Episode2
928 Words
Rose POV
As I lay on the cold floor of Xavier's study, my cheek stinging from his slap, memories from three years ago flooded my mind. The day that changed everything – the day I was forced to become a replacement for my own sister.
I remembered it like it was yesterday. The tension in my father's office was suffocating as he paced back and forth, his face creased with worry. Mother sat rigid in her chair, while Tara lounged carelessly on the leather sofa, examining her perfectly manicured nails.
"Xavier's position as future Alpha is being threatened," Father had announced, his voice grave. "The council demands he must be married within the month to secure his claim, or they'll pass the position to his cousin."
I stood in the corner, trying to make myself invisible as always. But I couldn't ignore the way my wolf stirred at the mention of Xavier's name. The mate bond between us had appeared months ago, but I'd buried it deep inside, knowing he was in love with my sister.
"Well, that's unfortunate," Tara had drawled, not even looking up. "But I'm not ready to be tied down to a powerless Alpha. Call me when his position is secure."
I remember how my blood had boiled at her casual dismissal. Xavier had been devoted to her for years, even though the Moon Goddess had chosen me as his mate. The irony wasn't lost on me – I was destined for a man who looked right through me.
"That's where you come in, Rose," Mother had said, her calculating eyes fixed on me. "You'll marry Xavier in Tara's place."
The words had hit me like a physical blow. "What? No, I can't—"
"You can and you will," Father cut me off. "You and Tara are identical. No one outside the family needs to know about the switch."
"But what about Xavier?" I had protested, my heart aching for the man I secretly loved. "It's not fair to him."
Tara had finally looked up, her lips curving into a cruel smile. "Oh, sister dear, always so concerned about others. Don't worry about Xavier. He'll be fine with it – after all, you look just like me."
The plan was set in motion quickly. Tara fabricated a car accident, conveniently requiring her to "recover" abroad. The pack was told she needed extensive treatment, and to save face, Xavier would marry me instead – her identical twin sister.
I had tried to refuse. Despite the mate bond pulling me toward Xavier, despite the love I'd harbored for him since we were teenagers, I couldn't bear the thought of trapping him in a marriage he didn't want. But my parents were relentless. The night before the wedding, Father had made it clear – either I married Xavier, or he would ensure Xavier lost everything.
"He'll hate me," I had whispered, tears streaming down my face.
"Better to be hated than to be nothing," Mother had replied coldly.
The wedding was a blur of white tulle and forced smiles. Xavier had barely looked at me during the ceremony, his jaw tight with resignation. I felt his disgust through our mate bond, how he wished it was Tara standing beside him instead of me.
That night, he had made it clear where we stood. "You may look like her," he had said, his voice ice-cold, "but you'll never be her. This marriage is nothing but a business arrangement to secure my position. Don't expect anything more."
For three years, I had lived with that reality. Watching him pine for my sister, feeling his rejection through our bond every single day. I had tried so hard to be a good Luna, a good wife, hoping that maybe one day he would see me – really see me – and not just Tara's replacement.
The sharp pain in my cheek pulled me back to the present. Xavier towered over me, his handsome face twisted with anger, while Tara watched with barely concealed glee. The familiar pain of rejection coursed through me, but this time it was accompanied by something else – fear for the tiny life I carried within me.
"You're bleeding," Tara observed, her voice dripping with false concern. She clung to Xavier's arm, playing the role of the caring sister perfectly. "Oh dear, I hope it's nothing serious."
I could feel more blood trickling down my thigh, my heart racing with panic. The baby – our baby – was in danger, but how could I tell Xavier now? How could I tell him anything when he looked at me with such hatred?
"Guards," Xavier called again, his voice hard and unfeeling. "Remove her from my sight."
As strong hands gripped my arms to drag me away, I caught one last glimpse of them together – my sister and my mate, the two people who had shattered my world. Tara's triumphant smile told me everything I needed to know. She had finally come to reclaim what she believed was hers, and I was once again being cast into the shadows.
The worst part wasn't the physical pain, or even the betrayal. It was the realization that despite everything – despite the mate bond, despite my love for Xavier, despite carrying his child – I would never be anything more than a poor substitute for my sister. As darkness crept into the edges of my vision, I wondered if that was all I'd ever been destined to be – the replacement, the spare, the shadow of my twin's brilliance.
- Writer
