One

"You missed a spot, Emily," my older brother, Jake, said with a sneer.

I gritted my teeth and scrubbed harder, trying to ignore his taunts. It was my usual chore, even though I was the Alpha's daughter. My brothers always made sure to remind me of my place in the pack. I was like a servant in the pack house, or at least that's what my stepbrothers told me. They made me do all the chores, including the ones that the servants were supposed to do. And they abuse me, both physically and emotionally. I was like a shadow in this palace, invisible to everyone except those who wanted to use me…..

It wasn't easy being the only one in the pack who hadn't wolfed out yet. It was even harder knowing that some of the pack believed I wasn't even the legitimate daughter of our Alpha.

As I finished the last dish, I heard a commotion outside. I peeked through the window to see three Alphas approaching our pack.

They were dressed in fancy clothes and looked important. I ran over to them, taken over by curiosity.

"There she is," one of them said, pointing at me. Everyone turned to me, and I was confused. "What's going on?" I asked.

The three men in the hall argued fiercely about who was going to have me, and I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "What are you talking about?" I asked, feeling scared.

One of the men, a tall and muscular Alpha, turned to me and said, "You are getting married, my dear."

I felt like the ground was shaking beneath my feet. "Married?" I repeated, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Yes, you have been promised to different werewolf families," he explained.

I couldn't believe it. How could my step-family do this to me? How could they promise me to strangers without even asking me? I felt angry and helpless at the same time.

"But I don't want to get married," I protested. "I don't even know these werewolf families."

The three men looked at me with a mixture of amusement and annoyance. "It doesn't matter if you want to or not," one of them said.

"You are a werewolf, and you have to fulfill your duty to your pack."

I felt like crying, but I didn't want to give them the satisfaction. "What about my dreams and aspirations?" I asked. "What about my life?"

The men laughed. "You are a woman, and your only purpose in life is to serve your pack and bear children," one of them said.

I felt like screaming, but I didn't want to give them the satisfaction. Instead, I took a deep breath and said, "I am not just a woman, and I am not just a werewolf. I am a person with my own dreams and aspirations, and I refuse to be treated like a piece of property."

The three men looked at me with surprise, and I knew that I had caught them off guard. But I also knew that my fight was far from over. If I was going to have any chance of living the life that I wanted, I would have to fight for it with everything I had. And I was ready for the challenge.

I was heartbroken and felt like my father hated me. I couldn't believe he was doing this to me. I cried, but there was nothing I could do.

My family had planned my fate and decided to place me in a large mansion. Whoever won my heart would have me. It was a terrifying prospect, but I had no choice but to go along with it.

*****

I was still reeling from the shock of my father's betrayal when he came to my room to tell me about the family's plans.

"We've decided to place you in a large mansion, my dear. Three eligible Alphas will come to court you, and whoever wins your heart will have you," my father said sternly, his voice devoid of any compassion.

I looked at him in disbelief. How could he be so nonchalant about this? Did he not see the pain and heartache his actions had caused me? "But what about my feelings, Father? What if I don't want to be courted by anyone? What if I just want to be left alone?" I asked, my voice trembling with emotion.

"You don't have a choice in the matter, girl. This is your duty as the daughter of an Alpha. You will be courted by these Alphas, and you will choose one of them to be your mate," my father said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

I knew better than to try and reason with him. My father was a stubborn man, and once he made up his mind, there was no changing it.

So, I tried to reason with my own thoughts instead.

I couldn't believe that my own father would sell me out like this. It was bad enough that my brothers treated me like trash, but to know that even my father didn't want me was a crushing blow.

As the days went by, I tried to steel myself for what was to come. I knew that I couldn't show any weakness or vulnerability in front of these Alphas. I had to be strong, confident, and aloof. I had to make them work for my attention, make them think that I was the prize they had to win.

But deep down, I knew that I was just a pawn in their game. They didn't want me for who I was; they wanted me because of some arrangement between our families. And the thought of having to pretend to be interested in these Alphas, knowing that they were only there because of my father's actions, made me feel sick to my stomach.

I wished that I could just run away, disappear into the wilderness and never look back. But I knew that was impossible. I was bound by duty and tradition, and there was no escaping it.