Chapter 3

The pain from my poor choices yesterday woke me up. I still can't believe how stupid I had been, letting their words get to me the way they did and

allowing my anger to take control of me. I hardly paid any attention to my

wounds yesterday. All I wanted to do was go to sleep.

I didn't bother going to my parents about what my bullies did to me. I would have just been

wasting my time going to them. I told them when I was younger about being picked on, my mum just ignored me, and dad told me not to go outside. If I stayed home, then they wouldn't be able to get to me. I've learnt over the

years to deal with my pain alone.

Going to the bathroom, I grabbed some concealer to cover my bruises as best as I could; I didn't want to leave the house looking as bad as I did.

Standing in front of the mirror, trying to hide the bruises as best as I could, a voice suddenly echoed in my mind. It was soft and familiar.

"Olivia," it

called out gently.

Startled, I looked around the empty bathroom, wondering if someone had somehow snuck in without me noticing. But no one else was there.

"Who's there?" I asked, feeling a shiver run down my spine.

"I am, your wolf," the voice replied softly.

My eyes widened in surprise. My wolf? What did that even mean?

"I don't understand," I said aloud, feeling a bit foolish talking to myself or whatever this voice was.

"Patience, Olivia," the voice replied softly. "The moon will guide you when the time is right. Trust in your instincts and listen to me. Together, we will  discover our true potential."

Excitement and confusion swirled within me as I tried to process what was happening. I couldn't contain my happiness as I rushed out of the

bathroom, eager to share this incredible news with my dad. Finally, things were going my way. As I made my way to his office,

But as I reached his office door, I heard raised voices coming from inside. Hesitating for a moment, I took a deep breath and pushed the door open.

My heart sank as I saw my parents standing on opposite sides of the room, their faces contorted with anger and frustration.

"Dad, what's going on?" I asked cautiously, trying to make sense of the tension in the room.

My father turned to me with a troubled expression. "Olivia, sit down," he said quietly, gesturing towards a chair in front of his desk.

I obeyed, feeling a knot form in my stomach as I waited for him to speak. My mother's glare bore into me, making me feel smaller than ever.

"Olivia, the council has made a decision," my father began slowly. "They

have chosen you to be the new Luna of Alpha Alexander and you will marry him."

“What?”I immediately stood up from my seat. I can’t believe what I just heard. My heart skipped quickly and my nerves were sensitive now. It’s not only because Alexander is my sister’s husband, deep in my heart, I had a dark secret that must never be known to others.

I had a feeling for him. Yes, I was stupid to admire the King, my sister’s Alpha. He saved me from a hopeless situation before when he first visited my home and from then on, I took him as my saviour but I never thought I could be together with him...especially after he married my sister...

My father's words almost made me think my secret had been exposed.

"Why me?" I blurted out, unable to hide my shock. "How can I marry my brother-in-law? It’s ridiculous!"

Ever since the misunderstanding at my sister's funeral where he thought I was trying to seduce him, he has hated me so much. How did he feel when he found out he was marrying the girl he thought was trying to seduce him at his wife's funeral? My heart trembled thinking about what he must think of me now.

My mother scoffed. "If you have any sense of shame, don't crawl into your brother-in-law's bed and steal your sister’s man."

Her words burn me, my eyes are full of tears. Why does the pain from my sister stay with me even after she's gone?

I've learned to stay away from my sister since she stopped seeing me as a sister and family member. But fate is something that the more you want to stay away from, the more it will intervene in your life. My sister’s shadow may stay with me forever

"Enough!" my father said loudly. "The decision has been made. The king needs a reason to remarry after losing his previous Luna and taking control of our mineral reserves would benefit both parties. The council sees this marriage as an opportunity for our pack to thrive under royal protection and for the king to secure valuable resources for his kingdom."

My mother's anger flared even more. "I will not allow this!" she exclaimed; her voice laced with anger.

But my father held up a hand to silence her. "It's not up to you, Helen. The mating ceremony will be held soon, and Olivia will fulfil her duty as the new Luna."

My mother's eyes narrowed at me, filled with disdain and disappointment. "You are nothing but a pawn in their game, Olivia. And he will never love you like she loved your sister." she raised her hand, slapping me hard across the face. 

A small whimper escaped my mouth as I felt the sting of her words, and my face burnt with pain from her slap. My father's face

stayed the same as it always did blank, and he remained silent.

I held back tears as I stood up from my chair, feeling a mix of emotions swirling inside me. Anger, fear, sadness, and resignation all battled for dominance within me.

"Please Dad, don't make me do this" I begged, trying to keep my voice

steady despite the raging inside me. "I don't want to become the Luna Queen and marry King Alexander."

"Olivia!" my father stared at me. "At least be a useful person for our pack this time."

I opened my mouth, wanting to say the words of rejection again, but pain swept through me. In everyone's eyes, I am a useless and worthless werewolf. I am smaller than a regular werewolf, have weaker fighting ability, and am not pretty enough... These shortcomings are infinitely magnified under the backdrop of my radiant sister. My parents hated me and ignored me because of this

My mother sneered at me before storming out of the room, leaving me alone with my father.

"Alexander has been informed of your marriage and has agreed you will be meeting with him soon". My father gave out one last word.

I turned and left the room, closing the door behind me. I rushed to my room, wanting to be alone to try and get my head around everything that was happening to me.

Once I was safely in my room, I collapsed onto my bed, my mind started to wander back to the day I first felt something for Alexander; I had been foolish and gotten into an argument with my sister,

and, like always, without even asking any questions, my mother blamed me for the argument.

I ran out of the house crying, heading for the lake where I could be alone with my thoughts. As I sat by the edge of the water, tears streaming down my face, I heard footsteps approaching me from behind, but before I could turn around and see who it was, they pushed me, making me fall into the lake. I'd never learned how to swim, so I panicked, only making things worse. I thrashed in the water, my lungs burning as I desperately tried to stay afloat.

Just when I felt like I couldn't hold on any longer, strong arms wrapped around me and pulled me to the surface.

Gasping for air, I looked up to see Alexander's concerned face hovering above me. He had jumped in after me, risking his own life to save mine. Relief flooded through me as he swam us both back to shore.

Once we were safely on land, I coughed up water and shivered from the cold. Alexander wrapped his jacket around me, his touch gentle yet

comforting.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly, worry etched in his eyes.

I shook my head, forcing the image of him to leave. He would never be that kind to me again.

Knowing that the one you loved would never love you and even hate you so much was so painful. Marrying him would not bring me happiness.