Chapter 2

Eve’s POV

Flashback

“Why does my father hate me?”

I asked the maid Maryline, who was in charge of me, timidly rubbing my eyes.

Her smile faded at the sound of my sweet, beautiful but in pain, naive voice.

“Eve, how dare you say such a thing?”

She gently yelled in surprise.

I bent my head in dismay.

“Take a look at me!”

She lifted my head with her hard cranky hands full of blisters. I loved her. She is like a mother to me and my only family member, I can say because she was always around me, listened, and was always there for me, unlike my dad, who neither loved nor considered me as his child.

“Your dad loves you! Okay?”

She uttered. It felt more like she wanted to convince herself than convince me.

“Okay?”

She insists again.

“Yes!”

I nodded in dismay because no matter what she said at that time, it didn’t matter. The truth was clear. My father despised me.

Once she finished with my dressing, she stood up from the couch on which she was seated she took me to the mirror.

“You are beautiful!” She told while placing me in front of the mirror. She stood behind me with a big smile on her face. I saw her reflection in the mirror. I faked back a smile to appeal her soul as if everything was alright. But the truth is not everything was alright.

I was only 5 years old by then but I could sense all the resentment from my father. He didn’t even make an effort to try to be nice or even pretend. His hatred for me was written all over his face any time we had an encounter.

After she was done telling me how beautiful I was, we moved out of the room to the Reception hall where my father was and where I had to be, standing by his side as his next heiress.

My father moved towards us as he saw us coming! I felt very pleased with his response. 

“I guess he wants me to enter with him by his side. After all, I’m the only heir to his throne and kingdom. It’s my mate that will become the next King and Alpha of this kingdom.” I told myself deep down. I smiled as I watched him move closer to us.

“My King!” Before my maid, Maryline, could finish her reverence, he snored her off.

“Maryline, take her out.” My father instructed with a cold voice. So cold that it made every part of me quiver. His reaction wasn’t strange nor new to me, yet it still pained as if it was the first time.

She immediately woke up stunned, glancing at him with so much anger. “Where to, Sir?” She asked with a dismal glance.

“Anywhere but out of here! Out of my sight. This kingdom doesn’t need a fucking heiress but an heir.” He enunciated, avoiding any eye contact with my grieving gaze, which spontaneously got filled with tears.

“But... My King, you asked me to get her ready for this ceremony and here we are!” She insisted not wanting to disappoint me.

She battled as much as she could to make me part of the ceremony in vain. All she succeeded in was causing me more suffering because any single word of rejection he uttered shattered my heart.

“I changed my mind! I don’t want her here. She isn’t fit for this!” He said what he said and majestically walked away.

“But my King... My King...” She watched him leave, and there was nothing she could do to change his mind.

“I told you!” I yelled at her while busting into tears.

“He loves you!” She couldn’t even believe her lies. One could hear the shame in her voice which sounded so phony.

“I never want to see you again,” I screamed while rushing into my room, and I locked the door behind me.

A few days after my father’s burial

“Elite, Eve!” My uncle Edmonton yells my name as he searches for me around the house.

I’m behind the house, seated under a tree enjoying the fresh air. This place has always been my spot of the shield.

“Yes, Uncle!” I walk toward him at the sound of his voice.

“It’s fine you are here! There is someone here who wants to see you.” He happily smiles; meanwhile, this freaks me out. 

Has my father reincarnated from the deaths? Oh, no! I start panicking. No, he can’t. I realise and I face my uncle.

Asking, “Who is he, and why is he/she looking for me?” I have to bother you because I have no friends. My father has always been hiding me away from the public since my birth.

The only non-fortress (Palace) member who knows me is my private home teacher. And our classes were a secret only known between me, Maryline, and Uncle Edmonton. 

My father never wanted “any resources to be wasted on me.” Those were his words. 

So I practically know no one. Perhaps it’s a servant? I don’t think. They won’t summon me. They will rather come to me. 

“Who is she/he?” I wonder aloud.

“You will find out soon! Go in, fix your hair, change this dirty dress, and be a lady! We will be waiting for you in the throne room,” he insists. With that said, he moves away.

“Be a lady! Like seriously? I hate this statement. This is what they’ve taught me all my life to be a fucking lady. Though they all wished I was a fucken man!” I pout to myself as I walk to my Chambers.

I brush my hair. I put on a long V-neck blue gown with a pair of low black ballerinas.

Once I’m done, I walk down to the throne room. A room I despised so much, and it was dad’s best place in the palace. He loved spending all his time here. Every single piece of this room reminds me of him, and this seriously sucks.

“Come on, Eve!” My uncle waves at me.

Before reaching him I take a quick scan of the room. I notice Maryline at one edge of the hall, faking a smile to make me feel comfortable. Rather she makes me more worried.

I also notice a stranger seated opposite Uncle. From where I’m strutting, I can only see his back. From what I’m seeing, I can tell this man is huge and strong looking.

I slowly walk towards where my uncle is, keeping my glance on the strange man, taking on his appearance. He has a dark three-piece suit with an oxblood tie “sexy!” His hair is black and well kept.

As I’m about sitting next to my uncle, he stops me saying “Sit near Adams.” He’s pointing at the strange man.

I turn to peep at the man then our eyes confront unexpectedly. I can’t hold the quivering going through my body. I simply lower my stare to the ground.

Underneath the black hair is the most shockingly electric brown eyes I have ever seen. It sends shock waves through my spine. His facial expressions are strong and handsome, with short and well-groomed beard.

“Just do it. He won’t eat you raw!” I shout to myself deep down. I have to do as Uncle instructed, yet I’m glued to where I’m standing.

I don’t know why, but this man makes me wanna run away and never return. He’s like a monster!

“Eve, seat!” Uncle screams with his fangs carving out. I fall on the seat like a pear that has fallen from a tree and died to the wind. I just find myself seated beside the huge, frightening man.

“Edmonton, calm down!” Adams instructs with his eyes turning green, his voice getting deeper, and uncle remains low.

“Fuck!” I yell deep within, with all inside me trembling. Both are scaring me now.

Uncle Edmonton takes a deep breath.

“Eve, the day of the eclipse is fast approaching and you know our clan needs a real Alpha...” He starts reciting his long speech to consolidate me.

“And I’m just like, go straight to the point, shit!” I dare not voice it out though, so I listen to his boring crap about the thrones, heritage, etc., as if I care. I can’t wait to run out of this hall.

Adams coughs three times.

“What your uncle is simply trying to say is that you are going to be my Luna, my wife. Our marriage is due in about two weeks or less,” Adams announces with his green eyes showing a hint of anger. 

His voice is so deep, so deep that every part of me is trembling! And he says it as if he was passing an exam, with no pinch of remorse or subtleness, such nonsense!

“What?” I wake up from where I’m seated, “Marry who? You?” yelling at the top of my voice. “I can’t marry this frightening, full-grown man.” this is crazy.

“Unfortunately, Eve. This is how it works!” My uncle tries to help.

“But you promised me never to choose a mate for me. You told me that I was going to find my soulmate at the mating festival like every other young girl of my age!” I sob, yelling at him with a bitter look.

The festival in question is in a week.

He tries to explain but I’m so mad that I don’t give him a chance too.

“You all keep on lying to me!” I cry as I unexpectedly shift into my wolf for the first time and ride out through the window.

“I will talk to her!” Edmonton craves to follow her 

“It’s fine!” Adams stops him as he instantly shifts into his wolf and follows her through the window.

I ride through the woods as I effortlessly keep shifting from my wolf to my human form and back to my wolf without even realising it. The pain of my thoughts makes me furious and unstable. 

Also, I don’t have control over my wolf because I have never been able to shift before now and this inability made my father hate me more.

I keep speeding far away to another clan’s territory, sobbing without noticing it.

“I never wanted all this. I’ve already suffered enough because of this heritage from the maltreatment and hate of my father, who never loved me. Now, they want me to marry a total stranger who is far older than me. What if he turned out to be worse than my father? What if he is not my destined mate?... I’m forever a liability, even after my father’s death! To think I thought all these sufferings were going to follow him to his grave...” I moan, shifting back to my human form, and I’m naked.

I take shelter under a tree, horrified at my nakedness. I have never been in such an embarrassing situation.