My Pack Ditched Me on the Holiday. Now, I’m Out of Reach. Chapter 01

My Pack Ditched Me on the Holiday. Now, I’m Out of Reach. Chapter 01

On the morning our pack departed for the Moon Festival, I woke before sunrise to find the den empty.

I stood there, disoriented, until my twin sister, Ruby Silverstein, sent a message in the family group chat:

[Oops, I forgot to tell everyone the departure time was moved up!]

A second later, she panicked and deleted it.

I stared at the blank chat screen, my eyes stinging.

So they’d made another family group chat. One without me.

Before I could react, my mother, Luna Elena Silverstein, called.

“Sorry, Selene. The departure was moved up an hour. I forgot to tell you. Call an Uber and come over now. Maybe you can still make it…”

My brother, Silas Silverstein, cut in from beside her.

“If she misses it, so be it. Ruby’s been dying to have a holiday where the whole family is just hers. Let her have it.”

I sniffled, swallowing the ache in my chest. “Then I’m not going. Happy holidays.”

I hung up and immediately changed my flight, swapping Moon Island for the Northern Plains.

I’d once promised my childhood friend, Zane Sterling, that someday we’d watch the moon wolves run under the aurora together.

Now I could finally keep that promise.

For the past eighteen years, my family had favored Ruby.

She was beautiful. Her wolf was strong.

I was plain and weak.

Only Zane had never looked down on me. He’d always stood quietly by my side.

Excited, I opened Packnet to tell him the good news—

And saw his latest public post.

[Taking my princess to chase the moonlit tide!]

Below it was a photo of him and Ruby sitting side by side on an Alpha fleet ship, his arm casually draped around her shoulders.

The last shred of hope I’d been clinging to shattered.

I opened my laptop and revised my college list, swapping the local school Zane and I had agreed on for Royal Lycan Academy—a thousand miles from pack territory.

Then, clutching my updated ticket, I called an Uber and went to the airport alone.

If no one in the pack wanted me…

Then I’d find my own place under the moon goddess’s sky.

—

The day I returned from the Northern Plains, my family had just gotten back from the Moon Festival.

Luna Elena walked into the den, glanced at the empty kitchen, and frowned.

“You know Ruby gets carsick and can’t eat on the road. Why didn’t you have dinner ready? You don’t act like an older sister at all.”

Her scolding struck me dumb.

Yes, technically, I was older.

But only by an hour!

Since childhood, I’d been expected to take care of Ruby, to give in to her, to put her first.

If I failed even once, they’d call me cruel.

Besides, I’d been home less than ten minutes. I hadn’t even had time to drink water.

Getting an Uber from the airport had been nearly impossible.

I’d even messaged my parents in the group chat, asking when they’d be back, hoping they could pick me up.

But my message went unanswered.

In the end, I had no choice but to wait in line.

I stood in the scorching sun for two full hours before finally catching a ride.

Just then, Ruby nudged Elena’s arm and gestured at her phone.

Elena paused, opened the family chat, and finally saw my message. Guilt flickered in her eyes.

But she still frowned and snapped, “Next time, just call if you need something. Who has time to stare at a messy group chat all day?”

I knew she wasn’t too busy to check.

They’d just made another group chat for their precious younger daughter—a little circle of love where unwelcome people weren’t allowed.

If I was right, that group had existed since eighth grade.

That was the year I was attacked by rogues on my way home from school and blacked out.

A well-meaning bystander tagged my parents repeatedly in the family group chat.

No one answered.

Eventually, a community officer found their number through the official records.

Only then did they come to take me to the hospital.

Ruby, on the other hand, never had to say a word in that group.

My parents always knew exactly where she was and what she was doing.

Back then, I didn’t want to believe they didn’t love me.

So I never let myself think that way.

Now I finally understood.

In that group chat. In this family. I was an unwanted burden—someone no one needed.

I lowered my head and answered softly, “Got it. It won’t happen again.”

I wouldn’t bother them anymore.

I’d never again hold onto illusions of family love.