Sabotaged

Raine's eyes narrowed into slits as she watched her sister advance towards them. Jealousy brimmed in Bellona's eyes, and Raine could feel the heat behind them.

She walked up to the attendants and subtly pushed them aside. Then, she ran her hands down Raine's hair, sifting through the silky curls and weighing the new look.

"You have such beautiful hair." Bellona complimented. Her voice was filled with awe and reverence. Her eyes were glued to the strands of hair in her hand.

Raine watched her with guarded eyes, but slowly, her suspicions fell away. She let herself feel the love and bond that should be shared between sisters. Bellona smiled at her and sat at the foot of the bed.

"I'll just sit quietly and watch you get ready."

The head attendant raised a brow at Raine asking for her permission. Raine gave her a nod and they continued with the preparation.

"You should go into the bathroom and change into your dress." The stylist advised. Raine took a deep breath and got up. Bellona gasped at the sight of the dress.

"It's beautiful." She complimented.

"Thank you. I'll just go get ready." Raine took the dress and disappeared behind the closed door. She stared at the dress and thought of what it symbolized.

Purity and holiness.

She didn't know if she was any of those two things. But her father had gone to such lengths to keep her out of the fun. She made up her mind to have fun even in the fancy prison that had been designed for her.

Raine took off the robe and donned a piece of lingerie that the attendants picked out for her. She bit her lip as she looked down at herself. She has never worn anything as fancy as that.

The dress proved to be a problem. She tried getting it on and zipping it up countless times but her efforts proved futile. She huffed in frustration and gently picked it up to avoid creasing it. Then, she wrapped herself in the bathrobe and stepped out of the bathroom.

All eyes swiveled to look at her. Their faces morphed from curiosity to confusion and then to plain annoyance.

'Is something wrong with the dress?" The homely-looking woman asked.

Raine bit her lip feeling embarrassed.

"Don't do that." The makeup artist chided. "Now I'll have to redo your lips." She grumbled.

"Sorry," Raine apologized meekly. "I couldn't get the dress on. I thought you guys could help me."

"Of course, child." She took the dress out of her hand.

"Come." She called. Raine looked at her and went forward. The sight of the dress made her swoon again. No other beauty in the world would ever come close to the magnificence of that white lace dress.

The wolf smiled kindly again and beckoned to her. Raine went to her pulling the bathrobe off her body. She gently helped her into the dress and zipped her up. Then she ran her hands down her curves to smoothen out some invisible creases. She took a step back and the entire room stilled.

“It was made for you,” the wolf said. "I've never seen a more beautiful moon in my entire existence as a temple attendant. Even the high priestess doesn't come close."

"Don't say that out loud, Mina. That's blasphemy. But, you look stunning, Raine.

So, the wolf's name was Mina. Raine thought. She never bothered to ask them to introduce themselves. There was no point in knowing them if there were no chances of seeing them again.

She turned back to the mirror again to see the dress hugging her in all the right places. She couldn’t believe she was the same girl. She looked powerful, like a goddess. And, she felt powerful. Her eyes popped with so many emotions. The feelings swirling through them seemed to create an aura of mystery around her.

Mina presented her with a pair of silver Jimmy Choos heels to complete the look.

Raine's eyes widened at the sight. They looked like a pair of ladders and she didn't know how she would be expected to walk in those.

"That looks like a death trap." She muttered during the shoes with disdain. Mina laughed and gently lowered her onto a seat.

"They're very comfortable. I promise. I'll just help you to get it on." She squatted in front of Raine and helped her into the shoes. The glossed white polish on her toenails became accentuated by the silver heels. Raine turned her feet from side to side admiring the look.

"Now, for the finishing touches," The stylist opened a jewelry box and revealed a pair of silver-colored crescent-shaped earrings. The hoops stole Raine's breath. But the main attraction lay in the full moon-shaped necklace that went with the hoops.

"Alpha Nikolai gifted this to the pack. He thought it would be a great idea for the moon to wear them."

"They're beautiful." Bellona chirped.

Raine had almost forgotten her presence in the room. She still couldn't fathom the expressions on Bellona's face, but she refused to get herself in a twist over them.

"Now, you are ready," Mina announced gleefully.

"The feast is waiting.” She reminded Raine. It was already sundown and Raine could hear the sound of drums as everyone got ready to welcome the procession. She nodded and allowed them to lead her out of the house.

"Wait," Bellona called. They halted and turned to her.

"Can I hug you? I know it might sound odd, but seeing you in this position has made me think back on my callous ways. Atty was right and I should have accepted you. None of this was your fault. I'm sorry, Raine. Do you forgive me?"

Tears shone in Bellona's eyes. Raine didn't know what to make of her apology. All her life, she has longed to be accepted and loved by her own family. Her defect and illegitimacy made it impossible.

Hearing the compression and apology from Bellona should have lifted her spirits. But why did she feel like there was an impending doom awaiting her?

Everyone stared at them waiting for Raine's reaction. She nodded once and Bellona stepped into her for an embrace. Her arms felt cold and empty but Raine didn't push her away.

"You look beautiful," Bellona said again running her hands through the silver necklace.

"Go on." She ushered her out.

Raine stepped through the bar and found her family gathered by the front door, waiting. Their scowls mirrored each other. Even Atticus looked like he couldn't believe his eyes.

Dad came closer and engulfed her in a hug. Her heart swelled at his public display of affection. Maybe things were fixing to change for her after all.

“You don’t deserve to play this role,” he whispered. “Belly would have been a more suitable option.”

Raine's confidence evaporated at his words and she felt herself shrink further away from humanity.

Tears burned in her eyes, and she struggled to hold them in.

She was now wary of letting Shania hug her, but her father’s words had taken the fight out of her. Shania touched my dress delicately, envy blazing in her eyes. But before she could say anything, Mina ushered her out, leaving the rest of the family to follow.

She glanced at Atticus briefly and he gave her a genuine smile. She smiled back and walked out onto the porch. Mina stopped her before she could take another step.

“Wait! You can’t step onto the bare ground. The moon goddess’s place is in the heavens. It is a bad omen if you touch the ground.” She declared.

“Oh.” Raine withdrew her leg and stood on the wooden panel laid out on the floor of the porch.

“Your carriage is here.”

Beta wolves approached, carrying a throne with them. It had the Luna’s symbol on it and Raine shivered at the sight. Her body was drawn to the sight as though they shared some sort of connection. They lifted her onto the chair and proceeded to carry her into the square.

Everyone was present, and the procession began. Her father sat in his high chair with his enforcers holding him up. Next to him was someone she didn't know but suspected to be Alpha Nikolai.

He sighted her and smiled. His eyes roamed over her appearance and she could feel the appreciation dancing in them.

Even though she couldn't see him quite clearly, she blushed under his stare and glanced away. Her father gestured for the betas carrying her to precede them.

The procession went into full swing and the women sang in their ancient tongues. Raine felt high from the beauty of it all. Her eyes swept over the crowd. She didn’t miss it when Mina smiled at her. This time, there was no kindness in her eyes. The smile was pure evil.

Her eyes widened as Mina stuck out her foot in front of one beta. The throne she was on tipped to one side and Raine lost her balance. She fell out of the chair and went sprawling all over the floor.