JULIA.
I've always loved fairytales. The underdog departing on an epic adventure that through sheer grit and tenacity, gets her happy ending. Like the story of the tragic heroine that takes back the kingdom, that fights to reclaim what's hers. The cast off queen, stained firstborn --unwanted and unloved. That's my story, my life. A child born first with the greater claim to the throne but born out of a liaison, not a 'pure' wolf like my sister -- spurned, abandoned, exiled by my people. That's how I know I'm the heroine of this story, a burning sun surrounded by vibrant constellations.
Sometimes just thinking of it seems enough to summon the heat. I can feel it again, that familiar heat coursing through me, just beneath the surface, whispering, urging me. It's been with me since I was a child, yet still, no one understands it—not my family, not even her. They all think I'm just a shadow, a byproduct of their mistakes. Something to hide, something shameful.
