Are you serious?" I stared, horrified, at my mother. My lean and curvy mother.105Please respect copyright.PENANA7PAYKl0C92
"Yes, I am quite serious, Lilly." My mother continued to open trunks I was told wouldn't be open until my wedding. "Now get out. Most of this is for your husband's eyes only."105Please respect copyright.PENANA6YHGcKXUdf
I stood up and walked out of her room and crossed the long hallway into my room, slamming the door behind me. The canopy bed had curtains of soft blue falling down to the blue and silver bedding. I threw myself onto my bed, taking in the only human-looking room in the house. I spotted my reflection in the mirror of my vanity and picked up a dark blue pillow and threw it.105Please respect copyright.PENANAcWfkJgfPev
Of course, my room was the only human-looking room in the ridiculously oversized house. I was the only human in the house. The mirror distorted my reflection, and I looked away, trying to keep my tears from falling. The last thing I needed was for my younger brother to scent my grief and saunter in like he owned the place.105Please respect copyright.PENANARqw4g6I7MG
I sighed. Who was I kidding? Lucian was going to own this place, the title, and everything else. He was going to be the next Alpha. He is what I was supposed to be. Imagine my mother and father's surprise when realized they had a full human daughter. 105Please respect copyright.PENANAcZ19ZfPFgx
I stared up at the ceiling. Genetically I was rare, if you had two werewolf parents, and the gene is dominant, it's only a small percent that the baby would have the recessive human gene. But I did, which meant for an average werewolf household embarrassment, and the hopes that someone will adopt the human quickly. At least that is what I would assume would happen. To be honest, I have never heard about another human born to a werewolf family, but who knows?105Please respect copyright.PENANAfz5llF8r4P
However, for my family, who held royal blood, and with it, royal power, for my family, it brought embarrassment and shame. How could a royal Werewolf family with such firm lines have a human daughter?105Please respect copyright.PENANA2jpD8Tyi07
I took deep breaths, trying to keep the tears back. Because of who my family is, they couldn't just dump me off at the nearest European orphanage. Nope, because it just so happens when the great Laine bloodline has a child, that child is married off right in the womb.
Imagine how thrilled my family was when they discovered the ruling Werewolf family had just had a son and was still trying to find an appropriate match for him, and my mother was carrying a daughter. Parties were thrown, engagements were made, bonds were formed, blood oaths were voiced, and I ended up engaged.105Please respect copyright.PENANAgqcef948Wj
Then out came I came, and down went my family. At least that's how my brother tells it, anyway. My mother, being a kind-hearted creature, says that the royal family still saw potential in the marriage between Dimitri, their precious prince, and me, the embarrassment of wolfdom.105Please respect copyright.PENANAPrZXYQTltt
However, other families with halfbreed children would have their slightly stronger pups start attacking me. I almost died three times before I was even eight. My father was forced to swallow his pride and take me away from Europe for my safety and my entire family's safety.105Please respect copyright.PENANAuNKrN77zy0
Thus exchanging a couple of hundred-year-old castles for a brand new mansion built in the wilds of Idaho. That's right, Idaho, where else can a future human princess to the Werewolves be kept safe except in the only place where running water still hasn't been discovered yet. Yup, Idaho.105Please respect copyright.PENANAbXf7LpFRPv
I'm exaggerating the running water, but not by much. I looked out my windows and to see nothing but farmland as far as the eye could see. It's depressing, but it's home. At least to me, it's home, to the rest of my family. It's beyond depressing.105Please respect copyright.PENANALgozvmfFg8
Finally, the tears fell, and I groaned as my bedroom door opened, as expected, and my 18-year-old brother sauntered into the room, smirking at me.105Please respect copyright.PENANATJsr7DBIqM
"Get out Lucian."105Please respect copyright.PENANAJVPNZGKFv5
"Oh ho, little human Lilly crying in her little bitty bed?" I glared at the frustrating brat. He was the perfect specimen of the Werewolf kind, with midnight hair, vibrant honey eyes, tanned skin, and strong features. Lucian could eat his weight in fine beef and then some. He was a solid 290 pounds of lean muscle. Utterly any melting if not for his toxic personality. 105Please respect copyright.PENANAUAL8ZHqwZR
I had long chestnut hair that had naturally soft, bouncy curls. I was also full-figured. Lush curves, full hips, full bust, a perfectly human hourglass figure. My eyes were chocolate. And I was a honey-kissed tan. 105Please respect copyright.PENANAld0F9x14HL
I narrowed my eyes. "You aren't a full Werewolf either brat."105Please respect copyright.PENANAUyIbnJj2V9
He shrugged. "So, I can shift and you can't. Can you? Itty bitty Lilly''105Please respect copyright.PENANA5zVpNzshmE
I stood up and stalked toward him and I was satisfied to see panic flash across his face before he bolted out the door. I snorted in satisfaction. He knew better than to mess with me too much. I might be human. But I wasn't to be messed with. I slammed the door again. But it was short-lived as I heard my door open and felt the ice-cold presence of my father stalk into my room, 105Please respect copyright.PENANAjqP3jNkXW5
"Lilly."105Please respect copyright.PENANA8JTE6DYc5P
I looked up at him and saw a frown on his sharp features.105Please respect copyright.PENANAkLllja0s0F
"What?" I asked.105Please respect copyright.PENANAK7VHt3nZH9
His back straightened even more and his eyes narrowed. "Your mother is ready to speak with you."105Please respect copyright.PENANApBqr8salri
I nodded, looking down. I knew my father disliked me. Who wouldn't? my entrance into the world single-handedly ruined his reputation and took away everything from him, including his home. I walked silently through the dark halls and back into the black and red room my parents occupied.105Please respect copyright.PENANAxOzGYYDGyF
My mother closed the last of the luggage, and I gawked at them. "Wait, what is going on?"105Please respect copyright.PENANAOiHH48uZmm
My father stood next to my mother, giving me an icy stare. "You are going to France to meet up with your aunt. From there you will go by train to the Palace of your future husband."
ht and I collapsed hard onto the floor, landing hard on my soft ass, "But I'm not supposed to marry him until I'm nineteen. That's still six months away."105Please respect copyright.PENANAREy0WZqtIg
Mother looked up at my father in what could only be described as nervousness, which, for her to actually show, must mean something terrible. I waited, staring miserably at them, and finally, my mother turned to me and sat down on the edge of her bed. "There's no point putting it off. You can get used to your new husband before the mating ritual." 105Please respect copyright.PENANAZzuerIfw84
I looked up at her, fear stealing my breath. "I don't understand. I know I'm an embarrassment, but, I thought that the mating was canceled because of what I am."105Please respect copyright.PENANAo2hhJemjpy
My mother shook her head, "No darling, the agreement was made in blood, and there is nothing that can be done. It will be hard and might even be deadly for you. That's why we came here, why we gave up so much for you to have a happy life until now."105Please respect copyright.PENANAzZcgOFskry
I felt tears spill down my face and looked up at my father, who was looking away in disgust. I looked back down ashamed, "I thought...I had plans, college, a future..."105Please respect copyright.PENANAsFEEp41msR
Both my parents shook their heads. "No Lilly, you leave for Paris tonight. Isadora, your aunt, will meet you there, and then you will have to go shopping."105Please respect copyright.PENANAlbYoUC01Cq
"Why?" Of all the stupid things, the last thing on my mind was shopping, but the look on my mother's face silenced me.105Please respect copyright.PENANAAGawT1GmLq
"You have nothing appropriate to wear. We've been remiss in buying appropriate clothes for court." 105Please respect copyright.PENANAqnHicE0Em7
"What about the trunks? Weren't they supposed to be full of clothes?" 105Please respect copyright.PENANAQ3hJeCwn8q
She looked away for a moment. I could see the disappointment on her face. "Yes, well, I had expected to have a daughter more like me."105Please respect copyright.PENANA4gHwl9hcwa
Translation. She expected to have a Werewolf daughter with a tall, lean form like her. Instead, she got a plump human daughter with too many curves. I hunched down a bit realizing that I had to get an entirely new wardrobe. I hated shopping and elaborate dresses. I loved jeans and simple skirts. I couldn't stand ruffles. 105Please respect copyright.PENANAbit2XasGtz
"Enough coddling Esmeralda, let's go already." My father said imperiously. 105Please respect copyright.PENANAKwveUFuOc6
My mother nodded and touched my soft hair before pulling me to my feet and kissing me goodbye.105Please respect copyright.PENANAvbBjwwTQz3
In her own way, my mother loved me. Her love would forever be tinged with the embarrassment of my birth. Despite that, out of the entire pack and my immediate family, she treated me the best. 105Please respect copyright.PENANAGIWE5efd4w
I knew if he had a choice, she would have let me live out my life in human society. Humans and werewolves lived in peace these days. I could have gone to a human college and then gotten a human job. Maybe a human husband. 105Please respect copyright.PENANAXPTSgUvgHo
Now I was going to be mated to Dimitri Grayson. He was infamous for being a cold, ruthless ruler. He was a fair king and wasn't cruel. But his disdain for women was legendary. He took many lovers, but the word was he never showed them any affection 105Please respect copyright.PENANAeHIHN6u9ER
He treated his lovers like playthings and discarded them just as easily. I was to be his mate, bound to him till the end of my days. I could always throw myself onto the tracks and let the train run me over. That might be the best option for me.
I felt my father's icy touch as he gripped my upper arm and escorted me out of their room and outside to the waiting town car.
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