Claimed by the Alpha Twins.

Jasmine's POV

I am turning eighteen today.

To everyone else, it was a day of celebration and rejoicing, but that wasn't the case for me. In fact, I had been dreading this very day.

It was the day I was going to shift into my wolf.

In the case of other wolves, on the day they turned eighteen, a loud celebration party was thrown to celebrate them becoming a full-blown wolf.

Some family members would also be around to cheer them during the shifting process to ease the shitload of pain involved in it.

I wasn't even sure my parents knew my birthdate. Heck, they didn't even know how old I was.

My twin sister, Chloe, was also turning eighteen today, and my parents had arranged a very elaborate ceremony for her, totally excluding me from it.

Today also happened to be the Pack's mate ceremony day.

The mating ball was a ceremony held by our pack once a year for every unmated wolf from eighteen years and above to find their mates.

I glanced at the crooked ancient clock on the wall. It was exactly five a.m.

I groaned as I struggled to rise from the hard floor I slept on. My bones ached terribly. I hurried towards the kitchen and began to prepare breakfast for my family.

As I did the last dish, I heard the sound of the door opening behind me. From the scent, I knew it was my mother.

I turned around and fell on my knees immediately, not daring to meet her eyes.

Experience and the multiple scars on my body had taught me so.

“Good morning, Mom.”

Slap! Slap!

Two loud slaps landed on my cheeks in quick succession.

“How many times have I told you never to address me with 'Mom,' you hag?!” she snarled, dragging me by my hair.

“I'm sorry mo—… Ma'am,” I pleaded, tasting blood on my lips from the impact of the slap.

“Let that get into your thick skull. My womb never bore an accursed thing like you.” She released my hair forcefully, making me hit my head against the kitchen cupboard.

I was glad the dishes weren't affected.

My mother glanced around the kitchen, clearly looking for more faults.

“And why is our breakfast not ready yet? Don't tell me you overslept.”

“Breakfast is nearly ready, Ma'am. All that remains is just the sauce,” I responded and held my breath, waiting for her hand to land across my cheeks.

Luckily for me, she instead glared hatefully at me and exited the kitchen.

I released a deep breath I didn't know I had been holding in.

I finished with the last phase of the cooking and began to carry the dishes towards the dining room. I found out that everyone was already up and awake, including my twin sister, Chloe.

“Good morning, sis,” I greeted in a polite tone.

“Yeah,” she muttered nonchalantly in response, her attention fully on her cellphone.

After I finished serving the meal on the dining table, I stood at the far end of the door, waiting until they were done.

Even though they were my family, I wasn't permitted to eat with them at the table.

My name is Jasmine, and I am turning eighteen today.

Both of my parents are Betas to the Alpha of our pack, the Moonshadow Pack.

For as long as I've known, my family has hated me to their core.

They treated me so badly that numerous times I have wondered if I was indeed their daughter.

The sight of me simply disgusted them.

Furthermore, they invested all their love and affection in Chloe while treating me like a common slave.

“I need a second serving. This one is not enough!” Chloe ordered in a rude tone.

“Of course, but, err… you'll have to allow me a few minutes to prepare it. In ten,” I explained.

“What do you mean by ten minutes? I want it now!” Chloe began to throw fits like a child.

“Are there no leftovers in the pot?” my mom asked, glaring at me.

I swallowed the saliva that had gathered in my mouth. “There is a little in the pot, but it is mine.”

Pa!

My mother charged the chair she had been sitting on right towards me, and it landed on my head before I could dodge because I hadn't expected it, followed by the hot coffee mug in front of her.

The coffee burned into my skin, causing blisters to form immediately.

“You filthy dog! Who gave you permission to eat from our pot?!”

“I'm sorry, Ma'am. I haven't eaten anything in the past three days,” I said in a pitiful voice, rubbing the affected part the chair had just hit.

“And so? Why don't you just die then? You are of no use to anyone anyway,” Chloe spat.

“Now get the hell out of my sight and serve the remaining portion to my daughter.”

My father was seated with them at the dining table, neither saying nor doing anything to defend me from their assaults.

“Yes, Ma'am,” I bowed and staggered towards the kitchen.

I had left that portion remaining in the pot to gain strength for the shifting process later in the day.

But now that it was going to be taken away from me, I could only hope I didn't die.

I returned to the dining room with Chloe's requested extra portion and met them in a chatting mode.

“I'm so excited about today's mating ceremony. I wonder who my mate is going to turn out to be,” Chloe gushed excitedly.

“It better be an Alpha or a person of higher ranking because that's what my daughter deserves.”

My face turned pale on hearing that, and I only managed to place the dish before her before it slipped from my hands.

But Chloe had a boyfriend… Was she planning to abandon him?

Despite my somewhat unfortunate status, I had managed to capture the heart of the soon-to-be Alpha of our pack.

His father, Alpha Derek, was the current Alpha and was going to retire in a few months and hand over to him.

Jason and I had been together for over five years now, and we were so much in love with each other.

Even when my family and every other person in the pack hated and despised me, he had shown me actual love.

It was simply because of him that I was still hanging on and hadn't ended my life yet.

We hadn't been confirmed as mates yet, but had promised each other to reject our mates when the time comes and stick with each other.

“Oh… an Alpha. I would make such a beautiful Luna,” Chloe said and snuck me an evil side glance.

My heart skipped a beat, but I managed to maintain my composure until they finished their meal.

An hour later, every one of them had left for the mating ball, leaving me behind.

They had neither invited me to come along either.

I took a cold bath and, after nursing my injuries, prepared to lay down in the storeroom that I also managed as my room when an urgent knock sounded on the door.

“Hi, baby. It's me, Jason. Open up.”