The Wolfless Beta's daughter

Eliana’s pov On the night the Alpha was supposed to announce my sister as his Luna, I woke up naked in the same room with him. For several seconds, I could not breathe. I stared at the unfamiliar ceiling above me, trying to understand where I was and why my body felt as though it had been dragged through a storm. The sheets were tangled around my legs, my heart hammered against my ribs, and I felt this warmth beside me, the kind that made every muscle in my body go rigid. I slowly turned my head, and there he was, Alpha Henry Adrian, the most powerful man in our territory, lying right beside me, his dark hair disheveled against the pillow, his face relaxed in sleep. One hand rested beneath his head while the other remained around my waist as though holding me had been the most natural thing in the world. My sister's future husband, my sister's mate, the man who was supposed to stand before hundreds of wolves tonight and announce her as his Luna and somehow, I was in his bed. I pushed myself upright, clutching the sheet against my chest, I looked down at myself, desperately searching for my clothes. My dress was lying near the foot of the bed, twisted and wrinkled, while one of my shoes had somehow ended up underneath a chair. I lifted his arm and climbed out of the bed as quietly as I could, my hands were trembling so badly that I struggled to pull my dress over my head. I had to leave before he woke up, before anyone saw me, before my sister walks in to discover that the person lying beside her mate was not some nameless stranger, but me. I quickly wore my clothes, picked up my shoes, and tiptoed toward the door, careful not to make a sound that might wake him, but as I reached for the door, a question struck me so hard that I froze. How had I ended up here? What exactly was I doing here? My mind went back to yesterday morning, my first day at the Royal Alpha Academy, the beginning of everything. My name is Eliana Magnus and I had spent eighteen years being reminded that I was different. In our world, everyone was supposed to awaken with a wolf spirit sometime before adulthood. It was not merely a companion. Your wolf was your strength, your instincts, your connection to the Moon Goddess, and, according to everyone in our pack, proof that you belonged. My father, Thomas Magnus, was the Beta of our pack, a position he had earned through years of unwavering loyalty, fierce strength, and unquestionable devotion to the Alpha’s bloodline and the people under their protection. He was tall, broad-shouldered with a commanding presence that made it difficult for anyone to ignore him. My mother, Mara Magnus, was one of the most respected women in the pack, not because she was Beta's mate. She was one of the strongest warriors in the pack. She is a tall and graceful woman whose beauty often made people underestimate her, but beneath her calm appearance was a fierce warrior who had faced countless battles. My sister, Sarah, was the pride of our family, the kind of daughter every parent dreamed of having and the person everyone in the pack seemed to admire. She was beautiful, very intelligent, and graceful, carrying herself with a confidence that made her stand out wherever she went. And then there was me. Eliana, the wolfless daughter, the mistake people whispered about when they thought I could not hear them. I had spent years convincing myself that school would be different, but I was very wrong, It was not. They sent me here to learn how to control my wolf. The Royal Alpha Academy was built to train the future leaders of the supernatural territories. Alphas, Betas, omegas, warriors, future healers, and children from influential families were sent there to learn everything about pack politics, leadership, and learning how to control the powers that came with their bloodlines. I entered through the enormous iron gates that morning with my books pressed against my chest, hoping that nobody would notice me, that hope lasted less than a minute. "Look who finally decided to come." I recognized the voice before I turned, Brandon Hyes stood with several other students near the entrance. His father was a Gamma, which meant Brandon had spent his entire life believing he was better than almost everyone around him. His eyes traveled over me before he laughed. "The Beta's wolfless daughter." He said proudly like he was doing an introduction. The group laughed. I lowered my eyes and continued walking, trying to ignore them "Did you hear me?” he sneered, his lips curling into a cruel smile as he stepped closer to me. I stopped immediately, my heart pounding against my chest as I slowly turned to face him, afraid that ignoring him would only make things worse. I kept my eyes lowered, trying not to show how frightened I was, but the trembling in my hands betrayed me as he stood there watching me with a cruel smile. “Good morning,” I said quietly, keeping my eyes down and avoiding his gaze. “Good morning.” He smiled. “See? She can speak after all,” he said with his tone dripping with sarcasm as he looked at me as though my very presence amused him. Someone behind him snickered awkwardly, and before I could say anything, another voice interrupted. "Move.” A voice came from the entrance, cutting through the laughter and everyone turned toward the entrance as the sound of approaching footsteps drew closer. Sarah walked through the gates surrounded by girls who seemed determined to stay close enough to breathe the same air as her. She had always possessed the kind of presence that made people turn their heads, but it was not only because she was beautiful. She was the Alpha's mate, and everyone knew it. Alpha Henry had found his mate months earlier, and the entire territory had celebrated when they discovered she was Sarah, the Beta's eldest daughter; from that moment, she became untouchable. Students competed for her attention. The girl's carried her books. Others saved seats for her, brought her food and waited outside classrooms simply because she had asked them to. Sarah stopped beside me, for one brief second, our eyes met. I thought she might say something. Instead, she looked at the people surrounding her. “Come on. ”she said to the girls following her without sparing me another glance. She turned and walked away. The girls immediately followed her. I watched my sister walk away without once looking back, as though leaving me behind to endure this cruelty was nothing more than an ordinary part of her day. In public, she treated me like an embarrassing secret. I swallowed the hurt and entered the academy, convincing myself that the worst part of my morning was finally behind me, and that if I kept my head down, I could make it through the rest of the day without attracting any more attention. Oh how wrong I was.