The Pack's Doomsday Prophetess

I'm Judith Dale, the princess of the Moonveil mafia pack. Since I was a kid, I've been able to see red death countdown numbers etched above people's heads by the Moon Goddess. I told my pack members their exact time of death, but not a single soul believed me. Then, one by one, every single person died on the predicted date, swallowed up by pack turf wars or tragic vendettas. My three older brothers became convinced I was a cursed jinx killing people, and their hatred for me ran deep to the bone. Meanwhile, my younger sister, Freya Dale, who was born during Mom's fatal labor, was hailed as the pack's lucky charm simply because the pack seized the North Coast Docks the night she arrived. Nobody bothers to mention that Mom has only failed to beat her death countdown because she protected Freya. On the day of Freya's coming-of-age party, I look into the pocket watch meant to be her gift and spot the glowing red digits ticking away above my own head. I close the watch with a bitter smile, head straight to a funeral goods shop to pick out an urn, and return to the manor to cook a full feast for Freya's party, hoping for one final meal with my family. Yet the countdown hits zero, and not a single one of them comes home. Chapter 1 Ever since I was little, I could see the red death countdown numbers the Moon Goddess etched above people's heads. The first time I saw one, I had pointed at Uncle Leroy, a Beta in our pack, and shouted, "The numbers above your head are counting down! Don't go to the East Coast! You'll die!" He just scoffed, dismissing my words as a child's silly curse. The next day, he walked straight into an ambush at the docks and ended up dead in the cargo stacks. The second time, I grabbed my Alpha father's sleeve, trembling with panic. "Dad, you have numbers over your head, too! Please don't go to the peace talks! You'll die!" Dad's expression darkened as he scolded me for bringing bad luck. He attended the peace talks anyway. But the peace talks were a trap, set up by an insider who betrayed him. In the end, Dad stayed behind alone to cover the pack's retreat. His heart was pierced by an enemy's silver bullet, his blood staining the whole river red. When the pack found his body, his open eyes were still looking in the direction the pack had come from. One prediction after another coming true made my three brothers convinced my curse was killing our pack members, and they hated me to the bone. Later, our enemies raided the manor in the middle of the night for revenge. My pregnant Luna mother could have escaped through a secret passage, but she shifted into a giant wolf and blocked the manor door. Even as silver nails were driven into her spine one by one, she guarded her stomach and didn't step back half a pace. That night, I saw the familiar 24-hour red countdown number float up above her head. That night, my sister, Freya Dale, was born premature, and Mom died in the delivery room as her silver wounds tore open. I stood in the shadows outside the delivery room, my fingertips ice-cold. My three brothers all shifted into werewolf forms and slammed me to the ground with their sharp claws. "You're the cursed jinx!" "You killed Uncle Leroy and Dad, and now you've killed Mom!" "You're the one who should die!" I lay on the ground, tears covering my face. "No, I just wanted to save them…" They ignored me, leaving me with one last sentence telling me to shut up. After that, someone threw the first stone, and right after, candlesticks, fruit pits, and dinner plates rained down, covering my face in blood. "Jinx!" "Hex!" "Get out of here!" I curled into a ball in the corner, looking at the hatred in my pack's eyes, unable to even make a sound. In the end, I passed out from the beating. The last thing I heard was my brothers gently comforting Freya. When I woke up again, I had been thrown into the manor's tower. In the empty tower, only the rustling of mice kept me company. I leaned against the wall, trying to stand, but my legs went soft, and I collapsed back onto the floor. The combined agony in my body and heart finally made me unable to hold back, and I cried out loud. Just then, my three brothers holding the baby Freya appeared in front of the iron gate. Their faces were filled with disgust. My eldest brother, Aaron Dale, who had inherited Dad's position as Alpha, warned me on their behalf, "From now on, Freya is the only princess of this pack. A jinx like you only deserves to rot in here." The iron gate shut, and the last bit of light was put out. From that day on, everything changed. Chapter 2 After that, my three brothers treated Freya like the absolute apple of their eye, while throwing me aside like trash. My old bedroom had been turned into her jewelry room the very year she was born. I often leaned against the small tower window, watching Freya chase her pet across the lawn below, laughing without a care in the world. And I could only hide in the shadows, stealing glances at the life that should have belonged to me, too. Even the lowest wolf attendants in the manor dared to brush me off in my face. Cory Dale, with his fiery temper, cursed at me whenever he saw me: "Jinx! You're a curse just by breathing." I often wondered if I really was cursed. How else could I suffer through so much hatred and yet somehow fail to die? So I scraped by, surviving like that until Freya grew up. Yet on the exact day of Freya's coming-of-age ceremony, I saw the ticking red numbers floating over my head in the mirror of the pocket watch I had prepared as her gift. I gave a bitter smile and snapped the watch shut, feeling a mixture of heartache and sweet relief. Finally, the day had come. Freyar's milestone, Mom's death anniversary, and my own end. The Moon Goddess always seemed so cruel, picking the perfect moments to maximize my pain. But how should I spend this final day? I thought about it for a long time. My head was filled with memories of being together with my family. After slowly packing away my things, I headed down from the tower. Just as I stepped off the spiral staircase, I bumped into my second brother, Brian Dale, and Freya. Freya was holding a leather holster, standing on tiptoe in front of Brian. "Brian, let me help you buckle the holster." Brian looked down at her clumsy hands. Even though she buckled it crookedly, he didn't mind at all. His eyes brimmed with total indulgence. Freya took two steps back and crinkled her nose. "Looks like it's crooked. Brian, maybe you should do it yourself." Brian rubbed the top of her head. "No need. It's great for your first try, Freya. Let's go. I'll take you to the shift prep camp." Freya immediately beamed, clutching his hand tightly. My chest ached as I remembered that one winter. I had stayed up three nights straight sewing a coming-of-age holster for Brian. I had nervously handed it to him, hoping he might pat my head like he used to. Instead of taking it, he slapped my hand away in disgust. "Who knows if wearing this will rub off your bad luck on me." He threw the holster into the hounds' den, where it was shredded to pieces. The next day, I knelt in the mud, crying all night as I searched for it. That year, I was only ten. The front door opened, and they were about to leave. I hesitated for a moment but still spoke up. "Brian, Freya, I want to make dinner for Freya's coming-of-age tonight. Can we have a meal together? Just this once." I clenched my hands, anxiously waiting for a response. Freya took my hand happily. "Sure, Judith! Thank you so much for remembering my big day!" Brian harshly refused and yanked her hand back, as if I were something filthy. Freya turned around, confused. "Why not, Brian?" Yeah, why not? "Did you forget? You promised Aaron you'd go to the border to spend the night of your birthday with him." "Oh… right!" Freya suddenly remembered. She looked at me apologetically. "I'm so sorry, Judith. I can't have dinner with you tonight. Aaron rarely has time for me, so I have to be with him." She thought for a second, then smiled again. "How about tomorrow? Tomorrow, we can all eat together as a family." Tomorrow? I didn't have a tomorrow. I pulled out a smile uglier than crying, bitterness choking my throat. In the end, I still nodded and watched them leave. Before turning around, Brian glared at me, his gaze laced with venom. "Judith, you're only acting nice because you're up to something! You'd better behave yourself. If you dare hurt Freya, I won't let you get away with it!" The door slammed shut behind them. The wind rushed down my nose, leaving me with a coldness I'd never felt before. My whole life was coming to an end tonight. While Freya's tomorrow was already filled with family. Chapter 3 The tail lights disappeared at the end of the road. With them, the tiny flicker of hope left inside me died, leaving my chest feeling like it was filled with ice water. I thumped my tight chest, right as my stomach let out a loud rumble. Torn between pain and hunger, I turned around and headed to the kitchen to scavenge for food. On the freezing countertop lay only half a loaf of stale, rock-hard rye bread meant for the hounds. I wolfed it down, yet my empty stomach kept growling. A wolf attendant passed by and gave me a disgusted side-eye. Seeing the bread in my hand, she let out an exaggerated gasp. "Oh my, why are you eating that, Ms. Judith? That's meant for the hounds! "Alpha Aaron and Ms. Freya left early this morning, so the kitchen didn't prepare anything for you. Would you like me to whip up something now?" She looked completely put out, making me frown. This family had no place for me, and even the attendants could humiliate me. I gave a bitter smile, declined her fake offer, and turned back toward the tower, enduring the sharp ache in my stomach. Burning agony washed over my stomach in wave after wave, making my whole body tremble. It took a long time before my shaking hands managed to take some pain medication, which finally soothed my discomfort. Once the shivering stopped, I changed into my neatest black dress, put on a bit of light makeup, and tried my best to look presentable. With only a single day left, there was no time to order a custom urn. So, I went to a funeral goods shop and picked out a wooden urn carved with a moon crest. This was the resting place I chose for myself. Walking down the street clutching the urn, I drew plenty of startled, evaluating glances along the way. I ignored them and kept walking straight ahead. As I passed by Cory's training camp, practice had just ended, and the edge of the field was packed with laughing young werewolves. They were so full of life and carefree. Holding my urn, I couldn't help but look at them with envy. Ever since I was locked in the tower at ten years old, I had never set foot in the pack's training camp again. That feeling of running wild was something I hadn't felt in far too long. Watching others run free right before I died, I couldn't tell if this was a blessing from the Moon Goddess or a cruel mockery. I shook my head with a bitter smile to clear my thoughts. Just as I was about to walk away, Cory came out of the training field. Knowing I only had one day left to live, I plucked up the courage to trot over to him. As I drew near, I saw him frowning and speaking in a low voice to someone on the phone. Then his eyes landed on me, and a flicker of wariness crossed his face. He dropped a gentle "got it" into the receiver, hung up, and walked over toward me. I parted my lips, wanting to say my final goodbye, but the cold glare in his eyes froze me in my tracks. "Judith, if you want to keep living in this pack, keep your little games to yourself. If I catch you doing anything to Freya, I'll make sure tonight is your last." Chapter 4 My spine froze. Recalling the gentle softness in his eyes a moment ago, I didn't need to guess to know Freya was on the other end of that line. Yet it had been a long, long time since he had ever shown a hint of that gentleness to me. As I recalled the cruel measures Cory had used against me, a sudden chill ran down my back. Shortly after Mom passed away, he became adamant that I was the one who killed her. He had locked me in the tower, leaving me without food or water for nights, while the guards couldn't even be bothered to glance my way. It seemed my invitation to dinner this morning had already reached his ears. In his eyes, I was probably plotting how to hurt Freya again. Seeing me frozen in place, Cory took it as fear and spoke coldly. "Behave yourself. Making an outcast like you disappear is as easy as crushing an ant." My pupils shrank. Feeling ice-cold all over, I watched him turn and walk away. My mind went numbly blank as I drifted into the portrait studio at the corner of the alley like a wandering ghost. Seeing me so distraught when I said I wanted a photo for my funeral, the receptionist quietly handed me a cup of warm water without a word. The grievances accumulated over more than a decade burst through the dam in an instant. People always tried so hard to put up a tough front before their family, only to crumble completely at a little kindness from a stranger. I sobbed against the counter while she merely patted my back gently without asking any questions. Leaving the studio, I squatted by the curb and slipped the portrait into the inner lining of the wooden urn. The scent of fries drifted over in the wind. I walked over, as if pulled by a spell. The vendor was turning over fish fillets. Without looking up, he asked, "What can I get you?" I felt around my empty wallet and shook my head, my face flushing red. "No… I don't have money, and I'm not hungry." The moment the words left my mouth, my stomach let out a ridiculously loud rumble. I lowered my head and turned to leave, but he called me back and stuffed a fresh batch of fries into my hands. "Take it. If you ever run into trouble, come find me at the docks. I can afford a portion of fries." The hot paper bag warmed my palms and even slightly thawed a tiny sliver of my frozen heart. In the end, I made up my mind to head to the pack headquarters to find Aaron. Back when Cory locked me up in all kinds of places, it was always Aaron who came to let me out. Even though he still spoke to me with cold detachment, in an environment where I was surrounded by hatred on all sides, that small shred of warmth was enough for me to be grateful to him for the rest of my life. I still wanted to see him one last time on the last day of my life. After finally reaching the docks, I was blocked at the door by the enforcers. "Alpha Aaron is in a meeting. He has no time for nobody." Standing in the freezing wind, I dialed his number over and over, but I received nothing but a busy tone. I sent a long message, but once again, I got no response. It was almost dark, and my time was running out. Not wanting to die out on the streets, I dragged my heavy steps back to the manor. The attendants had all gone out to buy supplies for Freya's coming-of-age ceremony. The entire mansion was terrifyingly empty. It was so quiet that even my breathing echoed. I hurried into the kitchen to get busy, not even noticing when oil splattered onto my hands and left red burns. I made a full table of their favorite dishes. I heated them up as they went cold, over and over again. My communicator lay silently on the table without a single reply. Sitting on the dining chair, I stared at the red countdown reflected on the flat surface of the steak knife. Only two hours left. I really wanted to know if they would feel even a single second of sorrow when I died. I shook my head with a self-deprecating smile. They would probably just feel that things were finally quiet. When the countdown dropped to an hour and a half, sound came from the foyer. I snapped my head up, my heart pounding wildly. It turned out to be just an attendant returning to grab something, who gave me a disgusted glare before slamming the door behind her. Finally, with trembling hands, I picked up the landline in the living room and called them. The phone rang for a long time before being picked up. It was noisy over there, filled with music, laughter, and Freya's sweet, soft voice. Aaron's tone was thoroughly impatient. "Who is this?" "Aaron… It's me." "Judith? What do you want now? Freya is about to make her birthday wish! If there's nothing else, I'm hanging up." Tears streaming down my face, I desperately shouted to stop him, "Don't hang up! Aaron, please… Can you guys please just let me share this one last coming-of-age dinner with Freya? Just this once… because I'm going to die very soon." Chapter 5 Aaron sounded like he was actually laughing from anger. Known for his usual composure, he snapped furiously for once. "You're really ridiculous! You're actually cursing yourself to die just to ruin Freya's birthday? "We're not falling for your tricks. Stop ruining Freya's birthday with your nonsense. If you want to die so badly, go right ahead. Nobody's stopping you. That way our family will finally have one less problem." At those words, the phone receiver in my hand clattered onto the floor. A wave of despair and heartbreak washed over me, turning even the thought of speaking into excruciating agony. I gathered every last shred of strength to try and offer one final explanation, only to hear Freya's laugh on the other end of the line. "Aaron, come over and make a wish!" The next second, the call disconnected. The dull dial tone shattered my heart into pieces. "Why don't you believe me… Why won't you give me even just one chance…" My belated, choked sob ended up as nothing more than a lonely monologue. Just like the countless times I tried to explain myself throughout my life, this final explanation had no audience either. Right then, thunder clapped outside the window, and lightning illuminated the living room. In the reflection of the steak knife, I saw the red numbers over my head. Only 1 hour and 15 minutes left. A searing pain twisted through my chest. Clutching it, I curled up on the floor in despair. Maybe dying really was for the best. That way, no one would hate me anymore, and our family would finally be rid of its jinx. Pulling my thoughts back, I let out a bitter smile and used the edge of the table to pull myself to my feet. Even though my legs trembled weakly, I dragged myself step by step to sit at the head of the dining table. The large spread of food had gone completely cold long ago. A layer of white fat had solidified over the braised ribs, and the potato salad had collapsed into a mushy lump. These were all their favorite dishes I'd remembered for the past decade. In the past, I didn't even have the right to come near the dining table and could only pick at leftover bones in the kitchen corner. Today, I could finally sit here with my head held high, yet it had to happen like this. I used my hands to grab the food and shoved large mouthfuls into my mouth. Food that should have tasted so delicious now felt completely tasteless. The manor was terrifyingly quiet, with only the sounds of my chewing and raspy breathing intertwined. In a daze, the dining room suddenly seemed to brighten, surrounded by my family. Mom and Dad were teasing each other, while Freya and my brothers crowded around me, asking if I wanted some potato salad. My chest squeezed tightly, and I quickly rubbed my eyes, only to realize it was all just an illusion. When the countdown hit the final five minutes, I couldn't hold on any longer and collapsed lifelessly onto the table. My vision began to blur, and memories flashed through my mind like a film. I saw Uncle Leroy lying in a pool of blood at the docks, Dad's blood-soaked back as he sank near the riverbank, Mom dying in the delivery room after her premature labor, and finally, my three brothers holding the swaddled baby Freya, turning back to glare at me with eyes full of disgust. It was fine. Death brought total release. Five, four, three, two, one… The instant the red numbers hit zero, the thumping inside my chest stopped abruptly. Everything around me fell into immediate silence, and every sound belonging to me vanished completely. A light feeling of weightlessness rushed over me. I looked up and saw my wolf form lying motionless on the table. My frail fur was scattered across the dishes. I looked as peaceful as if I were merely asleep. I raised my hand to touch myself, but my fingers passed right through. Only then did it hit me. I really had died the exact moment the countdown stopped. Right at that moment, noise came from the front door. Someone had come back!