Bloodline Betrayal: The Beta and I

A Sister's Sacrifice

Bianca

“Good morning, my lady.” Amber’s voice greeted me. I blinked, opening my eyes to meet her gaze.

“Good morning, Amber,” I answered, pulling the blanket around me as I sat up. “What brings you here so early?”

“My lady, I am here to inform you that your brother has returned,” she announced. Shock coursed through me at her words.

My heart skipped a beat. The news I had been dreading had finally arrived. I had waited yesterday for Daniel to return, as Mother said, but he hadn’t arrived. And now he was home. How would I face him?

“Where is he?” I asked, taken aback.

“He is with your mother. They are having a discussion,” Amber informed me. Glancing at the clock in my room, I realized it was already 9 a.m. How had I slept in so late? Whatever Mother was discussing with him couldn’t be good. It must be about the marriage to the prince.

I rose from the bed. “I need to shower, Amber. You can go back.”

“Of course, my lady,” she responded before leaving the room. I hurried into the bathroom for a quick bath. I needed to gather my thoughts and prepare to face my brother. I didn’t want him to think poorly of me.

After dressing and styling my hair, I made my way downstairs, my heart pounding with each step. I could hear the sound of my own footsteps echoing in the silence of the house. As I descended the stairs, Mother looked up, as if sensing my presence.

“Look at you. Blushing and happy,” she remarked, waving her hand for me to come. “Come down.”

I gripped the hem of my dress tightly, feeling uneasy under my brother’s questioning gaze. I wanted to cry and disappear. My heart raced as his gaze locked on me, making me feel dirty. I couldn’t meet his eyes and fought back tears, feeling like a cheater. He was my mate, a secret only my mother knew. I forced a sad smile as I approached him.

“You’re back, brother,” I muttered with a sad smile.

With a smile on his face, he touched my silky hair. “I’m back, sister. How have you been?”

“Good, Dan,” I replied. I was shocked as he suddenly pulled me into a hug. His sudden embrace caught me off guard, and I tensed, aware of Mother’s disapproval.

“What are you doing?” Mother interjected sharply. She had always been wary of our closeness because of our bond as mates.

“I am just hugging my sister,” he stated. “Why are you so upset, mother?”

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Mother sighed. “Bianca will be married soon, and you need to be mindful of your behavior around her.”

“I understand, Mother,” Daniel reassured her, turning his attention back to me. “Congrats, sis. I heard that you are getting married to the prince. Mother says you love him.”

“Brother,” I called. I was about to talk, but I was halted by my mother’s watchful gaze. Even without looking into her eyes, I could tell by the way her gaze burned into me.

“What is wrong? Are you feeling unwell, Bianca?” Daniel touched my forehead.

I grabbed his hand. “I’m fine. What did the prince say?”

“The prince,” he grumbled. “I don’t know yet. Mother was just telling me about it now.” I couldn’t dare imagine the prince’s cold face when he heard about this. I was filled with dread at the thought of facing him. I trembled.

“You don’t have to be scared. The prince won’t do anything to you,” he whispered, rubbing my hair. “I will always be with you and support you, my dear Bianca.”

I gazed at Daniel with tears in my eyes, wondering why he was so kind to someone like me. How would he react when he discovered the secret I was hiding from him?

Would he still treat me kindly? Would he still love me after learning that I had betrayed him? I pushed the thought aside and focused on dealing with my current predicament.

“Where is Father?” I inquired, trying to change the subject.

“He is with the king,” Daniel responded. “But he will be back soon.”

“Okay.”

“Enough of all this brother and sister love,” mother cut in. “Everyone is supporting you, baby girl. With your brother beside you, the prince will never mistreat you.”

“I will always take care of her, mother,” he said with a smile. “I love her so much. More than I could imagine.”

Mother’s warning tone caught me off guard. “Don’t let anyone overhear you, Daniel. You can express those words to your mate, not your sister.”

“But–”

“No, ‘but’, Daniel. Listen to your mother.” She glanced at him with a hateful gaze, making him shut up. “Let’s go eat.”

We sat down, and the maid began serving us. It was so quiet, like a graveyard. It was as if everyone had something to think about. After I was done, I announced my leave.

“I’m going to the queen’s palace today,” my mother declared. “I will be back soon.”

I scoffed and didn’t reply. As I was about to take a step, her words stopped me.

“What about you, Daniel? Will you be going to the prince’s palace?”

“No, mother,” he uttered.

“What! Why? Don’t you think you need to help your sister conceive the prince if he rejects the marriage? What kind of brother are you? You claim to love her yet you aren’t ready to help her.”

She was trying to manipulate him like she did to father.

“You need to help her. She is your sister. She’s in love with the prince,” she asserted. “We should make her happy.”

Her words struck a nerve, and I couldn’t remain silent. I turned around. I was shaking with anger. “Do not involve my brother in this,” I shouted. “I won’t allow it.”

“What has come over you, Bianca? Do you realize who you are yelling at?” she demanded with a growl.

“I know who I am yelling at, but I won’t watch you do that to him.”

“What did I do?” She screamed. “Did you see me hurt him? You should be on your best behavior if you don’t want me to go back on my words.” I was shut up by her words. She was warning me not to try any s**t, or else she was going to hurt my brother.

“I’m sorry, mother. I let my anger get the best of me,” I apologized with a bow. “Do forgive me.”

“It’s okay. I won’t be mad at you.”

“Thank you. Excuse me.” I hurried back into my room. I sat on my bed, thinking of everything. Why did the moon goddess have to let that kind of woman birth me? I needed to end this. I was still in my thoughts when my brother walked in.

“My sweetheart.” He approached me before taking his seat beside me.

“Brother,” I mumbled, unsure of what to say. “Why are you here? I thought you were going to the prince’s palace.”

“I will, but I wanted to check on you first. Are you okay?” I could feel the worry in his voice.

“Yes.” I smiled, hugging his hand. It was better to sacrifice myself than to see him dead.

“Why did I feel that you weren't happy?” he asked.

“Why wouldn’t I be, Dan? I will be the queen,” I grinned.

“Is that why you wanted to be with the prince?” he questioned. “Just to be the queen.”

“What else, brother?” Every woman dreams of becoming queen,” I responded, trying to hide my true feelings.

“Is that what mother makes you believe?” he questioned again, his voice sharp.

“No, don’t involve mother. She knows nothing about this," I replied, excitedly. “I desire to be the queen and the most noble woman in the kingdom. I believe that marrying the prince will make my wish a reality.”

“What about your mate? What will he think about you?” He inquired. “Your mate can treat you well, sister.”

“I don’t care,” I sputtered bitterly. “All that matters to me is becoming queen.”

He yanked my hand away, and I trembled at what I saw. His eyes darkened, and he exuded a cold aura that made me hesitant to approach him. I ran to the edge of my bed, trembling.

This was the first time I had witnessed such behavior from him. He had always been a good brother to me. Was this why everyone regarded him as cold and horrible? I had never seen this side of him before.

“Brother.”

“Don’t call me,” he cut me off. “I thought you were different. I saw you in a different light. So, you wanted to marry the prince to become the queen of the Lycans.” His cold voice echoed in my room. “You disappoint me, Bianca.”

I fought back tears as he walked to the door. “You disappointed me, Bianca,” he said again, and without turning back, he shut the door.

I gasped as tears fell freely from my face. I realized this was the end. I had made Daniel hate me and believe that I wanted to be with the prince because I desired to be the queen. It was for the best.

I needed this, and I had achieved it, but why did I feel shattered and sad? I placed my hand on my chest and cried uncontrollably. This was overwhelming. I felt broken. I didn’t deserve this. No one deserves to endure what I was experiencing. Someone, please save me.

“Why are you crying?” a voice asked, breaking the silence. I looked up to see her standing there, a mocking smile on her lips. “It’s for the best. Let him think as he wants.”

“Why are you here?” I demanded.

“Why wouldn’t I be here? Do you think I would leave you both alone?” she smirked, approaching me before taking her seat on the sofa.

“I love how you protect your brother from me by sacrificing yourself. The love is real, but what does he think of you?” She stood up and moved closer to me on the bed. She grabbed my face as I cried louder. “He thinks of you as a cheap b***h who is after the queen’s throne.”

I couldn’t speak as she mocked me. I gasped.

“He doesn’t love you. Even if he knows you’re his mate, he’ll never accept it. The way he looks at you now is how he’ll look at you when you tell him you’re his mate. You’ve seen his true colors. Someone you want to protect from death.”

She pushed me away. “The prince is your hope. Seize it and become the noblest woman in the kingdom.”

She stood up and took out the medicine she always gave me from her pocket. She extended her hand and offered it to me. “Take and drink this,” she said. Without hesitation, I accepted it from her and drank it.

“Hahaha.” She let out a horrible laugh. “You’re finally broken. Good. Just like I want.”

As she left, her laughter echoing hauntingly in the empty room, a chill ran down my spine. The awareness of my susceptibility sank in, dragging me into despair. Alone in the room, I cried my heart out.