Part 1

All the characters, places, ideas or events mentioned in this book are purely fiction and does not relate to any living or dead. All the story settings and other elements are purely my imagination and fictional. If you see any resemblance they are unintentional.

  

The story contains dark and mature themes such as violence and sex, so if you are uncomfortable with such topic please refrain from reading.

  

Stealing of my work/any idea will serve you severe punishment as plagiarism is a severe crime.

  

  All rights reserved

  San 2045

  2022

  ***

/Lana's POV/

All my life, from the moment I was born, my fate had been decided.

The people who took care of me, my uncle and his family had made it apparent that I am to wed a rich Alpha. Having lost my parents at a very young age, I was an only child with an eternal inheritance. Still an orphan, though. So my father's brother, next in line for the Pack Alpha, adopted me as his daughter.

My eighteen years of life consisted of being prepared to be the perfect omega, the perfect woman to bear a child with countless classes and training. For most omegas, it would be a dream, being born into royalty and living in a Palace, but my life was a nightmare.

I was asked to stay in my room on the east side of the Palace, all by myself. Beth and the tutors were the only people I had entire conversations with.

A knock on the door startled me out of my thoughts, head turning over my shoulder to see an omega rushing in. Her head was bent down, as usual, hands clasped together. I let out a sigh, slowly turning on my feet to stare at the familiar maid.

"What is it, Meena?"

"Your Highness, you are invited for breakfast downstairs in the main hall."

My ears perked at that, eyes widening as I let those words sink in. Why would they want to have a meal with me? My aunt only sent invitations if there was an important event coming up and I was needed to show off in front of others.

"Oh!" The word slipped out of my mouth as soon as I saw the calendar, the book in my hand dully hitting the carpeted floor. "It's 24th today! How did I forget?"

Every year on the 25th of July, my family hosts a ball featuring all the coming of age omegas, betas and Alpha females to find their mates. I have been a silent spectator of that event for years now, desperately waiting for my chance.

Finally, my prayers have been heard. I will be one of the omegas in the ball tomorrow, finding my Prince Charming. I could feel my cheeks reddening at that, lips twitching in a barely controllable smile.

"Lead the way, Meena," I said with a lilt in my voice, feet tapping against the floor in excitement.

The Palace was filled with mumbled conversations, voices becoming more evident as I descended the grand staircase. My heels lightly clicked against the floor, drawing attention as I passed by members of the staff, their brows furrowed. I rarely had the opportunity to step into the main hall, so their surprise was expected.

On my way to the dining hall, I passed by a portrait of my family in the hallway, heart twisting painfully. Its been almost a decade since I lost both of my parents. The pain of that day was still burned in my memory, remembering those words from Beth. My breath caught in my lungs, too scared to escape as I kept on praying it to be just a dream. Those words slipping out of the housekeeper's mouth felt like a death sentence.

With an inaudible sigh, I tore my eyes away from the picture and strode towards the dining room.

The atmosphere in the room shifted at my arrival, the whole table stilling. My aunt's smile widened as she spotted me; her long auburn hair was pinned back, a few strands falling on each side. She had a glint in her eyes that made me nervously shift on my feet, a lump forming in my throat. Besides her, Cathy, her seventeen-year-old omega daughter, sat, poised and elegant.

Lucas, my older cousin, was also at the table, not even bothering to spare me a glance. The last time we were in the same room was when he broke my left arm in anger. All because I had failed to do his assignment for the pottery class. It's been almost half a year since that fateful incident.

My uncle, the Pack Alpha, motioned me towards an empty chair in front of him. I sank, my legs pressing together while the maids hurried to serve my food.

"Good morning, my dear." My aunt, Claire, grinned, wiping the corners of her mouth with the napkin before setting it down.

"Hello, Aunty." At her raised brow, I quickly coughed, correcting myself, toes curling in annoyance. "Luna Claire, I apologise."

  

She made sure that I addressed her as Aunty while we were in the company of other royals or guests. A show for them to believe us as a happy family.

  

"Hope you slept well. We are expecting guests from all over the country today."

"Yes, I did, Alpha." I robotically answered, knuckles whitening around the fork as I bent my head. He did not allow me to meet his eyes during our talk, wishing I respected him that way.

"Of course you did." My cousin snickered, her brown eyes boring into me as her mouth twisted into evident disdain. Cathy unceremoniously stabbed her fork into the salad on her plate. At only seventeen, the omega had severe issues with food and obsessed over maintaining her figure, traits she inherited from her mother. "What do you even do besides cope in your room and read, nerd?"

Not like I have much of a choice. I wanted to reply, the retort on the tip of my tongue, but instead, I looked away.

"Stop." My aunt grimaced, mouth twisting as the maid served me a portion of chicken breast. "Take that away. She needs to fit in her dress. Give her a salad like Cathy."

My stomach growled in protest. This was going too far. I had to skip dinner the night before for the very same reason. "Luna, I can manage...."

"Do not talk back to my mother, you loser!" I felt a sharp nudge from my side on my calf, wincing as Lucas glared at me.

"Lucas! Take it easy." Claire said with a pointed look, not even slightly concerned about me. Not that I expected her to be. "She needs to look perfect for the debutant tomorrow."

He huffed, tossing leftover salad on my hair. "Right! One day more, and I won't have to see your ugly face anymore."

Swallowing the tears, I brushed the lettuce off my hair and, through blurry vision, finished my meal.

***

I stood in front of a vanity table, the floor cold underneath my feet. With a bit of effort, I managed to untangle the knots formed in my messy brown hair, sweeping them back. Staring at the mirror, I winced while noticing the tired lines underneath my eyes, cheeks still pink from cold. My eyes fixated on a bit of pulp, clumping my hair together.

Lucas. I cursed under my breath. There was no use in brushing anyway; I thought while standing up. In the end, I decided to take a shower, wash off all the dirt and sticky pulp from my hair.

Beth was waiting for me. A wide smile stretched across my lips as soon as I saw the housekeeper tidying my bed. Rushing to her, I tapped on her shoulder, almost startling the older woman.

"Moons! Why are you not ready yet?"

The housekeeper was the only one who didn't change after my parent's death. She treated me like her own, ensuring that I ate on time, did my lessons and talked with me. If not for her active presence, I would have succumbed to drop and retreated into a shell of a person.

I looked down at my blue sundress, brows furrowed. "I just showered. Besides, this is a decent outfit for staying in my room."

"No, Lana. You have to greet guests in a few minutes. Hurry up!"

"Why did no one tell me about it?"

With her hands on her hips, she turned to me. "I am telling you now."

"That's not what I mean..."

"We don't have time to argue my dear. Just get ready."

"Ugh...fine."

Hurriedly, I rushed and pulled out my most delicate gown, a lovely yellow dress with long sleeves, pastel threading, and lacy trim. My late mother's pearls were cool against the skin of my exposed collarbone. Her jewellery, especially the pearls, were the only thing I had by to remember.

My aunt took all her gowns and shoes as a punishment and burned them before my eyes—her way of teaching me a lesson.

"Look at you all grown up," I heard Beth, breaking out of my thoughts as I realised the housekeeper tugging on my wrist. She made me stand in front of the full-length mirror, her eyes shining with a sheen of tears. "I am going to miss you, pup."

Emotion welled in my chest, head lifting to meet her eyes through the mirror. "I wish I could take you along with me, Beth. Away from these people."

Beth wetly chuckled, tapping gently on my shoulder as she adjusted the sleeves. "It's not that bad here."

The thuds of the horses' hooves against the grounds interrupted my response. My heart raced with a shiver of tension, my mind filling with thoughts of uncertainty. I turned to Beth, watching as she reassured me with a soft pat against the fabric of my gown, "The guests are here. Let's go."

***

Please tell me what you think! So excited to start this one :))