CHAPTER TWO

It felt like my brain went into a deep sleep because every other thing that was said on that table couldn’t be decoded by me. 

So, I got on my feet and exited the dining table. I heard my father calling for me, asking me what the issue was - as if he didn't know.

And, I saw that man, Damon, my step brother, was he? He was smirking. 

He wasn't exactly my cup of tea. I had other important things to deal with. For Example, my father was replacing my mother.

When my mother died, it felt like my world crashed, especially when she died in the most horrific and mysterious way. I saw how affected and heartbroken my father was about her death, and seeing how he didn't remarry, that consoled me. My father loved my mother and wasn't willing to replace her, that made his mistreatment towards me bearable. 

But all that just got washed down the drain. How could he??? How could he replace my mother without thinking to inform me first?

That morning, as I stumbled back to my bedroom, I collapsed on my bed and started sobbing, unaware of the bigger doom that approached me.

I heard a knock shortly. Then, a soft push of the door.

Dad sneaked in, watching me fold on the bed as I wiped my tears.

"Leave."

I spat out harshly.

"Sit up." My father said in a cold, monotone voice.

This must be a sick joke. Is he seriously barking out orders?

"I'm not ready to listen to any explanation." I spat out in anger.

"Explanation? You must be delusional if you think you deserve that from me. I don't owe you anything, Harp." He said and I could smell wine in his breath. They already did their toast and drank their wine. Without me. He was bonding quite alright with his 'new family '.

I wasn't expecting him to apologise but I didn't expect him to be this shameless either.

"How could you?" I said to him, with tears pooling in my eyes. My voice was broken. " when you acted cold to me, I was okay with it. When you refused to look me in the eye, I was just fine with that. But this is the height of it. You're replacing my mother!”

Dad sat on the edge of my bed.

"Do you think this is about you? It's more than you can imagine. I'm not marrying Taylor because I'm desperate for a partner. This is actually a matter of life and death. "

I swallowed.

“Is it about the Alpha title? But, I thought you would let your Beta take over? Considering how you would hate to have me as your successor.” 

Father sighed.

“Yes, I did. But, not anymore. I want someone related to be my successor. And this is more than that.”

I scoffed.

“Related? You would rather some random people be your successor than me?? You don't even know those people.” The bitterness in my tone was evident.

He remained silent. He really had no freaking excuse. He was making up excuses until he was left with none.

“Listen, Harper. I'm marrying Taylor and she and Damon are now your family, it's either you take it or leave it.” He snapped at me.

“Father…” My voice cracked.

He wasn't listening anymore, he had obviously lost all his patience.

"Brave of you to actually think your opinion matters here." My father muttered underneath his breath and walked out of my room, shutting the door behind him with a slam.

I was to be at school that day but, I forgot school. School wasn't important at the moment. 

My father introduced a new family. 

My phone buzzed and when I grabbed it from my bedside table to see the caller ID, it was Glynndon, my schoolmate and my pack friend. I didn't have the mental strength for her shit right now so, I cut the call.

But, she calls again and for the third time and for the fourth time. It was so unlike her to be persistent in calling. She always never called more than once or else it was an emergency.

I quickly picked it up when my phone rang for the fifth time.

“Harper? Where are you?”

I frowned.

“Where do you think? Home, of course. And, before you speak, no, I'm not coming to school. You won't believe what happened. My father—”

“Harper, I don't think whatever happened at home should be as important as what I'm staring at right now.”

Glynndon breathed through the phone.

“What?”

I sat up, my frown deepening.

“It's Tristan, Harp.”

Okay. Tristan? My heart began to beat fast in an odd space.

“What about him?”

“He—he—he is dead, Harper.”

Freezing for the second time in an hour was definitely not on my to-do list. Especially not when the things that made me froze were horrible things. 

And, this that I just heard, couldn't compare to what Dad informed me a few minutes ago.

What Dad told me about getting a new family had my heart shattering into a thousand pieces, this had my shattering into a million pieces and more.

What Dad told me had only my face frozen, this had every part of my body, from my bones to muscle, frozen.

“Harp? Harp, I think you need to come over.”

That was my worst decision that day. No one ever wanted to see the dead body of their lover but, out of curiosity, I dashed out of my house, toward the crime scene to see where Tristan's body had been found.

Lo and behold, a few miles away from the school, Tristan's lifeless body lay in the woods, coated with blood and mud. There were signs of struggle. He struggled with the killer. 

And, it wasn't a rogue. The Pack police officers were at the scene at that moment and they confirmed with me that it was someone from a higher position than a rogue.

He said it could be someone like the Beta or even the Alpha.

All those were background noises to my ears. All I saw was Tristan's cold body, lying in the pool of his blood. 

It was freezing last night so, he definitely died in the freezing night.

I got down on my knees and poured out, sobbing and holding onto his lifeless body.

Harper tried prying me away, I struggled out of her hold, desperately holding onto Tristan’s lifeless body.

That day marked the day I gave up on ever finding a mate.

The first one, Vincent, had run away with an omega from another pack. The second one, Jackson, I discovered was going to swindle my father and break into his safe. The third, Thomas, rejected me because he didn't want to become an Alpha. Apparently, he didn't want the pressure of handling the position.

And the fourth, the love of my life, my one true love, Tristan, was murdered in cold blood.

So, I decided to draw the line between myself and the mating. I wasn't bound to have a mate.

The moon goddess had probably denied me of one since birth so, who was I to go against what she had fated for me?

When the coming-of-age party approached, all I felt was emptiness and heaviness at the same time.

I felt empty because I wouldn't entwine my finger with Tristan and step out with him when they called on people who had just discovered their mates, as I had planned.

Heaviness because I would watch everyone flaunting their mates at the party with the knowledge that mine could have been here if death hadn't taken him.

Overall, I felt bitterness. My life was bitter.

I wish I could find a way to diss the party and just sit beside Tristan’s grave, gisting him about the latest gossip. 

I had fought to have Tristan buried in the Pack’s cemetery. And, my Dad had only let me after I lost my shit when he closed the case of his murder. His case was dismissed because the other Pack members of higher positions had opposed looking into the case. After all, he was an Omega.

And, every day I cursed them for that. I knew it was my father’s fault because even though the majority of the board pack members opposed of something, the Alpha still had power to contend with their opposition.

I got dressed in a sage green bodycon gown and tea green Tiffany and Co. heels. Father got it for me. He didn't want anyone to think I was still grieving Tristan so, he wanted me to look my best.

Nice try because I was planning to give a toast to Tristan when I was asked to give a toast at the conclusion of the party.

The party dragged on lazily. People found their mates. Mate pairs were called on. And, most importantly, the Alpha, my father, gave a speech.

Finally, it was time for the toast.

Of course, Dad stepped on the podium first to open the floor for the toast. The toasting usually gets done by the people of higher positions alone. Like me, my father, the Beta and…

I trailed off when a figure grazed his presence.

Damon?

What the hell was he doing here?

He had this insane aura that made me pause my thoughts just to look at him. And, when I was done accessing his chili red tux, I realized it wasn't just me who paused. Even my father had paused and every other guest at the coming-of-age party had also turned their heads to look at him.

He was the moment. 

Dad cleared his throat into the mic, proceeding with his speech but, my eyes were still planted on him. The other guests had returned their focus to my father as he continued with his speech but mine was still on this ridiculously handsome man who was somehow my stepbrother.

He suddenly walked up to me and didn't stop until our shoulders brushed.

I swallowed. His scent engulfed my breathing space, almost choking me.

He leaned closer to me, his harsh breath brushing my skin.

“My condolences for your boyfriend.”

What?

“T-thank you.”

Why the hell did I stammer?

Damon, or whatever his freaking name was, suddenly wraps his hand around my waist and straightens my back.

I threw a glare at him.

“What do you think you are doing?”

He took a sip from his wine, smirking against the rim of the glass cup.

“Preparing for what's to come.”

Then, he sauntered away. Like an angel that fell from the sky.

“Harper…!”

Father suddenly echoed my name from the podium and I turned to look at him. Was it already my turn for a toast?

“Harper would be the sacrifice!”

Father announced and the guests murmured, throwing glances at me. And when I knew there was trouble, I looked at Glynndon and saw her watching me with horror on her face.

Glynndon rarely displayed her emotions. What was going on?

“Harper has had four mates and it is obvious that she has no hope of ever having a mate. So, she may seem to be the best candidate.”

The guests' whispers grew bigger.

What the fuck was going on? What candidate?

What sacrifice???

Hello???

“We all know we can't crown someone that is not of related by blood to the previous Alpha, the new Alpha, without sacrificing someone. And, I know I'm taking this far just to crown my step son but, I'm left with no choice. I hope we all as part of the pack community, make peace with this decision I have made.”

Okay, pause. Rewind. Someone was to be sacrificed if someone that is not related by blood were to take over the previous Alpha’s position, that I knew.

And, someone that had no hope of having a mate was needed as the sacrifice, that I'm aware. And, hold up, what did father say earlier? That I was the sacrifice?