The Luna Who Paid to Live in Her Own Home Chapter 01

The Luna Who Paid to Live in Her Own Home Chapter 01

My sister wanted to be the only princess of Briarwood Pack.

So Mom removed me from our Pack Registry and made me pay rent to live at home—using Della’s leftover allowance.

Thirty dollars left over? That was my budget for the month.

Today was the deadline for college applications.

I begged Della to use her computer. She held out her hand: “$20.”

I emptied my pockets—only $19.

“Just one dollar short! Please, Della!”

Della shook her head: “Not a penny less.”

Mom watched coldly: “Della’s right. You’re not a Mercer—nothing here is free.”

I rushed to my room, dug out a $1 coin from under my bed, and sprinted back.

The screen refreshed: [Application Portal Closed.]

Deadline: One minute ago.

Outside, Mom comforted Della: “She’s just a visiting relative. Don’t let her ruin your day.”

Eighteen years of blood, reduced to a “visiting relative.”

I pulled out my phone and opened my messages. [Mrs. Hadley, I’ll go. Kingswell Academy. I’m in.]

Just a relative? Then I won’t bother you anymore.

This time, I’m walking away on my own.

…

“Mom, Rhea has been hiding money!”

I had just sent the message when I heard Della shouting.

“I literally watched her do it! She stashed cash by her bed!”

I ran after her, already scrambling for an explanation.

Mom was already waiting in the hallway, lips pressed thin.

“Rhea, what’s wrong with you?”

“You’re hiding money now? At your age?”

“I didn’t hide anything!” My hands were shaking. “I swear.”

“I only had twenty dollars this month. That coin just slipped into the crack by my bed. That’s all it was.”

Not a flicker of belief on her face.

I ran back to my room and took out my expense ledger.

Every single purchase, down to the cent.

“Mom, look! That really was my money…”

Mom glanced at it, and her jaw tightened.

“Why are you keeping records like this?”

I froze. “I only wanted to prove…”

“What, you want proof that we’re terrible parents? That we play favorites?”

She cut me off.

“Don’t forget: your name got pulled from Briarwood’s registry years ago. You’re an Arden, not a Mercer.”

“The only reason you have a roof over your head is Della!”

“Now apologize to your sister.”

Della folded her arms and looked down at me.

“Rhea. I’m the Alpha’s only daughter.”

“Every stitch on your back, the room you sleep in, the cash in your pocket: all mine.”

Something caved in behind my ribs. My eyes burned. Deep inside me, my wolf keened.

I lowered my head.

“I’m sorry.”

“Enough.” Mom’s voice flipped back to casual, just like that. “Dinner’s ready.”

It was as if nothing had happened.

“Mom, I didn’t get my application in.” The words dragged out of me.

Mom barely looked up. “Then you didn’t.”

“Should’ve been faster.”

“We already did you a favor getting you through high school.”

Why had I told her?

Was some part of me still expecting something?

I’d wanted them to stand up for me. Or at the very least, say something kind.

They would never do that.

I was never going to be the one they chose.

I’d been a ghost in this family since the day I was born.

According to Della, my existence stole her title: “the only princess of the Briarwood Pack.”

Dad, the Alpha, had never once introduced me to the pack. To everyone else, I was “some relative’s kid.”

Mom, the Luna, had my name erased from the pack registry and stuck me with my grandmother’s surname. Arden.

What did I have in this pack?

No room. No money. Not even a name that belonged here.

A tenant.

A spare kid nobody asked for.

Every dish on the table was one of Della’s favorites.

Dad kept putting food on Della’s plate.

Mom leaned over. “Was school rough today, sweetheart?”

I sat at the edge, picking at the lettuce on my plate.

I couldn’t cover today’s meal fee.

The rule was simple. No money, no real food. Lettuce only.

Mom finally seemed to notice me.

She set a piece of shrimp scampi on my plate. “Eat. This one’s free.”

I didn’t move.

Mom’s face went cold.

She picked up the shrimp and tossed it to Milo Mercer, the dog crouching beside the table.

Milo caught it midair, tail going wild.

Mom looked at me sideways. “Even the dog knows to wag his tail when he gets a treat. You can’t even manage that.”

I whispered, “I’m allergic to seafood.”

Della frowned and rolled her eyes. “God, you’re so dramatic. One bite isn’t going to kill you.”

I lowered my head and replied softly, “It would.”

It really would.

A bottle of allergy meds cost thirty dollars. That was four meals. Four nights of rent.

I couldn’t justify spending that.

I couldn’t afford to, either.

Dad’s fork hit the table with a crack.

“She says one thing and you’ve got an excuse for everything!”

“You’re ruining dinner for the whole family over a single dollar?”

He stared at me. Those golden wolf eyes didn’t hold a single shred of warmth.

“Next month, I don’t care how much Della saves. You’re getting one dollar. That’s it.”