Left the Group Chat, Became the Apex Luna Chapter 01

Left the Group Chat, Became the Apex Luna Chapter 01

The day I got an S-rank in Senior Combat, I posted in the family chat:

[Silverfang Cove graduation trip—when are we leaving?]

Silence.

An hour passed. No one answered.

Then my younger sister Nessa messaged: [Need a sponsor! Moonrise Festival tickets just dropped!]

Mom and Dad instantly wired a grand. [Buy four tickets. The whole family’s going.]

Mom added a little wolfkissy emoji.

My brother Callum asked, confused, [Didn’t we already go to Silverfang Cove last month for the Moonrise Festival?]

What? They went last month?

And me? Left waiting like a fool?

[When did you guys—]

Drowned.

Dad: [We’ll go again. Unity is our Pack’s creed. No one gets left behind.]

Whole family?

Once again, leaving me out.

Once again, ignoring my message.

Once again, breaking a promise.

If there was never a place for me in their world…

Then I won’t force my way in anymore.

I left the chat and changed my application from Silverfang Academy to Moonshore Defense Academy, thousands of miles away.

For years to come, that road home would no longer have me on it.

…

The page confirmed the change.

[Laurel Calder, welcome to Moonshore Defense Academy!]

I reopened the family channel.

Two minutes. 99+ messages.

Nessa posted a screenshot.

[Four tickets booked. This year’s Moonrise Festival is huge—no matter what, everyone’s coming with me!]

Mom and Dad chimed in right after.

[Reporting! All schedules adjusted, awaiting our little princess’s orders.]

Callum replied with a wolfpupsalute emoji.

Every message got a reply. No exceptions.

Except mine.

My messages vanished without a trace.

My gaze drifted to the channel name.

Welcome Home, Laurel🐺

It was built three years ago, specifically for me when I was brought back to Silverpine Pack.

I was born during a massive territory relocation. My parents lost me when rogues attacked.

For fifteen years, I lived in Willow Ridge with the she-wolf who found me, Maura Rossy.

Willow Ridge was a remote border territory—just vast forests, low wooden cabins, and the patrol bell that rang every dawn.

Until three years ago, during a border patrol, the scent-bond between wolves led my father to me.

When I first returned to Silverpine Pack, I thanked the Moon Goddess day and night.

Dad was one of the Pack’s strongest Gamma Captains. My sister was the Pack’s beautiful spokesperson. My brother was the Alpha heir’s beta-in-training.

And the Calder Family had a label everyone envied in Silverpine Pack—

Unity. Closeness. Always protecting their blood.

The perfect family.

When I was brought back, they did welcome me warmly.

Since everyone was busy, they set up this channel for me.

They said: just call out in here if you need anything, and we’ll all come help.

But whether I asked for the new school location or the way home—

No one ever answered.

They always said they were “used to the fourperson dynamic” and “needed time to adjust.”

But wasn’t I the one who needed to adapt?

Three years.

Their goto phrase—”the four of us”—never made room for me.

Callum messaged: [Pack Grill for burgers tonight?]

Three replies instantly: “Yeah.” “Of course.” “Sounds good.”

Pack Grill was just across from the market, a tenminute walk.

I held my stomach and stood up—

Mom sent a private message: [We four are going to Pack Grill tonight. There are leftovers in the kitchen—just heat them up.]

But the kitchen only had twodayold venison chili, with a layer of cold fat congealed on top.

I took a photo and sent it to her.

Half an hour.

No reply.

Until an hour later, the door opened.

Callum walked straight to his room, eyes glued to his phone game.

Nessa came in with shopping bags in both hands, humming as she went upstairs.

I turned back to the TV and didn’t move.

Mom set down her bag and frowned at me. “Really? We come home and don’t even get a hello?”

I shot back sarcastically, “Did you say hello to me before going to Silverfang Cove?”

Mom turned to Dad, confused. “Didn’t you tell her?”

Dad frowned, as if trying to remember. “She… didn’t go that day?”

I clenched my fists, my claws nearly digging into my skin.

My wolf paced restlessly in my chest, as if she didn’t understand why the scent of the family she trusted most suddenly felt foreign.

I’d waited the whole summer, more than a month, with eager eyes.

Every time I brought up Silverfang Cove, they said to wait.

And in the end—I was the only one left out.

I pulled out my phone and sent Mom an emoji.

A few seconds. No response.

But for Callum and Nessa’s messages, Mom and Dad had set custom howl notifications.

Mom waved her hand impatiently. “So you didn’t go. There’s always later.”

Dad nodded along. “Laurel, you’re the older sister. Stop competing with Callum and Nessa and making things hard for us.”

“Competing?” I shot back. “You promised me Silverfang Cove.”

“If I got into Silverfang Academy, you said we’d go there to visit and get familiar with the area.”

Mom finally looked at me. “So what’s your combat rating?”

Dad sighed.

“Laurel, with your weak wolf, we’re already sparing your feelings by not asking about your grades.”

“Sometimes not asking is protecting you. Isn’t that enough?”

I fell silent.

The moment my results came out, I’d screenshotted and posted them in the channel.

In case they missed it, I sent it again in a private message.

Senior Combat Rating: S

State Combat Ranking: No. 6

But even now, no one had seen it.