The day Nina got her acceptance letter from City Werewolf Academy, Mom and Dad threw her a party — and made me work as a waitress. Mom shoved a tray loaded with drinks into my hands. "You couldn't even get into Community Werewolf Academy. Sitting at the family table would only make people laugh. Might as well make yourself useful with the guests." My brother Ethan frowned. "Getting in wasn't easy for Nina. Nothing can go wrong today. If any Pack members ask about your scores, it'll ruin the whole mood." My boyfriend Caleb spoke flatly. "Ava. Today's Nina's big day. Don't screw it up." I clutched my backpack tighter. The strap dug into my shoulder until it hurt. When I was twelve, I placed first at the Silver Creek Pack training camp. Nina took it hard and slit her wrists that same night. The whole family decided I'd done it on purpose. To show off. After that, I learned to hide what I could do — filling in wrong answers on tests, deliberately finishing last in training. Six years. I turned myself into the well-known good-for-nothing of the Pack. Only the Final Trial gave me one chance to actually try. Right now they were gathered around Nina, their faces lit up like she was made of sunlight. And the words in my throat — I got into the Royal Elite Werewolf Academy — I swallowed them back down. If they found me an eyesore, then there was no point mentioning that I had to report in three days. ... Seeing I hadn't moved, Ethan tossed a stained, mildew-smelling uniform at me. "Your grades are trash. You can at least manage waitress work, can't you?" I looked up. In the center of the hall, gold balloons spelled out the words that made my eyes ache: CONGRATULATIONS NINA — CITY WEREWOLF ACADEMY Ethan had put them up himself that morning. I wanted to ask him: if it had been me who got in, would any of this exist? Before I could speak, Mom's voice hit me again. "Ava. If anyone asks later, do not tell them you couldn't even get into Community Werewolf Academy." She was afraid I'd embarrass her. But she seemed to have forgotten. Back when Nina first came to us, she'd seen my perfect test papers and my Trial certificates, and she'd sobbed into Mom's arms: "Ava's so amazing. I don't deserve to be part of this family." She slit her wrists that same night. Mom was the first to turn on me. "You knew Nina had just lost her parents. Why would you provoke her? Did you have to show off?" She tore up my certificates. Right in front of Nina. It hurt. But I understood, too. Nina's parents had once saved her and Dad. For the sake of this family, I hid my claws and became what they saw — lazy, useless. I dug my fingernails into my palm and said softly, "Okay." Dad nodded, satisfied. "Bad grades — well, we're your parents, we'll figure something out. Spend a little more, get you into a decent Community Werewolf Academy." Something struck me hard in the chest. Nina's grades had always been shaky, so before the exams they'd already lined up a private academy as her fallback. Back then they'd said: "Community Werewolf Academy is nothing to be proud of. Even at her worst, Nina has to go somewhere good." "That's not necessary. I've already —" I tried to say. I already got in. "Auntie, before people start showing up — let's take a photo with Nina!" Caleb's voice sailed right over mine. "Ava. Come take the picture." He ordered it, pushing the camera into my hand. Mom and Dad flanked Nina; Ethan and Caleb stood behind her. A perfect composition. No spot for me. I swallowed and pressed the shutter, mechanical as a machine. When I handed the camera back, I asked Caleb quietly, "Could we take one, too?" Royal Elite Werewolf Academy is a closed campus. Several states away. I wanted a picture of him to take with me. Caleb paused, then let out a small, mocking laugh. "Aren't your parents sending you to that Community Werewolf Academy nearby? We'll see each other all the time — why bother?" But Nina was going to City Academy. He'd happily pose with her, shot after shot. For me, even one photo was too much trouble. Whatever hope I still had left in my chest went cold. My eyes fell to my backpack. Inside was the acceptance packet from Royal Elite Werewolf Academy. I'd wanted him to be the first to know. Now I was grateful I'd said nothing at all.

When the party ended, Mom threw a rag at me and told me to clean, then piled all the cash and checks the Pack members had brought straight in front of Nina. "Starter funds. If it's not enough, tell your dad and me." Dad, smiling, added a card of his own to the pile. Nina hugged Mom, all sugar. "Mom, Dad — you're the best. I'm so lucky to be your daughter." She glanced my way. "Ava's going to school soon too. Should I split it with her, half and half?" Mom patted her indulgently. "You earned that yourself. Why would you give it to her?" Only then did she turn to me, sighing. "Ava, don't be jealous. You've been a disgrace these past few years. With your Final Trial score, throwing you a party would only get us laughed at." "Once we've arranged Community Werewolf Academy for you, you'll work while you study. Feed yourself. Stop expecting the family to carry you." Casual tone. Casual disdain. It cut anyway. The pressure in my chest went tighter. I was tired. Tired of hiding, tired of playing the fool. At sixteen, I'd wanted to test them. During the training camp evaluations, I used only half my strength — just enough to place one rank above Nina. Nina came home and cried for a whole day. "I'm so stupid. I stayed up all night training and barely scraped into the top twenty. Ava does it once and she's better than me." Mom and Dad spent hours soothing her. In the end, Mom looked at me with tired disappointment. "Ava. We want you to do better. But you can't cheat just to steal attention." In that moment, all I felt was exhaustion. Do well — they said I was hurting Nina. Do badly — they called me useless. Try to test the waters — they called it cheating. There was no right answer. Ethan hauled out an entire set of gifts for Nina: brand-new laptop, tablet, phone. Nina squealed and threw her arms around him. "Ethan! You got me all this? I love you so much!" I looked at the pile, and something in my blood went slowly cold. The night before, Ethan had given me a "gift" too — his three-month-old laptop. "Still practically new. Something too fancy would just be wasted on you. Make do for a few years." That was always how it went. The best for Nina. Whatever's left over for me. He seemed to have forgotten I was the one who was actually his sister. I turned to leave for my room. Nina followed. "Ava, everyone gave me presents. Where's yours?" I hated Nina. And now, since I was about to leave, I didn't feel like swallowing it anymore. I said flatly, "I don't have one." Nina blinked, then smiled again. "I know you can't afford anything expensive. Just give me any little thing. It's fine." She walked in as she spoke, her eyes locking onto the rocket model on my desk. "Dad made that for me. You can't have it." I reached out to stop her, but she was faster. The model was already in her hand. My heart shot straight up into my throat.

"Ava, I want this one. If I keep it in my dorm, I'll think of you." "No! Put it down!" My voice shot up before I could stop it. That model had been my tenth-birthday present, made by Dad, back before Nina came. That day I'd told him, "I'm going to get into the best werewolf academy. I'm going to learn how to build rockets." After that, Mom and Dad's hearts belonged entirely to Nina. Through all those years of hiding what I was capable of, that model was what kept my aviation dream alive. And I had done it. I'd gotten into Royal Elite Werewolf Academy — Aviation Defense track. The commotion pulled everyone in. The second Dad saw Nina's red-rimmed eyes, the accusation came out on reflex. "Ava, are you picking on Nina again? A cheap little model — do you really have to be that petty?" So he'd known Nina wanted it. My fists tightened. "It's not a model. It's my dream." Ethan laughed. "With your grades? You're lucky any academy will take you. And you're dreaming about aviation?" Caleb laughed too. "Ava, Aviation Defense isn't something you can touch. If you like it that much, I'll buy you a few models to play with." I ignored them and looked only at Dad. "When I was little, I told you my dream. You said you were behind me." Dad hesitated, then his face soured with impatience. "So what if you have a dream? Royal Elite Werewolf Academy only takes the top of the top. You think dreaming gets you in?" The air froze for two seconds. So it wasn't just favoritism. They were mocking my dream, too. I turned to Nina, my voice unnaturally calm. "You're right. I was being petty. If you want it, take it." As long as it made her happy, I should give way. I should have known that a long time ago. Once they were all gone, I locked my door from the inside. Booked a flight for the day after tomorrow. Slid the acceptance packet into a folder. The next morning, after breakfast, Caleb came over. He was carrying two bags. The pretty one, he handed to Nina. "Your gift. I forgot to bring it yesterday." Nina tore it open, thrilled. A diamond necklace. "It's beautiful! Caleb, put it on me!" Caleb tossed the other bag at me without looking, then walked over behind Nina, smiling as he fastened the clasp at her nape. That smile stung my eyes. I opened my mouth. Closed it. Said nothing. That necklace. It was the one I'd picked out. Caleb had been in a good mood that day. He'd said, "When you get into a werewolf academy, I'll buy it for you. You're my girlfriend, aren't you?" The day the Final Trial scores came out, I wanted to tell him I'd done well. But everyone was cheering for Nina. No one asked me. Even Caleb had quietly accepted that I couldn't even make it into Community Werewolf Academy. And now — the thing he'd promised me, he'd given to her. Necklace secured, Caleb finally turned to look at me. "Ava, this is study material for you. Your foundation's weak. Don't waste yourself once you're at Community Academy. Work hard — maybe you can transfer to the city." I stared at him for a long time. My throat ached with the pressure of everything sitting in it. In the end, all I said was: "Caleb. As of today, we're done." Caleb froze. "What's that supposed to mean?" I didn't answer. I threw the bag on the table and walked out. Behind me, Ethan's irritated voice carried through the hall. "She loses it over the tiniest thing. She's got nothing on Nina. Let her go. Don't chase her." My feet paused a moment. Then I stepped through the front door. I wandered outside all day. No one called. Around dusk, one text from Mom: Get home. Now. Nothing else. Not a word more. I wiped the corner of my eye, and suddenly I laughed. What was I still hoping for, exactly? When I got home to pack, I pushed open the door — and my room looked like it had been ransacked. The folder on the desk. The one with my acceptance packet. It was gone. My brain whited out. The next second, Nina appeared in the doorway, looking pleased with herself, like she was waiting for a thank-you.

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