Chapter 1 Her Birthday

• Rihanna's POV
• It was the Princess's birthday, she lived another year to cause hell for me.
• The decorations of pink and white at the ballroom sickened me. It always had actually. It reminded me of the worst year of my life, reoccurring.
• ******
• When I was nine-year-old, Princess’s Vanessa’s was having her tenth birthday and the ballroom was filled with white and pink designs.
• I crept towards the long table were meals of different cultures and origins were laid, along sides cocktails and wines.
• I raised my legs to where her cake was kept, on the highest table, and gleamed wickedly at it.
• My twin brother, Raymond, was in charge of keeping the little pups away from the table but he was far off outside the ballroom, watching the Alpha King invite the guests.
• I knew my brother would get in trouble for what I was about doing but I had to do it. Princess Vanessa owed me everything.
• I slapped down the cake, spreading it across the table. It made a melting sound and the high steps toppled to the ground.
• Inside of me, I felt bad ruining it but this was revenge. I was being petty but that was all nine-year old me could think off.
• Hearing footsteps from outside the ballroom, I envisioned the Luna Queen and the servants coming.
• I had shifted early so had my wolf, Lana. She told me to run away but I stubbornly didn’t. I didn’t care, I wanted them to see me. I wanted Princess Vanessa to see me. I ruined her cake!
• But Raymond appeared. His expression went from surprise to anger and then fear. He pulled me by the ear but I slapped his hands off.
• “Serves Princess Vanessa right!”
• My voice was small and light so I made a noise shouting like that.
• “And you’d be served a punishment soon!” he barely finished when the our Luna Queen walked into the kitchen.
• She wore a smile on her lips, which was also smeared bright red, matching her auburn hair.
• Her bright green eyes darkened on seeing the ruined cake. She pinched her skin through her white dress wanting for everything to be a dream.
• “Rihanna, it’s you again!” she tried dragging my hair but I quickly bit her hands.
• I began screaming while throwing cake on her. She was very annoyed that I was ruining her dress but I still didn’t care. I hated her like I hated her daughter.
• My mother rushed in, running with her blue stilettos that I felt would break any minute.
• A victorious smirk was etched to my face as everyone came in, seeing the cake and the Luna Queen. Even Princess Vanessa came in and my wolf began laughing.
• “Who did this!” my father barked, he was the Beta of our Kingdom, he looked scary towering down at my brother in his black suit.
• The Alpha King pushed my father aside and came in front. He’s expression changed to something different.
• The guests came closer one by one, eyeing the melted cake on the ground. I noticed a guest, Duchess Vivian wearing an impressed smirk. But then Princess Vanessa burst to a wail.
• They all must have seen the cake stained on me. I laughed like a mad wolf despite everyone looking at me.
• “She's the daughter of Beta Sam, so the prophecy is true...”
• A murmur rippled through the crowd of onlookers. Prophecy? What prophecy? I couldn't help but laugh, but Alpha King's face darkened visibly.
• “I pushed Rihanna to the cake. It’s my fault.” Raymond shouted as the Alpha King advanced to me. I stopped laughing.
• “Sam, what’s wrong with your children!” the Alpha King yelled at my father.
• I wanted to scream at him, to demand what was wrong with his family.
• Alpha King looked down at me, his scarlet eyes, once dominating, now filled with anger and suspicion.
• “So you really like to challenge the royal family.”
• I didn't give an inch. I knew I was a beast. But her daughter was a bully, picking on every pup of lower status since she learned how to speak.
• “Please, let her go. I messed up the cake not her!” Raymond stuttered, his small suit was already stained with dirt.
• Raymond pushed me down and I fell on the cake. He repeated his claim on messing up the cake.
• What was he so scared off? Why’s he protecting me? Is it because of the prophecy that everybody is talking about?
• “Raymond? Rihanna? Who messed up this cake and why?” my father asked, calmly.
• With Raymond behind me, he gave me a sign with his fingers not to speak. I grumpily obeyed.
• My mother looked at me disappointedly. They surely knew it was me. Raymond was never reckless, that’s why he was asked to watch the cake. I was the little witch around the house.
• But since Raymond agreed to the crime, he was punished. And I didn’t know that could happen.
• My brother was given fifteen strokes for it.
• I was so upset when I heard it was the Alpha King’s will, I slid low.
• Why was Princess Vanessa's cake so precious?
• Princess Vanessa had earlier annoyed me by calling my father a stupid dog who only listened to her father without having a will of his own.
• My hatred for the royal family increased, but in return, the whole pack hated me. They didn’t like my confidence to stand up to myself. Or my mischievousness.
• Aside from that, I also sensed something strange in their attitude towards me, only I didn't understand what it meant since I was only a child.
• They cursed at me that I was the reason for my brother’s scarred back, that I would jinx everything. And no one played with me, I didn’t mind till I finally began to.
• My mother hated me and I became an embarrassment to my father. How ironic, all I had wanted was payback to Princess Vanessa for insulting my father.
• I revenged in the most painful way I could think of as a child but my actions kept on hunting me.
• Princess Vanessa occasionally spread lies against me, that I destroyed one thing or the other, or that one day I will betray the pack. People believed and hated me more.
• I became timid ever since. I was now diminutive due to lack of love and care. I didn’t have confidence left.
• I was the most hated in the pack, all thanks to Princess Vanessa.
• *****
• Now Princess's birthday had come again, and she was to find her mate today.Thus our whole pack was suddenly filled with some rush of energy, confidence and mischievousness.
• But this smelt like more trouble for me. So when the guests gathered around Princess Vanessa, I stood far away, not wanting get accused of anything again.
• Our kingdom was a group of packs, with ours Black Hills being the most powerful, hence our Alpha, being the King.
• Deep down, I always felt like he didn’t deserve it. And somehow I knew it’s the truth.
• The guests were from different packs and more were to come.
• They sang songs to the Princess, and gifted her precious stones from their land.
• Duchess Vivian gave her a bracelet with a supposed wishing gem. They granted one’s deepest wishes.
• That was a dangerous gift to give someone like Princess Vanessa.
• I stayed up at the hill, to ensure I didn’t spoil their mood or appetite. I hadn’t worn a formal dress and just a long-sleeved jacket with jeans.
• “Rih, what are you doing there?”.
• I expected to see my brother Raymond but I turned to see the Alpha King’s son, Prince Chris. My cheeks flushed a little, I jumped from the tree I was on.
• “Um… nothing. Just watching” I removed some strands on my face backwards, looking him in the eyes. Those ocean-blue eyes were almost translucent in the sunlight, looking at me intently. I became self conscious.
• “Hmm. From here? Why don’t you go down? Can you see anything?” he tried to look from where I was standing.
• Sometimes he forgot I was the hated Beta’s daughter. His niceness to me usually caught me off guard because he was my enemy’s brother!
• My ears weren’t very sharp so my eyes were sharper. He was almost slipping from the hill, from trying to peek from the hill so I wrapped my hands around him.
• “Thank you.” he sighed, deeply, as I pulled him back. My face was beet red and I dare not look at him. I had felt sparks holding him.