chapter 1

Chapter 1

Rosalie

The garlic bread suddenly started to feel weird in my mouth. I was sure though that the problem wasn't with the meal itself, but with this devil who wouldn't stop running her mouth. Family dinners are already a chore on its own as it always drains the life out of me, but listening to Daphne’s rantings makes it more unbearable than it should be.

Everyone turned all of their attention to the favoured child as she talks about her date with Derek, the new heir to the Alpha Seat for the Blood moon Pack. 

I scoffed inwardly.

It was only Daphne that would brag about a ridiculous date that involved shifting into a fury animal and running through the wild in the name of so-called hunting. I prefer to just have some food and call it a night, something my wolf, Lia, would never agree to, not like I talk to her much anyways, but I guess that was one of the reasons why I was seen as different.

 

Kal Orestev, a well respected elder of the Alpha's council. A position which he supposedly attained through hard work and sheer will. My very own father. Well, he was a failure of a father, or maybe I was the failure myself. Nowadays, I just couldn't tell anymore.

He offered Daphne a smile after hearing how much Derek seemed to be enamored with her after the 'date' ended. "You sure have done me proud, child.” His usually cold voice had a tinge of warmth as he spoke.

He raised a glass. “To a blessed union between Daphne and Derek, and to the progress it will bring to our pack and our family. Cheers!!!”

His glass clinked against my beaming mother's who was also acting like I wasn’t present at the table. 

This was just like every other day for me so I tuned them out as I stared off into space. Being ignored, being the extra person and being treated like I didn’t even exist in my own family. That was my life.

My life wasn’t always like this though. I was loved up until I was fifteen.  Everything just changed because I didn't show any signs of getting myself a powerful wolf once I crossed thirteen.

Werewolves have two different stages where they come into their wolves. One is when we turn thirteen, the bridge year, where we start to show some attributes of the type of wolf you would have. The signs are minimal but they are enough for veterans to tell what kind of wolf you would have eventually. Be it the lowest rank, which is an omega or a Lycan, the highest and rarest one can get, one would have an inkling once a wolf turns thirteen.

Second, is when you finally come of age at eighteen and are finally bestowed with your wolf. That is also when you are able to shift and identify who is your mate.

I was different and I still am.

I didn't exhibit any symptoms by age thirteen like all my peers. My parents held on to hope thinking that I was a late bloomer but by the time I turned fifteen, they buried it and moved on. I totally faded into the shadows especially when my sister Daphne exhibited traits of a Beta and eventually became one. As an added bonus, the mate she found happened to be the heir to the Alpha Seat.

Hurray for her!!! 

My whole life began to seem like I was an extra in Daphne’s movie.

Especially after my eighteenth birthday which ended with even more disaster as I didn't manifest as a Beta or Alpha but as a 'measly' omega, like my father put it.

“Rosalie!!!” My mother’s call jerked me from my thoughts.

She must have called out to me quite a number of times as the sharp gazes of everyone at the table seemed to pierce into my skin. Well except my father though as I seemed to be so much of a vermin to him that he wouldn't even care to spare me a look. 

I turned to my mother, unwilling to give her a verbal response which she thankfully and surprisingly didn't nag about. Probably due to being so happy about Daphne's successful love life.

"Where is your mind, girl? I was asking you what you have been up to.” 

“Probably being a joke, like the loser she is”. Damien interrupted, while the remaining devils laughed along to his dry joke.

"Silence!" My mother chided and they all stopped but I didn't thank her nor feel grateful because I knew she only did that as she loved her children maintaining order at the table not because they were wrong.

I hesitated as I deliberated whether to answer or not as I knew what would come after. “ Nothing much”, I eventually said, trying to keep things vague.

I hoped she would take that and move on but she didn't as she kept urging me to enunciate with her eyes. 

Heavens! I knew I would regret this.

“Just, some applications to a few medical schools and um-”

With his fist wrapped around his fork, my father smacked his hand on the table interrupting me and sending me jumping with a start. Seeing my reaction, the three devils decided that it was time to laugh and mock me but one stern gaze from Kal Orestev has them shutting up almost immediately.

I would have laughed at them but I wasn't in that much of a good situation either. 

I knew what was coming before it even left his mouth. "What did you just say, girl? A medical school??? You want to be a healer?? You are still thinking about such rubbish??" He immediately released a terrifying aura that made my throat dry up and my heart constrict in fear.

Being a Healer and saving lives would probably be a good and pride filled job in any other family but it most definitely wasn't in mine.

You see, I come from a long line of powerful wolves who have either become fighters or entered the council to make decisions alongside the Alpha. Even the women have gone on to be powerful Lunas who backed their Alpha's up valiantly. 

To my father, for me to say that I want to be an 'ordinary' healer was a 'stain on his reputation', as he put it many times before. He claimed that I was trying to be the black sheep of the family. Not like I wasn't already.

I was meant to be Rosalie Orestev, warrior and future Luna to a powerful pack Alpha not Rosalie Orestev, ordinary healer.

The whole room was deathly still as a thick air of gloominess hung over us.

Even Damien, Daphne and Zack, my siblings who by the way are the three devils I keep referring to also had a serious look on their faces. Well, I don't find it surprising since I myself had my heart beating on overdrive due to fear.

My mother, feeling the tense atmosphere gently placed her hands on top of his in an attempt to calm him and thankfully, it worked.

He let out a sigh, all the intense aura slowly fading with it.

“You continue to disgrace me, Rosalie. You continue to disgrace this family. First you manifested a runt of a wolf rank and then now you claim to want to take on a disgraceful profession.” I wanted to interject and defend myself but I knew better than to. " It makes me wonder sometimes if you are even our blood."

"Kal!!" My mother immediately interrupted but that didn't stop the hurt that shot through me. I always knew that he saw me as a failure but for him to say it still broke me.

I could feel tears welling up in my eyes but I refused to let any fall. I refuse to show him how much his words hurt me. He wasn't allowed to see that he affected me. Never.

"No, Diana! I have to tell her the truth because I'm tired. Her existence had brought this family nothing but shame but I still let her live and still yet she still wants to disgrace me even more." He paused trying to calm his voice while I dug my fingernails into my skin to keep me from bursting into tears.

"Well all that nonsense does not matter anymore anyways. Soon, you won't be my problem anymore." He finished before he went back to eating. 

I froze. 

What did he mean by I won't be his problem anymore?

I looked around for answers but I noticed that aside from Daphne who was sending a smug smile my way as well as dirty looks, everyone else had gone back to eating and ignoring me like I never existed.

“What do you mean? What’s going on?” I inquired, but my questions fell on deaf ears as he continued his meal like I didn't just talk.

I turned to my mother. “Mom? Answer me, what does he mean by that?”

She hesitated at first but eventually started talking. “Even with your shortcomings, we talked and I believe we’ve finally come up with a way for you to finally live up to the Orestev name”.

I most definitely do not like where this is going. My mind was already going through the horrors they might make me face and I couldn't help but let out a shudder.

“A marriage” 

“A what??” I unconsciously yelled out unsure if I heard her right.

I already felt sick at the thought of where this was going but what she said after immediately sent bile running up my throat. “You are gonna be married to Nathaniel Hawthorne, the former heir to the Alpha seat.”

My brain immediately broke down. My hand started trembling slightly as I tried desperately to remember who Nathaniel Hawthorne was.

Daphne, ever the crazy bitch decided to remind me. She laughed mockingly. “Nathaniel Hawthorne? Isn't that my crippled ex?" That was when it clicked and I remembered who he was.

Nathaniel Hawthorne was the heir to the Alpha seat as well as Daphne's Lycan boyfriend, at least until he had an encounter with rogues that left him so injured that he became crippled leading Daphne onto ghosting him for Damien as soon as she found out she was mated to him.

And here I was being told that I was going to be married to him???

Unable to hold it in, I stood up abruptly ignoring my mother's nag about manners and ran to my room where I vomited everything I had for dinner in the sink while tears ran down my eyes.