

“I’ll talk to you later.”

“Sienna—”

I didn’t wait.

I walked straight past her.

Through the corridors.

Past the front office.

And out the doors of the school.

The moment the doors closed behind me, I stopped.

I took a deep breath.

For the first time all day, nobody was shouting at me.

Nobody was laughing.

Nobody was touching me.

There was only silence.

Beautiful, blessed silence.

I started walking.

I didn’t know where I was going.

I only knew where I didn’t want to be.

At school.

With the Blood Moon Pack.

Around people who hated me.

For the first time since arriving here, I didn’t want to fight.

I didn’t want to argue.

I didn’t want revenge.

I didn’t even want to cry.

I just wanted to be alone.

I needed somewhere quiet enough to hear myself think.

Because something inside me was beginning to whisper that maybe…

I wasn’t going to spend the rest of my life running from people like Hayden and Sean.

Maybe one day…

they would be the ones running from me.