Proteger a un Famoso

AVELINE

"The moon goddess cannot mate you with Alpha Johan, he is too good for you!"

I raised my head to take a glance at my stepmother's face and as expected, it was there. The cold, hateful glare, the indifference, the undiluted hatred.

"You are nothing but a low-life bastard," she continued, slapping me hard across the face. "You should have never been born. Just imagine whatever made you think you could be married to the Alpha King's son!"

"But he is my mate, I felt the connection when we stood by each other."

I did not know how I found the voice, but the words were out before I realized it. And before I could take them back, another slap landed, this time on my right eye, blurring my vision.

"How dare you talk back at me!" She screeched, grabbing me by the hair and pulling me with it. "Have you lost your mind! Or do you have a death wish? You have a desire to die a miserable death, like your wretched mother, or don't you!"

I tried to respond, but a thick lump of pain had formed in my throat, rendering me voiceless and hopeless.

The kitchen floor was already soiled with the blood from the wounds I had just sustained. It would be stupid to underestimate what she would do to me next.

She would have killed me if she were opportune to and most times, I wondered what was keeping her from doing so.

Especially when I grew up listening to gossip from the pack servants that she was the one who killed my mother so that she would be able to move into our house with her illegitimate daughter.

"Now listen," Lunar Jillian said, jolting into my thoughts. "The mate bond does not work with poverty and uselessness. Your father and I have discussed it with the royal family, and they are going with my daughter instead. " she inhaled sharply before proceeding.

"Natasha will be getting married to Johan, the alpha prince. Not you. It will be advisable now for you to stay away from the prince. You know very well that it will cost me nothing to take your life and that nobody will question my decision.

"This is a call to actio. It is not an ordinary threat; it is also a warning. Your life is at stake, be careful." With those last words, she pushed me aside and stormed out.

I grew up that night. For the first time in my life, I saw things for what they were. I understood the meaning of hatred, I understood the meaning of privilege.

Understood what little power destiny has. Standing on the porch of our three-story mansion that night, I looked at the stars and cursed the moon goddess.

Every good thing I had was taken from me and despite my prayers, she could do nothing to help me. My mother, my fatherly affection, and now, my fated mate. The only man who desired me and gazed at me with love in his eyes.

As the minutes passed, the cool breeze began to penetrate my skin and tingle the fresh wounds on my face. What if I jumped? Something whispered to me, a soft dreamy voice in the wind.

I could end it all here and find peace in the clouds, and solitude in the world beyond. None of them would mourn.

At least it would be better than having to watch my step-sister marry the man I had planned a future with.

"The Silver Rain pack needed the alliance with the royal family," my father had said, "Natasha has the looks and the standard. You didn't even finish high school."

I didn't. I spent the whole of my high school and college years cooking and cleaning. I schooled with the palace maids whom I was not any different from. I was not up to par, Natasha was the standard.

I could not bring myself to jump, neither could I bring myself to hold back the tears which flooded my face as my sister and my fated mate stood across each other the next morning, gracing the moon temple.

"Is there anyone who is against this union, speak now or forever be silenced."

That was my chance. I could tell the world the truth. Natasha was not Prince Johan's mate, it was me.

My throat began to itch, Instinctively I wiped a tear that had fallen on my cheeks.