The Unwanted Twin and Her Alpha Protector

Chapter2: Rules

Riley POV

For a moment, all I can do is stare blankly out the window. It’s exactly as I remembered. The pack house, several stories high with wide open windows, a long gravel driveway, rose bushes carefully tended out the front, emitting a sweet perfume. The grounds are immaculate, and the forest surrounding the grounds is nostalgic. Once upon a time, I had looked out the window at that forest, envisioning the day when I would get my wolf and be able to join the other pack members on their runs. Now it was just a bittersweet memory of the childhood innocence I had left behind. A reminder of everything I had lost and would never gain back. This was never my home, nor ever would it be. It was simply temporary accommodation. A place to rest my head and study.

The driver politely opens the door for me, his face expressionless. I climb out, noting with a wry smile that my family has failed to come out and greet me. How predictable. Evidently, I was still not forgiven, and the irony was that I had never done what they accused me of in the first place. I took hold of my luggage and wheeled it to the door, pressing the doorbell with my index finger. Silence. Then the door opened to reveal an omega. She took in my ill-fitting clothes, the small tears in my sweater, the faded sneakers with scuffed soles, and the long, messy raven black hair, and began to shake her head, already judging that I was nobody of importance.

“Omegas go through the side entrance,” she mumbled and tried to shut the door in my face, her voice filled with disgust.

Rude. I despised people like her, who thought they were inferior to those who worked hard to keep the pack running without appreciation.

“Wait,” I blurted out, putting my foot in the way, “I’m Raven, Sofia’s twin and daughter to Alpha and Luna Smith.”

Or at least in name. That should be enough to make her second-guess herself. Besides, I was still woozy from being drugged and didn't want to walk halfway around the packhouse to enter the side entrance. I was tired.

She looks at me doubtfully. A voice cuts in from behind her. “Raven, about time you showed up. Come to the study.”

My father’s voice is harsh, with not a trace of warmth in it for the daughter he hadn’t seen, let alone spoken to, for six years. I stare at him and then push past the omega, following silently behind him. I know that this isn’t going to go down well when he sits down at the table. My mother is already seated and motions to me to do the same. I sit down, keeping my face nonchalant. This was not a happy reunion. Not for any of us. I bore such hatred; such rage towards them that it’s all I can do to keep myself from lunging out of the chair and screaming at them. They had no idea of the damage they caused me or the abuse I had suffered because of a decision they had made.

Don’t do it, Riley. It will only make things worse. They won’t listen to you. Just like six years ago, when you tried to tell them the truth and they only believed Sofia. Whatever you say isn’t going to make a difference to how they treat you. You’ve always been the difficult child, the coal to Sofia’s diamond. Remember how they used to compare you both? How it always felt that, as twins, you should have been the same? How disappointed they always were when you couldn’t match Sofia’s supposed brilliance? Don’t let them affect you now. Don’t give them the satisfaction of letting them see you hurt. You're not the same weak-ass girl they sent off without a second thought. You're stronger now. A force to be reckoned with. They won't know what hit them when they see the real you and how you've changed.

“As expected, your sudden reappearance has made Sofia quite distressed,” my father said icily, “and therefore you will be having dinner alone in your room.”

Of course. The little princess was upset, so naturally, she got what she wanted. Some things never changed. I just nodded. Eating dinner alone was no hardship; in fact, I preferred it. Father, Alpha Jones, glanced at my mother, Luna Jones, and silently communicated with her. By the glaze in his eyes, they were mind-linking, making the silence in the room even quieter if that was possible.

“Now that you are back, there will be rules for you to follow. Number 1, your curfew is ten pm. You don’t leave the packhouse or go anywhere without informing us first,” he held up one finger, eyeing me with distrust.

“Number 2. Family meals are mandatory except for today. I’m making an exception so that Sofia can get used to the idea that you are back,” he said, as my mother nodded in the background.

“Number 3. You will conduct yourself appropriately at all times, befitting the daughter of an Alpha. That means no drugs, no alcohol, no disrespect.”

What a shame. I had no plans to keep to that rule. I had joints in my bag, waiting to be lit up and smoked. Getting high was a stress reliever, and I had a feeling I was going to be relying on that in order to keep my sanity in this prison.

“Number 4. You will keep up your grades. I have your transcripts here, and you have surprisingly high marks. This one is non-negotiable. I refuse to be embarrassed by you when Sofia is also excellent with her schooling.”

Naturally. I was already being compared to Sofia, and I hadn't even been here five minutes. God forbid I was my own person.

“Rule 5. You will attend Half Moon Academy with your sister. You will not interfere with your sister’s schooling or make a scene in any way, shape, or form.”

“Last but not least. You will be residing in the Omega quarters. Sofia’s safety is a priority, and we will not place her in danger for your comfort.”

I wanted to laugh. They had no idea that I wasn't the one they should be wary of, but Sofia, who had perfected the art of playing the victim since we were young. She'd always been vindictive, but I never realized to the full extent until that fateful night that changed everything and had me sent away to boarding school. I was ready for her this time. No amount of tricks was going to faze me. I'd already been through hell. Sofia couldn't top that, no matter how hard she tried.

The omegas quarters. A far cry from the bedroom I used to have once upon a time, with a comfortable bed, luxurious furniture, and carpet so soft that it felt like you were walking on clouds. In comparison, the rooms in the Omegas’ quarters were basic, consisting of a bed, a chest of drawers, a hard floor, and a bathroom with just a toilet, shower, and sink. The bare necessities. For the daughter of an Alpha, it was an insult, pure and simple. It was also another way of humiliating me, of reminding me of my place in this family, which was now nothing.

It should have hurt, but instead I just felt numb. I didn't know what I'd been expecting, but clearly affection and love weren't on the table.

“Any questions?” my father said impatiently.

He looked at his watch, expecting me to just get up and walk, accepting the rules without question. Obedience. Too bad I was anything but that. I wanted to know why, of all things, they even wanted me here in the first place.

I smiled. It didn’t reach my eyes. “Why bother bringing me back if you don’t trust me?” I asked very coldly.

The boarding school would have been preferable. When I turned eighteen, I could have just left and never looked back, even if part of me had continued to hope they would bring me back, apologize, and make amends. What a joke. I'd been deluding myself.

He shifted on his chair. Mother remained silent but continued to wring her hands together, a look of nervousness on her face. Silence. I waited, refusing to budge. I deserved an explanation, and I was damn well going to get it.

Father finally exhales. “Your grandfather insisted,” he said angrily, “and threatened to cut Sofia out of his will if we didn’t agree.”

The truth. Finally. I was only here for Sofia’s sake. Well, she and my grandfather. My parents didn’t want me back. Didn’t even care. Everything danced around what Sofia wanted. I rolled my shoulders back and then stood up, grabbing my luggage. We were done here. I needed to get out of this room before I blew a gasket.

“You start school tomorrow. I’ve already had the uniforms prepared for you. The school is only eight blocks away. You will walk to school and back,” my father said as I turned around, “And Riley, so help me, if I catch you near Sofia or attempting to hurt her again, your life will end as you know it," he threatened, his eyes turning dark.

“Don’t worry,” I said quietly, “I wouldn’t dream of getting within ten feet of her. Not for her sake,” I added, turning the knob and opening the door, “but for my own. I value my life too much to waste time on her," I spat out.

It was a parting shot, but it hit home, exactly as I intended.

I heard spluttering, which vanished the moment I shut the door with a heavy thud behind me.

Assholes.