Chapter Four

Dahlia's pov

I couldn't stand by and watch my sister take what belonged to me. I was classier than her, and I was more beautiful than her. There was no way she was getting the prince before I did.

I was determined to get him all to myself. I had been sneaky about it, and I was glad I was, because it had paid off.

I heard that Prince Julian was coming to take a mate. There was no way in the world he would choose someone like me, especially since my sister had already been chosen as his fated mate. But I refused to accept that. I needed a plan. I needed to do something. I had always loved being at the top, and this was my only chance to get there.

I heard the Prince loved attractive wolves. I was good-looking, and though not the only one, I was certainly pretty. Whatever he liked in young female wolves, I was ready to give it to him.

I stalked his social media page.

I knew he would have a lot of messages in his inbox, but I had to shoot my shot regardless. Whether he replied or ghosted me wasn't my business at that point. I only needed him to see me first. No one could see my perfect body and ignore it.

"Hi."

"I'm Dahlia Wildheart, sister of Phoebe Wildheart," I typed into his messages.

There was no response yet.

I took pictures of myself in shorts, very short, tight shorts, because I knew they would draw anyone in. I slid them into his messages with a note: "This is me. I hear you're coming to the Redline pack for the festival, and I would really love to see you."

I sent it and sat there, waiting. I turned into a watcher, a spectator, with my eyes glued to my phone.

It showed that he was online, yet he wasn't answering.

I wasn't used to being ignored. He was the Prince, of course, but I had a whole lot of males in the pack chasing me all day long. My chest tightened a little, and an ugly doubt crept in. What if he never replied?

In my desperation, I went through my phone's gallery and found another picture, one of me in tight pyjamas. That should be something the Alpha Prince would enjoy. Let me see how he would walk past me to go to my sister, who never stopped eating and gaining weight.

"Hey, beautiful."

Finally, a response! I was so happy that I spun around the room. It was a dream come true. My cheeks must have been red from all the blushing.

"What are you up to?" he asked, and we were soon talking as if we had known each other for ages. I knew he was a flirt too. Good. That only meant we were made for each other.

"I can't wait to see you at the festival," I said.

"So you're telling me you're the sister of the person I've been promised to?" He wasn't sure, because Phoebe and I looked so different.

"Yes, it's me, Alpha. I promise," I replied, and that made him even more convinced.

The chats grew flirty over time. I knew he was a bold wolf, and I matched him. We talked about all the things we would do when we met. The sweet, daring words made me feel like he was right there with me. That was how warm it got.

We kept talking until he was the first person I texted in the morning and the last person I texted at night.

We became that close, and this was two weeks before the festival, by the way.

So when he got to the festival and chose me in front of everyone, I wasn't surprised. I already knew it would turn out that way.

People would probably ask about the goddess's consent and approval. I couldn't care less. We could work it out. I smiled throughout. It was my moment to shine.

There was nothing I could do about my sister's tears. It wasn't my fault that she was always so dejected and mocked. It cost a lot to be me, to have those perfect nails and hair, and the stunning figure and swaying hips that made top wolves stumble. I told myself that over and over, because a small part of me, deep down, flinched at the sight of her kneeling on the ground.

Then another wolf came to claim my sister. Well, I guessed there was redemption for her after all.

I had never heard of any Hendrick. I knew the Apex Moon pack had an Alpha, but I hadn't known it would be him, looking so young and promising.

Crazy.

I was smiling as Phoebe walked out of the pack with Hendrick. I almost laughed out loud. It was a victory, and it felt like more than taking her mate. It felt like taking her place, proving that I deserved everything she thought she deserved, and even more.

"So happy to see you," Julian said to me at the back of the venue, away from the front.

We had gone there because the noise was too much in the front.

"You look even hotter in person," I said, unable to take my eyes off his perfectly shaped pink lips. I licked my own lips without thinking.

"Do all the things you promised you would do online." The thought kept ringing in my head and pulling me closer to him.

With all the noise and vibration outside, I thought I was the only one trying to gather courage, until Julian pulled me by the waist from behind and kissed me. Our mouths brushed softly, and we breathed each other in. It lasted seven seconds before we pulled apart.

"I just like to keep my promises," he said.

"I like the taste of that," I smiled.

It felt so much better in real life. The two of us were kissing already, and my heart was racing so fast that, for a moment, I forgot everything else.