Rise Above Rejection

6

6

Carolyn's POV

"Carolyn, come fast. The moon is going to show soon." Adelyn waved.

I hesitantly walked over. We cut the cake, and surprisingly, Adelyn fed me first. She made me feed her too.

My eyes were wide in astonishment. Was she bluffing in front of my parents and other parents? Because the children all know how much she hates me.

"No matter what, I still admire you, twin sister. Love you so much! Always will." Adelyn squeezed my neck in a tight hug.

I didn't know what was happening. I was still in shock and a trance. Why? How? Was she lying? She couldn't really... I am sure she won't. She wouldn't be hurting me if she... Really loved me.

"Come, Carolyn. The moon is out. It's time to meet our wolves." Adelyn pulled me out of the house excitedly.

The ritual is like: We step out of the house on our Eighteen birthday night as the moon shows. Then within ten minutes the transformation begins. We grow out of our clothes and emerge as a wolf.

Those with alpha ranks have the moon shedding a streak of light over the recently transformed wolf. That's how it's determined whether a wolf has an alpha rank or not.

It happened as soon as we stepped out and stood side by side in the gardens. The sky was pitch black. No star in sight. Then the moon peeked out of drifting clouds. Full moon in its full glory. We both were looking at it, and people were looking at us from the windows in the house. Their eyes were digging holes in my back.

I was shaking in fear and other emotions because Adelyn was shifting. Her dress ripped, her face transformed, then her shoulders. Her nails outgrew into claws as gray hair sprouted on her skin. I watched as her back arched in and she jumped out of the dress into a fully transformed wolf.

My body had turned cold not because I was scared of my twin's big wolf, but because I hadn't yet started the transformation. There was no ache in my body. No kind of sensation at all.

"Why isn't Carolyn shifting?"

"She should've done it already."

"Yeah, it's weird."

"Some take as long as an hour or so."

"Hmm, I heard the Alpha King's last and only living son took seven hours to shift."

"But he was the Alpha King's son and Carolyn..." The voice went down.

I slightly turned and peeked over my head at all the people. Dad was standing at the door. He was glaring at me. He was embarrassed because I wasn't turning and that made my heart pick up speed.

All that I've ever done is embarrass him by being useless. By being ugly. By being fat. By just being there. I'm sure he hoped today would be different. That today I'll make him proud.

'Please shift. Please. Please. Please. Wolf, do you hear me? Please, it's important.' I implored helplessly.

Maybe my wolf was strong and she needed time to emerge.

There was a growl behind me and I saw dad stepping out into the garden. His hands were fisted and he looked a hair-breadth away from strangling me. But then I saw the shift in his eyes. They widened and glowed. Later a huge smile extended on his lips.

I could see bright light in my peripheral vision. I quickly craned my neck and my nerves frayed. The moon was casting its silvery light like a band over Adelyn as her wolf raised her head high. She then howled, everyone else answered. The sound was cacophonous and made my ears ring.

Soon my whole body was hot. Maybe it's happening. I stood straight looking up at the moon. However a gut-twisting ache spread into my belly and before I could realize what was coming next, I found myself falling into blinding darkness.

Perhaps, this is how it feels when your wolf emerges!

****

Ugh, my hands are stinging. And my legs? I can't move them. I opened my eyes quite a while later than I gained my senses, and what I saw made my blood curdle in fright.

W-why am I in the dungeons? I... I... Aren't I supposed to be up in my room? The last thing I remember was standing in the garden under the full moon outside my house with my sister on our Eighteenth birthday night. Adelyn had gotten her wolf and shifted. I had felt the pain too and was about to shift. So what am I really doing here now?

I gathered myself together and got up. I took a step forward and heard the sound of chains clinking. Looking down, I gulped hard.

Why was I chained? I... I'm not a criminal.

"Dad! Mom!" I screamed as I pulled myself against the force of the chains.

Someone came to the door. I wiped my blurry eyes and saw my sister. She was in her gym clothes. Holding the bars, she pressed her face between two bars and laughed amusedly.

"Eww, you look more beefy and vulgar without clothes on than you look with clothes on!" Her exclamation incited me to look down.

Shít, m-my dress. Where's my dress? I remember wearing a pink gown.

"I ripped it off after you were thrown here. You see, I'm from the alpha clan. I can do anything now." She winked.

"Why am I here? I... I was shifting, wasn't I? Is this one of your tricks, Adelyn? Do you hate me so much that you'd order them to pull me down here in the middle of my shifting?" I screamed as I pulled my leg, hoping to break myself free. But I felt a current of pain shoot up my leg and collapsed on the hard and cold floor.

Adelyn was looking at me like some animal in the zoo. This was more humiliating than anyone. Please, don't look at my body! I know I look pathetic with or without clothes. Just don't look.

No matter what, she continued to ogle at me.

"Adelyn, no!" I covered myself with my arms as she pulled her phone out.

The sound of flash fell over my ears like thunderclap. People in the pack already hate me. If these pictures go out, I'll honestly die of humiliation.

I felt relieved when the sound of the flash stopped. As I raised my numb face up, Adelyn was already giving me a look of disgust.

"What did you say... That I ordered them to pull you down here in the middle of your shifting?" She laughed a dirty mocking laugh. "And what are you rambling about shifting? Have your pea-sized brain finally short-circuited?"

"You're horrible, Adelyn. I never wanted to hate you but you forced me today. Tell me, why I am here?"

I just stared at her. I have never seen Adelyn this cheered up. She is overjoyed when I get bullied. This is just beyond my understanding.

"I pity you." She said, pulling me out of my trance.

"That's nothing new. I already know that."

"Oh, then let me tell you something you don't know." She batted her lashes. "You're announced as the pack's omega by dad."

"What?" My eyes popped out.

"You couldn't shift, Carolyn. Which means you're a human and dad was so disappointed because he thought this is one place you wouldn't make him look like a fool for raising a daughter like you who's a bad influence on the pack."

"And oh, another thing..." Her eyes narrowed wickedly. "You didn't faint because you were shifting but because you couldn't tolerate my wolf's aura. You're a human, Carolyn. Tch, Tch. This is more pitiful. You look so ugly… it's like three huge tyres are stacked together and then on top of that, you are a human. It must be humiliating to be you."

Tbc…