My jealous best friend shaved my hair and laughed hard. Visual: With a blade, she writes “Freak” on my shaved head. Autumn: “Freak, don’t you know unnatural hair colors aren’t allowed?” But to everyone’s surprise, my hair grew back within minutes. Visual: Everyone’s shocked reactions. She was always jealous of my hair color. “Half-blood whore’s daughter, hahaha.” “Your purple hair is a curse from your mother.” But she wasn’t just jealous of the color, she was jealous because my hair drew the attention of the four most desired Alphas of the academy. And one of them, the most vicious, had been watching me all along. “This is just day one, my purple queen… and you’re already competing so well.” I had always questioned my purple hair, but now I think it holds a meaning beyond my understanding. But what is it… and who am I? It started with a broken glass… and a wolf who wouldn’t stop staring at me. I wasn't supposed to be out of my room when my foster mother, Nancy, had clients, but I'd gotten thirsty. The water from the bathroom sink tasted like rust, and I'd hoped to sneak a glass from the kitchen. Nancy survived by selling her body, and I survived by staying out of her way. A werewolf man sat on our couch—I could tell by the way he moved. In our world, werewolves had money and humans had nothing, and Nancy's clients were always werewolves. But this one was different. He wore a dark blazer with a silver wolf crest stitched over the breast pocket. Lunaris Academy. He saw me and froze. His drink hit the floor. Amber liquid spread across the stained carpet, but he didn't notice. His eyes—glowing faint yellow—locked on me with something I couldn't read. Recognition. "What is that?" he breathed. Nancy looked irritated. "That's Violet. My foster kid. Go back to your room, Violet." But the man grabbed Nancy’s wrist. "Where did you get her?" "Foster system. Government pays me to keep her. Why? What's wrong?" He didn’t take his eyes off me. "Look at her hair. Look at her eyes. They’re unnatural. She doesn't belong here in District One." I pressed myself against the wall. “Unnatural.” I’d heard that word before. Nobody could explain my purple hair—it wasn’t dyed, it grew that way. And when someone cut it once, it grew back the same. Nancy’s expression shifted From annoyance… To calculation. "What are you saying?" she asked quietly. The man lowered his voice. "There are… opportunities for girls like her." Nancy’s eyes narrowed. “Opportunities?” “At Lunaris.” My stomach dropped. Nancy scoffed. “That school is for bloodlines.” “Not anymore,” he said. “They’re inviting human girls. Scholarships. Public competition. They’re looking for compatibility.” “Compatibility with who?” Nancy asked. “With the four Cardinal Alphas… the most powerful Alphas in the realm.” Even in District One, everyone knew those names. Four wolves born under the same moon. Four future rulers. The man leaned forward. “If she ranks well, she won’t just get an education. She could marry into power. Into money. You’d be taken care of.” Nancy glanced around the trailer. At the peeling wallpaper. At the sagging couch. At her own life. “How much?” she asked. “No money upfront,” he admitted. “But if one of them chooses her? You’ll never have to do this again.” He was talking about selling me for marriage. Nancy studied me like I was an investment, calculating whether I was her way out. “What would she have to do?” Nancy asked. “Attend. Compete. Be seen.” “And if she fails?” He smiled slightly. “Then you’ve got one less mouth to feed...” My blood ran cold. He stood, smoothing his Lunaris blazer. “I’ll send word.” He left. Nancy turned to me. Like she was staring at a lottery ticket she wasn’t sure she deserved. “You heard all that?” she asked. I didn’t answer. “Go to bed, Violet.” I lay awake staring at the ceiling, trying to convince myself it was just talk. Just another wolf with big promises. Nancy thought the decision was hers. It wasn’t. I didn’t know that while I was - @pocketfmworld