Leilani.
"Attention everyone!" My father's loud voice boomed through the still air of the heavily decorated hall, forcing everyone's attention to the front of the room where he stood looking sharp in his navy blue Armani suit, with a wine glass in hand and a smile on his face.
And then he delivered the blow;
"On this special day, I'd love to announce the engagement between my favorite person in the whole wide world. My golden girl, my only daughter, Chalice Blackthorne, and the future Alphas, Kael, Caelum and Zevran Stormborn!"
I froze. My heart stopped. Like literally stopped beating as subtle ringing began to sound in my ears.
The crowd erupted into wild cheering at his words but I didn't miss the subtle jeers. The snorts and the pitiful looks that some of our pack members threw at me.
He'd just called Chalice, my twin, his only daughter. In. Front. Of. Everyone.
He'd just made the world see how unimportant I was to him, and that was the most embarrassment I've ever received.
This was nothing like the times he'd hit me in the past. Or the times he and every member of the house had taken Chalice's side when she was wrong. This wasn't like how it felt when he made me a slave in his house… and even gave his employees the authority to bully me.
This was different.
This was him putting me in my place— even though I've always known my place since I was six.
I was 6 when it dawned on me that I was the defective twin with wild blonde hair and purple eyes while every other member of my family was auburn and spotting blue eyes.
I was 12 when I finally understood the meaning of a 'crush', and maybe I was foolish, but at that young age, I knew I liked our Alpha's triplet sons a little too much.
I liked the way their dark hairs gleamed in the sun. The way their dimples deepened whenever they smiled— even though they never smiled at me. I knew I liked the way they looked at me a second too long.
And I knew that they liked me too— I could feel it.
Until my twin, Chalice read my diary. She found out about my crush on them, and for that, due to her overwhelming desire to have everything that was supposedly mine, she befriended them.
I wasn't so surprised though when they clung to her like everyone else did; but that didn't take away the fact that it hurt me like a bitch. I also wouldn't lie that it didn't hurt when they never dared look at me because they adored my sister.
But that's besides the case.
I was 16 when Chalice shifted for the first time, and of course, I didn't.
And at age 18, when I still wouldn't shift, I was known to be defective. Weak. The curse. A stain to my family's very porcelain reputation.
And my father, the power hungry Beta, absolute-fuckingly abhorred me for it.
So now, was this his way of repaying me? For hurting me even more than he's done in the past?
Everyone in the pack knew how much I doted on the triplets. Even my family knew that.
So what was this?
Why is he announcing their engagement to my twin… and acting like I don't even exist?
Why does he hate me so much?
First came the pain… the hurt. And then there was rage.
The blood in my ears rushed loudly, dulling all sounds into nothing but white noise. Tears blurred my vision, making it hard for me to see anything; but despite my aching heart and my trembling limbs, I managed to stand tall, even though the snickers around me were growing louder.
Even though the paparazzi wouldn't stop taking my pictures.
Then as if to mess up my already messed up life, the triplet Alphas waltzed into the party just then. They were all lovey dovey with my sister, brandishing gifts for only her, even though it was clearly our birthday.
They treated her like she was a rare gem, a piece of porcelain. Like she was the very air that they breathed.
Until Kael stopped and took in a very deep breath.
The hall stilled. Everyone froze in fear.
Zevran did the same shortly afterwards, followed by Caelum.
My heart thundered in my chest as I watched them prance around the hall like mad men, sniffing at giggling young girls— I knew what this was. I could feel it in their crazed expressions— and only stopping before me;
And then like something out of a horror movie, their eyes suddenly went dark.
"Mate!" They moaned so loud that everyone gasped. To top it all, Zevran leaned in, brushing his nose against the shell of my ear as he took in a lungful of breaths.
"Mate…" he whispered again, his voice soft, almost seductive.
I closed my eyes tightly as goosebumps spread over my skin, willing my raging heartbeat to calm. Willing myself to be able to speak. But no, none of that happened. And I can swear that I literally stopped breathing.
"No!" Caelum growled. "Not the wolfless curse. We should reject her."
His words, so carelessly said, shredded whatever was left of my tattered dignity. I staggered back, my breath hitching in my chest as more tears sprung free. And when I fell to the floor, no one tried to help me. No one cared. They all just stood above me, sneering down at me like I was some stain.
"I— I…"
"Save it!" Now, it was Kael who spoke. "I do not wish to hear more words from you, scum. Stay away and do not ruin Chalice's party… and later, we'll do something about that pesky mate bond!"
My tears ran freely now. They hated me. They despised me. But why…?
Chalice was the first person amongst the audience to snap out of the momentary surprise, she weaved her way through the crowd, lodged herself between them and cried; "Kael, Caelum, Zevran? What are you saying?!"
Zevran looked conflicted. His eyes darted between Chalice and I occasionally before he said; "She's our…mate. I feel the mate bond with—"
"With me!" Chalice snarled sweetly— if that's even a thing. "I am your only mate, remember. You guys promised me!"
"Yes, we did." Kael affirmed. "…and for that reason, no reject can take your place. You're ours as we are yours."
No reject can take her place…
I was the reject.
Their words lanced through my chest, breaking whatever piece was left of my heart. I literally had to grip on the rug to hold myself from lashing out, from crying out. I doubled over as the pain in my chest intensified.
My heart grew heavy. My chest tight, especially when Chalice leaned closer, her eyes gleaming with malicious intent. She drawled; "I know you did something to them… to make them think you're mates, but I swear to the goddess, I'll ruin it, and I'll ruin you."
The laugh that slipped out of my lips just then was dripping with sarcasm… and pain. So much pain. I shook my head even as my tears fell, and rasped out; "Who needs dumbos like them anyway? You can have them."
I saw Chalice's face fall, but she quickly composed herself. She snarled; "The same dumbos you've loved all your life."
And that was true. That was painfully true.
And then dropping her voice until it was a whisper, she leaned back towards the triplets and drawled, "…my stomach hurts. I think I am going to be sick from arguing so much with Leilani."
The triplets turned to glare at me, but just like they were in a trance, their gazes softened when they turned back to her. They behaved like they were charmed, their very perfect smiles returning to their faces; the fussing over her returning.
"Ignore this." Caelum spat. He didn't even have the decency to refer to me by my name.
I guess he doesn't even know my name.
Growing up, I hoped that even though I never got my wolf, that I would find my mate. And I hoped that whoever it was would be my ticket out of this miserable life. But I was wrong.
I was wrong because the Alpha's triplets were my mates— the three men wrapped around my sister's little finger.
And I knew I was wrong when I saw the look in their eyes.
Disgust.
I watched as they led Leilani away from me, not even caring about the sorry state I was in, their eyes occasionally darting back to me as if in a bid to keep me in check.
The party resumed. Everyone went back to what they were doing, but I couldn't. I could never. Especially since the alphas wouldn't stop drilling holes into my skin with their eyes.
Especially since their rejection still stung, still felt fresh.
They didn't reject me. They didn't acknowledge me. And they never spoke to me again after that day.