2: Ugly Bitch

KYLA’S POV

"The marriage will be held in four days, on Vivica's eighteenth birthday!"

"My Luna, are you serious?" Vivica squealed.

"Yes, my dear. At the rate you two are going, I know I'll be a grandmother soon, so why wait and risk you getting pregnant out of wedlock?"

Cheers erupted and Vivica glowed like a star while Tormund grinned like a king.

"I can't wait for you to become Mrs. Moonveil," Tormund purred as he kissed her knuckles.

The Alpha called for more wine. I hurried forward with the decanter, but my eyes were focused on Tormund. My gaze slid downward, catching what no one else seemed to notice.

His hand was hidden under the table, between Vivica's thighs. His fingers moved, and Vivica's blush deepened.

The scent hit me, and I could tell my father and the Alpha smelt it too, but they didn't mention it.

I swallowed hard. My hand trembled, and the wine spilled across the Alpha's lap.

"What the hell!" the Alpha growled. "You clumsy girl!"

The room went deathly silent.

"You stupid girl!" Claudia's voice shattered the silence. She leapt from her seat and struck me hard across the face, then she yanked the decanter from my grip. "Why can't you do anything right?"

"You ugly bitch! You've ruined my engagement dinner!" Vivica cried.

"This is a Danny Wolfe original," the Luna said. "This is coming out of your wages."

"But..." I began to protest.

"You dare back answer your Luna?" Tormund roared.

"I'm sorry." I lowered my head.

"Out of my sight, you useless burnt face monster!" Claudia barked as she slapped me again.

My cheek burned, but the ache in my chest was worse. I lifted my eyes just once, hoping, begging for my father's gaze. For him to look at me with the love he used to have.

But he didn't.

I wondered why, since the dinner began, my father had not looked at me.

"Father?" I whispered.

"Go clean the gutters!" he barked, still cutting into his steak. "You're not needed here anymore."

I bowed my head. "Yes, Father."

"Apologize to the Alpha and Luna and then get out of our sight," Claudia hissed.

"Please forgive me, Alpha. Luna." I bowed, my pride bleeding out of me like water from a cracked cup. With tears in my eyes, I fled from the scene.

******

The next morning, my wolf, Gemma, woke me before dawn.

‘Wake up, Kyla.’ Her sweet voice rang inside my head.

My wolf had always been with me since I was thirteen, but Gemma rarely spoke. And ever since the fire, she had never shown herself around people. She didn't trust anyone... not a soul. Only me and Wynona.

‘What is it, Gemma?’

‘I heard suspicious footsteps... followed by a window opening.’

I groaned and rubbed my eyes. I checked the time on my clock. It was 2 a.m., just three days before Vivica's eighteenth birthday and wedding of the century.

‘It's not even light out. I'm going back to sleep.’

But Gemma forced me upright, jerking my body until I had no choice but to move with her.

‘We are going downstairs to see what this is about.’

"Ahh," I scoffed aloud.

I tiptoed down the stairs, my bed slippers dragging over the wooden floor as I stifled a yawn with my palm. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary until I saw the curtain to the living room window fluttering. It was my job to close up at night, and I was positive I had closed this window before going upstairs to bed.

"What the hell?" I mumbled as I went to close the window.

My eyes darted to the tree line just in time to see Vivica in her nightgown running into the woods.

‘See, Gemma? It's only Vivica sneaking out to go meet with her fiancé again,’ I hissed bitterly.

Vivica had been sneaking out every night for the last week after she went to that party across town at another pack.

‘Hmm,’ my wolf hummed. ‘Something still feels off to me.’

‘Gemma, please forgive me. But I'm too tired to be having this conversation now. Can we talk about this tomorrow?’

‘Fine,’ she growled.

I dragged myself back upstairs, collapsed into bed, and fell asleep.

******

Around 8 a.m., the battle horns were being blown. I shot from my sleep only to see that my house was in chaos.

"What's happening?" I asked the first servant I saw when I opened my room door.

"Didn't you hear? The Alpha's son is hurt."

"Hurt?" I gulped. Then I ran downstairs to see my stepmother sitting on my father's lap, crying.

"Father," I bowed, my voice trembling. "What happened to Tormund? And where is Vivica?"

His face darkened, and Claudia began to snarl.

"Get away from us, you ugly bitch. This is your fault. This is all your fault."

I staggered back. "What did I do?"

"You're the reason she's gone! You threatened her! Told her she wasn't Albert's real daughter. You pushed her to this. She couldn't take it anymore, so she said she was going to kill herself!" Claudia's finger stabbed the air at me.

"No! I never—"

"She left a suicide note," my father’s voice was steel. "Now just leave. I don't want to see your face right now."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. This was madness. The servants began to whisper about me. Vivica's wedding to the future Alpha was supposed to be the event of the decade. Everyone was looking forward to it.

Soon there was a loud bang, and the front door was kicked off the hinges as Alpha Morgan stormed in.

"WHERE IS SHE? Where is that filthy daughter of yours?"

I gulped as I stood planted to the floor.

"Alpha! Please... calm down," my father said. He pushed his wife off his lap and walked in front of me protectively.

The Alpha's wicked gaze landed on me. "I am going to kill you and then let my wolf eat you down to the bone."

I gulped. "What did I do to deserve this, Alpha?"

"What did you do? What did you do?" The Alpha chuckled darkly.

Just then, the Luna stumbled inside, pale and broken. Her knees buckled, but Alpha Morgan caught her before she could fall to the floor.

"Luna Tabitha! What happened?" my father demanded.

"It's... Tormund." Her lips quivered.

Alpha Morgan hugged her tightly.

"What happened to the future Alpha?" Claudia asked.