Some nights, I cried myself to sleep.

I would lie awake with tears soaking my pillow, wishing I had never been born. I wished the pain would finally end. Sometimes, I prayed for a silent death—one that would take me away without making anyone notice.

Yet every morning, I woke up disappointed.

I was still alive.

What was the point of living when I had nothing left to live for?

My name is April Fields.

I am a werewolf.

I was born in the Moonlight Pack, a powerful pack located in a small town outside London. But I escaped from there several months ago.

Now, I'm a rogue.

A lone wolf.

A wolf without a pack.

I lived alone in a small apartment in another town, far away from everyone who knew me. At least, I hoped I was far enough away.

This morning, I forced myself out of bed. My body felt weak, and my heart felt completely empty. I walked into the bathroom and stood beneath the hot water, hoping it would wash away the pain buried deep inside me.

But no matter how long I stayed there, the pain remained.

After several minutes, I stepped out and wrapped a towel around my body. I returned to my room and sat in front of the standing mirror while drying my hair.

Then I looked at my reflection.

I barely recognised myself.

The smile I once had was gone. The beauty I used to see in my face had faded. My eyes, which had once been a bright teal green, now looked dull and lifeless.

I looked much older than I really was.

It felt as though I had lived for thousands of years.

As I stared at my reflection, memories I had spent months trying to bury returned to me.

And once again, I remembered how my life became this way.

---

Two Months Earlier

April’s POV

My mother and I lived in the Moonlight Pack.

I was born there, but Moonlight was not the pack where my mother had grown up.

She had been sent away from her original pack for reasons known only to her. Whenever I asked, she refused to explain. She also refused to talk about my father.

Eventually, I stopped asking.

My mother once told me that the former Luna of Moonlight Pack had saved her from a group of rogues who wanted to kill her. The Luna had taken pity on her and offered her a place in the pack.

There was only one condition.

My mother had to serve the pack in exchange for food and shelter.

She accepted.

From that day on, my mother worked tirelessly in the pack house. She cleaned, cooked, washed clothes, and completed almost every chore she was given.

As I grew older, I began helping her.

There were many rumours about my mother.

People whispered that she had been involved with several unmated wolves in the pack. Some even claimed that she had once been close to the Alpha after his Luna died.

I never knew which rumours were true.

One day, I finally asked my mother about them.

She became quiet for a long time before saying, “That was many years ago, April. I was young, confused, and made mistakes.”

I wanted to ask more questions, but I could see the pain in her eyes.

So I let it go.

My childhood had once been the happiest part of my life. Back then, I was an innocent little girl who did not understand how cruel the world could be.

But everything changed when I turned ten.

That was when my nightmare began.

The Alpha gave my mother and me two small rooms behind the pack house kitchen.

The Alpha of Moonlight Pack was feared by almost everyone. He was known for his cruelty and brutality. He challenged other Alphas, defeated them, and took what belonged to them.

No one dared to stand against him.

After the death of his Luna, the Alpha began crossing boundaries with me.

I was only ten years old.

Instead of protecting me, many members of the pack blamed me. They called me terrible names and told their children to stay away from me.

I did not understand why everyone hated me.

I had done nothing wrong.

As the years passed, the bullying became worse. I eventually stopped going to school when I was fifteen because I could no longer endure the cruelty.

My mother tried to protect me, but she was powerless against the Alpha.

He was stronger than both of us.

I did not blame my mother.

I blamed my fate.

---

One afternoon, I was in the kitchen preparing a bowl of cereal when my mother walked in.

“Hi, darling,” she said.

“Hi, Mum,” I replied.

“How is your day going?”

“Fine.”

She smiled gently. “Kate and I are going shopping. Is there anything you would like me to get for you?”

Kate was my mother’s best friend—and the only person who had remained close to her despite the rumours and warnings from other pack members.

“No, Mum. I’m fine.”

“Okay, dear. I’ll be back soon.”

She kissed my forehead and walked out.

After finishing my cereal, I decided to take a shower and rest.

The warm water always helped me feel calm.

For a few minutes, I closed my eyes and allowed myself to relax.

Then I sensed it.

A familiar scent filled the room.

My entire body became tense.

I knew that scent.

It belonged to the person I feared most.

I slowly opened my eyes.

The Alpha was standing near the bathroom door.

His cold eyes met mine.

Fear rushed through me because I knew why he had come.

I tried to move away, but he grabbed me and dragged me out of the bathroom.

What happened afterward was another terrible reminder that I was trapped.

I felt powerless.

I felt afraid.

And when he finally left, I remained alone in the room, shaking.

But something inside me had changed.

My wolf was restless.

She was angry.

She wanted revenge.

For years, we had remained silent because we were afraid of what would happen to my mother if we fought back.

But that day, we could no longer stay quiet.

I gathered every bit of courage I had left.

“Alpha,” I said weakly. “Don’t you think it is time for this to end?”

He stopped.

Slowly, he turned toward me.

His eyes darkened.

The force of his Alpha power filled the room as he tried to force my wolf and me into submission.

But this time, we refused.

For the first time in years, I did not bow.

The Alpha’s expression changed.

He moved toward me, furious.

“This is your final warning, April,” he said.

Then he left.

I remained on the bathroom floor, trembling.

My wolf growled inside my mind.

She wanted to kill him.

I wanted to kill him too.

But we knew what would happen if we tried.

The entire pack would come after us.

And my mother would be in danger.

So, for now, we had to endure.

I returned to the bathroom and stood beneath the water.

I washed myself again and again.

I scrubbed until my skin became sore.

But no matter how much I washed, I could not get rid of the pain.

The water could clean my body.

But it could not heal what had been broken inside me.