Kayla's POV

Hopes of being loved and finding a mate danced in the air while I laid down basking in the shadow of my doubts.

I had leaned against my wall listening to Emily and her friends who had spent the whole afternoon chatting about how they had imagined the moment they would lay their eyes on their mate.

I had learnt not to dare dream of anything.

Tonight was supposedly the best night in the lives of every girl above the age of eighteen or about to turn eighteen, like Emily.

The chances of finding a mate were heightened as the shadow moon pack was hosting a party in which Werewolves from different packs in the south were expected to attend.

My wolf, Emerald, however, didn't carry my downcast mood with me but was rather pouncing in excitement at the possibilities of seeing Alpha Prince Kai Rivera, who was the academy's sports star, the oldest of the triplets.

He was every werefemale dream and sadly, my wolf was also madly in love with him.

From the way his eyes sparkle in amusement when he smiles or the way he slowly bites his lips when nervous…

His voice does crazy things to me, no matter how I try to make use of my self restraints, I still find his voice cutting through my heart and sending tremors of pleasure down to my toes.

I immediately wiped every naughty thought of him beginning to build up in my mind as the dark part of Kai Rivera filled my mind, I didn't even dare think of him romantically.

He and his brothers didn't hide their dislike for me. It wasn't a surprise to me anymore, though, although theirs hurt as they made sure to say it in my face that I wasn't worth being liked by anyone.

The only thing I longed for this night was an ordinary mate who would be nothing but loyal, that was my ticket out of his house.

But somehow I sensed that tonight was never going to end well for me.

It has always ended badly for me ever since Emily entered my home, I became the least preferred in a pack I was to rule in the near future.

Everyone preferred Emily, even my birth parents, it somehow made me doubt if at all I ever belonged here.

Living here ever since Emily was brought in became my worst nightmare.

She made sure to see that I spent every night basking in thoughts of anger, hate, and enviousness.

I'm pretty sure that was what my parents longed for, Emily as their daughter rather than me.

She was perfect.

Perfect body shape, an alluring aura fit for a queen as my mom would say, a charming smile and the most adoring facial expressions.

It made it almost impossible for anyone to hate her.

She had exiled in every way I hadn't, she was the school cheerleader, beautiful, generous and confident, and although she was the adopted daughter of her parents, she clearly fit the mold of what all werewolves imagined an alpha princess to be.

I had spent my childhood and teenage years in her shadows, I was so tired of trying to prove I was also good and part of the pack…

Not only that, but I dared not tell anyone that I saw her alluring aura as something devilish to avoid being tagged as jealous and wicked.

As that was the only way I'd explain how my sight displeased others and I was thrown down from the daughter of the Alpha to Omega in their eyes…my parents didn't care anymore, and they would rather pay attention to Emily.

Emily was allowed to do everything I wasn't allowed to do, you name it, from parties to alcohol then boys, extracurricular activities, late nights…you name it.

I have been suffocated for far too long to cause someone to run mad, and tonight was the night I escaped my hell.

“Dearest Sister” I heard Emily's high-pitched annoying voice ring out before she barged into my room.

“Oh, you can't tell me you don't have plans to go to the party?” She asked as though she cared, causing me to scoff.

“Common sis, mom asked that we go shopping…those Rivera boys would be head over heels in love with me… I mean us” she said as though she was so sure.

I didn't blame her, though, everyone favored Emily.

Just as I opened my mouth to argue, I heard mom's voice ring out from downstairs, ordering me to hurry, leaving me no room to complain.

Emily linked our arms in fake excitement before walking down with me to meet my scowling parents, who didn't seem so happy to see me.

Upon arriving at the boutique, I tagged along to them as they went store to store with their precious, waiting for Emily to pick the dress she tagged as perfect.

I couldn't help but insert an imaginary image of myself with my parents fluttering around me in delight, just like they did Emily.

“We don't have all the time to waste, Miss.” Dad's voice echoed, pulling me back to reality…the reality where I existed as the ignored and invisible daughter.

“Yes alpha”, I dared not call him dad, especially in public.

I stood up and almost immediately my eyes caught a long-train-designed designer prom dress.

The bodice was made from a thin net material, beautified using handmade embroidery.

The lower part of the dress falls until the floor level, famously called the training pattern.

No one paid attention to it like they did to Emily's dress, but rather they muttered I go try it on so we'd get over this.

I sighed and smiled through the pain that soured through me.

My reflection, however, cheered me upon seeing how perfectly the dress fit and clung to my skin.

The pink embroidered dress lifted my mood and I could feel the excitement of my wolf…it was perfect.

Upon coming out of the dressing room, I rejected it almost immediately as I could see the greed and envy light up Emily's eyes.

“Mom… That's it”.

“That's what? You like it?” She asked her with so much affection in her eyes, making my heart suddenly feel heavy.

“Yes!” We both exclaimed, while I was thrown a dirty look, Emily was given one filled with adoration.

“Not bad but no doubt that it would look much better on your sister” mom said and dad concurred almost immediately.

“Go take it off, we'd find something better for you” she added whole Emily squealed in delight before adding salt to my injury, “thanks sister, you are literally the best in the whole world”

A moment of silence passed, and I was moved to protest for the first time in my life before swallowing back my words and doing as they said.

Tears of frustration slipped out and immediately Emerald's angry voice rang in my head.

“Is there a reason you give shit about what your shitty parents say!”

“Emerald!” I scolded as I wiped my eyes angrily.

“Can't you see what she's going, manipulating everyone to pay heed to her dance tunes, and you keep falling to her feet”

“What tricks did you see her play, all I remember hearing were words from the alpha and his wife” I scolded.

“Moreover, Emily is my sister, and it's only proper to give in to her”

“Adopted a bitchy sister!” Emerald corrected before adding, “Why don't you see…”

“See what! She was Theo's last gift to the alpha before passing away, she's the pack's golden child”.

Hushing didn't seem to be working for Emerald this time around, as she seemed too motivated to stop me from giving out the dress to Emily.

“Emily has never seen you as a sister, rather you are her greatest competition”

“Doesn't matter!” Talking about this was never going to change anything as the world had always revolved around Emily and there was getting out as I knew nowhere…that was why I hoped to get a mate that would whisk me away.

“What if Kai ends up being yours?”

“What?”

“And your sister wants him, would you let him go?”

“He could never be mine, so I would rather not imagine!”

I blocked out her rants and gave the clothes to my parents before walking ahead of them.

The house wasn't far from here, and I couldn't bear trying to feign a smile while Emily squealed and expressed her delight over what was meant to be mine, so I did what I had always done in the face of Emily… I ran.