Chapter 1

"Mom! Where are you? Oh goodness, you need to see this!

My face crumpled as soon as I heard my sister Vivian’s loud voice echo on the manor as soon as she stepped inside. I thought I’d have a moment of peace drinking my morning tea, but I guess I’m wrong.

Violet, my not-so-kind stepmother, who had taken over since I was three years old and only a year after my mother died from illness, rushed down the stairs. "What is the matter with you, Vivian? Why are you screaming? That is so unladylike of you!"

Vivian was grinning from ear to ear when she showed them a fancy white envelope with an intricate design and a familiar crest engraved on it.

"Guess what this is?" Vivian giddily asked.

"I have no time for your charades, my dear. Your father needs me upstairs," she seriously said. "What is it?"

"So, Mom, the Alpha King invited us to the Ealaris Ball, and guess what?"

"What?"

"The Alpha heir, Archer Sinclair, will be choosing a lady to be his Luna on that ball! And I am invited! That means I have a chance to be Archer's Luna!" she said with too much excitement.

I secretly smirked while trying hard not to laugh at her getting ahead of herself.

"Really? So, the rumors are true that the Alpha heir is mate-less if they're orchestrating a ball for him again this year?" Aunt Violet asked.

"Who cares if it's true or not? Archer Sinclair is a catch, Mom. I could just hardly imagine how it is to be his Luna!" she said, pure joy evident on her face.

"Oh, dear!" my stepmother said, getting interested. "That is such a good news! They really invited you?"

Vivian proudly nodded. "Of course, my dear mother! Who do you think they will invite? That plain and ugly sister of mine? She'll just embarrass us! She's even wolf-less!"

My heart dropped when my name was added to their conversation. I figured that Vivian didn't realize that I was just nearby and could clearly hear her.

But if she knew, she wouldn't care either.

Violet giggled. "She doesn't even stand a chance to be picked as his Luna, dear. I mean, look at your sister."

And with that, they both laughed. I looked away.

"You have to look the best, my dear. I will call my dear friend Anastacia later so she can free herself on that day. She has to be the one to do your hair and everything," she said.

"Yes! Oh, I would love that! Also, how about we go tomorrow to Centreal and shop?" Vivian suggested. "I need new jewelry!"

"Of course we'll do that!"

They both opened the envelope, while I just observed them. Both of their lips were curved upwards until, at some point, their expression turned sour.

"What the hell?" Vivian exclaimed. I could hear the disgust in her voice. I raised my head and our eyes locked.

"No way!" she screamed again. She looked at her mother, who was also clearly upset. "There's no way!"

My forehead creased.

"Why are you invited to the ball?" she angrily asked me, as if she really expected me to know the answer.

"I don't know. Probably because I am also qualified to attend the ball according to them?" I answered with an unsure tone.

Vivian rolled her eyes at me. "You? Qualified? You're being delusional, Leila."

"I am not, Vivian. I am mate-less and of legal age, so that makes me qualified," I retaliated.

"So? You think you'll have Archer to yourself?" she pushed.

"I did not say that."

"Mom, look at that witch! Do you hear her?" I almost rolled my eyes at her hysterics. 

I calmed myself and sipped the remaining tea in my cup. Then I stood up. "Please excuse me, Aunt Violet. I have to go."

She raised her eyebrows at me. "And where are you going?"

"I'm meeting Samantha," I answered.

She looked at me like she was judging my whole being and then waved her hand like she was dismissing me. "Go!"

I wasted no time and walked away from them. I went outside of our manor and walked the path towards the house of my best friend, Samantha. I am friends with a lot of our kind, but she is my constant. We literally cannot live without each other. After five minutes of walking, I arrived at their manor.

"I thought you wouldn't show up!" Samantha enveloped me in a warm hug as she greeted me.

"You know I will. I can't stand staying at home when my arch-nemeses are there," I said, shaking my head. I sat on her bed.

"What did they do this time?" she asked, and I told her what happened earlier.

"Oh gosh, those witches!" she said. Her whole face is getting red from being annoyed by her arch nemesis' attitude towards her.

"What can I do?" I said, helplessly sighing.

"Attend the ball," she said without batting an eye. "Do it so you could annoy the hell out of those witches. Duh, look at you! You're drop dead gorgeous! You have a higher chance to be noticed by Archer than her!"

I leaned back and rested my back on a pillow on the headboard of her bed.

  

I sighed. "You mean, I should launch a war between me and my stepmother and sister?"

Samantha chuckled. "Why not so they could see that their insults are useless and that Vivian is not better than you."

I shook my head. "I'm not that crazy to do that, Samantha."

"Just try," she teased me.

I chuckled. "I won't give them satisfaction."

"It would be fun," she said. "You will have the satisfaction of seeing their faces. Also, try to approach Archer!"

"Are you crazy? Why would I do that?" I exclaimed. "I don't even know him personally. What would I say to him?"

"Anything!"

I exhaled and firmly shook my head. "I am not interested in this ball, especially in that Archer Sinclair, Sam."