Chapter 4: The Smiling Betrayer

~Ioana~

The door creaked open.

"Dad, Mom, what’s going on?" Gabrielle came out. Her blonde hair seemed to turn golden under the porch light, glimmering as she moved, her eyes wide—the perfect blend of beauty and innocence.

The pattering of her footsteps broke the atmosphere, the tension dissipated like smoke in the window.

From the ground I sat on, my mind numb, I watched.

The stern-faced elder who spat at me broke into a doting chuckle, denying, "No, there’s nothing going on here at all. We are already done."

My icy and unfeeling father wrapped an arm over her covered shoulders, pulling her closer. "Be careful of the cold."

My uncaring mother pushed her in hurriedly. "What are you doing outside, honey?"

Gabrielle pouted, drawing her thick woolen cloth slipping over her shoulders, looping her arms with both Mother and Father, resting in each for a second before switching to the other. "No…" she whined. "You’ve been out for a long time. I’m really worried."

"What’s taking so long? Let’s go in." The chilly wind blew. My hands wrapped around myself. The chill wasn’t just in raising goosebumps on my skin but also freezing my heart.

While they gathered over her, I sat battered on the floor, my clothes smeared with dirt and sand. My body ached from the beating I got before, my muscles were sore. Without having to look, I already knew that some parts of my skin were forming an ugly bluish-purple bruise, which stung with the slightest pull.

But no one looked at me—not even a glance. Their eyes were all on her. I had always known that I was a stranger, an intruder in their perfect family, the stain. But nothing stung—nothing hurt—like this realization.

And Gabrielle knew it.

I have always been a stranger.

The corners of her lips pulled up into a smirk—that devilish and mischievous one I had grown to fear—but this time it was mixed with triumph and disdain.

She fluttered her long lashes, her fingers gripping the coat. "Yes, Mom, Dad, Elder Markin. I’ll be going inside now. You guys should come in soon." She pulled up the coat over her shoulders, spinning on her heels. But at that moment, her hair moved away from her shoulders, giving me a view that shook my world.

Because on her neck was a suspicious mark—red and swollen—sitting so proudly on her neck was a hickey. Tears welled up in my eyes. My heart contracted painfully. I gasped, doubling over. I thought I was over it. I thought I could accept everything happening. But I just realized that I couldn’t.

I shook my head from side to side. I couldn’t understand. Gabrielle shot one more look at me, her mouth curled into a smug smile. No one witnessed it but me.

'It could be someone else, right? Gabrielle has always been loved in the pack.' I tried to delude myself into believing it.

Just then, for the second time, someone came out from the house. "Gabrielle, where have you been? The bed is growing cold waiting for you, darlin—"

He froze upon seeing me.

it was—

"Ramon?" I whispered that name in disbelief. He adjusted his collar, buttoning up his shirt, but not before I glimpsed a red suspicious mark—a scratch mark on his neck.

The mark was just too glaring. 'Was he— were they… in the house?' 'Where dad and mum aware of it? So all this time… they knew about Ramon and Gabrielle but kept it silent from me. I was the fool all along'

'I wouldn’t cry—no, I can’t. Not in front of them. I pushed myself up. Ramon wrinkled his nose in disgust. Walking up to Gabrielle, he pulled her behind him protectively, glaring at me with impatience.

I won’t shed tears.

But a drop fell, trailing down my cheek. I wiped it away, smearing dirt on my skin.

He gave me a cold look, like I was a stranger, like the numerous nights under the moon and stars whispering to each other were false, like the butterfly kisses he placed on my lips never happened.

Like it was all a dream. But it wasn’t. I fisted my hands, hiding the tremble behind me. I was sure of it—my heart was too.

Gabrielle came out from behind him.

"Be careful, Gabrielle. I don’t want you to get hurt." He held Gabrielle’s hand, bringing it to his lips, delivering a kiss on it like a treasure.

My breath lightened. Was it all fake—everything? Was it a game? Some sick twisted joke?

Because it made no sense—just yesterday, we sneaked away off to our little paradise, and together he looked at another woman in a way he had never done with me.

"It’s okay…" Gabrielle beamed, her smile like the sun—so blinding. "I don’t believe that my sister will hurt me."

"I know you’ve always been tolerant, but not everyone can be trusted. She’s clearly showcasing rabid signs. Remember today," Ramon stepped forward, his hands reaching out to Gabrielle, treating me as dust.

His words brought another round of stares my way, sharpening in vigilance, as if I was a timebomb.

But Gabrielle still took another step forward. The stark difference was clear.

She was the sun—her olive skin formed from freedom, her eyes sparkled with a confidence I’d never had—and I was like the vermin she graced her presence to: sickly pale and cowardly.

"Ioana, in fact, don’t blame them. It’s for your own good. If you stay here, it won’t do you any good."

She stepped forward.

"Honey, don’t—"

My mother stopped her. Gabrielle turned, flashing her a wide smile.

It was only then Ramon moved. He shot me a glare—a warning.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. Was this what they thought of me? Under everyone’s stare?

Gabrielle stopped. Her perfume stung my nostrils, her breath close enough that I could feel it on my skin. Her eyes narrowed, losing the innocence she loved to display. They turned harsh and venomous.

"Baby Ioana," she cooed. Her freshly manicured hands latched onto my arm, her nails digging so deep it drew beads of blood.

"Acting so strong and tough on the outside when we both know what you truly are—pathetic," she spat, her words dripping with malice. "Just give up. You never won in the first place and you can never win. What the Alpha needs is a strong wolf to be his Luna—oh, I forgot someone doesn’t even have one." Ending her words with a taunt.

"You can never have a place here—"

Suddenly she recoiled sharply away from me, her eyes widened, tears falling like pearls from her eyes. "Ouch!"

"Gabrielle!" Mother yelled, ripping Gabrielle away from me, pain shooting up my arm.

"What is it?" Mother’s frantic questioning came from the side.

"It’s nothing, Mother," Gabrielle’s head lowered, clutching at her arm.

"What’s that?" Ramon asked, drawing everyone’s attention—including mine. It’s then I noticed at some point, a red mark was on her arm.

Mother snatched her arm, revealing it to everyone.

"It looks like a pinch mark," Ramon analyzed. The area of the mark was swollen and red.

Before I could realize what happened, my father stepped forward. "It’s you! An evil girl! Did you injure your sister?" His chest heaved in anger.

"I didn’t—" When I tried explaining, what greeted me was a harsh slap. My head snapped to the side, blood filling my mouth.

"I should have strangled you when you were born! I’ve said it before—she’s not normal!" Father turned to the elder, who was still watching everything take place indifferently. As I cradled my cheek, the place Gabrielle pinched me till blood came out was on full display—but they all turned a blind eye to it.

Mother shook her head. "I’m so disappointed in you, Ioana. This isn’t how I trained you—to be so vengeful, framing your own sister even after you pinched her."

Father, on the other hand, plastered a smile on his lips. "Thank you, Elder. If not for you, we might never have known she was such a petty girl, harming her sister just for this. I have failed in raising her and allowed such a sight to stain your eyes."

"It’s alright, Beta Blackmoon. Children, after all, are born with inherent personalities—there’s nothing you can do—much less a person who has been cursed without a wolf by Selenara."

"Yes, yes, you’re right. I’ll send her right away."

And like that, my fate was sealed.

I barely caught the bag that slammed into me, knocking the wind out of my lungs.

"Take this," Mother said, tossing my bag to me. "We’ve had enough of you." Her words hurt me more than anyone else. Stunned, my mouth opened and closed.

It was then I clearly saw it—for the first time—the division I never wanted to acknowledge.

They were a family—a loving pair of parents, respected Beta couple in the pack, their perfect daughter, and the Alpha’s son, Ramon, as their soon-to-be son-in-law.

I was the only oddity, the stain in their prestige.

Hidden behind them once again, Gabrielle mouthed, "I told you so."

That’s when it hit me—all this was nothing but a show acted by her to show me I never belonged in the first place.

I let out a self-depreciating laugh. It was gallow and empty.

Without a word, I picked up my bag, my expression blank, and walked towards the forest, ignoring their stunned expressions.

Were they expecting me to struggle? To continue fighting?

Wasn’t I banished? Well, that place wasn’t my home anyway.