Living in the Shadow of My SisterChapter 1
Nadia's POV
I stood on the grand terrace of the Alpha's mansion, feeling the cool evening breeze kiss my skin as the moon hung heavy and full in the sky. It should have been a day of celebration, of joy, for it was the 17th birthday of both me and my twin sister, Gloria. But as always, she stood in the center of everyone's attention, and I was just a shadow at her side. I forced a smile, my cheeks aching with the effort, as pack members showered her with gifts and praise.
"Congratulations, Gloria! Such a strong and promising young wolf," they would say, their eyes lighting up as they spoke of her early awakening last year. She had shifted into her wolf form at just sixteen—a rarity that set her apart from others, who usually waited until their eighteenth year. The pack elders adored her for it, whispering about her destined greatness. Meanwhile, my own wolf still lay dormant, as silent as a grave. No one looked at me the way they looked at her. Not even close.
"Nadia! Happy Birthday!" an elder exclaimed in passing. I nodded, offering a polite smile, but his eyes quickly darted back to Gloria, who was laughing at some joke. His excitement for me was only an afterthought. I knew I should be happy for my sister. After all; she was my other half. But today, all I could feel was the emptiness, the weight of expectation crushing down on me. I was the Alpha's daughter without a wolf. Weak. An embarrassment to the Ambersy name.
Then it happened. The moment that shattered everything.
The first howl split the air like a knife through flesh. Then came the screams, the roaring of men and wolves. Chaos erupted around me as the world turned crimson with the blood of my packmates. I saw a flash of fur and fangs—a rogue wolf, its eyes wild with a hunger for violence, lunged at a young warrior, tearing into his flesh.
My heart pounded in my chest, my breath catching in my throat. Father —where was Father? I saw him then, my father, the Alpha, rushing to the front lines, barking orders. His eyes blazed with fury as he tried to rally the warriors. "Everyone, to your positions! Defend the pack!" But then, panic spread through the ranks as the Beta's voice boomed, "We've been poisoned! They've suppressed our ability to shift!"