Be my Mate

Prologue

Eloira was lying quietly on the bed at midday. She and Ava had just finished their lunch and went to her room to spend the time listening to classical music and turning pages of her favorite book.

After hearing multiple knocks on the door, her curious eyes glanced in its direction.

Who would have the audacity to ruin her private time, she wondered at the back of her mind.

“Who is that?”

“It's me, Ava. I want to share something with you. Would you please let me in by opening the door?"

Ava's voice from outside the room causes her to get to her feet.

"Please give me a moment, Ava."

She closes the book, pulls on her slippers, and moves in the direction of the door. She opened the door, but before she could say anything, Ava shoved her. She collapsed with such force that her body looked like a recently fallen tree rooted out of the ground.

“Ava!” she managed to yell at her.

Unexpectedly, Eloira's head struck the sharp edge of her room door, forcing her eyes to close immediately. She was caught off guard since she had not anticipated it to happen. The agonizing distress she was experiencing at the time was evident on her shocked face.

"Oops, I meant that.” Ava burst out laughing as she witnessed her painful fall. “Thank you for opening the door for me, Eloira, by the way...”

“A-Ava...why did you do it?”

Eloira couldn't move her body even though she tried to get up as if some of her bones fractured.

"So, what did I tell you before?” Ava's voice was filled with wrath and hatred despite appearing calm. “One of these days, you will taste my vengeance. And this is what I mean.”

Her arms were folded near her chest as if she was proud of what she did. She continues to chuckle and smirks as she sees Eloira's facial response to what she did.

“I warned you, but you did not even listen to me, my dear stepsister. Are you testing my patience?”

“What is the meaning of this? I don't understand.” Eloira's voice sounded weak and a bit confused.

“Why? Is it hurt?” Ava crouched to check Eloira's face; she even lifted Eloira's chin to have a closer look, using her fingers to examine it. "I do not think it was enough, right? You are still looking fine."

Eloira groaned when she felt her stepsister Ava's tight grip on her hair. She was unable to bear the painful removal of several strands from her scalp.

“Ava, please stop! Let go of my hair! Ouch! Stop!” she tried to stop her, but Ava seemed deaf.

“No!”

“What is your problem, Ava? Let us have a proper discussion about it. Let my hair go!” Eloira attempted to free herself from her grasp. “Please!”

Ava ignored her pleas and kept slamming her head against the door. Shortly after that, Eloira sustained cuts to her head, which soon started to leak a hot liquid, which was her blood. Ava was not bothered by that; she was delighted by it. Even so, it doesn't look very pleasant. It was not enough for her. She wanted more, so she remained dissatisfied. She preferred to watch Eloira experience more pain than that.

“Why are you doing this to me? Let me hear your reason. Stop, Ava! Can't you hear me?” It was nearly a whisper as her tears nearly strangled her.

Eloira's hot tears streamed down her cheeks as she felt the incomparable pain of her nearly torn scalp. Not only that, she could also think that Ava's long nails scratched the skin on her arms, giving her more unbearable pain. Her face expresses a range of emotions. She was now trying to figure out how to deal with Ava's outburst. She was also afraid that she would harm her stepsister if she made an effort to fight against her, which could result in Ava's injury. Her father will be furious when he discovers their conflict, so she can't do that to her. Eloira did not want to make things worse for their family, and doing that can create more turmoil.

"Ava..." she pleaded again, attempting to get her attention and persuade her.

"I told you before that you should reject Blake as your mate, but what did you do?” Ava's voice was full of resentment when she expressed this. “Now tell me, what have you done, Eloira?!"

Eloira's gaze is fixed on Ava's face now. She was now speechless despite the fact that she felt pity towards Ava. She is aware of her feelings, but what can she do? She likes Blake, too. He also happens to be her mate. A lifelong partner that was bound to be hers forever given by Moon Goddess.

"Rather than reject him, you accepted him. I pleaded with you, Eloira. Don't you remember?!” Ava screamed, which terrified Eloira. “I almost kneeled so you could do me a favor and grant my request. You did not listen to me!"

Ava's eyes are blazing with turmoil. It was ablaze. She was on fire and looked like she would be blown away at any moment. Eloira's lips parted as she saw how frantic her stepsister was. It was as if she were watching her turn into an evil one. She became even more startled, thinking she might have lost control of herself at any time.

"That is not all! You easily agree with his proposal to marry. Are you making an attempt to humiliate me and ruin my life? Was stealing him from me not enough for you? You know how much I like him, Eloira! I want Blake so much to be mine!”

Ava's voice rang like a rumble, causing Eloira's heart to shrink. She squeezed her chest, which she felt had been torn in half.

“Eloira, you know more about me than anyone else! I've trusted you! Something I should not have done in the first place because you are a stealer! A w***e! A f*****g slut who wants to ruin my life!”

Ava's hateful voice continued to break into Eloira's ears. Ava is her stepsister, but they spent almost their entire childhood together. She was still young when they moved to their pack. Ava's mother became her father's second mate. At first, they were fine, living like a real family, which is why Eloira learned how to cherish and appreciate them both. And seeing her stepsister like this made her heart shattered into pieces.

“It's not my fault either, Ava. You are also aware that I have no control over the situation."

Despite her circumstances, Eloira risked explaining her perspective to Ava. Perhaps she could understand her if she did that.

"You are also aware that I am his mate. And we know that we can only have this once in a lifetime—"

"But you have the right to refuse! You can decline for my sake, Eloira!” Ava shouted, cutting off her words. “It was your scheme. You meant to like him and accept him as your mate because you want to break me, Eloira!" she exclaimed, blaming Eloira for the situation.

"That is not true. I did not plan to—”

“Yes, it is! That was your strategy from the start. I was the first one, Eloira. I meet him first before you do. I was the first, so why are you the one who benefits from it? Tell me now, why?!”

Eloira attempted to stand up but fell again when Ava slapped her hard, nearly dislocating her jaw. She did not mind Ava's fingers leaving red marks on her face. She did not even show Ava the emotion her stepsister was expecting from her.

“I am going to kill you, Eloira!”

Eloira felt her heart skip a beat when she heard this statement.

"Today, I will ensure that your name is completely erased as if it did not even exist! I will not even leave any single trace of it." Ava's eyes flashed menacingly as she reached for the knife she had hidden behind her back.