Leilani.
"Attention everyone!" My father’s loud voice bood through the still air of the heavily decorated hall, forcing everyone’s attention to the front of the room where he stood looking sharp in his navy blue Armani suit, with a wine glass in hand and a smile on his face.
And then he delivered the blow;
"On this special day, I’d love to announce the engagent between my favorite person in the whole wide world. My golden girl, my only daughter, Chalice Blackthorne, and the future Alphas, Kael, Caelum and Zevran Stormborn!"
I froze. My heart stopped. Like literally stopped beating as subtle ringing began to sound in my ears.
The crowd erupted into wild cheering at his words but I didn’t miss the subtle jeers. The snorts and the pitiful looks that so of our pack mbers threw at .
He’d just called Chalice, my twin, his only daughter. In. Front. Of. Everyone.
He’d just made the world see how unimportant I was to him, and that was the most embarrassnt I’ve ever received.
This was nothing like the tis he’d hit in the past. Or the tis he and every mber of the house had taken Chalice’s side when she was wrong. This wasn’t like how it felt when he made a slave in his house... and even gave his employees the authority to bully .
This was different.
This was him putting in my place— even though I’ve always known my place since I was six.
I was 6 when it dawned on that I was the defective twin with wild blonde hair and purple eyes while every other mber of my family was auburn and spotting blue eyes.
I was 12 when I finally understood the aning of a ’crush’, and maybe I was foolish, but at that young age, I knew I liked our Alpha’s triplet sons a little too much.
I liked the way their dark hairs glead in the sun. The way their dimples deepened whenever they smiled— even though they never smiled at . I knew I liked the way they looked at a second too long.
And I knew that they liked too— I could feel it.
Until my twin, Chalice read my diary. She found out about my crush on them, and for that, due to her overwhelming desire to have everything that was supposedly mine, she befriended them.
I wasn’t so surprised though when they clung to her like everyone else did; but that didn’t take away the fact that it hurt like a bitch. I also wouldn’t lie that it didn’t hurt when they never dared look at because they adored my sister.
But that’s besides the case.
I was 16 when Chalice shifted for the first ti, and of course, I didn’t.
And at age 18, when I still wouldn’t shift, I was known to be defective. Weak. The curse. A stain to my family’s very porcelain reputation.
And my father, the power hungry Beta, absolute-fuckingly abhorred for it.
So now, was this his way of repaying ? For hurting even more than he’s done in the past?
Everyone in the pack knew how much I doted on the triplets. Even my family knew that.
So what was this?
Why is he announcing their engagent to my twin... and acting like I don’t even exist?
Why does he hate so much?
First ca the pain... the hurt. And then there was rage.
The blood in my ears rushed loudly, dulling all sounds into nothing but white noise. Tears blurred my vision, making it hard for to see anything; but despite my aching heart and my trembling limbs, I managed to stand tall, even though the snickers around were growing louder.
Even though the paparazzi wouldn’t stop taking my pictures.
Then as if to ss up my already ssed up life, the triplet Alphas waltzed into the party just then. They were all lovey dovey with my sister, brandishing gifts for only her, even though it was clearly our birthday.
They treated her like she was a rare gem, a piece of porcelain. Like she was the very air that they breathed.
Until Kael stopped and took in a very deep breath.
The hall stilled. Everyone froze in fear.
Zevran did the sa shortly afterwards, followed by Caelum.
My heart thundered in my chest as I watched them prance around the hall like mad n, sniffing at giggling young girls— I knew what this was. I could feel it in their crazed expressions— and only stopping before ;
And then like sothing out of a horror movie, their eyes suddenly went dark.
"Mate!" They moaned so loud that everyone gasped. To top it all, Zevran leaned in, brushing his nose against the shell of my ear as he took in a lungful of breaths.
"Mate..." he whispered again, his voice soft, almost seductive.
I closed my eyes tightly as goosebumps spread over my skin, willing my raging heartbeat to calm. Willing myself to be able to speak. But no, none of that happened. And I can swear that I literally stopped breathing.
"No!" Caelum growled. "Not the wolfless curse. We should reject her."
His words, so carelessly said, shredded whatever was left of my tattered dignity. I staggered back, my breath hitching in my chest as more tears sprung free. And when I fell to the floor, no one tried to help . No one cared. They all just stood above , sneering down at like I was so stain.
"I— I..."
"Save it!" Now, it was Kael who spoke. "I do not wish to hear more words from you, scum. Stay away and do not ruin Chalice’s party... and later, we’ll do sothing about that pesky mate bond!"
My tears ran freely now. They hated . They despised . But why...?
Chalice was the first person amongst the audience to snap out of the montary surprise, she weaved her way through the crowd, lodged herself between them and cried; "Kael, Caelum, Zevran? What are you saying?!"
Zevran looked conflicted. His eyes darted between Chalice and I occasionally before he said; "She’s our...mate. I feel the mate bond with—"
"With !" Chalice snarled sweetly— if that’s even a thing. "I am your only mate, rember. You guys promised !"
"Yes, we did." Kael affird. "...and for that reason, no reject can take your place. You’re ours as we are yours."
No reject can take her place...
I was the reject.
Their words lanced through my chest, breaking whatever piece was left of my heart. I literally had to grip on the rug to hold myself from lashing out, from crying out. I doubled over as the pain in my chest intensified.
My heart grew heavy. My chest tight, especially when Chalice leaned closer, her eyes gleaming with malicious intent. She drawled; "I know you did sothing to them... to make them think you’re mates, but I swear to the goddess, I’ll ruin it, and I’ll ruin you."
The laugh that slipped out of my lips just then was dripping with sarcasm... and pain. So much pain. I shook my head even as my tears fell, and rasped out; "Who needs dumbos like them anyway? You can have them."
I saw Chalice’s face fall, but she quickly composed herself. She snarled; "The sa dumbos you’ve loved all your life."
And that was true. That was painfully true.
And then dropping her voice until it was a whisper, she leaned back towards the triplets and drawled, "...my stomach hurts. I think I am going to be sick from arguing so much with Leilani."
The triplets turned to glare at , but just like they were in a trance, their gazes softened when they turned back to her. They behaved like they were chard, their very perfect smiles returning to their faces; the fussing over her returning.
"Ignore this." Caelum spat. He didn’t even have the decency to refer to by my na.
I guess he doesn’t even know my na.
Growing up, I hoped that even though I never got my wolf, that I would find my mate. And I hoped that whoever it was would be my ticket out of this miserable life. But I was wrong.
I was wrong because the Alpha’s triplets were my mates— the three n wrapped around my sister’s little finger.
And I knew I was wrong when I saw the look in their eyes.
Disgust.
I watched as they led Chalice away from , not even caring about the sorry state I was in, their eyes occasionally darting back to as if in a bid to keep in check.
The party resud. Everyone went back to what they were doing, but I couldn’t. I could never. Especially since the alphas wouldn’t stop drilling holes into my skin with their eyes.
Especially since their rejection still stung, still felt fresh.
They didn’t reject . They didn’t acknowledge . And they never spoke to again after that day.
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