Done Begging for My Parents' Love

Growing up, I always knew my parents' love had limits. As the Alpha and Luna of the Crescent Ridge pack, they were always incredibly busy. At home, my twin brothers, Jaxon and Wyatt, were constantly fighting and competing, desperate to outdo each other. My parents poured every ounce of their energy into them. As for me, whenever I tried to grasp even a sliver of their attention, they would sigh impatiently, "Harper, can't you just be a little more mature?" I used to think that if I were just mature enough, they would love me a little more. Until one dinner, when Mom prepared Jaxon's favorite steak and Wyatt's favorite soup, even serving them on their own personalized tableware. When it was my turn, Mom casually slid a salad in front of me. "I know you like light food. I made this just for you." My heart fluttered for a second—until I spotted the crushed nuts mixed into the bowl. Something I was severely allergic to. "Mom, I can't..." My dad cut me off sharply. "Enough. Stop making a scene over your picky eating." I swallowed my words, lowered my head, and forced myself to eat the salad. It was probably delicious, but all I could taste was bitterness. In that moment, I realized something: if I couldn't wait for my parents' love, then I didn't want it anymore. I quietly accepted a lucrative invitation from the top-tier Bladewolf pack to be their lead apothecary. I'm leaving this place. I'm leaving this family. Chapter 1 Fighting back the swelling ache in my throat, I finished my food in silence and retreated to my room. My chest throbbed uncontrollably, and hot tears pricked my eyes. But before I could even dig out my allergy medicine, my door was kicked open. Jaxon stood in the doorway, arms crossed, looking utterly impatient. "Whip me up some stimulant potions. Hurry up, I need them for tomorrow." Suppressing the rising itch of my allergy symptoms, I desperately wanted to say no. But I knew Jaxon's explosive temper. If I refused, he would definitely throw a massive fit. I could only give a weak nod. "Okay." At that exact moment, Wyatt strolled over, sounding just as entitled. "If you're making his, you're making mine, too. I want top-tier sleeping potions. Don't slack off." The preparation processes for these two specific potions are not only complex but actively clash with each other. It would take at least a full day and night of non-stop work. I tried to reason with him. "Then wait until tomorrow..." "No!" Wyatt snapped, glaring at me. "Why do you have to make Jaxon's first? Are you doing this on purpose so I lose to him?" The allergic reaction was sapping my strength, leaving me with almost no energy to argue. Right then, our mother, Corrine, heard the commotion and hurried over. She shot me a sharp, disapproving glare. "It's just a potion, Harper. Why did you have to say no? Or are you actively trying to make your brothers fight?" "You know we've always been fair to them." Staring at the room full of accusing eyes, a bitter laugh bubbled up in my throat. It turned out that fairness in this family was entirely situational. When resources were divided, Jaxon and Wyatt got fairness. When it was time to shoulder the blame, fairness suddenly landed squarely on me. I didn't waste another breath. I crouched down in silence, gathered a basket of herbs, and headed down to the basement. I stayed up for over ten hours straight to finish brewing them. My vision began to tunnel—a telltale sign of a blood sugar crash from starving. I forced myself up the stairs and staggered into the living room to grab a glass of warm water. Only to walk in on Mom beaming as Jaxon and Wyatt shared a fresh batch of cookies she had just baked. They had each taken half. Not a single crumb was left. My dad, Silas, caught sight of me. A brief flicker of awkwardness crossed his face, but he quickly masked it. "We know you don't like sweets, so we didn't save you any." I forced a stiff smile. "I love sweets, Dad." Dad froze for a heartbeat, but only a heartbeat. With Wyatt impatiently rushing him, he brushed past me and replied over his shoulder. As his footsteps faded, my composure finally cracked. My hands clenched into tight fists at my sides, my chest feeling like it was being pierced by a hundred needles. After finally settling my stomach with some bland food and water, I headed back to my room to crash. Instead, I opened the door to find my room crammed with random workout equipment. There was so much junk that there wasn't even an inch of floor space left. Jaxon's heavy dumbbells were sitting brazenly right on my desk. My brain buzzed with static. I couldn't stop myself from glancing back toward the living room, which was still echoing with laughter. Mom just happened to glance my way. In that split second, I knew for a fact she saw my embarrassment and sheer helplessness. But she just offered a dismissive glance and turned her attention back to the boys. This was far from the first time something like this had happened. Chapter 2 Truth be told, I used to have my own spacious, private bedroom. But then Wyatt stormed in one day, whining that his personal gym was ten square meters smaller than Jaxon's. My parents were so drained by his constant complaining that they simply handed half of my room over to Wyatt. From that day on, Wyatt's gym gear gradually bled into my space, taking up way more than those ten square meters. And Jaxon, refusing to be outdone, also started dumping his stuff in my room. It was as if they were using my personal sanctuary as their own petty battlefield. I brought it up to Mom once, but she just rubbed her temples in pure exhaustion. "We've been handling pack duties all day, we're drained. We don't have the energy to micromanage these trivial things." "Harper, can't you just be a little more mature?" In the end, all I could do was swallow my pride and nod. In the past, I always forced myself to be the mature one. But now the truth hit me: no matter how mature I acted, my parents' adoring gazes would never land on me. If it involved Jaxon and Wyatt, it didn't matter how exhausted they were; they would always find the energy to fix it. Admitting that you are utterly unloved is agonizing. But I knew I could survive it. I turned around and gently clicked the door shut, locking out the warmth and joy that clearly didn't belong to me. I barely slept that night. Fragments of my childhood kept replaying behind my eyelids. When I was little, I spiked a 104-degree fever and stumbled out of bed to find Mom. But because Jaxon had scraped his elbow playing basketball, she had summoned every single healer in the pack to fuss over him. And Wyatt, determined to steal Jaxon's thunder, dumped a bucket of ice water on himself to artificially induce a fever. My parents were in such a frenzy comforting and coddling the twins that they completely forgot I existed. I wandered out of the estate in a daze and collapsed in the dirt. A passing pack member had to rush me to the healer. After that nightmare, Mom actually felt guilty. For a brief, shining moment, I basked in her undivided care and affection. But it wasn't long before the old routine snapped back into place. When I finally woke up, my pillow was damp. I roughly scrubbed the tears from my eyes. Right on cue, my phone chimed with a text from the Bladewolf pack. "Miss Harper, we are thrilled you accepted our offer. Just double-checking, you will be arriving in three days, correct? I'll dispatch an escort to pick you up." Three days from now was my 25th birthday. I figured I might as well endure my final birthday in this suffocating house. I typed back, "Confirmed." Later that afternoon, Dad gathered us to announce some major news. "I've decided to hand over two vital pack enterprises for Jaxon and Wyatt to run, to sharpen your leadership skills. As for Harper..." I looked up at him, a foolish sliver of hope still clinging to my chest. I was the Alpha's daughter too, right? Maybe Dad still saw some value in me... But Jaxon sprang up as if he'd been scalded. "That is such bull! The company you're giving me generates less revenue than Wyatt's! Why? You need to give me another subsidiary to balance it out!" Wyatt immediately fired back, "No way! Then your portfolio would be bigger than mine!" And just like that, another screaming match erupted. Dad massaged his brow, looking like a migraine was forming. He hesitated for a long second, then turned his gaze to me. "Harper, let's do this. You don't need to stress over the business side. Just hand over the division you're currently managing to Jaxon and Wyatt. That way, everyone is happy." Everyone is happy? I wanted to scream. Maybe it was the sheer adrenaline of knowing I was leaving so soon, but for the very first time, I pushed back loudly. "I am perfectly capable of managing a company. Why should I surrender it? Didn't you always preach that fairness is absolute, Dad? Why do I get thrown under the bus?" Dad's temper flared instantly. "Harper! Can't you be a little more mature? Why must you constantly compete with your brothers!" "And what 'thrown under the bus'? Nonsense! I made this call because your administrative skills simply don't match your brothers'!" I dropped my gaze to mask the bitter sarcasm burning in my eyes. The reality was, I scored top marks on every single pack assessment—miles ahead of Jaxon and Wyatt. My parents were just completely oblivious. And even if they knew, they wouldn't give a damn. I shoved my emotions into a box and yanked a crisp document from my bag. "Fine," I said, locking eyes with Dad. "In that case, I need your signature on this agreement. I promise I will permanently forfeit any claim to pack leadership." Hearing those magic words, Dad snatched the paper from my hand with alarming speed and scribbled his name. Then he immediately pivoted, his tone instantly warm again, to pacify the twins. He hadn't even bothered to read the title of the document: Pack Secession Agreement. With that ink dried, absolutely no one could stop me from walking away. Jaxon and Wyatt looked smugly satisfied. They swaggered over, roughly bumped my shoulder, and scoffed, "Glad you finally know your place." I kept my mouth shut and carefully tucked the signed agreement away. Chapter 3 The next day marked Jaxon and Wyatt's birthday, exactly one day before mine. My parents threw an extravagant, blowout bash for them. As for me, they brushed me off with the exact same excuse they used every year: "It's just a one-day difference. Organizing two separate banquets is entirely too much hassle." "Just celebrate with Jaxon and Wyatt." I forced my lips into a rigid line. This was my 25th birthday. A milestone. I had been secretly anticipating it for six months, silently praying for even a small, dedicated surprise. My pathetic fantasies shattered the second reality set in. The desperate words, this is probably the last birthday I'll ever spend here, died in my throat. "Then just get me a present. A present meant exclusively for me." I stressed the word exclusively. Because historically, my "gifts" were just the cast-offs Jaxon and Wyatt threw away. Mom and Dad quickly nodded and swore they would. When the party was in full swing, a massive, multi-tiered cake was wheeled out. Jaxon and Wyatt flanked it, looking like royalty. The guests were roaring with applause, a few even teasing the family. "Wait, isn't tomorrow Harper's birthday too? Splitting one cake three ways might be a tight squeeze." By the time the words left the guest's mouth, Dad had already sliced the cake straight down the middle. He shot me an awkward, tight chuckle. "Slicing it in three is too messy. We'll catch you next time, Harper." I had lost count of how many times that exact phrase had been directed at me. I should have accepted it ages ago. My parents' supply of love was only large enough to be divided by two. My slice was permanently back-ordered. Then came the grand gift reveal. A sleek sports car for Jaxon. The deed to a private villa for Wyatt. When my turn finally came, they presented me with an ornate box. I lifted the lid to reveal a stunning, shimmering evening gown. Mom tilted her chin proudly. "What do you think? I picked it out just for you." I offered a small, stiff nod. I felt a pathetic rush of joy, intertwined with deep humiliation. It was literally just a dress, yet I was starving enough to feel flattered. I hurried to the bathroom to try it on. But no matter how I contorted myself, the back zipper flat-out refused to budge. I ended up sweating through my makeup trying to force it. Eventually, I just gave up. Staring at the gorgeous, ill-fitting fabric in the mirror, silent tears leaked out before I could stop them. Why didn't she even bother to check my size? Was I really that much of an afterthought? I scrubbed my face clean and stepped out into the hallway, only to freeze when I heard Mom chatting with a visiting Luna. "I have to hand it to you, Corrine. Your twins are strong, handsome, and charismatic. But Harper... well, at least she's mature and low-maintenance." "It's really not ideal that you play favorites with the boys so openly." Even though I swore to myself I was numb to it. My muscles still locked up, my breath hitching as I waited for Mom's defense. After a agonizingly long pause, Mom's voice drifted down the hall. "You just don't get it. Obviously, I birthed all three, but the sheer pride the twins bring us... she doesn't even come close." "Plus, she's always so gloomy. Never smiles, never cuddles up to us. I just can't bring myself to dote on a child like that." My vision swam. I stumbled backward and my hip collided hard with a sharp console table. The biting pain in my side was nothing compared to the gaping wound in my chest. It wasn't until a warm, weathered hand squeezed my shoulder that I snapped back to reality. I spun around to see Elder Thorne smiling warmly. "Harper, I haven't forgotten. Tomorrow is your big 25th. Happy early birthday, pup." Before I could reply, he gently guided me into the center of the ballroom, hoisted a vial of the experimental healing potion I had recently perfected, and declared to the entire room: "Silas, Corrine, you have birthed a true prodigy! Harper's gift for apothecary work is this pack's greatest asset for the future!" Every eye in the room pivoted to me. I knew Elder Thorne was intentionally throwing his weight around to validate me. He shared no blood with me, yet he offered more genuine warmth than my own parents ever had. The dam broke. I opened my mouth to thank him. Instead, a jagged sob tore from my throat. That was when Wyatt bolted up from his table and hollered over the crowd, "What genius? She's a total failure whose wolf barely even surfaced during her first shift!" Chapter 4 The polite applause died instantly, replaced by an icy, suffocating silence. The blood drained from my face. Wyatt wasn't finished. "None of you know this, but Harper's first shift was so pathetic she hid in her room crying for a week..." He spun a wildly exaggerated tale, hellbent on tearing down my dignity and turning me into the evening's entertainment. The truth was, the reason my first shift was delayed and weak was because that severe fever they ignored during my childhood had permanently damaged my early development. Surrounded by the guests' muffled snickers and pitying stares, my nails dug into my palms until they bled, and I finally screamed, "Shut your mouth!" Wyatt just scoffed. "Make me. You clearly love the attention, right? Let them hear the real story." He jutted his chin out defensively. "Why does Elder Thorne kiss up to you and ignore me? It's complete garbage." I realized he was just throwing a tantrum because my praise had slightly eclipsed his special night. Then Jaxon, who couldn't stand letting Wyatt have the floor, smirked and jumped in. "Wyatt, don't throw stones. You're a joke too. Remember when you scored a C on the combat stamina trial?" Wyatt lost it, launching himself at Jaxon, and within seconds, the twins were rolling on the floor, trading blows. I stared at the absolute circus in front of me with a dead, hollow smirk. I pivoted to walk away, but a split second later, a sharp, stinging slap cracked across my cheek. "That is enough, Harper!" Mom shrieked, her eyes blazing. "Are you determined to ruin your brothers' entire birthday?" "If you hadn't been so desperate to show off and manipulate the Elder into praising you, they wouldn't be fighting right now!" The sheer force of the blow sent me stumbling back. Cradling my burning face, I stared at the woman who birthed me in absolute disbelief. Mom's expression was thunderous, dripping with unfiltered resentment. Dad stood behind her, his face a mask of cold judgment. "As the daughter of the Alpha, you clearly lack any fundamental understanding of pack unity. You are a profound disappointment." Perhaps realizing that publicly striking and berating a pack member was a bad look, Dad redirected his fury toward Elder Thorne. "Elder, this is a private family celebration. Do not pull a stunt like this in my home again." Elder Thorne stood near the back, his face ashen. The old wolf swayed slightly on his feet. Looking like a scolded pup. The cocktail of physical shock and emotional devastation nearly shattered my mind. It took me a long time to scrape my voice together. "Don't blame Elder Thorne." My own voice sounded ghost-like in my ears. "This is my fault. I was being immature." "I won't ever try to compete with them again." With that, I flashed my parents a wide, broken smile, even as the tears cascaded down my face. The saltwater hit the welt on my cheek, stinging sharply. By then, the guards had pried Jaxon and Wyatt apart. They were sprawled on the tiles, gasping for air. The banquet dissolved into awkward murmurs as the guests scrambled for the exits. When I stepped out onto the driveway, the transport vehicles were already packed. There wasn't a single empty seat. Dad threw a dismissive glance my way. "The overflow transport was sent back. We're full. Walk back to the estate." Wyatt leaned out the window to twist the knife. "You completely trashed our night. You ruined everything, and you still have the nerve to tag along?" The lingering stares of the remaining elite pricked my skin like hot needles. But this time, my eyes were dry. I simply turned on my heel and walked the other way. I didn't head back to the estate. I had covertly shipped my trunks out days ago. This was the cleanest break I could ask for. There was zero reason to ever set foot in that house again. I hailed a cab straight to the private airstrip and boarded a flight destined for Bladewolf territory.