MELISSA.

*Crack*

The sound split the air before the pain did.

His hand connected with my face with brutal force, snapping my head backward. For a moment, the world tilted, spun, then blurred as hot tears flooded my eyes. My cheek burned, skin throbbing violently as I struggled to stay upright. I tasted blood, metallic and bitter at the corner of my mouth.

I slowly lifted my head and I immediately wished I hadn't.

The burning rage in his eyes was visible, wild and merciless, the same rage I had grown up fearing. The same rage that had lived in him ever since the day I learned to call him Dad. There was no hesitation in his expression, no doubt, no fatherly restraint. Just anger, raw and unquestioned.

I had always been the rejected one.

The unwanted twin.

The mistake.

From the moment we were born, the difference was clear. Amelia was light, the warmth, perfection. The angel everyone adored. The one whose tears moved hearts, whose words were taken as truth without question. And then there was me-the thorn lodged deep in everyone's eyes, irritating simply by existing.

I had never belonged nor fitted into the family. Beta by birth, an Omega in life.

"You little thief," Amelia cried, her voice sharp and trembling, though I could see the glint of satisfaction beneath her tears. "Why don't you just tell the truth? You stole my necklace. The one Dad bought for my birthday party tomorrow."

Her words sliced into me deeper than the slap ever could.

"I didn't..." My voice shook as I tried to speak, my chest tightening painfully. "I swe... I swear...I..."

I didn't even get to finish.

*Crack.*

Another slap echoed through the hall, louder than the first. This time, the force knocked me completely off balance. I hit the ground hard, palms scraping against the stone floor as pain shot through my body. My head rang, vision swimming as gasps rippled through the crowd.

It was my brother.

Fredrick stood over me, his face twisted with disgust, eyes cold and merciless.

"You bitch," he snarled. "I knew you were always jealous of Amelia, but going as far as stealing her ceremonial necklace?" He scoffed, stepping closer. "That just proves how low you really are."

He spat on me.

The saliva landed on my cheek, warm and degrading, mixing with my tears. Laughter murmured somewhere in the crowd. Whispers followed. Judgment pressed down on me from every direction.

I stayed on the ground, trembling, my heart shattering piece by piece.

Because no matter how much I denied it, no matter how much it hurt...

They had already chosen who to believe...and it was never going to be me.

My father's voice cut through the noise like a blade. "You would be punished after the Alpha's coronation!" he said coldly, his grip firm as he lifted Amelia into his arms.

She was limp against his chest, her head lolling to the side, eyes closed. Fredrick moved immediately, falling into step beside them without sparing me a glance. Their footsteps faded as they walked away, leaving behind whispers, gasps, and the heavy weight of what had just happened.

And once again, I was alone.

The strength drained from my legs. The world tilted, blurring at the edges, until Bella rushed forward and caught my arm. She steadied me, her hands warm and grounding as she helped me back onto my feet.

"Easy," she murmured, her voice tight with worry.

I nodded faintly, though my mind was elsewhere. All I wanted was to leave-to escape the altar, the stares, the torn fabric clinging to my skin. I needed to change my dress, to breathe, to disappear for just a moment.

Then I saw them.

The triplet Alphas.

They emerged from the crowd, identical in stature and presence, their expressions carved from stone. The air around them shifted, thick with authority, with power that pressed down on everyone present. My heart leapt painfully into my throat.

Instinct took over.

I stepped back and immediately hid behind Bella, clutching the back of her dress as though she were a shield. My pulse thundered in my ears as they walked past us, their boots echoing against the marble floor, each step measured and inevitable.

They mounted the altar.

Silence fell-deep, reverent, absolute.

The elders stepped forward and began the rituals, ancient words spilling into the air, heavy with history and tradition. Incense burned, smoke curling upward as if carrying prayers to the heavens. Each movement was precise, practiced, sacred.

I watched from behind Bella's shoulder as the crowns were lifted.

One by one, they were placed upon the triplets' heads.

At that moment, it was done.

They were crowned Alphas.

The crowd erupted into cheers, but the sound felt distant to me, like it was coming from underwater. My heart began to race uncontrollably, pounding so hard I was sure everyone could hear it.

The next part was coming.

The choosing.

My breath caught as the ceremonial bird was brought forth, its feathers gleaming, eyes sharp and knowing. According to tradition, the bird would choose their mate-whoever it landed on would be bound to them by fate itself.

My fingers trembled.

I told myself it wouldn't be me. It couldn't be me. I was no one. Just a girl standing in a ruined dress, hiding behind her friend, wishing she could vanish.

I was still tangled in my thoughts, barely aware of the bird taking flight, when Bella suddenly stiffened.

She gasped.

Then she shouted.

"It's you, Melissa!" Her voice rang out, loud and clear, slicing through the celebration. "You are their mate!"

The world stopped.

Every head turned in my direction.

I froze, my breath locked in my chest as hundreds of eyes bore into me. Heat flooded my face, my body suddenly feeling too small, too exposed. Excitement sparked despite myself-bright and terrifying-fluttering wildly in my chest.

But it didn't last.

Because when I finally looked at them, really looked at the triplet Alphas, the excitement drained away like water slipping through my fingers.

Their faces held no joy, just something far more frightening.

Melissa.

Caleb's voice tore through the crowd, "You are our mate!"

The word mate did not come with awe or reverence. It came wrapped in a growl, heavy with contempt. He stepped forward as he said it, boots striking the ground with purpose, his eyes locking onto mine, not with recognition, not with longing, but with naked disgust, as though the bond itself offended him.

Before I could even breathe, Cypril scoffed.

"How hilarious, brothers," he said, his lips curling into a cruel smirk. "This weak thing was mated to us." His gaze dragged over me slowly, deliberately, as if measuring how unworthy I was. Then he laughed, sharp and mocking. "Does the Moon Goddess take us as a joke?"

His glare cut deep, pinning me in place. It felt like every flaw I'd ever had was suddenly visible, magnified beneath his stare. My chest tightened as my eyes flicked from one face to the next-Cain, Cypril, Caleb, the others-each expression reflecting the same emotion. Revulsion. Disbelief. Shame... for me.

I swallowed hard, my throat dry, my heart pounding so loudly I was sure they could hear it. This was not how it was supposed to feel. The bond, the moment every wolf dreamed of. Instead, all I could feel was humiliation crawling beneath my skin.

I wished, suddenly and desperately, that I had never been chosen.

The thought came unbidden, sharp and terrifying.

Would they reject me?

Just imagining it sent chills racing down my spine. A rejection wasn't just a refusal, it was a scar that never healed, a mark that followed you for life. My fingers trembled at my sides as the fear settled in my bones, heavy and suffocating.

Then Cain laughed.

It wasn't loud at first. Just a low, amused chuckle that made my stomach twist. He stepped closer, invading my space until I could smell him, power, dominance, judgment. Before I could react, his hand shot out. Rough fingers grabbed my chin, forcing my face upward. His grip was firm, uncaring.

With a sharp twist, he tossed my face to the side, like I was nothing more than an object he was done inspecting.

"This is really a joke," he said coldly. "She can only pass as our maid."

The words landed like a slap.

For a heartbeat, the world went silent.

Then laughter exploded around me, loud, merciless, echoing from every direction. It swallowed me whole. I felt dozens of eyes burn into my skin, stripping me bare, feeding on my humiliation. My chest ached as I stood there, frozen, unable to defend myself, unable to disappear.

Somewhere in the crowd, a whisper rose, soft, but sharp enough to reach me.

"Can you imagine?" a voice sneered. "She just went from a thief to a reject."

The words pierced straight through my heart, sinking deep like a thousand needles at once. My breath hitched. I blinked rapidly, fighting the sting behind my eyes, fighting the weakness threatening to drag me down.

More laughter followed, cruel and endless, until it felt like it was ringing inside my skull. My ears burned. My face burned. Everything burned with shame.

I wished the ground would open up beneath my feet.

I wished it would swallow me whole and spare me this moment, this bond that felt more like a curse than fate.

My father rushed forward before I could even gather my thoughts, his movements hurried, almost desperate. He bowed low, his voice trembling as it rang out across the clearing.

"Forgive my incompetence, Alphas," he said quickly. "I am willing to make amends for my daughter!"

The words struck me like a blow.

Make amends?

My mind reeled as I stared at his back. What did he mean by that? What kind of mistake was I that needed correcting? Was it a crime...my crime...that the Moon Goddess had bound me to them?

My chest tightened painfully as the question echoed in my head, unanswered and heavy.

One of the Alphas–Cain spoke, his tone cold and sharp, slicing through the murmurs around us.

"And how do you intend to make amends, Beta Silas?"

The clearing fell silent. Every breath felt too loud.

My father straightened slightly, as though he had already made his decision long before this moment. There was no hesitation in his voice when he answered.

"I am willing to offer my other daughter to you all."

The world tilted.

My heart lurched violently in my chest, panic exploding through my veins. I stared at him in disbelief, my hands curling into fists as the meaning of his words sank in. Just like that, he had discarded me. Just like that, he had placed my sister on a silver platter and handed her over to the triplet Alphas.

Then what would happen to me?

The question screamed inside my head, loud and desperate. No one answered it. No one even looked at me. I was suddenly invisible, a problem pushed aside, a mistake erased.

Fear wrapped itself tightly around my lungs, making it hard to breathe. If Amelia took my place if she stood where I had been forced to stand, what was left for me? Rejection? Exile? A life branded by shame?

Even through the fog of my despair, my eyes betrayed me. They lifted, unwillingly, to the triplet Alphas.

And that was when I saw it.

The subtle shift in their expressions. The way their rigid disgust melted into something else. A smile, slow, satisfied, crept onto their faces, one after the other. It was small, but unmistakable.

My heart sank.

They would accept this. Of course they would. This was everything they wanted, everything they had been denied. Finally, they could be with the one they loved.

Tears blurred my vision as the truth settled deep in my chest. I had never stood a chance. I never did.

"I have always lost to you, Amelia," I whispered, the words slipping from my lips like a broken confession. They tasted bitter, heavy with years of silent defeat.

My father's voice rang out again, formal and final, sealing my fate without ever looking my way.

"I, Beta Silas, hereby announce and declare my daughter Amelia engaged to the Alpha triplets."

The word engaged pierced straight through my heart.

It hurt so much I nearly staggered.

Slowly, I turned my head, drawn by an ache I couldn't ignore. Amelia was looking at me. Her lips curved upward, her eyes shining, not with surprise, not with gratitude, but with triumph.

It was a smile I knew too well.

Her victory smile.

The Alpha triplets didn't waste a second. They stepped away from me as though I had never existed, closing the distance between themselves and Amelia instead. Their hands reached for her, gentle, possessive, reverent, holding her as if she were the rarest gem in the world.

And I was left behind.

They didn't tell me my fate. No words of acceptance. No words of rejection. Nothing.

I stood there alone, abandoned in the space between what I was and what I was no longer allowed to be. Neither chosen nor cast aside completely.

And I realized, with a hollow ache in my chest, that this, this uncertainty, this silence was the greatest torment of all.

Melissa.

"You shameless bitch!"

My father's voice thundered through the room, shaking the walls and my already fragile resolve. His eyes were locked on me, blazing with fury and disgust, as if I were something filthy that had stained his life. Before I could even lift my head, his hand swung.

The impact came fast and brutal.

Pain exploded across my face as his palm connected with my cheek, snapping my head to the side. My ears rang, my vision blurring for a moment as his words followed the blow, sharp and merciless.

"Why can't you just be like your sister?"

That question again.

It echoed in my mind, familiar and cruel, a sentence I had heard my entire life. I swallowed hard, tasting blood at the corner of my mouth as I stared at the floor. No matter how hard I tried, no matter what I did, I never fit. I was always lacking, always wrong, always the disappointment standing beside perfection.

My father paced in front of me like an enraged beast.

"You nearly cost me my head!" he roared. "Even the Alpha triplets couldn't withstand you! Do you know what would have happened if your sister wasn't in our lives?"

His words pressed down on me, heavy and suffocating. My hands trembled where they rested on my lap, but I stayed silent, my knees aching against the cold floor. I had been ordered to kneel the moment the ceremony ended, instructed not to move, not to speak.

I was still here because my punishment had not yet been decided.

Because, as they said, I had failed the family.

"She has always been a disaster, Dad!"

Fredrick's voice cut in harshly, filled with venom. I lifted my eyes just enough to meet his glare, a look so full of hatred it felt like it could pierce straight through me. There was no brotherly warmth there, no hesitation, only accusation.

I lowered my gaze again.

My body felt heavy, exhausted from holding in everything I wasn't allowed to express. Every muscle screamed in protest, but I stayed kneeling, just as they wanted, just as I had been taught.

Then Amelia spoke.

"Dad, please calm down. It isn't Melissa's fault."

Her voice was soft, gentle, wrapped in false kindness. It floated through the tension like a balm, and I felt every pair of eyes shift toward her. When I dared to glance up, I saw the expression on her face, a smile so carefully composed it could easily be mistaken for concern.

"Let's leave her, Dad," she continued sweetly. "I forgive her for stealing my necklace. The family is safe for now."

Those words did it.

I barely had time to flinch before another sharp sound cracked through the air. My head snapped sideways as pain erupted anew, hotter and more stinging than before.

My mother.

Luisa's hand had struck me hard, her eyes cold and unforgiving.

"How dare you steal your sister's necklace?" she demanded, her voice trembling with outrage. "How dare you shame this family even further?"

The room spun slightly as I fought to steady my breathing. My cheek burned. My jaw ached. But I said nothing.

There was no point.

I didn't try to explain. I didn't deny it. I didn't cry out in protest. I simply knelt there in silence, my head bowed, my hands clenched tightly to keep them from shaking.

Because I knew the truth.

They would never believe me.

No matter what I said, no matter how loudly I screamed my innocence, it would always be drowned out by Amelia's soft words, by their need for me to be the villain. I was the easy one to blame, the family's burden, the disaster they all agreed upon.

So I stayed quiet.

And let their judgment fall on me like it always did.

"Amelia, darling, there is no need to go soft on her."

My brother's voice cut through the room with practiced ease, smooth and confident, as if he were stating an obvious truth. He moved closer to Amelia, slipping an arm around her and pulling her into his chest, holding her like something fragile and precious. Like a baby that needed shielding.

"She deserves to be punished," Fredrick continued, his gaze flicking toward me briefly, filled with disdain. "Maybe then she'll finally learn how to act the right way."

The words settled heavily in the air, final and condemning.

"But Fredrick..." Amelia began, her voice hesitant, almost pleading, as though she were torn between mercy and duty.

She never finished.

My father straightened, his expression hardening into something cold and unyielding. When he spoke, his voice carried authority, no room for debate, no space for mercy.

"According to the family book of law," he said firmly, "Melissa is to be whipped thirty strokes."

The sentence fell like a death knell.

Before I could even process the meaning of his words, before fear could fully take shape in my chest, he turned and walked out of the room. Just like that. As if my fate had been nothing more than a line to be read aloud and forgotten.

The room seemed to freeze for a heartbeat.

Then everything moved at once.

In a split second, the guards stepped forward. Strong hands seized my arms, their grip unrelenting as they yanked me to my feet. My knees nearly buckled beneath me, the sudden movement sending a jolt of pain through my body.

I didn't resist.

What was the point?

They dragged me toward the door, my feet barely touching the ground as I struggled to keep my balance. The murmurs behind me faded, replaced by the heavy sound of boots and my own uneven breathing.

"Wait!"

Amelia's voice rang out suddenly.

The guards didn't stop, but I felt a tug in my chest as I realized she was following us. She rushed after me, her footsteps light and hurried, as if she truly cared.

"Melissa, I am so sorry," she said, leaning in close as we paused briefly in the corridor. Her face was inches from mine, her eyes wide, her expression filled with what looked like remorse.

For a moment, I almost believed it.

Then she lowered her voice, her lips brushing near my ear, the sound barely more than a whisper.

"The Alpha triplets have always been mine," she murmured softly. "You should have known your place. Think of this as a little gift of mine."

The words slid into me like poison.My heart shattered quietly, painfully, piece by

piece.

Amelia straightened, her expression shifting in an instant. The sorrow vanished, replaced by calm satisfaction. She reached out, brushing at my clothes as if removing invisible dirt, her fingers light and dismissive.

Then she turned her back on me.

Without another word, she walked away, her steps unhurried as she headed back inside, back to warmth, safety, and victory.

I was left standing there, restrained by the guards, being dragged forward again, down a path I hadn't chosen, toward a punishment I could not escape. My chest felt hollow, my spirit weighed down by misery and the cruel reality of my fate.

Why was I so unfortunate?