VIENNA'S POV

The sun dipped low on the horizon, casting an amber glow over the Ambersy Pack's territory. Today was our 16th birthday-mine and my twin sister Victoria's. The celebration was in full swing, the air thick with laughter and the scent of roasted meats. I stood to the side, watching Victoria being in the center of adoration from our pack members. She was always the favorite, the golden child.

"Happy Birthday, Victoria!" an elder exclaimed, handing her a beautifully wrapped gift.

"Thank you, Elder Maris," Victoria beamed, her eyes twinkling. She had awakened her wolf at 15, a rare gift that had elevated her status in the pack. Meanwhile, I stood in her shadow, still wolfless and weak.

"Happy Birthday, Vienna," someone said, almost as an afterthought. I forced a smile and nodded, trying to ignore the sting of being overlooked.

Just as the evening began to wind down, a blood-curdling howl shattered the festive atmosphere. Chaos erupted as rogue wolves, led by the strongest of their kind, stormed our pack's land.

"Ambush!" My father, the Alpha, roared. "Defend the pack!"

Our warriors scrambled, but something was wrong. They struggled to shift. They tried so hard, but nothing happened! Suddenly, panic swept through the crowd.

I saw how they paled just realizing how dangerous our situation was. Even my Alpha of a father could not shift to his wolf form when he was the strongest in the pack.

"Someone put something in our food! We've been poisoned!" The Beta shouted, his voice tinged with fear and anger. "We can't shift!"

In our human forms, we were at a grave disadvantage. The rogues— fully shifted and ferocious—tore through our ranks. I watched in horror as my father fought bravely, only to be overwhelmed. The strongest rogue in their line, a massive beast with cold, ruthless eyes, slashed at him, his claws tearing through flesh and bone. My mother, the Luna, tried to reach him, but she too fell under the rogue onslaught.

"Father! Mother!" I screamed, but my voice was drowned out by the sounds of battle. Tears blurred my vision as I saw them both collapse, their blood soaking the ground. I tried to rush to them, but a warrior pulled me back.

"Be careful, Vienna! It's dangerous!" He urged, moments before a rogue wolf leaped at him, jaws snapping. He fell, lifeless, and the rogue turned its gaze on me.

I froze, paralyzed by fear, waiting for death. Just as the rogue lunged, a blur of fur and teeth intercepted it—Victoria. She stood in front of me to protect me.

Victoria! My sister... She had shifted, her golden wolf glistening in the moonlight. Maybe she hadn't eaten poisoned food and she could still shift!

"Sunshine, run!" She yelled, her voice a growl as she fought off the rogue. I hesitated, torn between fleeing and helping her.

No... I can't just leave her here! What if I lose her too? No, I can't! But what can I do?!

Victoria's strength was unmatched, but the rogues outnumbered her. I watched in helpless agony as they overpowered her. She let out a pained howl as one rogue sank its teeth into her neck, her body collapsing to the ground. It all happened too fast, within seconds.

"No! Victoria! Sis!" I screamed, my heart shattering as I rushed to her side. Her eyes, once full of life, now stared blankly at the sky.

I closed my eyes, welcoming the death that was sure to come.

Moon Goddess, what sin did I do for you to give me such a life? Please, let this be a nightmare. Please!

Suddenly, the sound of howls and snarls intensified. I opened my eyes to see a new group of wolves, led by a powerful black wolf with piercing blue eyes, tearing through the rogues. Alpha Luther Casimir of the Lockheart Pack. He and his warriors slaughtered the rogues with a ferocity I had never seen, turning the ground into a river of blood.

As the last rogue fell, Luther shifted back to his human form, his eyes blazing with fury and grief. He spotted me kneeling beside Victoria's body and strode over, his face a mask of rage.

"Why the fuck did you survive?" He spat, his voice venomous. "How could you, a useless person without a wolf who can't protect her pack and family, deserve my lover's sacrifice?"

I flinched at his words, my heart breaking all over again. "Alpha Luther, I-"

"Shut up," he growled, his eyes cold. "I won't let you off so easily. Take her away!" He ordered his warriors.

As they grabbed me, I looked back at the ruins of my home, my family gone.

If I had known what would happen, I would have wished that it was me who died.

Instead of my sister.

VIENNA’S POV

The cold, unforgiving wind of winter sliced through the thin rags that passed for my clothes. Each gust felt like needles against my skin, but I didn't dare slow down. My hands, raw and blistered from scrubbing the floors of the Lockheart Pack's pack house where the Alpha resided, were covered in frostbite. Pain was a constant companion, one I had grown used to in my new life as a slave.

Since the day I was dragged to this place, I had known no comfort. My bed was a cold, hard floor in the corner of a dank basement. Every morning, I woke up to a list of chores that seemed endless—cleaning, cooking, fetching water, and anything else the pack members deemed beneath them.

"Hey, wolfless," sneered a warrior named Marcus, tossing a filthy rag at me. "Make sure you get every speck of dust, or you'll be scrubbing with your tongue next time."

"Yes," I whispered, my voice hoarse from the cold and constant degradation. I bent down to continue my work, my body aching with each movement.

Even the children of the pack treated me with disdain. They threw stones and laughed as I hurried about my tasks, their taunts echoing in my ears. But it was nothing compared to the torment I faced from Alpha Luther.

"How dare you have the same face as my angel?" He spat one evening, his eyes blazing with hatred. His words cut deeper than any physical wound. Every time he saw me, it was as if he was reminded of the loss of Victoria, and his fury knew no bounds.

"Get out of my sight, you wretch!" He roared, and I would scurry away, his voice chasing me like a nightmare.

One particularly brutal winter night, I was summoned to the Alpha's quarters. The air was thick with the scent of alcohol as I entered, my heart pounding in my chest. Luther sat slumped at his table, a half-empty bottle of whiskey before him.

"Pour me some more," he slurred, his eyes glazed over. I hesitated for a moment, then quickly moved to obey, my hands trembling as I poured the golden liquid into his glass.

As I turned to leave, his hand shot out, gripping my wrist with surprising strength. "Victoria..." he murmured, his eyes focusing on my face. "You're back..."

"Alpha, you've got the wrong person," I whispered, trying to pull away. But he was lost in his drunken haze, pulling me closer.

"Victoria, my angel," he breathed, his lips crushing against mine. Panic surged through me as he pressed me onto the table, his weight pinning me down. I struggled desperately, my voice a frantic plea. "Please, stop! You've got the wrong person!"

His eyes suddenly cleared, realization dawning on him. With a snarl, he shoved me away, his face twisted with rage. "You bitch," he spat, slapping me hard across the face. "Get out of here! Who allowed you to appear here? Disgusting."

Tears blurred my vision as I stumbled out of his room, my cheek throbbing with pain.

VIENNA’S POV

I stumbled back to my shabby room, a small, dark space with nothing but a thin, worn blanket on the floor. The icy cold seeped through the cracks in the walls, but it was nothing compared to the chill in my heart. Curling up under the blanket, I let the tears flow freely.

It was all bullshit. He was the one cornering me and yet... I was hurt. What did I do to deserve this? My parents, my twin sister, and everyone from the Ambersy Pack never treated me like this before!

"Mother, Father, Victoria," I whispered into the darkness, my voice breaking. "I miss you all so much."

The memories of my family surged through me, each one a stab to my already broken heart. I remembered Victoria calling me by my nickname, "Sunshine," as she saved me. It had been so long since I heard her call me that. Before we turned 13, she always called me Sunshine. We were inseparable, the best of sisters, doing everything together.

We used to be happy, playing around, supporting each other doing our hobbies together, but then... she changed.

Flashback

"Sunshine, wait up!" Victoria's voice rang out as we raced through the meadow, our laughter blending with the rustle of the wind. She was always faster, her wolf's spirit giving her an edge even before she awakened.

"Hurry, Victoria, or I'll beat you to the tree!" I called back, my legs pumping as fast as they could.

We reached the old oak tree at the same time, collapsing in a heap of giggles. "You cheated," she pouted, but her eyes sparkled with mischief.

"Did not!" I stuck out my tongue.

Those were the days of innocence, when the world was just the two of us against everything. We spent hours playing hide and seek, climbing trees, and pretending to be the greatest warriors of the pack.

One day, when we were twelve, Victoria came to me with excitement in her eyes. "Sunshine, let's go hunting in the forest!"

I yawned, still sleepy from our late-night adventure the day before. "I think I'll stay home and sleep, Victoria. I'm too tired."

She patted my head affectionately. "Alright, little lazybones, I'll go by myself then."

I watched her leave, never imagining that it would be the last time she looked at me with such warmth. She went missing that day, and the entire pack was thrown into a frenzy. For two days, we searched, our hearts heavy with fear and worry.

When Victoria finally returned by herself, everyone was surprised and overjoyed. I ran to her, tears streaming down my face. "Victoria! You're back! I was so scared!"

But something had changed. She looked at me with a cold, distant expression. "I'm fine, Vienna," she said, her voice void of emotion. Even her smile seemed forced, a shadow of its former brightness.

From that day on, she was different. No more games, no more shared secrets. I thought she was angry because I didn't go with her that day. I tried everything to make it up to her. Handmade gifts, cooking her favorite meals, but nothing worked. She never called me Sunshine again—until the day she died.

End of Flashback

I clutched the blanket tighter, my tears soaking the fabric. "I'm sorry, Victoria," I sobbed. "I should have gone with you that day. Maybe things would have been different."

The guilt weighed heavily on me, a constant reminder of my failure. I remembered her cold eyes and distant smile, and I couldn't help but wonder what had happened in her missing two days. What had changed her so drastically? And why did she wait until her final moments to call me Sunshine again?

As I lay there, the pain of the past mingled with the agony of the present. My body ached, my heart ached, and the future seemed like an endless tunnel of despair.

Tonight, all I could do was cry and remember the days when I was still Sunshine.