Chapter 3

The tension flowing through the room is enough to have my wolf now wide awake and prowling around inside my head, agitated.

“We didn't intend to fall in love. I was happy with Willow, but around a year ago, my wolf started demanding Dakota. Whenever I wasn't around her, he would want to go find her. Just her presence calmed him,” Evan immediately started explaining as he nervous swept his eyes around the room, facing the accusing glares from our pack mates.

“Oh, Evan,” Dakota sighed happily and placed her hands over her heart. “My wolf needed you, too.”

I feel stupid. I believed he was my mate. Being around him made me happy. He was sweet and draped me in the warmest attention. Everyone in my pack now will be aware that I ended up just like my mom, my man, being stolen away by a whore.

She was just like her mother. She didn't care that I was with Evan. She didn't care that I had him first and that I have loved him for years. My half sister has only and will always think about herself first.

“Bitch,” my wolf snarled, wanting to be let out, so she could deal personally with my half sister.

“Calm,” I reminded her gently. This isn't the time for her emotions to get the best of us both, not with the lycan beta visiting.

I'm still struggling to hold my own broken and hurt emotions. Evan and I were friends years before we dated. I thought I meant more to him than this. I understand if they were mates, I would have backed down and let them be happy even if it caused me pain, but he could have just told me the truth.

“The more I spent time with Dakota after I became of age, I was sure she was my mate. I loved Willow, but those feelings started to fade away over the past year and all my wolf cared about was Dakota,” Evan explained more, and I thought about letting my wolf out now.

“We didn't plan for this to happen,” Dakota whispered, sniffed and pretended to wipe her nose dramatically. “Our wolves picked each other. It was fated.”

“We didn't know what to do. Neither of us wanted to hurt Willow,” Evan added, and took hold of Dakota's hand, brought it to his lips, and kissed the top of her hand. “But it's been difficult to fight against my wolf.”

“She would have been so upset,” Dakota murmured. “We didn't want her to end up like her mom.”

How dare she say that about my mom when it's her mother's fault it happened. It was her mom not keeping her hands off a married man and being a whore that caused my mom's wolf to start going crazy.

“It's been a hard, painful year for us both,” Dakota added. “Knowing someone is your mate but not being able to be with him because of the fear of harming someone you love, it's devastating.

Disgust rushes through my body as she says those words. She doesn't love me, in fact, she hates me. She has hated me since the day she could walk and talk.

“Everyone here knows me. I'm not the type of girl to keep a man who doesn't belong to me,” I spoke loudly, making sure everybody who was standing in the room could hear me.

“She is right.”

“She isn't.”

“Willow is a very kind young woman.”

It did make me feel good to hear my fellow pack members saying those words.

“We cannot help who we are mated too. Fate takes over as all the ones standing in this room are aware,” Brita finally opened her mouth and the mood I was in, had me wanting to slap her smile off her face.

“Oh, I'm aware. My mother leaving this pack made me more than informed of what a mate bond can do,” I added, and intended for it to be directed towards her.

“Willow,” my father warned, but I ignored him and focused back onto Dakota, who was holding on to Evan.

“It's been a year since you turned eighteen, Dakota. Isn't that long enough to know for certain that someone is your mate?” I asked her.

“We didn't know what we were feeling at first,” Dakota stumbled over her words. “We are young. We didn't understand what our wolves needed.”

“Wasn't a year lengthy enough for you both to know, though? Why couldn't you both just tell me? Why hide you being his mate for an entire year, Dakota?” I spat at her, my anger getting the best of me.

“We were just scared of you going mad, Willow. Please forgive us,” Dakota sighed. “I didn't mean to hurt you, sister.”

Yeah, I bet.

I bet the entire time you were in bed with my boyfriend, you were grinning and smiling over the fact that you could finally beat me with something.

“Oh? Or could it be because you are scared of being picked for the selection that you are making all of this up? Maybe you are just a whore who can't keep her hands to herself,” I snapped, and regretted my words because I knew my evil stepmother will make me pay for them later.

“That's enough now,” my father hissed, placed his hand on my shoulder, pulling me backwards, and pulled me away from a now sobbing Dakota.

Those crocodile tears may work on our parents, but it has never worked on me. I have heard her fake cry plenty of times over the years, and our parents were both dumb enough to fall for it.

“That's nonsense. Every wolf knows that it's the highest honor to be chosen by the Lycans. I gave you this chance instead of your sister, you should appreciate that. You are so ungrateful,” Brita cried, and acted just like her daughter.

So dramatic.

“I think you are all mistaken,” the beta finally commented in our messed up family drama. He was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, and grinning.

Well I'm glad we are entertaining, I snorted sarcastically to my wolf.

“What do you mean, beta?” My father asked and bowed his head.

“I never applied that we would only take one girl from this pack,” the beta informed my dad.

“Of course. You are welcome to pick whoever you desire. We are always happy to serve the lycans,” my stepmother added, and placed her hand on my dad's shoulder. “We can call a full pack meeting. You could meet all the eligible young ladies.”

“You are once again mistaken. You do not need to call that meeting, Brita,” the beta announced and pushed off the wall.

“Oh?” she asked, confused. “But I don't understand. Who else besides Willow will you be taking with you, beta?”

“We will be taking both Willow and Dakota with us,” he grinned, as he watched my stepmother's mouth hang open in shock.

Oh, if I wasn't so upset, I'd find this whole situation comical. Brita talked me up so much, thinking they would only take one, but jokes on her. She will lose her precious daughter.

“Oh please no,” my sister shrieked, hands covering her mouth as she pushed her face into Evan's chest and sobbed, her body rocking violently.

“What about them being mates, beta? Surely, you wouldn't want to separate them?” Brita asked, her bottom lip tripling.

“You should all be aware of our laws by now,” the beta growled, his power filling the room once more, causing my wolf to become uncomfortable. “The law states that as long as the she-wolf is not yet matted and is picked for the selection, she doesn't have a choice. She will come with us or your pack will face deadly consequences for her actions. The selection is being brought back for the unmated lycan king. We are specifically looking for Alphas daughter. Lucky this pack has two,” And you,” the beta continued, his tone becoming hard as he looked towards Evan. “I find out that you are lying about being her mate. It will be a personal insult to the lycan king and will cause your death and the death of your pack members,” the beta added, his eyes growing bright.

The glass of whiskey my father was holding fell from his fingertips and smashed against the wooden floor.

“Do you have a problem with what I said, wolf?” the beta growled, his eyes sparking with rage.

“Dakota and Willow are my only children,” my dads tells the beta before bowing his head to the side. “Dakota is very young -”

“She is of age,” the beta reminded him.

I can't believe my father. Moments ago, he was smiling proudly when Brita offered me up like a lamb to the slaughter. But now that Dakota is involved, he says something.

And of course, he mentioned my name last.

“Are you trying to show disobedience to your king, wolf?” The beta demanded to know and took a threatening step towards my father.

“No, beta,” my father rushed out.

“This selection is to potentially find a mate for our king. You should be proud of your daughters for both having a chance of being Luna to the bloodmoon pack,” the beta snarled.

Everything in the room became silenced at the beta's words. Dakota ceased crying, Brita quit complaining, and the pack members dropped the whispering.

Nobody said another word.

“Willow and Dakota, you both have two days to pack," the beta informed us, then stomped out of the room.