004| When Everyone Turns their Backs

MELODY~

The second I stepped out of the black sedan, I forgot how to breathe.

All the pack members were standing in front of our house.

Worse still, everyone was staring.

Servants, guards. and pack members.

My fingers trembled as I took in the shocked expression on their faces.

Shit.

They weren’t staring at me.

They were all staring at the car that had dropped me.

My blood turned cold.

The next second, I caught sight of father standing at the front steps of the mansion, his face had turned darker than ever.

Aurora stood beside him like the adorable perfect daughter, her arms folded across her chest.

Julia was there too, her expression same as the others.

But it was Kael who held my attention.

His eyes were wide as saucers the instant he saw me step out of the luxury vehicle.

His eyes drifted back to me, and then travelled over me.

For the first time, I became oddly aware of the expensive new gown I had on, and my still slightly messy hair.

His face turned dark.

“Melody?”

My stomach dropped instantly.

Oh no, this looked bad.

Very bad.

I looked behind, desperately praying.

Please drive away.

Just leave.

But the older driver who dropped me still made it a point to step out, bow slightly to me, and returned inside.

Traitor.

Father’s expression had turned a little furious now, and for some reason, that terrified me.

No one spoke.

It seemed like no one even dared breathe loudly until the man drove away.

“Melody, get over here.” Dad’s voice suddenly came, hard as steel.

I swallowed hard.

Around me, whispers began to spread.

“Wasn’t that the Lycan king’s vehicle just now?”

“Why did she come out of there?”

“Don’t tell me that she—”

“Oh my God…”

My chest tightened so hard that I could barely breathe.

But then, Aurora stepped forward, her face masked with fake innocence and care.

“Oh Melody, we’ve been so worried about you. We waited all night for you… seems we shouldn’t have been worried after all.”

Everyone fell silent at her words. I could see everyone was already eating it up.

I scoffed. “Interesting… coming from someone like you.”

Her face turned pale.

Father’s face turned red with rage.

Before I could even blink, father matched up to me with long, scary strides.

He roughly grabbed my arm and dragged me back into the mansion.

He didn’t stop walking until we were inside, then he roughly cast me aside.

“Where were you last night?”

His voice cut through the air sharply, sending a shudder through me.

I froze.

For the first time, I had no real answer for him.

I couldn’t exactly say:

Sorry, I got drunk in an illegal district and woke up in the Lycan King’s hotel.

They would kill me if I said that.

“Father, I—"

But before I could actually say anything, Aurora cut in with an audible gasp.

“Oh? Melody, please don’t tell us you actually spent the night with a driver… he is old enough to be your father.”

The room fell instantly silent.

For a moment, I was lost for words. I stared at her, enraged.

Aurora capitalized on that and continued.

“I understand you are angry about the arrangement between Kael and I, but you…” she sighed. “You can’t just hook up with an old man, a driver, just to get back at us. That is just too much.”

Kael stepped forward then, roughly grabbing my arm. He was already boiling with rage.

“You can’t hook up with an old man to get back at me, Melody. That is selfish of you.”

Rage surged through me, then I pushed him away, keeping a clean distance between us.

I let out a small bitter laugh.

“I didn’t realize I was this popular for everyone to gang up at me like this.”

I turned back to Aurora, flashing her a cold smile.

“The driver, you say… how are you so sure it wasn’t the king himself.”

Her face turned pale.

“That’s… impossible.”

Of course it was.

“Everyone knows the king hates women more than anything. He doesn’t even have a woman working close to him.” Julia chimed in, rolling her eyes.

Kael pulled me closer. “That’s enough, Melody.”

He pulled me against his chest, and I began struggling to free myself but to no avail.

“Let go…” I said through gritted teeth.

“I was so worried about you,” he whispered. “You disappeared the whole night. Do you have any idea what that did to me?”

“To you?” I let out a small, hate filled laugh.

But he didn’t seem to get the message. He leaned closer.

“You’re still mine, Melody. So, stop this madness.”

I took that chance to pull away from him, just in time to catch Aurora turning white from rage.

“I think you are forgetting something.” I pointed at Aurora.

“She’s the one you are getting married to, not me. At least show some decency.”

Kael forced a smile.

“It’s already decided.”

My brows furrowed. “What’s been decided.”

But this time around, it was father who spoke up.

“Alpha Victor and I have discussed it. Aurora will become Kael’s Luna publicly, but you will remain by his side privately. The elders have approved the arrangement.”

I felt my wolf stir uncomfortably.

“You discussed my affairs with the elders. So, I don’t even deserve having a husband of my own. I have to be joined as a mistress to someone who my sister is marrying?”

Julia and Aurora’s mother Luna Natty rushed in at that.

She made it obvious how much she hated my guts… she never hid it like the others.

“Melody, we are only trying to help you. Don’t make things harder for yourself.”

I frowned.

Help me?

She continued, stepping closer. “With your reputation, do you think anyone would want anything to do with you?”

My fingers dug into my palm as she said the next words.

“Have you forgotten what your mother did? She seduced the Alpha and everyone already knows that. So don’t try blame us for wanting the best for you. Blame your mother instead.”

My lips trembled as tears threatened to fall from my eyes. I felt weak, pained as once more the image of mom’s dying face appeared before me.

Slowly, I turned to dad who was standing there quietly. My eyes were glassy as I spoke:

“You know the truth of what happened to with my mother.” My voice broke lightly. “You know the truth, yet you don’t want to say it.”

I felt Aurora and Julia exchange glances.

But then, Luna Natty spoke up. “What truth are you talking about? We all know your mother seduced the Alpha and had you. Are you trying to pin it on him now?”

I didn’t look away from dad, and for a moment, I caught a brief look flash across his face.

“Did she really seduce you?” I whispered, my voice trembling a little.

For barely a second, I caught a look of guilt flash across dad’s face.

But the next second, someone pulled me back.

Before I could realize what was happening, Luna Natty slapped me.

It was so hard that I stumbled back.

But someone grabbed me to stop the fall.

I looked up to see it was 2 pack guards holding my arms.

Then, Luna Natty spoke again. “Take her away, lock her up until the ceremony ends.”

My heartbeat slammed against my ribs.

I began struggling to free myself from them, but it was useless.

“You can’t… what right do you have to do this? Stop this right now.”

I hated that tears were gathering again as I struggled to free myself.

Then vehicles arrived outside our mansion.

We didn’t even have time to react before a maid rushed in.

“The Lycan king is here.”

Everyone froze.

The sounds of boots hitting the ground followed as they began approaching us.

The guards were still holding me, and father was already barking orders to have all female staff removed from sight… and telling his daughters to return to their rooms.

But we didn’t have the time, because the next second, the door was pushed open.

And there he stood, in that deathly aura that sent shivers down us all.

His men entered first, as though to survey the place. And for some reason, it looked like they were here to make an arrest, instead of a friendly visit.

And then, his silver eyes landed on me.

Then on the men holding my arms.

His expression hardened.

“Release her.”