Reborn to be his Forced Mate

Celeste's POV “I am sorry, Miss Veraline, but the Alpha wants you dead. He has even said that whoever even remotely tries to save you will face the same consequences.” Just a heartless order from him, and I got robbed of every single opportunity to plead not guilty. Even my lawyer, who was supposed to be by my side, gave up before the trial even took place. I, however, remained unfazed. I have been living the worst life, tortured every single day in the detention center for the past two years. I was awaiting this torment to end, and thus, his words meant nothing to me. I knew Donovan Ashford was going to be the end of me since the day I met him. He has hunted me down like some blood-lusted beast more than I could take; he might as well kill me and end my misery for once and all. As if he were not a misfortune enough, even the people whom I considered my family backstabbed me in the worst possible way. Now I am here… completely alone, abandoned, and ready to give up. It was five in the morning, and I was already distorted because I could hardly fit in any sleep all night. That was when I was called out by the prison guards, saying that I had a visitor who was here to see me one last time. I raised an eyebrow. Here to meet me one last time? Could it be… I did not waste any more time and followed the guards to the reception room, praying to the Heavens, and beyond that, it was my father. But when my eyes met with Penelope’s, my heart dropped cold. “What’s with the change in expression?” A gentle smile appeared on my half-sister’s face. She whispered softly, “Aren’t you happy that I will be the last person you talk to before death?” “I am going to be hanged today, still you can’t let me be at peace.” The corner of my lips twitched, seeing the smug smile she had. She carelessly crossed her hands and said, “I don’t know, Celeste. I feel like you are dying too soon. I want to see you suffer more.” I scoffed; she made sure I didn't spend a minute in peace for the past two years, but still was not satisfied. I asked, “Why are you here, Penelope?” My voice was as hoarse as some rough sandpaper because of tiredness and lack of nutrition. I could hardly stand to have this conversation with her, but I didn't want to let her know. The young mistress smiled before pulling out what looked like an invitation card from her bag. She handed it to me and said, “Here, take a look.” I had a bad feeling about this, but I still took the card and looked at the names written on it. Donovan Ashford weds Penelope Veraline. My hands, which held the invitation card, trembled as it all slowly started to make sense to me, “You… You did all this because of him?” Penelope looked through my expressions and rejoiced. She pulled back the invitation from my hands and said, “You are not that dense, huh? Donovan was mine. I have been dreaming of living a life with him since I was a kid. And you thought I would just let you snoop in and take him away from me?” I wanted to scream and ask her why I was getting punished when I myself was a victim of Donovan’s choice, but my utterly damaged voice didn’t allow me to do so. I clenched my fists through my chained arms, even though my eyes clouded with resentment and there was a fire of hatred burning inside of me, I couldn’t be loud. “I regarded you as my sister and saw you as the best person in the whole world. I used to tell you every little thing stringing in my heart, but you… You used me to get close to the Alpha.” Penelope looked at me with a victorious posture, “It’s too late to complain. I am the heiress of the Veraline family, while you are just an illegitimate daughter, as lowly as your mother, who climbed on my father’s bed for money. You don’t even deserve the maids scrubbing the Alpha's shoes, let alone him.” Penelope paused there and raised her chin, “I have never seen anyone as stupid as you, Celeste. He loved you so much, but you were not satisfied. You brought it on yourself.” Her words were stinging my very nerves; her presence was already pissing me off, and now she was constantly mentioning that ruthless monster who was the prime reason I was on the verge of death today. I clasped the iron grills and said, "Enough! Speak no more." Penelope smiled warmly, like a good sister, as she had been portraying herself all these years. She approached me and helped me correct the collar of my orange uniform. She said in a voice that was loud enough for only both of us to hear, "You are agitated already? I wonder how you would react when you find out who it really was who pushed the Alpha's mother off the stairs.” My eyes widened, and I shot up my face to stare at the wicked smile on her face. Before I could even understand what was going on, Penelope leaned into my ear and whispered, “It was me.” I froze, her words replaying in my head like a broken record. All this while I believed that it was an accident in which I was wrongly caught, but turns out it was Penelope who had framed me. All these years of suffering, even this death penalty, it was all her doing. I lost it when I grabbed her collar and used every single ounce of my energy to yell out, “You… I really want to kill you now! You are the reason I am this miserable today. You kept framing me for things I haven't done. Are you happy now? Are you satisfied?" The bailiff saw the commotion and caught my arm to restrain me. Compared to an emotionally triggered me, the heiress looked rather unmoved and calm. She smiled and said word for word, "You dared to steal my title as the only heiress of the Veraline family and the man I loved, right? Here is your punishment for forgetting your place." I don't remember what happened next, the next time I was in my senses, I was already standing in the palely lit room, counting my final moments. Penelope’s words kept ringing in my head. I want to ruin her in the same way she ruined me, but alas, it was too late. I closed my eyes with vengeance burning in my heart and felt the noose tighten around my neck. “Revenge. I want revenge.” I repeated it in my head as I heard the guards pull the lever. Everything fell silent for a while until… I snapped my eyes open. I was no longer in the dark cell but in a dangerously familiar room. I looked around, unable to believe what I was seeing. The room, the dress I was wearing… Everything was just like how it was at night. “What is going on…” I asked myself when I heard a howl outside the window, similar to that night. With trembling hands, I moved the curtains of the window next to me to see the blood moon shining bright in the lonely sky. I stumbled back in horror, “No… This couldn't be!” I was back to the very night six years ago when my life turned upside down. I can't be here, I can't let him find out. Without a second thought, I bolted for the door. It was slightly ajar, giving me hope that I could escape my fate this time, until a large arm slammed it shut just inches from my face. I froze. I did not have to look up to know who it was who shut the door. I could feel him towering over me, his unique scent alerting my senses. My gaze slowly lifted to the muscular arm above me, then higher, to the face of the man it belonged to. “Where do you think you are going?” Donovan growled, eyes locked on mine.