Bloodline Betrayal: The Beta and I

The Moon's Conquest

Bianca

The much-anticipated mate ball had finally arrived. I didn’t really know what to expect, but I felt it was extremely necessary for me to muster some surge of hope, one that would surely prevent me from spending the rest of my life with my nightmare.

I stood right in front of the mirror, staring at my reflection, while the maids took their time dressing me. Thinking of the event made me curl with much anticipation of what the night held.

The door opened slightly, Amber ducking her head halfway into the room, her mouth slightly open as she pushed the rest of her body inside.

“Good Heavens, my lady!” she exclaimed, pushing her small, cute head beside mine, her chin resting tentatively on my shoulders. “You’re extremely blessed by the moon goddess with exceptional beauty, my lady.”

“Flattery, Amber; flattery is what your words echo,” I retorted, locking gazes with her through the reflection of the mirror.

“You know I speak the truth, my lady,” she insisted stubbornly.

“Your truths are flattering, Amber. I’m sure I’m not perfect enough for the prince,” I said, ducking my head at her and smiling. “Even my brother finds me annoying,” I whispered inwardly.

“Hmmm,” she hummed, pushing her hands through my hair.

“Your brother,” she started, changing the topic and eyeing the rest of the maids, signaling them to excuse us. “He hadn’t been home in a week now.”

I turned to her, giving her a knowing look, hiding the facades of pain beneath me. “Is this born out of curiosity or worry for me, or is it what I think it is?”

“What do you mean, my lady?” She inquired, turning away from the mirror, thus hiding her red cheeks.

Amber, despite her status, had always harbored extreme feelings for him long before my attraction began.

“I don’t know, Amber...” I laughed, making her blush harder.

Amber always did the best of magic when it came to my happiness. She knew just how to pull the string.

While still basking in the warmth of her company, the door flung open as my mother strode in, staring daggers at Amber, who immediately trembled in her presence.

She glared at me, seizing my smile and reminding me of my harsh reality.

Amber bowed slightly and quickly rushed out of the room, closing the door slightly behind her.

“Mate ball is of no essence to a lady already betrothed to be married. I don’t understand what fancy you take in wanting to attend,” she muttered, walking towards me.

“Mother, no amount of words you say will stop me from going to seek a solution to this dilemma you’re about to push me into,” I responded, tearing my face away from her while I examined the blue coral dress Amber had specifically picked out for me. A little smile crept its way to my face upon realizing that my brother loved blue on me.

“Being the Queen is a challenge," Mother declared, following me slowly. Sometimes I couldn’t help but wonder what made Dad decide to spend the rest of his life with a woman like my mother. Ever since I grew up, she had never shown any kindness.

“No, Mother,” I stated, turning to her. “Marrying me off to the prince is.”

She roared into a dominative laugh as her hands grabbed mine. I flinched at her touch, fearful of the games she was playing.

“Why don’t we make a deal here, darling, while you take your medicine," she said as she released her hold on me and made her way to the drawer where the medication was stored. She opened the drawer, selected a dose, and handed it to me. I took the pills and washed them down with water from a glass on the dressing table, as she encouraged me.

“What deal, mother?” I questioned, dropping the bottle of water on the table.

“Bring a mate home tonight, and you’re free,” she added, her lips curled in yet another wicked smile. “I promise your marriage to the prince will be canceled.”

My eyes almost popped out of their sockets from the proposition. I felt she was weaving a game of deceit, one she knew I would blindly fail.

“Mother?” I inquired. “Even if that mate is my brother?”

Her eyes turned blank but were quickly replaced with a shallow gaze. One I found extremely hard to explain.

“Your brother can never be your equal, Bianca. And even if he is, that’s fine. I don’t care, baby girl,” she scoffed. “You must carry yourself as the prince’s bride.” she smiled, turned around, and exited my room.

I stood, transfixed in the same spot for some minutes until Amber returned and told me the carriage was ready.

I shoved the dress in my hands and carried myself to the carriage, heading to the palace for the Mate ball.

Daniel.

His name kept haunting my mind throughout the ride. Since our conversation at the palace, I hadn’t seen him. I wasn’t sure if he was avoiding me or if he was out of the Kingdom, but I hoped I would see him at the Mate Ball. I missed him greatly. A lot.

“We’re here, my lady,” one of the guards announced, helping myself and Amber out of the carriage.

“The palace is a beautiful place, my lady," Amber whispered joyfully. If my guesses were right, this must be her first day out of the villa since she was bought by Mother decades ago.

“Beautiful outside, Amber,” I grumbled, eyeing the elaborate and well-decorated building before us. “I can vouch that there’s no joy aside from the power entitled to the throne.”

“I don’t understand,” she said, following closely behind me.

We got to the entrance, and I was let in by the guards. Amber gasped in shock at its beauty. I carried myself in. Mom said to act like a princess.

The truth was, I knew I stood a low chance of attracting my mate. My mate was my brother and no one knew it.

“You won’t, Amber. I don’t want you to," I blurted out my reality again as I caught a glimpse of the prince. It was obvious he was also hoping to get linked up with his Mate, an act that would pronounce me rejected.

My brother wasn’t here... I couldn’t even catch a glimpse of him, no matter how hard I searched. Instead, I caught the unavailing looks of the young males and females who were here for the same purpose as me.

“I’m glad you brought me along, my lady. We all know Mate balls are meant only for the privileged,” Amber voiced, making me smile at her appreciation.

“And that doesn’t mean you will get to meet your Mate here," I turned blankly at the owner of the voice. Kim. Lady Kimberly, whose father was a wealthy merchant known for traveling the world, including the modern human world. “Slaves roll with their kind.”

“Lady Kimberly, I beg your pardon?" My voice came out coarse. I badly wish it were more firm. But the drugs my mother gave me usually had long-lasting effects on me, making me weak and my vision blurry, even though they perfectly hid my scent.

“Oh, Lady Bianca,” she hissed out a greeting. “Are you supposed to be here?”

“Me being here is definitely none of your business, Kim. And you have to apologize to Amber now for being rude.”

“What?” Her brow furrowed in shock. “You don’t mean that I ask a slave for forgiveness... You sure don’t mean that, Lady Bianca.”

“I mean every single word I say now. Every single bit of it!” I roared angrily.

The reason I was feeling so sad and angry was because of the drugs. They triggered the slightest emotions in me.

“There’s no way I’ll succumb to that. We all know that’s the truth; a slave has no space here.” Amber bowed slightly at me, trying to go out of the courtroom. I felt anger coursing through my veins.

“You’re not to take a step, Amber!” I barked angrily. “You go nowhere, and she must apologize. I order it as the Prince betrothed.”

That’s not how I wanted to be addressed. But right now, I didn’t even give a damn about how the prince felt; I just had to make her apologize for looking down on others.

“You’re not the princess yet, and you’re ordered...”

“Do as you’re told now, Kim, or I will do something you might regret for the rest of your life,” the husky voice of Daniel interrupted the conversation, and I shuddered at the hint of anger in them.

I turned, fighting the tears that threatened to fall at any provocation.

“Brother?” I murmured, making him tear his pretty face away from Kim as they bore into my soul.

“I will do no such thing, future beta,” Kim responded fearfully.

“Then you will regret it,” he said, pushing his way majestically towards her.

But then, my weak limbs succumbed to my heart, and before he could close in on Lady Kim, I found myself running towards him and burying myself in his warm arms.

“Brother...” I whimpered as he stared at me, his hands rigidly tight behind him.

“Bianca,” he called.