[Flashback]

Little Lynsandra’s eyes lit up as she peeked out the window and saw children her age playing in the yard.

"Wow..." Her mouth fell open, her eyes sparkling at the sight. "They really came."

The children laughed as they played, some already familiar with one another. As for Lynsandra, she had only heard about them, but she felt as though she already knew them.

There weren’t many children in the Royal Pack. But today was the princess’s birthday, and the Royal Pack had invited children from different packs to celebrate.

"Nan, I want to play with them!" Little Lynsandra turned excitedly to her nanny, her face glowing with anticipation. "Can I? Can I?!"

The older woman smiled gently and took the little princess’s hand.

"Princess, you still need to change first," she said softly, squatting in front of the princess. "Don’t worry. None of them will leave right away. It’s still early, so let’s get you ready first, alright? You can’t go out there in your pajamas, right?"

Little Lynsandra tried to contain her excitement and nodded, taking deep breaths to calm herself.

"Okay!" she intoned, her face beaming. "Nan, let’s go so I can greet my guests!"

With that, she allowed her nanny to prepare her for the party. Usually, she would fidget and make the process longer, but today she behaved. No matter how eager she was to meet children her age and make friends, she stayed patient.

Once she was ready, she ran to the door and peeked out again. The children were still there — laughing, playing, having fun. She could already imagine the symphony in the air.

"Nan, I’m going now!"

"Your Highness, wait —" the nanny stopped as the little princess bolted away, leaving her sighing. Still, she smiled and moved to the window to watch.

She pressed her lips into a thin line, pleased that the Alpha King had invited so many children. But at the same time, worry crept in.

"No," she murmured to herself, shaking her head. "The princess is a lovely young lady. I’m sure they’ll adore her. At least, one of them would."

*

There were many things that excited little Lynsandra, but the thought of having a friend excited her the most. A friend she could share secrets with, play with, someone who would miss her just as much. The kind of friendship she heard about.

Breathless with excitement, she finally reached the yard.

"Everyone~!" she called brightly, panting, her smile wide. "Hello~! I’m Lizzie!"

The children paused and turned toward her. It took them a moment to recognize her. Their bright smiles slowly shifted into polite, practiced ones.

They quickly dropped what they were doing and approached her respectfully.

"Happy birthday, Princess," they greeted. "It’s an honor to be invited by Your Highness."

Lynsandra’s smile widened, too young to notice the shift in the atmosphere. She straightened her back and cleared her throat.

"Can I play with you too?" she asked eagerly. "Let’s have lots of fun today!"

The children exchanged brief looks before nodding. "Of course!"

They resumed their games, now including her. But unlike before, they were careful—too careful. They watched their words, their actions, their movements. Anyone could see they were more concerned about not making mistakes around the princess than enjoying themselves.

But Lynsandra didn’t notice.

She believed everyone was having just as much fun as she was. She was too young to understand, to reconsider, to notice their discomfort. All she cared about was what she saw.

Throughout the day, they stayed by her side. They played with her, ate with her, and gave her gifts. Their words about how happy they were to be invited — and how they hoped to visit the Royal Pack again — moved her to tears.

"It’s the best birthday ever!" Little Lynsandra exclaimed as she lay in bed, her nanny tucking her in. Her cheeks were flushed, her excitement still buzzing through her. "Nan, did you see their gifts for me? They also liked everything, and I told them that my daddy isn’t as scary as they think he is!"

"I’m glad you had fun, Your Highness," the nanny said warmly, stroking her hair. "I’m sure they did too."

"They said they did!" she chirped. "Some of them are staying overnight. We can play again tomorrow. I’m so excited! I wish it’s already tomorrow."

The nanny nodded. "Then, if you wished that so much, you should sleep now. Your guests will leave at noon. You don’t want to miss them, do you?"

Lynsandra shook her head.

"Then rest, so you can have plenty of time in the morning to stay with your friends," the nanny hummed, turning off the light. "Good night, Your Highness."

"Good night, Nan," the little princess replied.

The nanny paused at the door, smiling at the sight of Lynsandra’s unbroken grin throughout the same. Even when the princess had her eyes closed, she was still smiling from ear to ear. She chuckled before quietly leaving.

But sleep didn’t come easily for Little Lynsandra. Her heart raced—not just from the day’s excitement, but from anticipation for tomorrow.

"Are they sleeping now?" she wondered, opening her eyes. After a moment, she sat up.

"Maybe they’re still awake," she whispered. "Should I go see if they’re already sleeping? Maybe, they can’t because they’re just as excited as I am."

A giggle slipped past her lips, thinking about it.

After a moment, she grabbed a book from her table and slipped out of bed. Sneaking out wasn’t new to her. Around this time, the wing was mostly quiet, and she easily avoided anyone who might send her back.

Soon, she reached the guest quarters.

She had intended to check on one particular girl. The one with whom she thought she had the strongest connection. But as she approached, she heard voices.

"Hmm?" She stepped closer, realizing the door was slightly ajar.

The castle walls were built with materials that dulled sound. Secrecy was important where the Alpha King resided, and normal walls wouldn’t do the job because werewolves have keen ears. But with the door partly open, the voices reached her clearly.

"Why do we have to stay overnight?" one girl complained. "I just want to go home."

"They want us to play with the princess until tomorrow. What a bother."

"I’d rather play alone than play with her."

"She’s so silly," another added. "It’s uncomfortable being around her."

"If my parents hadn’t forced me, I wouldn’t be here."

"They’re scared the Alpha King will get angry. It’s so annoying. She was so loud I thought my ears would burst."

Lynsandra bit her lip, holding her breath, shock written across her face. She didn’t want to listen. She wanted to believe they were talking about someone else.

But then the girl she had wanted to see spoke.

"You shouldn’t talk like that about the princess," she said. "Whether she’s aware or completely ignorant, she’s still the future queen of Lunareth. So even if we don’t want to, we have to smile and do what she wants."

She shrugged. "My parents said if the princess is happy, the Alpha King will reward us. And since we’re not boys, this is the least we can do for our pack. Boys can become Alpha one day. We girls should befriend her."

"You’re right. I’m so jealous of her."

The others joined in eagerly.

Little Lynsandra lowered her head, tears welling in her eyes. She bit her lip to stop herself from crying, but the tears fell anyway.

That night, she learned a painful lesson. Or perhaps it was the beginning of understanding her place.

The next day came as if nothing had happened. The same children who had complained greeted her with cheerful smiles. But this time, Lynsandra smiled back and chose to study instead of play. She didn’t even bother seeing them off.

A year later, when the Alpha King arranged another grand celebration, she was no longer excited. She joined the children only briefly, just long enough to bore them. When they asked her to play, she declined calmly.

That was the last large birthday party she ever had. After that, she requested other things—anything but a party.

It wasn’t that she held a grudge. In fact, it was the opposite.

As she grew older, she understood their discomfort.

She wasn’t like them.

She was a princess. The future Luna of Lunareth. The Alpha King’s only daughter.

No matter how sincere or enthusiastic she was, the air would always shift when she entered a room. Then or now, it didn’t matter.

People would smile. They would be polite. They would choose their words carefully.

But they would never see her as anything other than the Alpha King’s daughter.

*****

[Present Time]

Lynsandra’s eyes slowly cracked open. Her brows knitted as she noticed a hand hovering beside her, shielding her eyes from the sunlight.

Slowly, she lifted her gaze. The person seated across from her was not who she expected.

"What are you doing here?" she asked hoarsely. "Elias Hale?"