It Started With a Bet

Lady Tina grabbed my hair and pulled my head back. I shouted as pain radiated through me. Goodness, it hurt so much. I tried holding her hands to soothe the pain but she only pulled harder and it felt like she was pulling my hair from my scalp one after the other.

“Stop, please,” I begged, tears running down both sides of my eyes.

“Didn’t I warn you? I told you to never wash the dirty linen with the washing machine. Do you want to infect my clothing!” She tugged at my hair, increasing the pressure of her hands around my hair. Goodness, it hurt so much.

“I am sorry,” I begged, sobbing hard.

“Your father pees and poos all over the bed linen yet you wash it in the same washing machine I use for my clothes. Are you crazy?” She slapped my face, letting go of my hair and I fell to the floor.

“It's cause I am late for school, I am sorry.” I quickly fell to my knees, begging her so she would let me go.

“You are stupid. Stupid is what you are. You make excuses for your laziness. The next time you do this Lana, I won't take it easy with you!” She spat before turning around and heading for the door.

“And you should come back from school earlier, we are going to be having a visitor. Okay?” She glanced at me and I quickly nodded.

Once she was gone, I sighed and sat well on the floor. Tears ran down both sides of my cheeks but I wiped it quickly. Time was far spent and I would be late for the second class, The Professor already hates me.

I rushed to my dad’s room with his breakfast. As usual, Dad was seated on the bed, looking into space. He usually said nothing. Dad hasn't said a word since he got into this accident which incapacitated him. The doctor never said that he couldn't speak though.

“Dad,” I called.

He ignored me. He had always ignored me. Yet, when he looked at me, he glared at me. He hated me, I knew. Mom died while birthing me, and he had always told me it was because of that he married Lady Tina. If only I hadn't been born, he would still have his mate.

The day father got into an accident, he was searching for me. I had left home because I couldn't take the hatred from them anymore. I was planning to get killed by a rogue or something heinous.

This was why he hated me. Still, I had to take care of him, he was my father. I fed him before going to the kitchen to clear the dishes. By the time I was done and ready for school, time was already far spent.

‘Lana?’ I heard the voice in my head.

I ignored it since I was in a rush to get on the bus. This was the last bus to the college and if I didn't get in, I would have to walk to school.

“Don’t sit next to me!” An old woman called out when I was going to sit. She rolled her milky eyes before placing her bag on the seat I was going to sit on.

I smiled and nodded, taking the standing position. Lady Tina wasn't the only one who hated me. Everyone who knew my story in the pack did. My father was the Beta, hence everyone knew. Everyone hated me for bringing bad luck to my family.

They had said, my parents were a happy and romantic couple before I came. The pictures in our storage room were evidence.

Finally, I got to school during the second period.

‘Lana!’

I rushed down the hallway, my heart pounding crazily in my chest. I was in deep shit. Mr. Alexander would probably deduct several marks from my already low grades. Pressing my head against the classroom door, I saw him writing on the board, backing the students.

Hmm, something smells good.

Since he was backing the students, I decided to crawl into the class, this way he wouldn't notice me because the podium on which he stood was tall. Hopefully, my coursemates wouldn't tell on me. I was invincible to them anyway.

‘If they do, I will break their neck!’

Wow, did I just say that? I ignored the thought and set to crawl into the class. On my fours, I opened the door and started to crawl toward the back.

Goodness, what was the delicious smell? It invaded my nostrils and made my mouth water.

At some point, I forgot I was crawling and turned in the direction the scent was coming from. Why did it smell this good? When I turned, I saw Professor Alexander staring at me with pinched brows. The scent was coming from him.

‘Mate!’ The voice sounded in my head, this time I was able to differentiate it.

‘Lana, it's our mate!’

No. How could he be our mate?

What was happening? Why was he staring at me like that? I stared back into his eyes, realizing he had gorgeous sapphire eyes that glinted with silver. They were gorgeous. Goodness, he was handsome. What the hell? What the hell was I thinking?! This was Mr Alexander Roland. How could I think about him like this?

‘Alexander? Hm, I love his first name.’ The voice boomed in my head again, a sultry one. That Wasn't mine. Even my subconscious couldn't be thinking like this.

Except…

I gasped, covering my mouth as realization set in.

‘Don’t tell me you forgot today is your eighteenth birthday. Lana…’ she called my name sadly.

‘Lana, I am here now. You don't have to face this cruel world alone anymore. I will fight for you. I will help you overcome everything.’

Tears grew in my eyes as she spoke in the back of my mind. Suddenly, it didn't feel lonely anymore. The words were reassuring and I felt loved and wanted - a strange feeling. I had never been wanted. The moment I was born, I was instantly hated and unwanted.