Fated Or Chosen?

“Roxanne, I am very sorry but.... I just found my mate and I want to spend the rest of my life with her. She is a very special woman to me and I cannot reject me. You haven’t had a child for me anyway” Those were the words, Kelvin, Roxanne’s mate and lover had said to her on their wedding day eighteen years ago, right in front of everyone, embarrassing her and her family. Well, his mate turned out to be the daughter of an Alpha. Eighteen years down the line, Roxanne still felt like it happened the previous day as the memory still played in her head. “What then did you do, mother?” Carissa, her first daughter questioned as she stared at her mother. Of course, Roxanne did not fail to tell her daughter the whole story. Roxanne stood by the window, savoring the sweet scents of cakes while narrating the whole story to her. Carissa on the other hand sat at the edge of her bed. Her mother; the Luna had come to check up on her as she would do every morning. Despite being the Luna and having several maids to check up on her daughter, she liked to personally do it herself every morning. “What could I do?” Roxanne smiled and walked gently to join her daughter on the bed. “My family and I were embarrassed and of course, my mother did not fail to scold me for embarrassing them all and questioned why I could not wait for my mate. My father on the other hand was disappointed in him as he took me home, not uttering any word to me either” She sighed and held Carissa’s hand, placing a kiss on it both. Unlike other times, Carissa would smile but this time, there was a wrinkle between her brows as she was obviously displeased. “That is unfair. You must have gone through a lot. I know how embarrassing that must have been for you. I mean, I haven’t been rejected in such way, I know how rejection feels. I have felt so much pain when I wanted something and father refused to let me get it or when I ask Maynard for things and he rejects my requests” She shook her head and stared at her mother with pity. “Yes, child. The pain is a gazillion times stronger than the pain you feel when your father or your twin brother rejects your requests” “Do you still feel sad? Do you still feel hurt? Where is he now? What has become of him and his mate?” Carissa could not hide her curiosity. Although not hoping to ever get hurt, she wanted to feel and understand how her mother felt and know if she still felt hurt. “Not at all” Roxanne shook her head and for a moment, Carissa felt relieved. Seeing her mother hurt or sad was not something she wanted at all. Filled with so much care and compassion since she was a child, Carissa had always been her mother’s best friend even though they were a little quite different in such aspect. “...as a matter of fact, I am glad he rejected me” She added, making Carissa arch her brows as she was perplexed. “Why would be you glad? You were hurt, weren’t you?” “Yes, I was but I am still so grateful it happened otherwise I would not have met your father and have you two” She moved closer to Carissa and tickled her, making her giggle. “So when you are getting mated, do not be like me. Do not let your eyes be clouded with love for you to end up with a man who is not your mate or who you love more than he loves you. Well, I am personally going to scrutinize him when the time comes and just so you know, you are only allowed to get married to your mate” Roxanne revealed. “I know my mate is going to be a sweet, loving and caring man. I really cannot wait to meet him!” Carissa squealed, holding her hands together as her lips parted into a warm, wide smile. “A sweet man just like Maynard” Carissa teased. “Oh come on, mother. Maynard is a pain in the ass and a clown. I do not want to have a mate like him. How did he ever end up being my twin?” She rolled her eyes. “Come on, he is your brother!” Her mother chuckled. She scoffed and laid back on her bed like the princess that she was. “Well...” Just then, a knock interrupted the Luna, drawing both of their attention to the door. With the Luna’s approval, the maid walked in and bowed. “I am sorry to disturb you, my Luna and my lady but there is a young lady, a tattered young lady, an Omega to be precise and...” “Cut to the chase, what is she here for?” The Luna questioned as she hated to be delayed. “She is here to see my lady, princess Carissa” She answered. At the mention of her name, Carissa took off the pillow from her face and sat up quickly. An Omega? What does she want from her? “Tell her that the princess does not want to see her” The Luna answered with a frown etched to her face. The maid bowed and walked back out quickly. If there was one thing the Luna hated, it was poor Omegas. She despised them so much and would not try to touch them or let them get close to her. “Perhaps, I should see her, mother. Who knows for what purpose she wants to see me?” Carissa tried to get up but halted at her mother's command. “No, you won’t. She is a beggar and I do not want you to associate with such people. They disgust me” She frowned and had irritation spread on her face. “Mother, they are like us. The only difference is the position and wealth we have!” Carissa tried to school her mother. That was not the first time as she had tried to change her mother’s perspective of Omegas over and over again but she was not willing to change. “They are nothing like us” She retorted and Carissa simply let out a sigh in desperation. “On this note, I have to leave” The Luna added. “Oh mama, stay with me a little longer. You know how happy I get whenever you stay with me” She tried to convince her mother as she made a puppy face. “I know, my dear and I wish I could stay with you but the maids are not going to monitor themselves I also have to attend to your father and so many other things. The maids who would bathing here would be here in a couple of minutes. See you at breakfast and yes, we have a guest today” She smiled widely. Before she could say another word, her mother stepped out quickly, Carissa rolled her eyes and fell back to the bed. If there was one thing she hated, it was guests. Having to be poised always, be elegant and getting cladded in expensive garments as a royal was the reason she hated them ever having guests. Carissa loved simplicity but she had no choice. That was royalty lifestyle and she had to get used to it. She had had all the treatments and everything since she was a little child yet it felt like she would never get accustomed to it. The maids bathing her, royal hair groomer making her hair be at its best always, having a new and different set or outfit to select from for different occasions, constantly being checked like a child and having guards follow her everywhere was too much for her. It was way too lavish for her. In opposition to Maynard, she believed the financing of the luxurious lifestyle they had should be diverted to the less privileged but unfortunately, she was the only one who thought like that hence she could not convince her mother and father. The soft knocks on the door made her know the maids were there to bath her and with her permission, they walked into her room, greeting her and walking her to the bathroom to have a bath. “What guests do we have today?” She questioned the maids after they had done an excellent job in scrubbing her body and making her clean. “A fine prince from a distant pack, I hear. He is here to see the Alpha for something important” One of the maids answered. Her brows arched as she prayed and hoped it was definitely not what she was thinking. Unlike her mother, her father did not believe in waiting to find a mate or anything. He wanted her to get married as quick as she could so as to strengthen bonds. Of course, he loved her so much and would do anything to make her happy, well except having a mate. He had once joked about getting her a lover if she did not get one quickly. She on the other hand wanted a natural love, destined from the moon goddess. Was that too much to ask? Was her father really bringing his threat alive? “My lady, with your permission, we would like to leave” The maids informed her. Having being satisfied with her new look, she nodded. The guest was definitely going to join them for breakfast? Carissa made up her mind to see her mother and let her know what plans her father really had as her mother would definitely be oblivious to it otherwise, she would have fought against it. No sooner had Carissa stepped out when she bumped into a figure, making her stagger. She looked immediately to see who it was but she was... stunned.