'Honey', Beta Andrew curled his arm round his wife's shoulders as they sat on the couch. 'why are you so bothered? Aren't you happy that you are pregnant again?' he asked.

'I am proud to be having your child, Andrew', she replied, looking at him with uncertainty.

'But?'

'But I'm afraid it's going to be another boy!' she wailed.

'So, what if it's another boy?' he asked. 'It will still be a part of you and me. I will love him like I love his brothers and sister!'

Amelia was not sure of that but she refused to comment on that. 'We already have two boys, Andrew', she said. 'I would have loved it if this one turned out to be a girl!'

'We already have two boys and a girl, Amelia's, he said, narrowing his eyes on her. 'Are you counting Alexa out? She's your daughter too and you have treated her as such. She knows no other mother but you!'

'Yes, yes!' she said, smiling. 'I was thinking in terms of a biological daughter'.Then seeing the surprise look on her husband's face, she said. 'These past three years, I have treated Alexa as my daughter. She is my daughter. I never thought I could become pregnant again but now that the Goddess has decided to bless me again, is it too bad to desire that it be a she - wolf?'

'No, of course not, my darling', he relented, hugging her closer, but being careful not to hug to tight because of her pregnancy. 'For your happiness, I pray it be a girl too but whatever gender it turns out to be, I shall accept whole heartedly because it is a part of you, love'.

'Thank you, love!' she said, thinking to herself, I pray it's a girl so that you may show her the kind of love that you show to your mistress' child Alexa. She smiled sweetly at him.

Six months later, she was rushed to the hospital .

'It's a girl!' the midwife announced, as they carried the baby out to clean her up.

Amelia's joy knew no bounds but she just smiled at the mid wife gratefully.

I have my own daughter, she thought. I must be dreaming. She pinched herself and when she felt the pain, laughed happily, once the midwife left after cleaning her and making her comfortable. She wanted to shout to the world that she had a daughter of her own.

The baby was brought back clean and dressed and handed to her. She looked upon the child. 'She is beautiful, isn't she?' she asked proudly.

'Of course, she is', the midwife answered. 'And why wouldn't she? Her mother is a raving beauty herself!' Amelia smiled gratefully at the midwife again. Her daughter had light brown hair and green eyes, she noted and smiled proudly. The midwife took the baby from her and laid her in a cot beside her. 'It's time for you to rest for a while and regain some strength. We have already sent the good news to your husband. He should be here any minute from now!' Amelia nodded, she had already mind linked her husband with the great news, asking her to bring Alexa with her when he came to visit.

Her husband, came to see her.

'Darling, what a great news!' he exclaimed joyfully when he entered the room where she was. 'Your prayers have finally been answered?' he said smiling affectionately at her.

Her smile froze. 'My prayers?' she asked. 'Did you not want it too?'

'I meant our prayers', Beta Andrew hastily corrected himself. 'Of course, I wanted her as well! That brought back the smile to her face.

'Now, we finally have a daughter, after so many years!' she screamed in glee, unguardedly.

'We already had a daughter are you forgetting?' he asked, with his brows furrowed. 'Don't forget we've had Alexa these past six years. She is our second daughter!'

Maybe for you, not for me! she thought uncharitably but said. 'Of course, silly me! The joy of the moment is clouding my reasoning. Forgive me, my Lord!'

'Don't let it happen again, so that the girl in question will not start feeling unloved or like an outsider! Remember what we do not want it known'.

'Mummy, I am happy I have a baby sister now', Alexa who had been entranced at the sight of the baby and not paying attention to their exchange said. 'I prayed earnestly for a sister since I already have two brothers! It is now even, two boys and two girls!'

'Yes, my daughter', Amelia said smiling and nipping Alexa on the cheek, affectionately. 'It is now as it should be!'

'Thank you Moon Goddess for answering my prayers and giving me my own sister. Now I have a sister I can play with and show off to others in the pack!'

Andrew smiled at his first daughter, Alexa. She was so pure of heart like the Goddess herself.

'Anyway, darling, Alexa is here to keep you company', Andrew said. 'I was in a meeting with the Alpha when you mind linked me with the news. 'Alpha Fred Connor just excused me for about an hour. He is waiting for me. There's something important we are planning, concerning the attacks we've been having recently!'

'That's okay. I'll miss you but not so much now that I have both my daughters with me to keep me company!' she smiled, waving her husband away.

'Mum, what name are you going to give my sister?' Alexa asked still very excited.

It occured to Amelia then that Andrew had not even asked for the name of his new daughter. It was all because of his beloved first daughter. He hadn't even been able to stay for a while with her but had to rush off to meet with the Alpha. Does that not show that he didn't really care for their newest child because he already had a daughter? The daughter of a mistress for that matter! she thought angrily.

'Stop pestering me, Alexa!' she snapped, pushing Alexa away from her.

'Mum, is anything the matter? Did I do something wrong?' Alexa asked shocked. Amelia had never treated her harshly before.

'Yes!' she replied and before Alexa with her inquisitive nature could ask what the problem was, she continued, 'You are the problem! And the wrong you did was being born and having the type of mother you had!'

Alexa was shocked. What did she mean? How could she had done done by being born? 'Mum, did you regret giving birth to me? Is that what I have done wrong?' she asked, both puzzled and hurt. 'And why are you speaking in this strange manner, are you not my mother?'

Amelia caught herself. 'Of course I am your mother', she said hastily. 'You asked of the name of your sister didn't you?'

'Yes, mum!' Alexa answered smiling. Thank goodness mum is no longer angry with me, she thought, happily. I shall try not to get her angry anymore.

'Her name is Camellia'.

'Camellia', Alexa tasted in the name on her tongue. 'It is such a beautiful name!'

'Yes, a beautiful name for a very beautiful girl', Amelia said, looking pointedly at Alexa who didn't understand her look.

'Yes, you're right mother. My sister is really very beautiful. I am proud to have her as my sister', she said enthusiastically. She was going to show off her sister to the other pups in the pack who had been flaunting their sisters in her face when they played, she thought happily, thanking the Moon Goddess one more time.

'You must love your sister very well, take care of her and serve her like the princess she is. Do you understand what I am saying?'

'Yes, mum!' Alexa said. 'I shall gladly do that!'

Amelia smiled. She was going to subtly put this child of her husband's mistress in her place. Now that she had her own daughter, Alexa was no longer useful to her. The anger, hatred and jealousy she had harboured against Mildred, Alexa's mother, which Amelia had suppressed when she took on Alexa as her own daughter came flowing back into her and since she could not vent it out on the trespassing mistress who was no where to be found, she was going to take it all out on the evidence her husband's indiscretion: Alexa.

Alexa staggered into a room, led by her little sister who just got her wolf the previous week when she turned eighteen.

'Go and relax on the bed, dear sister', Camellia said gently to her sister. They had been dancing and drinking at the birthday party of the only daughter of Alpha Eric Connor

As Alexa laid on the bed, still feeling out of sorts, Camellia helped her undress and bringing out a very short and sexy negligee, put it on her.

'Why am I feeling this way?' she asked.

'You must have eaten something your stomach disagrees with', Camellia said, thinking to herself that she must hurry. 'Don't over think it, just relax and be yourself. Follow your instincts and you'll be good in the morning'.

'Where am I? she asked looking about with glazed eyes.

'The allegy must really be strong if you cannot recognize your own room', her sister said. 'Now just relax and enjoy yourself!'

'Camellia!' she called but her voice was becoming slurred and she felt very strange. She felt very hot. Why did she suddenly feel like mating?

Lyncan Prince Hector, dismissed Samuel who served as his Beta. He had had a fair amount to drink.

'I should come in with you to make sure you're okay', Samuel said.

'Don't be silly', Prince Hector admonished him. 'I am well able to take care of myself. Now be gone, I need to sleep!'

Samuel waited till Hector had gone in and shut the door before he left for his own room. This accommodation had been provided by Alpha Fred Connor for those of his guests who might wish to spend the night after his daughter's birthday party.

Though he did not feel intoxicated, he felt a little light-headed and wanted to have a little rest. He walked into his hotel room after dismissing Samuel and yawned, shutting the door and unbuttoning his shirt. Something caught his attention towards the bed as he walked to hang his shirt on the wardrobe.

'What the heck?' he cursed 'Who was this she - wolf in his bed?' He was drawn towards her strangely and he walked towards her to see if he knew her. She must have come into his room by mistaking it for hers. The mistake will soon be rectified, he thought as he approached the bed to the woman twitching in it, wearing almost nothing.

'Lady', he called, stretching his hand to turn her over so he could see her face. What a beautiful face, he thought and those eyes, he felt like he was drowning in them and his touch on her arm sent shock waves all over his body and the girl stared at him shocked at first but dragged him into the bed beside her, kissing him fervently.

'Hot. I'm so hot!' she murmured against his lips.

He wanted to stop her, a part of his mind telling him that she may be under the influence of some kind of drug, aphrodisiac of some sort but she felt so damn good and he just couldn't control his lust. So, he continued kissing her, thinking to himself that it was just part of the benefits of attending the party. It was possible he was not going to see her again after tonight in any case. And she was right she was hot and he liked hot females.

Soon they were tearing each other's clothes off and fell on the bed, Hector was already out of control and when he saw how wet she was when he spread her legs wide apart so he could penetrate, he knew there was no going back. With a groan, he thrust into her, and a tiny scream escaped from her, her eyes growing round but it drooped again as she placed her lips on his neck kissing it. She was so damn tight, he thought and thrust again, tearing his way into her and felt her bite his neck, but he did not mind, he wouldn't give this up for anything. He secretly thanked his father for sending him in his stead, to this party thrown by Alpha Connor, how else would he had met this she - wolf whose mating was unlike any he had ever experienced? He was so besotted that he placed a most cherished ring on her finger afterwards.

*****

Next morning, Alexa opened her eyes to find herself in a strange room and on a closer look, she found a male in bed with her.

'What have I done?' she thought wildly in her head. 'How did I end up here? Then some images of how a man was kissing her and she was responding wildly flicked through her mind and she was appalled that she could behave like that. I should leave at once before this man wakes to find me here and ask me any embarrassing questions, I have already humiliated myself as it is. Hell, I won't even be able to look at him for shame. I hope no one finds out about this, she prayed, panicking.

She grabbed her clothes, quickly got into them noiselessly because she did not want the stranger she had spent the night with to come awake while she was still there and picking her shoes, she snuck out of the room. She heaved a sigh of relief as she stepped out of the room undetected and hit the door noiselessly.

But her sigh of relief and triumph was short lived as she saw Camellia her sister standing just outside the door with a few witnesses.

'Ah, sister, why are you coming out of a strange room in a hotel?' she asked, looking at her sister knowingly, her head placed diagonally.

'Camellia, you won't happen to know how I ended up in this room, would you?' she asked.

'What do you mean?' Camellia asked. 'You come out of a room, and it is pretty obvious you slept with a stranger you might not even know and you are asking me if I knew about it?'

Camellia's voice was rising and Alexa looked fearfully towards the door fearing the noise would wake the man inside and expose her to him so she clasped a hand on Camellia's mouth and drew her away from the door to a place far away, where she felt was safe enough for them to speak, but before she could unclasp her hand from her sister's mouth, Camellia took hold of her hand and threw it down.

'Are you trying to hide this?' she asked but some flashed in Alexa's fingers and her curiosity was aroused as she took a better look.

That ring! she thought. I have seen it somewhere, why does it look so familiar? Then she recalled that she had seen it on the Lyncan Prince's finger. She had liked him,he was so goddamn handsome and she had tried to catch his attention all evening but had not known where he had disappeared to. So he was the one Alexa spent the night with? It couldn't be. But she had thought that she had slept with one omega she had drugged and asked her servant to lead into the room she had left Alexa.

'Where did you get that ring?' she asked, raising Alexa's finger.

'I'm not sure...' Alexa herself was shocked to find a ring on her finger and not knowing how it came about, she watched disinterestedly as Camellia took the ring off her fingers.

'Anyway, I shall keep this ring but you have to answer to mum and dad for this shameful behaviour you exhibited last night', she said but smiling secretly, she thought, thank you dear sister for what you have done for me. You just gave me an express ticket to being Prince Hector's mate even if not fated. The Lyncan Prince is mine, now!

'Fergus', she said, looking very fierce. Fergus was the Omega she had bribed to spike her sister's drink and plant another drunk Omega in the room Alexa would be led into. 'What have you done!'

'What do you mean, my lady?' Fergus asked.

'You did not plant the drunk Omega in the room I asked you to?' she asked, fuming.

'I did!' he answered shocked at what the lady was implying and scared of his fate if it turned out he had messed up his assigned job.

'Then how come, he was not in the room where Alexa spent the night? Someone else was!' Camellia shouted.

'Someone else?' Fergus asked, surprised. He had taken care to follow the instructions of the lady. 'Who?'

'That's none of your business', Camellia said, relenting. The fewer people who knew the person Alexa slept with, the better. You can never be too careful. 'Just thank your stars that something good came out of this, otherwise', she said, looking at him angrily. 'Else, I would have made you pay with your life!

'I'm sorry, my lady', he said kneeling. 'How can I rectify my mistake?'

'I have already taken care of it. Just make sure nobody comes to know about this!' she said. 'If it comes to light, I shall deny it and make you take the fall. Do we have an understanding?'

'Yes, my lady', Fergus said. 'My lips are sealed. I shall take the secret to my grave!'

'That's a great idea!' Camellia murmured as she nodded in dismissal. The foolish Omega had just given her an idea. Why keep him alive and risk her secret coming to light? If Alpha Connor heard about it or the Lyncan Prince, then she was done for. The best way to ensure the secret remains hidden was making sure Fergus disappeared permanently. Dead men don't talk!

She quickly went to her mother and told her everything.

'Don't worry, dear', she assured Camellia. 'I shall take care of Fergus. He will no longer be a source of worry!' Then hugging her, 'You are really a genius taking that ring from Alexa. You shall make sure the Lyncan Prince sees the ring on your finger. Then leave the rest to me'.

'What is your plan, mother?' she asked.

'Come close, the walls have ears', she said, drawing her daughter close and whispering in Camellia's ears.

As she listened to the whispered plans of her mother, Camellia kept smiling happily and nodding approvingly.

As they gathered at the Alpha's reception hall to bid the invited guests farewell, Camellia made sure to stay within sight. As soon as she sighted the Lyncan Prince, she raised her hand and pretended to smoothen her fair hair, the diamond ring sparkling as the sun reflected on it.

It caught the Prince's attention and he looked at Camellia closely. Is this the same girl I spent the previous night with? he thought. He didn't feel drawn to her as he had been last night. He was sure that night that he had met his mate which was why he had given her the ring, but he must have been mistaken. Her eyes which had struck him as usual last night was green, the light must have reflected in them to make them unusual.

The girl smiled at him, looking down shyly. She definitely was the one, else why would she feel so shy with him? He recalled seeing the tell tail sign that it was her first mating, the blood stain on the bed. He was her first. That explains why she was being so shy.

He looked away from her and walked to the Alpha.

'I shall be on my way home, Alpha Connor', he said. 'Thanks for your hospitality. My father, the Lyncan King, shall hear of the special way you cared for me!'

'Oh, it's nothing', Alpha Connor said. 'Extend our heartfelt gratitude to him for honouring our invitation and please give this to the Alpha King as a thank you gift from us', he added, presenting a wrapped gift to the Alpha prince. He looked at his Beta who rushed to his side and accepted the gift in his stead.

'He shall be very grateful', Lyncan Prince Hector said, moving out of the Alpha's presence.

As he was going out, he caught sight of Camellia again but did not know what to say to her but decided he would ask his Beta to give her family any amount of gold they might ask for. He didn't want her bothering him.

His Beta nodded at the instruction, taking a good look at Camellia then rushed to open the door to the Prince's car, holding it open for him to enter but a woman appeared from no where.

'My Prince', she called curtsying.

Prince looked at her impatiently. The Beta tried to stop her from getting too close to the Prince but the prince waved him away. 'It's okay, Sam's, he said. 'I'll hear her out'. Then looking at the woman, said, 'Yes, lady, what can I do for you?'

'I am the wife of Beta Andrew and I just found out from my daughter that you shared a connection last night', she said, staring at the prince straight in the eye. 'We are a respectable family and such a scandal will no doubt soil our reputation. I guess what I am saying is that I wish to know your intentions towards her'.

Beta Andrew? the prince thought. 'I will send my Beta to you with any amount of gold you desire. That should take care of things. Any other thing?' he asked, impatient to be on his way.

'You may not have thought of it but my daughter is just eighteen and I had hoped you would take her as your mate for her reputation'.

'I already have a fiancee, last night was a mistake that should never have happened. We both had too much to drink but the money should take care of any inconveniences and nobody needs know. I am not planning on telling except you are'.

'Of course, not', she replied. It had not gone as well as she had hoped but the money was going to go a long way. She had not expected to get that. She was still speaking when Alexa rushed to her. 'Mother, I have been searching for you', she said. 'I heard you wanted to speak to me urgently!'

'Can't you see that I am speaking with someone?' her mother asked, pushing her away and looking apologetically at the Prince. 'I'm sorry, Prince, excuse her bad manners!' But the Prince was staring at Alexa in a strange manner. He would have sworn that she looked familiar. He felt drawn to her. Was she the one I mated last night? he thought. But if she were, how come she does not have the ring but another girl does? I must have drunk more than I thought last night, he thought in confusion, shaking his head. They were sisters afterall, so that explains why she looked familiar. There was a likeness between the two girls. Though this one looks far more beautiful than the one he slept with. If only...

His look was not lost on Amelia as she gestured to Alexa to go away.

'It's okay. The money shall be delivered to you, as soon as we get back!' the Prince promised, getting into the car.

As the car drive away, he could not shake the feeling that he was missing something. Why can I not stop thinking about that girl? And when he thought of Camellia, why does something feel off about the girl with my ring? Maybe I should investigate this further....