Today was the Marked Day.

Every eighteen-year-old girl like Violet Purple had waited for this day from the moment they entered high school.

It was the day when young women from all districts were given the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become a member of Lunaris Academy.

An academy that wasn't just a school, but a ticket out, a chance to rise above, to be chosen.

It was no secret that the top-performing human students ended up marrying alphas, the apex of werewolf society.

After all, the war two centuries ago had decimated the werewolf population, particularly the she-wolves. With only ten percent of them left, alphas had turned to humans for their mates, creating an uneasy yet necessary alliance.

The werewolves had been initially strong and persistent during the war but a virus, designed by human scientists, had ravaged the werewolf population, killing eighty percent of their female population. The werewolves, faced with extinction, had no choice but to call for a cease-fire and peace was brokered between the two races.

But it wasn't true peace. There were rules, agreements, and an ever-present tension that underscored the delicate balance. Perhaps to symbolize this coexistence, the alpha king had married a human, a woman he met at Lunaris Academy, giving the school its fame and regality.

"School, my ass," Violet Purple muttered under her breath, casting a disbelieving glance at the teacher in front of the classroom.

The woman was holding up the official-looking application form, droning on about the importance of making a good impression and how the form could be the key to changing their futures.

Everyone knew the academy was less about learning and more about matchmaking. But no one would say it aloud, not when they needed a shot at a life they couldn't otherwise reach.

"Make sure you fill in every section carefully," the teacher instructed. "Lunaris Academy will only select one student from each district, and with two other schools in our district, the competition is fierce. So use all the skills you have. Make your form irresistible. Ask your parents for help if you need it. Some of them have gone through this process, and their experience might guide you. And remember, submit your forms first thing tomorrow. The law mandates that you apply, and non-compliance comes with heavy penalties. Treat this form like your very life. Good luck. "

As if on cue, the bell rang, signaling the end of the lesson. The classroom erupted into chaos as students rushed to pack their bags and head home, their conversations buzzing with excitement, as they gossiped about the upcoming selection.

Violet shoved her books into her backpack, her fingers trembling slightly from the tension that had settled deep in her bones. This was a chance she didn't know whether to take or reject.

Even if by zero point zero chance that she won the spot at Lunaris Academy, she wasn't interested in being the princess in distress who needed to be saved. Nor was she stupid to fall for the stupid fallacy called love – her mother's occupation had ruined any appeal such emotion might hold for her.

Also, she knew the game was rigged. Alphas didn't marry girls like her—poor, broken girls with nothing to offer. They married beauties, winners, and girls who knew how to play the game. Violet wasn't one of them.

"Hey, purple whore," a voice jeered from behind.

Violet froze, her breath catching in her throat.

Not today, she thought, squeezing her eyes shut, praying they would leave her alone.

Maybe if she ignored them, they would lose interest. But she should have known by now, they wouldn't. They never did.

"Hey, you deaf?" the voice called again, closer now. Violet could feel the malicious eyes on her back as her tormentors gathered behind her. The same group that had made her life a living hell for years.

One of them shoved her forward. Violet stumbled, gripping her desk for support. A wave of bitter anger surged through her, but she forced the emotion down. She was honestly not in the mood to get her fist dirtied, not to mention she had more important things like the Lunaris Academy form in her bag to think about.

"You think you're gonna get into Lunaris, huh?" Jasmine, their leader sneered, her voice thick with disdain. "Don't make me laugh. They wouldn't want trash like you anywhere near them. I mean with a used hole like yours, I bet any dick that goes in there would be lost."

The other girls laughed at the cruel joke, emboldened by their leader's malice.

Violet's fists clenched, her nails digging into her palms as her pulse quickened. Blood pounded in her ears, the sting of their words sinking deep. Being an orphan adopted by a prostitute was the only reason they had chosen to pick on her, like hyenas circling a wounded animal.

It didn't help that her mother's idea of a joke was to call her "Violet Purple" because of the unnatural color of her hair.

As long as Violet could remember, her hair had been black at the roots and purple at the tips. It would have been better if her mother had called her "Violet Black," but no, the woman—likely high on drugs at the time—had literally announced to the world that she was adopted and denying her any claim to her surname.

Not that Violet knew which would have been worse: being Nancy's real daughter or just a replacement.

Violet had despised her name and appearance for as long as she could remember. Once, in a fit of rage, she had chopped off the purple tips of her hair, but they grew back just the same, marking her as a freak in everyone's eyes. That, combined with the shame of being adopted by a prostitute, was all the ammunition the bullies needed.

Violet knew they wanted a reaction, but she refused to give them the satisfaction. Instead, she straightened her spine, adjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder, and attempted to leave, but they blocked her path.

"Get out of my way," she said coldly, her voice steady despite the heat of anger bubbling beneath her skin. She didn't want to fight, but if push came to shove, she'd handle it. A week of punishment or community service was nothing new, and neither was taking on all five of them at once. This wouldn't be the first time.

And it certainly wouldn't be the last.

Another one called Anisha laughed, "What are you gonna do about it, huh? Hit me? You might have defeated us in the past but we wouldn't let you win this time."

Violet ignored them knowing it was all talk and no action.

"Oh look, she's ignoring us again," one of the girls, Marissa, drawled, her voice dripping with false pity. "Do you think she's too dumb to understand? Or just too scared?"

"Bet she's scared," another one chimed in. "She's probably shaking in her boots, thinking about all the dicks she might have to suck at Lunaris acdemy if she unluckily gets chosen."

The girls laughed once more.

Something inside Violet snapped. She lunged so quickly startling the girls and they stumbled back. Her heart hammered in her chest, her fists trembling at her sides. She could feel the fury burning through her, every word they had ever thrown at her fueling the fire. She wanted to hit her, to wipe that smug look off her face.

But before she could fulfill that urge, a teacher came into the room and said, "what is going on here?"

No one replied, however, the man could sense the tension in the air. Not to mention, Jasmine and her crew were notorious bullies in the school.

"Alright, that is it. I want all of you out of the class and headed home." he commended them.

Violet was the fist to move. With one last burning glare, she shoved her way past Jasmine and her lackeys. She wasn't going to waste her energy on them. It wasn't worth it.

Their school was a public one, which meant it had a huge population. Violet quickly lost herself in the crowd, hence her bullies would not find her to start trouble again.

Walking home, Violet let her eyes roam the destruction still lingering from the war. The humans might have won, but the damage was irreversible.

Buildings were left in ruins, streets cracked and scorched from explosions, and the air still carried a faint scent of ash and devastation. Two hundred years had passed since the final bombs of destruction fell, but the Earth had never fully healed.

It wasn't long before Violet reached the patch of land that housed a vast number of trailers. It was the only form of shelter for people like her. After the war, the poverty rate had skyrocketed,leaving only a privileged few able to afford a proper house, no matter how small.

Even the houses were guarded and isolated from the crumbling world outside.Her mother had always said they were lucky to have a trailer. She had bought it second-hand when a former tenant moved out, claiming she got it for a good deal.

The white trailer looked weathered, its paint peeling and faded and the inside was no better. The meager belongings they had were scattered across the tiny space, clothes draped over chairs, empty cans that had long since lost their contents, and cigarette butts littering the table. The ashtray overflowed with half-smoked cigarettes, a pungent smell hanging heavy in the air.

It wasn't the kind of place to raise a child, but it was better than sleeping in the streets, where the bigger predators of this new world waited. Crime was rampant now, though in the trailer park, it was mostly petty theft. At least here, Violet didn't have to worry about murder.

Nancy, her mother, was nowhere to be found when Violet arrived home. The silence wasn't unusual. Nancy was rarely home and, when she was, it wasn't like she cared to interact. She had made it clear over the years that she was no maternal figure. But Violet didn't push her luck—having a roof over her head was enough.

There was no food, as usual, and Violet didn't bother looking for any. Instead, she fished out the snack bar she had been saving and sat at the table, unwrapping it slowly as her gaze fell on the form she'd been given in class.

The Lunaris Academy application form stared back at her, demanding answers she wasn't sure she had. The only reason she was even considering filling it out was the slim chance that it might get her a scholarship to a university.

Right now, university education was a privilege only the elite could afford. If she somehow managed to get into Lunaris Academy and come out on top, she could escape this life. She could become someone different—someone who didn't have to live in a trailer and avoid eye contact with the wrong people.

As she chewed, she reached the question, "if you have any special skills, state them."

Violet paused, staring at the words thoughtfully. What special skills did she have? Surviving? Avoiding fights? Violet tapped her pen against the table, lost in thought, when the front door creaked open.

"Welcome home—" But the rest of her words trailed off as Nancy entered, a huge, burly guy following closely behind her. The sight of him made Violet's stomach churn.

She snapped.

"You promised me you'd take your business elsewhere," Violet said, her voice sharp with outrage. "Why is he here?" She pointed an accusing finger at the man, her face twisting in disgust.

Nancy rolled her eyes, shrugging off Violet's protest. "Promises don't put food on the table. I've got work to do."

Her gaze fell on the application form, and a laugh escaped her lips. "Is that a Lunaris Academy form? Good for you. Just try hard to get in, and your life will get better. If it gets harder to land a guy, remember what I taught you. Just give his dick a good suck, and he'll be putty in your hands. You two could end up together, giving birth to beautiful werewolf babies. What a lucky bitch you are, Violet."

The blood drained from Violet's face as her mother's words sunk in. Her stomach twisted, rage boiling beneath her skin, and her hands trembled. She had never felt so humiliated, so utterly exposed. Nancy didn't care. She never had.

Hot tears burned in Violet's eyes, but she refused to let them fall. "I should have known," she said, her voice thick with bitterness. "You were never one to keep your promises."

"Oh, please," Nancy scoffed, lighting a cigarette and taking a deep drag. "I'm doing what I can to survive. What I do is the reason you eat and go to school, so don't act so high and mighty. Now, if you don't mind, I need the trailer for a few hours." She smirked, her eyes glinting with mischief. "Unless, of course, you want to stay and learn a thing or two."

Disgust curled deep in Violet's gut. She pushed past her mother, glaring at the man, who leered at her as she passed. The urge to scream, to break something, clawed at her, but instead, she stormed out of the trailer, slamming the door behind her.

Once outside, Violet's tears spilled over. She wiped them away furiously, her chest heaving with a mixture of shame and anger. She spotted some of the neighborhood kids waving at her, calling her over, but she couldn't face them. She didn't want anyone to see her like this, broken, vulnerable.

Without a word, she headed for the woods behind the trailer park. It was the one place she could be alone, away from the ugliness of her world. She found a fallen log and sat down, her hands shaking as she pulled the form from her pocket. Her vision blurred with tears, but she stared at the section asking for her special skills, her anger bubbling to the surface.

With a savage burst of fury, Violet scribbled her response:

Special skills:

1. Sucking a dick.

2. Giving A Mean Lap Dance

3. Wait till you see Me in bed.

It felt oddly therapeutic to put those words down, even if she knew there was no way they would accept her. Fuck this messed up world. Fuck Nancy. Fuck Lunaris Academy.

She was done.