Hatred and Betrayal

Harriet Pov

The sky was bright and beautiful today as the sunset washed over and so were the daisy flowers I stared at. The soft wind brushed through my hair and I closed my eyes as I inhaled the scent.

“Thought I’ll find you here.” A masculine voice said and I turned to find my arranged mate, Alpha Vincent of the Grey moon pack. He wasn’t someone I was overly in love with but with my duties as the daughter of Alpha Braxton, I was supposed to make things work, with or without love.

“Alpha Vincent,” I said as I rose to my feet and brushed the dust which had gathered around my knees. The wind pressed against me, pushing some strands of my hair in my face. I brushed my finger hair behind my ears, it was one of the qualities that I had that made me seem less of a Braxton, I had taken after my grandmother who had ginger hair and green eyes.

“I told you to call me by my name when we’re alone Harriet.” He said calmly but I could see the setting in his jaw. My lips formed a tight smile and he reached out for me.

“Come.” He said and I obeyed walking next to him, I avoided holding his hands and kept mine behind my back as we moved side by side.

“Did you come to see my father or did you come to see me?” I asked as we moved through the paved road. I smiled at a couple of the guys who were practising on the field. 

“No-“ he muttered firmly and when I turned to him his lips spread into a smile.

“I’m here for you my love.” He added.

“Oh really?” I asked waving at people walking opposite us. 

“You sound surprised,” Vincent said.

“Usually you’re here to see my father and talk about the alliance-“ I started but my words halted as his hands grabbed my wrists firmly holding me in place. A soft gasp escaped my lips as I looked him in the eye, behind the colour laid harsh tones.

“Why are you being difficult all of a sudden?” He asked and I turned to see that we were away from eyes.

“I’m no-“

“Don’t fucking start Harriet, I hear the way you talk and I don’t like it, it’s disrespectful and I won’t take such especially from an omega.” He snarled coming into my personal space, my breathing hitched and my eyes widened in fear.

“I’m- I’m sorry,” I muttered lowly but his grip on me tightened and my brows knitted as the pain shot up through my arms. 

“What’s going on here?” My head turned in the direction of the third party. There stood my sister, Roseline. She had black hair- and black eyes just like my father. 

“Hey Roseline,” Vincent said and slipped his hands into my palms, there was nothing to do but follow his act. Roseline smiled sweetly at Vincent ignoring my gaze on her, I had my doubts about Roseline and Vincent, both of them seemed giddy and overly excited when they saw each other unlike me. 

“My mate and I were just taking a walk.” He said and I winced at the mention of mate. I didn’t like the term especially when it was with him but I was unlucky to choose what I want.

“Oh, is that so?” Roseline asked and then turned to me with a small scowl on her face. 

“Yes. Right, Harriet?” Vincent turned to me with a tight smile on his face and when I stared at his eyes, I saw what he wanted me to do. 

“Uh- Uh- yeah, we were just going out for a walk.” I lied through my teeth.

“Oh, well. Father wants to see you in his office.” Roseline said, turning her gaze back to Vincent. 

Even though I didn’t like being around my father so much, it was better to leave than stay back with Vincent. I detached my hands away from him and slowly clasped them together with a tight smile on my face.

“Well, I better get going. I’ll leave you two now.” With that, I rushed away not stopping to receive any response from them. When I reached the front lawn of the main pack house, I slowed down and closed my eyes while I sucked in a breath.

I walked up to fathers office, dreading what this could be about. 

When I reached the large oak doors, I raised my hands to hit on the door but then heard a voice coming from the other side.

“You can’t do this to her, she’s your last daughter- if you do this that means you’re selling her away to him!” It was my mother and she wasn’t happy. 

“She’s not a child Laura, she needs to grow up.” My father's voice echoed and I swallowed.

“Not like this, you’re speeding up the process. She’s not going to take it well.”

“You shouldn’t be listening in on conversations.” I whipped My head at the same time someone grabbed my hands and pulled me inside the office.

My wide eyes landed on both my father and mother who had their eyes on me. 

“She was listening in on your conversation.” My father's Beta said as he let me go and stood at attention. I swallowed, chewed on my bottom lips and rubbed my palms together.

“I didn’t- I just got here,” I muttered avoiding my father's eyes.

“Laura, excuse us,” Father said with his stern gaze still on me, my mother stared at me one last time and then she left the room, the door closed leaving me with no hope but the harsh gaze of my father on me. 

“Harriet.” He started and pushed me out of his chair, my heart started thumping out in my ears and goosebumps rose all through my body.

“Yes, Father,” I replied with my mouth dried and tongue heavy.

“Do you know why you’re the one arranged to mate Alpha Vincent?”

“Because his pack needs the backing from ours?” I answered while I played with my fingers. I stopped when Father shot me a glare.

“Who told you that?” He asked and I stared at him with confusion on my face.

“I-I- it’s the reason- that’s what you- said.” I stammered and then Father stopped right in front of me. 

“Do you hear that Tom? She says it’s because she heard me say it.” My father said to his beta who snorted and my father proceeded to laugh at me. It was dark, unfriendly and wicked. 

“Well Harriet, you’re not that special to be doing something like that.” He started and his words pierced through my heart like a knife. “Vincent was adamant about getting some of our resources and because we wanted the gold mine in his territory, the only way to get it was by giving one of you out to him. You were the one on the list.”

“You traded me for a gold mine?” The question left my mouth before I could fully process the rest of his words. 

“You act hurt, Harriet. You know better than to play the silly card with me.”

“But - I - I’m yo- I thought- I am your daughter, not a commodity!” A sharp wave of air rushed across me as solid hands slapped my cheeks. I tasted the blood before I realised what just happened, with wide eyes I cradled my hands to my cheeks. The pain was there but something more pained me and it wasn’t even physical.

“Mind your tone with the Alpha, I let the first one slide,” Tom warned and I stared at my father who was watching all of this. 

Tears welled up in my eyes and everything turned blurry before me.

“You are the most useless amongst my children, the one that is entirely different from the rest of us, you’re nothing like a Braxton and you look everything like that witch, that filthy witch of a woman that is your grandma.” He said with so much despise and hatred.

“What?” Why did Dad hate Grandma so much? “I thought you liked Mum's family?”

“Liked?” Father said with a low snort and then he raked his hands through his white hair. 

“You’re highly mistaken. Your grandma hated me too but of course, she wouldn’t let your mother know that.” He started and moved back to his large desk and paused just at the edge, his hands skimming through the materials on the table.

“She knew my true intention but I got to her before she could tell your mother- and it should stay that way. You are going away with Alpha Vincent this night-“

“What?” I opened my mouth to object and then another palm clamped against my cheek.

“Remember not to question the Alpha,” Tom said sternly and I choked back a sob.

“Leave her Tom, this is the least. She’s leaving tonight anyway.” My father said and turned back to me.

“No, I am not.” 

“It’s not a choice Harriet, it’s an order, a command, not only as your father but as the Alpha of this Pack!” His eyes glowed red and I shivered and a low cry left my wolf.

This was final. I had no say in anything and I was done for. My father was giving me off to a man just in turn for resources, he had no regard for who I was and didn’t mind me going to stay with a man who won’t hesitate to hurt me.

I retreated and dashed out of his office, no one made any move to follow me and when I climbed up the stairs to my room the tears leaked down my eyes. I stopped when I read the top and cleaned my eyes with the back of my palm. 

I walked towards my room where I stopped just when I heard the noises.

“Harriet might come any second now.” That voice, I can not miss that voice.

“I don’t care about her, I care about you. It’s you I want.” I swallowed when I heard the male voice, with all the anger in me I pushed at the door to reveal my greatest fear.

Both Vincent and Roseline were in our room, and she was straddling him with her top undone and her hair a mess. 

Vincent reached for the black lush hair of my sister and pulled her face next to him where he placed a fierce kiss against her lips.

I watched from the door, unable to move, the heaviness of betrayal dawned on me and my heart shattered over and over again.

As if they noticed that I was there, Vincent turned to me and then his mouth fell open. 

“Why are you stopping?” Roseline asked and followed his eyes. When she saw me instead of the same shocked expression Vincent had on, she sighed and rolled her eyes and made no move to move off Vincent.

“What in the hell is going o-“

“Oh don’t start now. Don’t pretend like you care about Alpha Vincent, we both know that you hate him.” She said shamelessly.

“What?” Vincent seemed surprised by this revelation but it didn’t matter to me, what mattered to me was that none of them had no regard for me.

No one in the entire pack did. Not my family, nor the man betrothed to me.

“You two-“ I started but was interrupted by the sound of the warning horns going off into the night, followed by the yelling of one of the guards.

“We’re under attack!”