CHAPTER 1 The Unloved Daughter

　Mia's POV

"Madison," I greet my stepmother with a fake smile and gritted teeth.

"I do wish that you would call me Mother while we are in public," she says as she tips a flute to her lips and drinks champagne.

"Tell me," I whisper to Madison. "Were there no Alphas or Betas closer to my age that could have attended tonight's debacle?"

My stepmother snorts loudly. She looks out over the crowd and refuses to meet my gaze. "None that would tolerate your reputation."

"And exactly what reputation would that be?" I have to keep myself from snarling in her direction.

"No one wants used goods for a mate," my stepmother hisses at me. "Now come and meet some of our most honored guests."

The last thing that I want to do is meet anyone at this party. I looked stupid in this itchy dress and if I had to hold this fake smile for a few minutes longer, I was sure that my cheeks would fall off.

"So, you can humiliate me further. I don't think so," I hissed back at her through gritted teeth.

My stepmother heartily laughs before saying, "You did that all on your own. The dress was just an added touch."

This yellow dress against my pale skin makes me look like a bottle of mustard. Yellow is definitely not my color, but my stepmother knew this. She made sure to take advantage of every little thing to make me suffer.

I watch from the corner of my eyes and try not to let jealousy bubble to the surface as I watch my half-sister glide effortlessly through the ballroom in her custom-made royal blue gown.

'That should be me. It's not fair,' I thought trying to control my rage. She is the clear favorite of the evening but too bad for everyone here that she is already spoken for. My father and stepmother made sure to match her with one of the more eligible Alphas in the country, creating a strong alliance for our little pack.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, I shift uneasily on my feet. "I don't understand any of this Madison. Why keep up with this charade? Both my older sister and younger half-sister have already secured chosen mates from powerful packs. I don't understand why I must also be offered up like a piece of meat." I hissed at her again.

"Enough of your complaining. Go meet our guests," Madison said firmly.

Glancing around the room at my possible suitors I have to swallow the bile that rises in my throat. They are all at least forty years old and grossly overweight. I snatch a flute of champagne off the tray of a passing waiter and tilt it to my lips. But before the sweet liquid can touch my lips the flute is ripped out of my hands by none other than the witch herself.

"You don't need to drink anymore tonight," Madison hisses at me.

"I think I need to drink more," I mumble under my breath.

"Mia," Madison growls at me. "Stop causing a scene."

From the moment that Madison walked into our lives eighteen years ago, she has hated me. I was only two years old and I could tell that she treated me differently from my older sister, Jessica. From the moment that I was old enough, I was made to work with the Omegas in the kitchens. Most of the time my family pretended like I didn't exist, and I came to like it that way. It was easier than dealing with the judgemental looks of my family.

I can't help but blame my father for my mistreatment. He hasn't forgiven me for taking the life of his fated mate in childbirth. Deep down I know that he wishes she would have survived and I had been the one to die.

"Mia," my stepmother says in her fake sweet voice. "I would like you to meet Alpha Richard from the Night Moon Pack."

I look at the man standing in front of me and am sure that I cringed outwardly. How this man is still an Alpha of a pack is beyond me. He has to be in his early sixties. He has tried, unsuccessfully to hide his receding hairline with a ridiculous comb-over. A potbelly hangs over his suit that is several sizes too small. I am sure that his eyes were blue at one point but now they are a dull shade of gray.

Keeping the fake smile spread across my lips, I put on my sweetest voice. "It is very nice to meet you. But if you will excuse me, I see a friend of mine over..."

"Nonsense," Madison says with an evil smirk on her face. "You have no one more important to chat with than Alpha Richard."

She digs her fingernails into my shoulder, holding me into place. She leans down and whispers next to my ear. "Don't embarrass me," she hisses.

"Yes, Mother," I say through gritted teeth.

I stand in front of Alpha Richard and try to look anywhere but his bulbous face. Alpha Richard begins to talk about himself at great length. He begins to tell me about what a great warrior he was in his prime and how he thinks that the two of us would make a strong heir for his pack. I choke on the champagne that I have been delicately sipping on.

"Alpha Richard," I cough awkwardly. "Isn't it too early for us to be talking about children? We have only just met."

"At my age, it is never too early to start talking about pups," Alpha Richard says, giving me a little wink.

I shudder at his words and his actions. The thought of having sex with this man is horrifying and disgusting, not to mention the thought of seeing him naked makes me want to vomit.

Alpha Richard reaches out and tucks a stray hair behind my ear and I have to stop myself from physically recoiling. "You would make a lovely second chosen mate," he says, practically drooling on the floor as his eyes rake over my body.

A sudden hush falls over the ballroom and everyone is talking in quiet whispers as they look towards the back door. A tall man walks in that clearly does not fit in with my other suitors at this gala. I let my eyes wander over to him and our eyes meet from across the room. A flurry of butterflies erupts in my stomach under his watchful gaze.

Stoically he walks across the ballroom and stands next to me with his hands in his pockets. There is a look on his face that says he would rather be anywhere than here. A sentiment that I can fully support. His hazel eyes look me up and down with a hint of amusement behind them.

"Alpha Thomas," Alpha Richard says with disdain in his voice. "I am surprised to see you here after the embarrassment that you suffered at the Paxton Pack."

This Alpha Thomas does not seem to be pleased with Alpha Richard's words. In fact, he looks more annoyed to be here than he was before.

Alpha Richard gestures to me. "This is Mia Turner," he says with a sickening grin on his face. "I plan on making her my second chosen mate."

My eyes grow wide and I do the first thing that comes to my mind. I spin around a grab Alpha Thomas by the back of his head, pulling him down to my level. "I am sorry," I whisper before I press my lips against his own.

At first, he is shocked by my kiss and doesn't react. Then he wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me in closer. His tongue runs along my bottom lip, begging for entry but I don't give it to him. Breaking away from the kiss, I wipe my lips and turn back to Alpha Richard.

"I am sorry," I tell Alpha Richard with a smile on my face. "But I am afraid that Alpha Thomas is the best suitor here for me."

"Your mother will hear about this," Alpha Richard scoffs as he storms away.