Chapter 3

"Wren!"

Caleb roared.

He yanked Ivy behind him and glared at me like he wanted to tear me apart. Like a feral Alpha about to go for the throat.

"Do you even know? Ivy was the one who convinced us to come celebrate your birthday tonight. We even brought a cake for you."

"She keeps saying she owes you, that we should be kinder to you, that we shouldn't hold your bad temper against you."

"And what did you do? You went and whored yourself out for money, and now you throw filth at Ivy! You even hit her!"

"Do you think you deserve anything she's done for you?"

Ivy held her cheek. She bit her lip, tears spilling. Her shoulders trembled with every sob.

"Brother, I'm fine. Don't blame Sister. It was my—"

The sobbing cut off.

Ivy had fainted. Caleb caught her at once.

Marianne and Garrett rushed over, scrambling to help him lift her.

The four of them stormed off. A paper bag was left on the ground. Caleb must have dropped it.

I walked over and opened it. It was a small mango cake.

Ivy loved mango.

This cake was obviously a leftover from her own Celebration.

I laughed.

My body shook like a leaf.

So this was the cake they had "specially brought" for me.

A leftover slice. Mango, something that would put me in anaphylaxis.

The wind stung my eyes.

Good thing I had stopped expecting anything from them long ago.

I dropped the bag into a bin and walked back to the dorm, face blank.

The unpleasantness of my birthday didn't set me back.

I took first at the third and fourth mock trials as well.

Maybe it was because the real Ranking Trial was close. Caleb didn't have time to harass me.

The day of the Trial, the weather was good.

After the last session, I walked out and looked up. The last of the sun caught my eyes and turned them red too.

It was finally over.

I packed up my dorm and left the Academy.

Renting was a hassle. I stayed at a hotel again.

I rested, and thought about what kind of side work I could take on.

Even with a hundred million.

I couldn't shake the habit of splitting every dollar in two.

Take those shoes I'd bought for my birthday. Listed at 699. I had haggled down to 399 before I dared to pay.

By the time I'd picked a side hustle, results day was here.

Just as I'd expected, my score was flagged for withholding.

Caleb and Ivy had both done well. Caleb sent a message out to the class group, inviting everyone to their Academy Enrollment Feast.

The chat exploded with congratulations.

Someone brought up my name.

【What about Wren? She was top of the cohort. She must have done well. Why no Enrollment Feast?】

【Probably bombed. I saw her eyes were red after the last session. She choked.】

【Doesn't anyone think it's weird? She was below top hundred all through school, then suddenly first in the mocks? Had to be cheating.】

【That's what I'm saying. Some shelter girl testing higher than Ivy and Caleb? Yeah. Cheating.】

【Ha. Doesn't matter. Real Trial, real score. Stripped bare.】

【Gutter-raised. Always up to something. No wonder Sterling threw her out.】

【Wait — Sterling threw Wren out?】

【Then it tracks. That's why she moved into the dorm.】

【Serves her right. A stray stays a stray. It never becomes a true-born.】

The chat turned into a pile-on in seconds.

Until one message dropped in.

【Holy — I just heard it from the homeroom instructor. Wren is the top scorer in the entire Territory!】

I had no idea what was happening in the class chat.

At that moment, my homeroom instructor was on the phone with me. She was thrilled.

"Wren. You scored 732. Top of the entire Territory!"

"Half the top Academies are fighting for you. The Council Law Academy wants to meet. Are you at home? Can we come by?"

She sounded hyped.

I stayed calm.

I'd already scored Top of the Territory on my very first run.

"Ma'am. No need. I'll take the Council Law Academy."

I had already decided.

I was going to study law.

The Council Law Academy was a good fit.

My instructor was surprised I'd decided so fast. She went quiet for a beat.

"All right. I'll pass it to them. Someone will call you shortly."

After I hung up.

I realized my hand was shaking.

Ninety-nine.

Ninety-nine Ranking Trials.

No System this time.

I was finally going to the Academy.

The phone rang again. I thought it was the Council office.

It was Marianne.

Her voice was bright. "Wren, sweetheart. Top of the Territory? Why didn't you call the Pack to share the news—"