Mated To Three, Fated To One

My father had given me two simple rules when he agreed to let me attend Crescent Hollow Academy. The first was a given. It was more like a life long rule I had to abide by which was taking care of my sister Elena. The second was not to embarrass the family name.

"Dahlia!"I lifted my head from the book balanced on my knees while playing tug of war with an extemely chewy gummy worm I was trying to eat. Elena's blonde head popped out the bathroom of our shared dormitory. "Can you iron my blouse? The ugly one with the blue frills at the collar."

I glanced at the clock. We had forty minutes before orientation. "I'm reading."

"And?"

I stared at her.

She stared back and I was reminded of unspoken rule but enforced rule number three, Elena's wants are more important than my own. I sighed and put my book aside and climbed off the bed.

We were the same age, but simple chores were apparently beneath her. She had never needed to iron her own clothes, make her own bed or even remember where she'd left her shoes.

That was what she had me for.

"Do you think Daddy will get me that Mercedes for my birthday?" she asked coming out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her. She stopped in front of the floor length mirror to admire herself.

"I don't see why not."

"Exactly. I mean, he bought me the last car I wanted. It would be unfair if he didn't upgrade me. I mean how often is that your daughter turns eighteen," she squeeled.

I pressed the iron over the last crease in her blouse. Elena got everything she wanted from our father. She was his biological daughter his precious little girl. She had inherited his golden hair, blue eyes and ability to make everyone bend to her will.

I was the adopted daughter.

A sister for Elena my father had once explained, so that she would never feel lonely. I was Someone who would grow up beside her understand her and remain her confidante for life.

I was a baby when he found me. I didn't know who my birth parents were and at the mere age of seven I'd been old enough to understand what it meant to be unwanted.

And young enough to mistake being given a roof over your head and food for being loved.

"Here." I handed Elena her blouse. She took it without thanking me and disappeared behind the wardrobe screen.

I reclaimed my book. Then something inside me suddenly stirred. My heart began to race and it began to feel extremely hot in the room."Did you turn up the thermostat?" I called.

"No. I don't even know where that heat thingy is," she yelled back.

I lowered the book, suddenly very aware of the heat spreading beneath my skin. Sweat gathered in my palms, and my throat tightened as though I'd swallowed something sharp.

Deep inside me, my wolf moved. Not the faint, familiar stirring I'd grown accustomed to over the years.This was different. Violent almost. As if she were trying to claw her way out of my body.

I pressed a hand against my chest. "What is wrong with you?" I whispered. For years, I'd waited for my wolf to emerge. Every other she-wolf my age had shifted already.

Even Elena.

Yet my wolf remained a beneath the surface refusing to come out. Sometimes, I wondered whether she existed at all and then she did things like this to remind me that she was there.

"Dahlia!" Elena emerged from behind the screen, adjusting the cuffs of her blouse. "Are you planning to sit there all morning? We have orientation."

I pushed myself to my feet. "I'm coming."

She grabbed her designer handbag and hurried towards the door. "Good. And remember the plan."

My stomach twisted. "I hate the plan," I muttered.

Every time we arrived somewhere new, Elena performed the same stunt. She'd humiliate me in front of everyone, and I'd play the clumsy, pathetic sister who couldn't do anything right.

Elena would become the beautiful victim.

I'd become the freak. It was a perfect arrangement for her and a social disaster for me.

But Elena was happy when people adored her, and our father was happy when Elena was happy.

So I'd learned to smile through it. It was only three years at the academy anyway and if i had gotten throught it before. I could do it now with a smile on my face.

We had barely reached the main courtyard when Elena stopped beside a table where a student had left a half empty iced coffee. She picked it up. "Thirsty?" I asked.

She glanced at me. Her eyes scanning the courtyard to ensure no one was watching. A group of girls passed us, laughing and talking about how hot the guys are at this school. Elena smiled sweetly at them, waiting until they had gone before turning back to me.

"Come on, Dahlia. We're going to be late."

She took a step. Then another. And suddenly, the plastic cup tilted in her hand. Cold coffee splashed down the front of her blouse.

Elena gasped.

For a second I could only stare at the dark stain spreading across the expensive fabric. I hated the coffee bit... mostly because I'd be the one to clean that top later.

She looked at the cup. Then at me. Her expression transformed. "You!"

I blinked.

Right... showtime. People were starting to look.

"What?" I looked around playing along.

"You spilled coffee on me!"

"It was an accident, Elena."

"Don't lie, Dahlia. You've had it out for me since day one." Her voice rose so sharply that several students turned. Elena's eyes glistened with tears. It was amazing and scary how she could do that. "Why would you do this? You know how important today is to me!"

She grabbed the front of her blouse and pulled the stained fabric away from her skin. "I'm so embarrassed."

A crowd began to gather and she made those eyes at me telling me to continue. "Its fine just go change. Geez you don't always have to be a brat."

She gasped. "You worthless, low life." She suddenly slapped me. My head turned as she put everything she had into that slap. "You're not even apologetic."

Her words echoed across the courtyard.

For a moment, I couldn't hear anything else.

She hald always told me she never meant those things but it still hurt more than the slap... maybe she was just that good of on actress or maybe deep down thats how she really saw me.

All I knew was that I was at her mercy.

I could feel my wolf whimper somewhere deep inside me. "What's wrong with you!" Elena cried. "You're always embarrassing me."

A blonde girl rushed towards her. "Oh, my gosh, Are you okay?" She asked Elena.

Elena shook her head pressing a hand to her chest. "I can't believe she'd do this to me."

The whispers broke out, "some people have no manners."

"What a freak," someone else said.

I stood motionless as the accusations piled up. I was about to take my final bow and exit and then the crowd parted suddenly. A tall boy stepped through it, his expression furious.

He had dark hair that was slightly too long yet suited him. His shirt sleeves were rolled to his elbows, and his eyes moved from Elena's stained blouse to my face.

Then he looked at Elena again. "Women like you are pathetic."

She stared at him. I watched a million different emotions wash over her face. "Are you talking to me?" She questioned in disbelief.

"Did you spill it yourself?" He asked and the crowd around us went silent.

"Excuse me?" Her eyes went wide.

He glanced at the cup still in her hand. "Are you slow? Or have a problem hearing."

A few students exchanged looks. Elena lifted her chin."Who are you to talk to me like that?"

"Someone who watched you pick up that cup and dump it on yourself."

My breath caught. He had seen her. Someone had actually seen her. Elena's face drained of colour for half a second before she recovered.

"You must have misunderstood."

"I don't think so."

"She is my sister," Elena snapped. "This is a family matter."

"And this is how you treat family?"

The courtyard went silent. Elena had never been spoken to that way before..

The boy turned towards me. "Are you all right?"

I stared at him. Completely flustered at what was happening right now. I tried to answer, but my throat had tightened. He glanced at the crowd. "There's nothing to see here. Find something better to do," he growled and the crowd dispersed.

Elena shot me a murderous look before allowing her new found friends, courtesy of my embarrassment to lead her away.

He waited until she was gone before turning back to me."Why didn't you defend yourself?"

I stared at the ground.

What could I tell him? That this was a skit. That my entire life I was always meant to be the butt of the joke.

That Elena was the only sister I'd ever known, and some foolish part of me still hoped she might love me one day? So I do stupid stunts like this because a girl who couldn't shift had very few allies in a world that worshipped wolves.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. His eyebrows drew together.

"You're apologising to me?"

I didn't know what to say or do or think. I had never imagined I'd be in a situation like this where someone actually took my side. "I have to get to orientation. "I walked away before he could ask anything else.

He grabbed my wrist and my wolf stirred inside. Our eyes locked for a moment it felt like piece of a very large puzzle falling into place. "Lucien," he said.

"I..." I stuttered. "I have to go now." I pulled out of his grasp and checked my watch. I was now officially late and my wolf was starting to drive me nuts.

"If you want to come out. Just do already," I gritted out in pain as I ran to the auditorium.