My Sister Took My Crown. I Took My Freedom

The Silver Moon Pack has a tradition. Every female wolf about to have her bonding ceremony receives a flower crown woven from Moonshadow flowers. These flowers only bloom near the Moon Goddess statue and must be handpicked by family members. It represents the Goddess's blessing and the family's love.
My twin sister, Stella, and I share the same birthday.
But our older brother, Blake, only brought back one crown.
It was intricate and gorgeous. Stella squealed in delight.
Our mother, Eleanor, affectionately stroked Stella’s hair, telling her she would always be her shining pearl.
Our father, Richard, added sternly that if Stella’s future mate ever bullied her, he would make him pay.
No one thought anything was wrong.
I asked Blake, "Where's my crown?"
He looked awkward. "I just wanted Stella's crown to look perfect, so I used up all the Moonshadow flowers around there."
My mother clicked her tongue impatiently. "So he used them, big deal. We'll just pick a few roses from the garden for you when the time comes. Stop throwing a tantrum over such a little thing."
I watched my family huddle around Stella, and finally accepted the fact that they didn't love me.
When my future mate asked me if I really wanted to move our bonding ceremony up by a day, I replied without hesitation, "Yes, let's do it."
Chapter 1
"It was just to make Stella's crown look perfect, so I used your share of the Moonshadow flowers too."
My brother Blake's voice was exceptionally harsh in the quiet living room.
He was holding that intricate, gorgeous flower crown. Every pale, glowing petal was full and flawless.
It was the highest honor a female could receive—handpicked by family near the Moon Goddess statue right before the bonding ceremony.
Stella let out a delighted squeal, snatching the crown and placing it on her head. "It's so beautiful! You're the best, Blake!"
Mother stroked Stella's hair lovingly, her eyes a little red. "My baby, you deserve the grandest ceremony. With this, you'll have enough standing in front of their pack. You will always be the Silver Moon Pack's brightest pearl."
Father, who rarely smiled, actually looked pleased as he sternly added, "Exactly. If that boy dares to do you wrong, the entire Silver Moon Pack has your back."
I stood in the corner, feeling the wolf blood in my veins run cold.
A week ago, in this exact living room, what was the cold tone my father used to warn me?
"Cora, once you're bonded, you need to rein in your temper. Be absolutely loyal to your new pack and don't cause us any trouble."
I swallowed the bitter lump in my throat and looked at that single crown.
"What about mine?" I heard my own dry voice ring out.
The laughter and chatter in the living room came to a dead halt.
Blake froze, rubbing his nose awkwardly. "Uh, I just wanted Stella's crown to look perfect, so I used up all the Moonshadow flowers around there."
Mother frowned, shooting me an impatient glare. "It's not a big deal. I'll have someone cut a few red roses from the garden for you to wear. Stop pulling a long face over nothing and ruining everyone's mood."
A few red roses.
I clenched my fists so hard my nails dug into my palms.
They were the ones who told me that the Moonshadow crown was tied to a daughter's lifelong happiness and honor.
It turned out that the "daughter" they were willing to give everything for never included me.
I stayed silent until dinner.
I looked at the dishes on the table.
Stella had recently gotten into seafood, so every single dish had seafood in it.
But I was severely allergic to seafood. Even a tiny bite would make me break out in hives.
I looked at my mother and couldn't help but say, "Mom, didn't I tell you I'm allergic to seafood?"
She paused, as if finally remembering something, and said lightly, "Oh, I forgot. Why didn't you say something earlier?"
I could only offer a bitter smile.
Because I had told her countless times.
But she never remembered.
Not wanting to argue, I walked toward the kitchen to ask the chef to make me something else.
Suddenly, my father slammed his knife and fork onto the table. The sharp clatter made me flinch.
"Enough! I bet you're not even allergic. You're just still mad we gave your flowers to Stella!"
Blake, who was stuffing his face with shrimp, waved his hand in disgust. "If you don't want to eat, then get lost and go back to your room. Stop ruining everyone's appetite with that dead face of yours. And bring up a bottle of wine from the basement while you're at it."
I looked at the table full of seafood, then at the picture-perfect happy family in front of me.
It had been like this my whole life.
Because I was born much healthier and stronger than Stella.
My parents and brother always believed I stole Stella's nutrients in the womb.
So I had to yield to her, to make it up to her.
During school parent-child events, they fought over who got to go with Stella, while I went alone.
When Stella broke a vase, they only cared if she had cut herself. But when it came to me, I was punished and starved for three whole days.
Even the date of the bonding ceremony—Stella insisted on having it the same day as me, and no one ever asked if I was okay with it.
They just said, "You're sisters anyway, isn't it great to have the ceremony together?"
But I knew the truth. Stella just enjoyed the thrill of stealing all the attention.
I didn't go get the wine. I wanted to turn around, go to my room, and just eat some bread.
Then I heard my father say, "How about we all go camping at the park tomorrow? It's a rare family outing."
I paused and reminded him, "Tomorrow I have a meeting with Jasper to finalize the ceremony details."
"That's your business," Father said without even looking up, his tone as cold as if he were speaking to a stranger.
I stayed silent for a moment. Without looking back at them, I walked straight to my room.
The moment the door clicked shut, the heavy boulder that had been crushing my chest finally shattered.
Along with the very last sliver of hope I had for this family.
Since their definition of "family" didn't include me.
Then I didn't want them anymore, either.
My phone lit up. It was a text from my fated mate, Jasper.
"Did your parents agree to move the ceremony up by a day?"
I typed back, "We don't need their permission. Let's just do it."
Chapter 2
The next afternoon, I came home after finalizing the ceremony details.
Pushing the door open, I saw Stella's future mate, Troy, sitting in the living room.
On the coffee table were expensive imported fruits and the family's prized bone china tea set. This was a treatment reserved only for honored guests.
The whole family was hovering around Troy, the atmosphere so warm it made me sick with jealousy.
From the moment I announced my bonding to now, they had never once asked to meet Jasper.
They hadn't even bothered to ask what he looked like.
Seeing me walk in, Troy just stopped laughing, gave me a dismissive once-over like I was a random maid, and carelessly looked away.
Father didn't even care that I was there. He pulled a gold-stamped document from his briefcase.
"Stella, your ceremony is coming up," Father pushed the folder toward her, his voice brimming with pride. "This is the share transfer agreement for the family's most profitable tech company. Dad is giving it to you as a wedding gift."
Blake quickly tossed a set of car keys tied with a red ribbon onto the table.
"A limited-edition sports car. Just got flown in from overseas yesterday." Blake smirked. "Is your big brother giving you enough face?"
Stella let out a shriek and excitedly threw herself into Troy's arms.
"Oh my goddess! Thank you, Dad! Thank you, Blake!" She turned to Troy, showing off smugly. "See? Is my backing strong enough?"
Troy smiled and kissed her forehead. "Of course. I know you're the Silver Moon Pack's favorite little princess."
Mother watched the scene with a pleased smile. Then her gaze shifted and finally landed on me.
"Cora, why are you just standing there?" She held out her hand like it was the most natural thing in the world. "Where is your sister's wedding gift? What are you giving her?"
I felt the blood drain from my body in an instant.
"Where is mine?" I forced down the tremor in my fingertips and looked my mother dead in the eye. "My ceremony is next week, too. What is my gift?"
The air in the living room froze.
Father's face darkened instantly. His tone was harsh and entirely unapologetic.
"Are you still trying to compete with your sister? The pack's resources are limited. We can't buy double of everything!" He knocked on the table, as if I had committed some unforgivable sin. "Besides, you're more capable than Stella. Even if we give you nothing, you'll be fine. She's different. She needs these things to protect herself, or she'll get bullied in her new pack."
I almost laughed out loud.
Because I was capable, I deserved absolutely nothing?
Seeing the tension, Stella shrank into Troy's arms and put on a generous act.
"Dad, don't blame Cora. I don't need any company shares or expensive gifts." She pointed at my neck, a sly glint in her eyes. "Sister, I've always loved that star necklace you wear. Can you just give me that?"
I instinctively covered my collarbone.
That necklace was a birthday present I bought for myself with my very first paycheck.
It wasn't expensive, but it was mine.
Blake rolled his eyes impatiently and walked over, reaching out to grab it. "It's just a cheap necklace. Why are you clutching it so tight? Hurry up and take it off. Stop embarrassing us in front of Troy."
I dodged his hand and stared right into Stella's eyes.
"You want my necklace?" I asked coldly. "Then what gift did you prepare for me?"
Stella froze, and her eyes instantly turned red.
Tears welled up as if she had been horribly wronged.
"Sister, if you don't want to give it to me, then forget it. I don't want it..."
"Enough!" Mother slammed her hand on the table, standing up and pointing a finger right in my face. "You ungrateful brat! So what if your sister asked for a necklace? How far is this jealousy of yours going to go?! You've fought her for everything since you were little, and now you won't even let a necklace go!"
I looked at my furious mother, my voice dead.
"And if I don't give it to her?"
Mother's chest heaved. She gritted her teeth and gave me her final ultimatum.
"If you don't give it to her, then none of us will attend your bonding ceremony!"
The living room went dead silent.
Threatening me with boycotting my bonding ceremony?
How pathetic.
Suddenly, I remembered the text I got last night from Jasper's mother, Evelyn, the current Luna of the Iron Ridge Pack.
"Cora, Jasper told me you're allergic to seafood. I had the kitchen stay up all night developing a new menu. When you get here, Mom will personally cook all your favorites."
On one side, my own flesh and blood, who couldn't even remember my allergies and were blackmailing me with my own ceremony.
On the other side, a mother-in-law I hadn't even met yet, who already had everything prepared for me.
I slowly reached behind my neck and unclasped the necklace.
Click.
I tossed the necklace, still warm from my skin, onto the coffee table.
"Fine. Take it."
One necklace to buy out the last ties I had to this family.
Chapter 3
A week before the bonding ceremony.
After dinner, my mother suddenly called out to me.
"No matter what, you're about to be bonded." She softened her tone, a rare occurrence, and even reached out to adjust my collar. "Tomorrow at noon, bring your future mate out. Let's formally meet him and have lunch together. After all, we're going to be family."
My heart skipped a beat.
Even after so many disappointments, in that split second, a tiny, pathetic spark of hope flared up inside me.
Maybe, deep down, they still cared about me as their daughter.
Maybe they actually wanted to see the man I was going to entrust my life to.
The next day, 11:30 AM.
I brought Jasper to the most high-end Michelin-starred restaurant in the city center half an hour early.
I had checked the menu three times, carefully making sure to avoid the foods my parents and Blake disliked.
However, 12:00 PM came and went.
Then 1:00 PM.
Then 2:30 PM.
The water glasses on the table went cold, were refilled, and went cold again.
I called my mother and father over and over, only to be met by a cold, automated voicemail.
By 3:00 PM, the restaurant's lunch service was completely over. The waiters dimmed the lights in the private room.
Finally, my phone buzzed.
It was a short text from my mother.
"Pack emergency. We just can't get away. Let's do lunch some other time."
Emergency?
I stared at the words on the screen, my fingertips turning cold as a bad feeling washed over me.
Suddenly, a notification popped up at the top of my screen.
It was from Stella's social media.
In a video, Stella was trying on various gorgeous, custom-made gowns in front of a massive floor-to-ceiling mirror.
In the background, Mother was patiently adjusting her hem. Father and Blake were sitting on the couch, smiling affectionately at her.
The caption read: "To help me pick the perfect ceremony dress, my whole family canceled all their work to be with me. I'm the luckiest bride in the world!"
So this was the "pack emergency" my mother couldn't get away from.
I stared quietly at the photo. The veins on the back of my hand bulged before I weakly let go.
So my weight in their hearts couldn't even compare to Stella trying on a dress.
"Cora?" Jasper's warm, broad hand covered mine.
His deep eyes were full of heartache. He didn't ask anything. Instead, he flipped my hand over and wrapped his warm fingers tightly around my freezing ones.
It was a comforting, absolute kind of favoritism.
I put my phone down, forcing all the churning emotions down so the tears wouldn't fall.
"Let's go eat somewhere else," I gave Jasper a pale smile. My voice was raspy, but incredibly firm. "As soon as the ceremony is over, I'm going back to the Iron Ridge Pack with you."
"I'm never coming back here."
At 8:00 PM, I returned home alone.
As soon as I walked in, the living room was a mess.
The couches, the coffee table, even the rug were piled high with sample dresses of all colors and styles.
The whole family was huddled together, intensely debating which one flattered Stella's figure best.
"This starry blue one is best. Stella looks like the Moon Goddess herself," Mother said, holding up a diamond-studded dress against Stella, her eyes crinkling with a smile.
Seeing me walk in, their laughter paused for a second.
"Mom," I stood by the entryway, my throat painfully tight, my eyes sweeping over the blue dress. "I was at the restaurant. I waited until 4 PM."
The smile vanished from my mother's face.
She threw the dress onto the couch and scowled impatiently.
"Are you done? I run around all day for pack business and still have to worry about your ceremonies. I don't even have time to take a sip of water!" she yelled. "So what if we reschedule? You can't even be understanding. Do you really have to make everyone miserable?"
Reschedule?
More like they completely forgot I existed because they were too busy picking out Stella's dress.
Blake stood up and blocked Stella, glaring at me fiercely.
"Exactly! So we couldn't make it, big deal. Is your mate dying or something? You couldn't wait one day? It had to be today?"
If it were the past, my eyes would be red, and I'd be arguing with them, trying to prove my grievances, desperate for an apology.
But now, I just felt a deep, bone-weary exhaustion.
Faced with their unapologetic favoritism, I didn't even have the desire to argue anymore.
I didn't look at them again. Stepping over the piles of dresses, I turned and walked to my room.
I opened my walk-in closet, wanting to change out of my clothes.
But what greeted me were rows and rows of unfamiliar, colorful dresses.
My own few older clothes had been shoved aggressively into the darkest corner, crumpled and shrunken into a ball.
Ninety percent of the closet was now taken up by Stella's new clothes and limited-edition bags.
Just because her closet was full, she felt completely justified invading my space.
I stood quietly at the closet door.
I looked at the pitiful few clothes that actually belonged to me.
In this house, I was just like those clothes—entirely extra.
Chapter 4
Three days until the ceremony.
The whole house was in a frenzy prepping for Stella's grand bonding ceremony.
Maids and designers bustled through the living room.
No one even glanced at the console table by the door, where my invitation sat. The date on it had already been moved up to tomorrow.
Standing alone in the noisy hallway, I suddenly thought of my late grandmother.
She was the only person in this house who didn't favor Stella.
Whenever my parents punished me by making me stand and skip meals, Grandma would always sneak me a warm piece of bread and gently stroke my head.
Before she passed, Grandma left me her quiet apartment downtown.
It was the last safe haven she left me.
I wanted to go see it. I wanted to feel that warmth one last time before leaving this house for good.
Half an hour later, I stood in front of the apartment door.
But my key wouldn't turn in the lock.
I called a locksmith.
After checking the property details, the man gave me a weird look.
"Miss, the registered owner of this property is Stella Hale, not you. I can't open this door for you."
Stella?
The name hit me like a sledgehammer to the back of the head.
I froze.
A memory from last summer suddenly flashed through my mind.
My mother had uncharacteristically brought me a glass of warm milk, holding a stack of dense paperwork.
"Cora, this is a medical insurance policy the pack bought for you and your sister. Just sign here."
I hadn't suspected a thing and signed my name.
It wasn't insurance. It was a property transfer agreement!
I rushed back to that so-called home like a madwoman.
Bang! I shoved the living room doors open violently.
Stella was trying on a pair of sparkly heels while Mother smiled from ear to ear.
"You transferred Grandma's apartment to Stella?!" My eyes were bloodshot as I glared at my mother.
Her smile stiffened, but she quickly went back to her self-righteous attitude.
"Why are you yelling? It's not a big deal!" Mother brushed it off without a care. "Stella's about to start working at that downtown company. The apartment is close to her office. It's just more convenient for her commute."
"Grandma left that to me!" I was shaking all over, fighting back sobs. "Are you going to take away the very last thing I have? Hasn't Stella taken enough?!"
"Are you crazy?!" Blake charged down the stairs and shoved me hard.
I stumbled backward, my back slamming hard against the wall.
A sharp pain shot through me, but I didn't care.
With red eyes, I lunged toward Stella's room to find my property deed.
"Give me back my things!"
Just as my hand touched the doorknob, a strong hand clamped around my wrist and yanked me back fiercely.
It was my father.
Blake rushed up as well, and the two of them pinned my shoulders down on either side.
I struggled desperately, like a cornered wolf. "Let me go! Grandma gave that to me! Give it back!"
Smack!
A resounding slap struck across my face.
My head snapped to the side, and the sharp taste of blood instantly filled my mouth.
Through the ringing in my ears, I heard my father panting heavily, pointing a finger at my nose and cursing.
"You selfish brat! Just for a little thing like this, you have to tear the whole house apart?!"
Father's eyes were ice cold as he delivered his final verdict. "The apartment thing is settled! Your mother and I raised you all these years, and it's just one apartment. Don't ever bring this up again!"
I stopped struggling.
The stinging pain in my cheek was nothing compared to the sensation of my heart being ripped to shreds.
I looked up at these four people—my so-called blood relatives.
My father's fury, my mother's disgust, my brother's viciousness, and Stella, hiding behind them with a smug smirk playing on her lips.
In that moment, the light in my eyes completely died, leaving behind nothing but utter frost.
I didn't cry anymore. I didn't say a single word.
I didn't grab anything. I didn't pack a bag. I didn't take a single thing that belonged to this house.
I turned around and resolutely walked out the front door.
A black SUV pulled up to the intersection. Jasper got out and strode over to me.
He saw the bright red handprint on my cheek, and his eyes darkened dangerously.
"Let's go." I grabbed the hem of his shirt, the tears finally falling one by one. "Take me away."
Jasper swept me up into his arms and carried me to the car.
That night, he checked me into the most luxurious hotel on Iron Ridge territory.
For the next two days, my phone was deathly silent. Not a single family member contacted me.
The day before Stella's ceremony, my bonding ceremony took place.
The hotel room door opened.
Jasper, looking sharp in a tailored black suit, walked toward me with eyes full of unwavering, gentle resolve.
I stood up and threw myself into his arms without hesitation. He caught me steadily.
From today on, that old house had absolutely nothing to do with me anymore.