CHAPTER 1

{Aurora's POV}

"Aurora!" I heard my older sister, Quincy, call my name. I was inside my bedroom on the ground floor, preparing to sleep after I had returned from the restaurant where I serve as a waitress.

"Yes, sister." I rushed out of my room to meet her. My sister stood there, towering above me. I wasn't up to her shoulder. I was like the rejected daughter in my family. My two siblings were Beta Wolves, and I was born an Omega. Because of this, my entire family looked down on me.

"Where are the jade earrings I kept in my locker in my room? Did you steal them?" Quincy asked, her eyes glaring daggers at me.

Quincy was more favored by our parents. They believe she will become Alpha Xander's mate. After all, she was 20 years old, and I was 17.

"Quincy, I didn't take your earrings. What could I possibly use them for?" I asked her, subtly annoyed because she always blames me first. "We have two maids in this house. Why not ask them first?" I replied bluntly, but she smacked me so hard across my left cheek that I felt my head spin, and I almost collapsed on the ground.

I staggered backward, looking at her face with shock. "Quincy, you slapped me?" I asked, holding my left cheek as tears brimmed in my eyes.

"I will slap you again if you do not tell me where you kept my jade earrings. You know how much I love those earrings because Alpha Xander gave them to me last year on my 19th birthday. Did you steal them to wear to Alpha Xander's birthday party tonight?" She asked, her voice firm and anger boiling in her veins.

The rest of our family rushed downstairs to the living room. They obviously treasure Quincy, whom they believe will become the future Luna of this Autumn Pack, and bring so many blessings for them. Meanwhile, I am the unwanted child.

"Quincy, what's going on?" Our mother, Sarah Stanley, asked as she walked into the corridor first to meet us. Our father, Beta Adrian, and our older brother, Kaleb, trailed behind her.

"Mom…" Quincy broke out in tears like I had slapped her. "Aurora stole my earrings," she cried in our mother's arms.

Our mother was an Omega by birth, but she looked down on all Omegas after she got married to my father, the Beta of this pack.

"Is that true, Aurora?" Mom demanded, her eyes shooting daggers at me. "Hand over your sister's earrings!" She stretched out her right palm open for me to provide the earrings that I hadn't seen nor taken.

"Mom, I didn't take Quincy's earrings. You all are accusing me wrongly. I just came back from work, and now, Quincy called me out for her earrings. When could I have possibly stolen them?" I asked my mother, who scowled.

"Shut up, you thief!" Mom smacked me across my right cheek, and I staggered backward again, tears falling from my eyes like pearls.

"Do you think I do not see how you admire those jade earrings on Quincy's ears? Like you want to steal them because you know that Alpha Xander gave them to Quincy on her 19th birthday. Are you trying to steal Alpha Xander's attention by taking what belongs to your sister?" Mom demanded, her words slicing my heart and cutting deeply.

I looked at her face speechless, and my older brother, Kaleb, a tall, 25-year-old man, walked up to me. His eyes shot daggers at me too.

"Aurora, where are the earrings? An Omega like you shouldn't wear anything pricey. You are to work as a servant. That's what lowborns like you are born to be!" Kaleb said furiously.

Dad stepped forward too and looked down on me. "Aurora, not only do you not have a wolf, you are also useless to this family. How dare you steal your sister's earrings, guards!" He summoned his warriors, and two guards came in. "Search Aurora's room for a pair of beautiful jade earrings," Dad stated, and the two guards swung into action as they went to search my room.

I was not allowed to use the rooms on the top floor. I was to live as a servant in my own father's house.

I stood aside in the passage and watched the scene before me. The guards searched my room, throwing all my things scattered around.

"Dad, we will be late for Alpha Xander's 27th birthday. This is all Aurora's doing, to make us go late," Quincy said, crying as our mother hugged her closely.

"Don't worry, Quincy. We will find those jade earrings before we leave here," Mom replied, her tone soft whenever she spoke with my sister.

"Found them!" The guards announced, and I felt dread wash down my spine as the two guards walked out of my room. One of them handed the jade earrings to my father.

"Aurora, how dare you do this?" Kaleb yelled, rushing to smack me to the ground.

"Kaleb, it's enough. You shouldn't raise your hands on Aurora. Do not forget that she is still your sister," Dad stated, despite his anger.

"Dad, I reject Aurora as my sister. I cannot have a thief for a sister. Why would she steal from Quincy when she knew how special these earrings were for her!" Kaleb inquired, his voice filled with anger, and our father tried to calm him down.

"Kaleb, as a man, it's not proper to raise your hand to a woman. Leave me to handle this," Dad dismissed my brother, before he looked at me with disappointment. "Tell me, Aurora. Why did you steal these jade earrings from Quincy's room?" He asked, as I stood looking at my family with tears in my eyes.

"Dad, why would I steal from Quincy? I do not know how these jade earrings got into my room. This house has surveillance cameras. Let's see who stole them and tried to frame me," I demanded, and my father frowned, like he had almost forgotten that the house has CCTV.

"That's correct, Dad. Let's see the recording. That will be enough evidence to send Aurora to jail. She keeps bringing disgrace to us," Kaleb spat, and our father frowned as he didn't want me to go to jail.

"I didn't steal the jade earrings. I deserve to see the footage, too," I demanded, and Quincy panicked.

"Dad, we are going to be late to Alpha Xander's 27th birthday party. Let's go, and when we are back, we will deal with Aurora accordingly," Quincy said in her sweet voice, and I looked at her face.

*Wasn't she my older sister? Why was it a crime if I truly touched any of her things? However, I knew I didn't take those jade earrings. Quincy is only trying to frame me for it. But why?*

I sobbed, watching them agree like a happy family.

"You're right, Quincy. Let's go," our mother agreed, as they were all dressed up elegantly and heading out. The clock showed 8 pm, and the birthday celebration would have started since Alpha Xander wanted a late-night birthday celebration.

I wasn't invited, and it was not like I wanted to be around them or attend Alpha Xander's 27th birthday.

Before my mother could walk out of the corridor, she glanced back at me and said, "Aurora, let me warn you. You shouldn't dare to leave this house or show yourself at the Alpha's mansion. Got it!"

"Yes, Mom," I replied despite my brokenness, and they left the house. The sound of their cars starting in the compound echoed in the corridor, while I went to my bed to sit on it and cry my heart out to the Moon Goddess.

"Why, Moon Goddess?! Why did you give me to a family that didn't want me?!" I cried aloud, howling in pain until a gentle voice startled me.

"It's okay, Aurora. I am here now," the lovely voice said, and I panicked as I saw a white spirit wolf appeared beside my window.