Marked by the Lycan King

Elise’s POV “Are you crazy?! Look what you’ve done!” My aunt Lisa thundered, making me flinch. Her voice was always high-pitched and it made my ears ring. She glared at me with fury in her eyes, pointing at the mess I made - there was milk everywhere. “Can’t you ever do anything right?!” She shouted, raising her hands up dramatically as I fought the urge to roll my eyes. I just stood there, with my head bowed, looking at the floor. I didn’t feel bad about it though. It served her and her silly little cat right for always talking down on me. “I’m sorry, ma’am,” I mumbled, still not meeting her gaze. “Oh, you’ll be sorry by the time I’m finished with you,” she sneered and grabbed me by my ears. Ouch. “Ow! That hurts,” I winced in pain, holding her hands and trying to pull them off, but her grip on my ears was tight. She dragged me all the way down to the basement before letting me go. I stumbled and dashed my back against a stack of boxes before I regained my balance. “Good. Now you have even more work to do,” she snorted, folding her arms against her chest. Her husband soon joined us, standing behind her on the staircase. “What did the child do this time?” He asked, slightly annoyed, but I could see a satisfied grin on his face. It made my stomach churn in disgust as I let out an exhausted sigh. “She spilled milk all over me and my cat! She’s going to clean this place up all by herself and I won’t let her out till she’s done,” Aunt Lisa said with finality in her tone as I groaned inwardly, but still kept a straight face. I was already used to this - all of it. Ever since my parents died in that rogue attack, I had to live with my aunt Lisa. I could still remember the look of disgust on her face when I told her I didn’t have my wolf yet. My life never remained the same again. She would treat me terribly and starve me sometimes. She treated her cat more like a human being than she treated me. I had tried everything possible to seem right in her eyes, but all to no avail. It was just how it was. As long as I was wolfless, I was a nobody in the Silvermoon pack. “Aunt, please! I’m never going to finish this up today! It’s late already and…” I started speaking, but she cut me off. “And what?! The mating ceremony?” She said, faking her excitement while she placed her hands on her chin and turned around to face her husband. “Yes… I… I need to be there,” I said, stuttering while I felt tears welling up in my eyes because I knew she would definitely not allow me to go. “Well, guess what, darling. You should have behaved yourself today. Who knows? You’d be dancing your feet out at the ball,” she said, sarcastically, letting out a shrill laugh. Part of me wanted to lunge at her and tear off her red hair and squeeze her lips that she always pouted proudly at me, but I had to stay calm. I was very weak compared to her anyway because her wolf was really strong. Ever since my parents died, she and her husband took over duties as the Alpha and Luna of the Silvermoon pack. “Please! I’m sorry… it was an accident!” I pleaded, clinging to a little glimpse of hope in my heart that she would agree, but I guess I was just being delusional. She clicked her tongue. “Poor girl… no one would want to become mates with a wolfless girl like you, so scram! And make sure you’re done with cleaning up by the time we’re back!” She thundered and at once, shut the door forcefully, making some items in the basement shake because of the force. I collapsed to the floor in absolute agony. Did they really have to remind me every day that I hadn’t wolfed out yet? What crime did I commit? In the Silvermoon pack, strength was our pride. We were known for our glorious achievements at war and during sports. Before my father died, he used to be the Alpha, loved and feared by all and of course supported by my mother who was his Luna. I was just 17 when the rogues attacked our pack and killed them while they were asleep. Cowards! They couldn’t take him on while he was awake, so they decided to do that while he slept. I could still remember the glimmer in the eyes of the Alpha wolf who killed my parents. He came into my room, his huge form looming over me as his mouth was dripping with the blood of my parents. I looked into his eyes and saw rage and wondered what on earth happened. He was still in his wolf form, so I would never recognize him again, but I would never forget those eyes… silver on the left and bright gold on the right. They were like eyes I’d never seen before. I thought he was going to kill me, but to my surprise, he turned around swiftly and left. I knew it was completely delusional to even want to find a mate as a wolfless girl like me. But I believed in true love! And I certainly believed in the moon goddess because I silently prayed to her every single day to give me someone who would accept me. “I have to stop crying like a lost soul and get out of here,” I said as I sat up with new-found determination and wiped my tears off my face with the back of my hands. I looked around, trying to find something I would use to open the door, but it was useless. All there were in the basement were old books and little toys. I groaned and kicked one of the piles of boxes in frustration. “Ow!” I winced as I sat down and held my foot, trying to soothe it. It was hopeless. Maybe I should just forget about this year’s ceremony and hope for the next. I thought to myself, then curled into a ball and drifted to sleep.