2 - Pretty No Matter What

"What in the moon goddess' name are you wearing?" Cecily placed a hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh on entering the bedroom.

She herself was dressed in a stylish white dress, one which looked suspiciously like a wedding gown, but Belinda decided not to comment on it. She would not give Cecily the satisfaction of knowing she was annoyed. Sashaying to Belinda, Cecily invaded the other's personal space by hooking an arm around Belinda's. She brightened her smile, and Belinda could have sworn that if she smiled any wider, her cheeks would tear.

"Don't let it bother you. You look pretty no matter what." Cecily tapped her hand reassuringly over Belinda's.

Only an expert would have detected the hidden layer of viciousness in the compliment, and that was exactly what Belinda was. She wasn't fooled, but she felt no anger toward Cecily either. In fact, at this point, the younger woman's silly games had become amusing.

"Really, you're so lucky." Cecily let go of Belinda's hand and sat down on the bed, careful not to rumple the delicate lace of her gown. "Derek is a catch, you know. He's hot and strong, and sweet, and rich. Who would have thought the moon goddess would have paired you with him? Considering you're an omega who can't shift and everything. What are you going to do when people start talking?"

Belinda gingerly lifted her eyebrow, just to humor Cecily. "What do you mean?"

Belinda had thought it impossible to smile any wider, but Cecily proved her wrong. "I mean, do you think you'll be allowed to marry Derek?"

The question came as a surprise to Belinda, so much so that her eyebrows shot up. Pleased that she had succeeded in drawing a reaction out of her elder sister, Cecily resumed her sweet girl act. Her lips curved downward, and she set her facial features into a worried frown.

"You mustn't let others bully you, big sis." She began. "You're an omega, so what? You have just as much talent, beauty, and brains as any of them. Brother and mother will be here to support you too. Just remember—" Cecily took Belinda's hands in hers and fixed her with a compassionate look. "Derek is a good guy, and whatever he did, he did it for the sake of the pack."

There was trouble—Belinda's senses immediately grew alert. Whenever Cecily tried this hard to be nice, it was usually because she had something sinister in store.

Belinda looked into the eyes of her younger sister. A close lookalike of their mother in her earlier days, Cecily was a great beauty. She wasn't as good-looking as Belinda, but her looks were enough to make her popular among the girls and cause the boys to fawn over her. She was a brunette with brown hair, which sometimes appeared auburn and matching brown eyes. Like Belinda, she was tall and shapely, but much unlike Belinda, she was perky and loud. She thrived in the social world where her elder sister was lacking.

"I'll keep that in mind." Belinda pulled her hands out of Cecily's grip. "Leave."

The command was harsh, but Cecily was not bothered. She had managed to chip at the ice queen's steel armor—her goal had been achieved. Now all that was left was to break the delicate ice completely. A smirk on her lips, she stood up from the bed and made a good show of walking out of the room, her round hips swaying from side to side.

Closing her eyes, Belinda took a deep breath. She mustn't let her family get to her. In only a few hours, she would be free from them. In only a few hours...

Once again, Belinda's peace and quiet was breached, but it didn't anger her, because she saw that this time, it was only Martha, the youngest maid of the Knight family.

"The alpha has called a meeting in the ballroom, miss." Martha delivered the message.

Belinda nodded politely. "I'll be there." Then she got thinking.

The family never involved her in their meetings or decisions. She was not truly one of them—they'd made that specifically clear her entire life—so she did not deserve to share her opinions. The fact that they'd invited her to their current gathering meant two things; the discussion would be about her, and it couldn't be anything good.

The group present in the ballroom further confirmed her suspicion. In the empty hall, already decorated lavishly with flowers and white drapes for the wedding that was to take place later on, stood her elder stepbrother, her mother, her stepsister, and her fiancé. All four heads turned to her as she walked into the room, and Belinda bravely held all their gazes.

"You're finally here. Took you long enough." Paul snarled. Above six feet tall with broad shoulders, he bore a sibling resemblance to Cecily, meaning he looked like their mother. The same with every member of the Knight family, he was very good-looking, and just like Cecily, he despised his stepsister with a passion.

"I was getting ready. I am to be the bride of a wedding, remember?" Belinda replied him coolly.

Paul's lips curled in anger. "I don't see why that should take long. You look absolutely hideous, so what have you been doing all this while? I can't believe you expected us to present you to our guests dressed like that."

"That's enough! Both of you." Georgina interrupted the exchange. "This is not the reason we are here."

Unconsciously, Belinda's head tilted slightly to the side, as it always did when she was confused. Paul's direct insult hadn't hurt her much, but his last statement bothered her “... expected us to present you..?” Most importantly, she wondered what was so important that it couldn't wait till after the wedding. A nagging feeling told her that the worst was about to happen. From the corner of her eyes, she spotted Cecily and Derek exchanging looks, with Cecily nodding to him afterward.

"Belinda... I must tell you something." Derek stepped forward. "I—We can't marry."