Chapter one - DECEPTION

VALERIE

The gathering, or as I would have called it, party was rather noisey. I sat a corner, spying my life long crush, Deron from the shadows.

I was a misfit anyway, it's not like he would have ever accepted me.

I caught sight of my senior brother, Jack, he was not the kind of brother that encouraged or spoke up for his sister, no, instead he was the kind that would willingly make a laughing stalk out of her.

The red velvet dress I wore was beautifully hand sewn by my mother. I would have loved to show it off like the other girls did but I knew better than to leave the dark spot I camouflaged in. Jack and the others played truth or dare, Jack had just dared Deron to bite Lyxia's neck. The young, soon to be pack leader, shrieked playfully as Deron hissed, trying to complete his dare else he would have to strip in front of everyone at the noble gathering.

Lyxia was young, she was the daughter of the Alpha Emeral who was the head of the upper echelon and the Alpha of our kingdom. Her father had contributed to our kingdom in a great many ways and couldn't stop boasting about how his daughter was going to be elected into the echelon because of her brilliance. Lyxia was young and so beautiful she was dubbed the enchantress, she had already made contributions to our society alongside her father. Together they were the perfect 'father and daughter' match and I was envious. Envious of the perfect relationship she had with her father and at the way she could easily manipulate my senior brother, even turning him against me.

The pack leaders of the most exulted houses were all present. The upper echelon, a group of twelve Betas that were responsible for and governed our great city, sat at their crescent table on a higher podium.

Below them sat the lower echelon and amongst them I saw my father, general Mo'monte. His handsome profile was outlined by the low light from the chandeliers.

The echelon was also responsible for making the laws and managing the peace between our kingdom and our neighbouring kingdom. The Lycan city.

The Lycan city was ruled by the Alpha Lukkar. A powerful wolf and the brother and greatest enemy of the Alpha Emeral that ruled our kingdom. Both our kingdoms had been at war with eachother for millenia until recent times when a peace treaty was signed between the echelon and the Alpha Lukkar.

My fathers eyes sweep like a knife, catching me dead in a gaze. I quickly lowered my face, I couldn't bare to look him in the eyes, I could already feel the disgust he already had at just looking at me. His abomination, his failure of a daughter, the stain on his legacy. He had made these clear to me since I had failed the shifts exams.

I was the only werewolf that hadn't been able to shift. I had entered the exams with the hopes to get with Deron but all I has succeeded in doing was disgrace myself and my noble house. Most wolves shifted on their sixteenth birthday and mine had passed a year ago. This had allowed my senior brother the opportunity to lable me the abomination-child. I was treated like an outcast, despite the fact that I was a noble I was treated no more different than the peasants.

The other nobles commended and looked up to Jack, he was the shining star of house Mo'monte while I was forced to live painfully in his shadow. A single tear slowly trailed down my cheek and quickly wiped it away with the back of my hand.

This gathering was supposed to be a choosing ceremony, sooner the higher and lower echelon would elect and choose potential wolves that would be trained to join their ranks to rule our kingdom in the later future. My presence wasn't needed, like they would ever choose me and even if I had passed the requirements my father would do all he could to make sure I was expelled.

Deron was my brothers best friend, he was not exceptionally special nor did he have any favours from the echelon, but he was breathtakingly handsome. Deron had deep black eyes that complemented his stark white skin. His hair was same as his eyes, black like ebony and he had a prominent jawline and the most beautiful smile. He easily made the other noble girls swoon over him without even trying.

I had fallen in love with Deron from the first day I met him since the days of my young. Even if I knew that he would never pick someone like me to be his mate I still had empty hopes. I was sure he would rather be burnt dead than caught with the abnormal one like me. Allowing my brother know that I loved Deron was the worst mistake I had ever made. Jack had made it his personal life mission to ensure that I was brought down when I was around him, his logic was that the more he brought me down, the faster he could rise even higher. And so far it had only worked for him. I was the disgrace child of house Mo'monte while Jack was the redemption star.

Lyxia giggled as she planted kisses on Deron's cheeks. He lazily batted her away. She could easily have the man I had been in love with for most of my life, eyeing me at every second to ensure that I watched. Her laughter irritated me, maybe it was because of the fact that I was inferior to her in everyway, or maybe it was because she made sure that I was reduced in the eyes of others so I tried my best to avoid her.

Jack had always been in love with Lyxia, I could see it in the envious way he looked at Deron who barely seemed to notice her most of the time and that seemed to anger Jack even more. It was like a complicated love branch, I wanted Deron and Jack wanted Lyxia. I was sure Jack had more chances with the enchantress than I could ever have with Deron.

For a moment I locked eyes with Deron, my heart rose to a drumbeat as I anxiously twisted my head away.

Was it an illusion? Did I just imagine that or did the love of my life just look past Lyxia's elated face and stare right into my eyes?

It was too good to be true and I was frankly too afraid to look at him again. But when I turned my eyes to meet his face Deron stared right back me. This time I held my gaze, this was really happening!

I do not know how long we stared at each other but my heart fell when I saw Lyxia's glare. She had caught me staring at her man and if I knew her she wouldn't let that go unpunished!

A rush of heat rose to my cheeks. I was sure that if I looked at Lyxia now she would have her usual diabolical smirk playing on her face as she plotted her next move.

I heared Lyxia whisper something with my name in it to Jack, my heart skipped a beat. Whatever she said could not have been good. Stealthily I stood up, I had to leave the place before they could rope me into any of their games. As I turned to leave I felt the grip of my brothers hand around my wrist.

I looked at him, he wore a coy smile.

"Leaving already?" His voice cracked, he only spoke like that when he wanted to do something he knew would surely give him pleasure.

"Jack let me go!" I whispered to him, tugging my arm and trying to break lose from his grip.

"But the parties just begun!!"

"Jack please...!"

But he didn't seem to care as he easily dragged me to the center of the vast hall.

"Jack please stop! I'll go away you won't see me anymore, I'll go back home—"

"Everyone!" His voice boomed loudly across the vast hall, immediately grabbing everyones attention.

If I could disappear I would have turned into dust and never returned.

"Jack stop please! You don't have to do this I beg you!" But my voice was completely ignored.

"I believe you all know my sister Valerie..."

It was too late now, all eyes were on me. I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me up, a stake to be plunged into my heart. I wanted to be erased for existence.

"...of age... noble wolf... house Mo'monte... never shifted... Abomination... Disgrace..."

His next words were too painful for me to grasp. Suddenly the ground swayed beneath my feet as I felt a strong sense of panic and nausea.

I heard Lyxia's shrill voice as she added a few jibes before the crowd of youngers around us bursted into an array of laughter.

Jack laughed as well, he let go of my wrist and that's when I realized it was his grip that was keeping me from falling over.

"Why...?" I whispered lowly but I knew he could hear me. "Why did you have to do this? Don't you already have enough? Why must you do this to me? Do you want me dead?!" I screamed at him.

The hall went silent. I spotted my father's enraged glower from the lower podium he sat on.

"That's what you get when you flirt with my mate!" Lyxia said, chortling cheerily. I could see the joy in her eyes as she watched me cry.

"Everyone?! This is Valerie, Valerie the abnormal Queen!"

It was like whatever she said they followed. However she laughed they laughed as well.

But Deron wasn't laughing, he stalked to me in an instance.

"Just go Val..." He said between gritted teeth, and that was our first conversation if only it was a conversation since only he spoke, even calling me a nickname I had never consented to.

I turned around, running out towards the door, pushing and shoving my way until I was out. Under the moon and far enough so their mockery and laughter were nothing but dreadful echoes.

 ..........

When I finally have the courage to go downstairs it was because I heard my father's voice bellow the words 'disgrace' and 'Jack' in the a negative way.

Impossible.

I had ran all the way back home. Crying my tears into the neck of my dress. As soon as I arrived at the compound of my manor I brushed past my mother and tramped up the stairs. Once I clicked the lock of my bedroom door I couldn't hold it back again. My cry sounded more like a despaired wail.

I got down in time to hear my father say, "You disgraced me today boy!"

Jack held his face low, trembling from from all limbs as my mother tried to calm my father down.

"This is not what I expect from the heir to the Mo'monte house!"

"It was her—" Jack's voice cracked.

"No child! Your sister was unnoticed, she may be a disgrace but she was unnoticed!"

"The upper echelon looks up to a person's achievements, your sister is still blood of this family, a Mo'monte, how would I be taken higher in the ranks after the disgrace you brought upon my name!"

"It was a dare, it was Lyxia who told me to do it!"

I suddenly felt dizzy again. His words hit me like a jab with a knife, Lyxia??? This was her plan? She was the one who plotted all this I couldn't help but gasp in shock.

In a second all eyes were on me.

"Valerie..." My mother was heartbroken and I could see it on her face, she rushed to me in a second gripping my head to her chest and hugging me tightly.

"There is a way around it..."

"Really Father?!" Jack fell at my fathers feet, "anything father, anything to rectify my mistake!"

His plan had ultimately backfired on him. Seeing him in a such a state only made me feel a pea sense of happiness.

But as my father spoke my heart sank. "My daughter, Valerie, I have battered you off to the Alpha lord Emeral... It wasn't easy but he has been owing me an old debt... He shall take you in as a servant mate in his royal house and in exchange I shall be raised to the upper echelon, You shall finally have a decent life void is humiliation while you are in the Emerals house and Jack shall take over as head of house Mo'monte in my stead."

When he finished talking I dropped to my knees. I saw Jack raise his head in disbelief. Was I dreaming? A servant?

"You shall be stripped off all titles that belong to the house Mo'monte and shall live the rest of your life as his slave—"

"Jacob?!" My mother called my father by his real name.

I felt dizzy and it suddenly became difficult to breathe.

"I'm sorry but this has to be done! This house can not grow if such a disgraceful bearer of the name is allowed to live here."

When I finally prep myself to move, I'm scrambling up the stairs. I slip severally and ram my head into the steps but I get up and keep on running. I hear my mother call my name a few times but I don't turn back.

When I'm finally in my room the total gravity of the world comes crashing down on me.

"No... No... NO!" I screamed with all my might it felt like my throat my rip.

It wasn't my fault I was this way! Then why should I have to be damned to such an unfortunate future. A slave and worst a slave to Lyxia! The person that was already succeeding in making my life a living hell?!

What was I to do?