Chapter 1 Her birthday

• Chapter One – Her birthday
• Rihanna's POV
• It was the Princess's birthday, she lived another year to cause hell for me.
• The decorations of pink and white at the ballroom sickened me. It always had actually. It reminded me of the worst year of my life, reoccurring.
• I was nine-year-old then, wearing a cute red ball gown, with my head adorned with light jewelries and a gold necklace, belonging to my mom.
• Princess’s Vanessa’s was having her tenth birthday and the ballroom was filled with white and pink designs.
• I crept towards the long table were meals of different cultures and origins were laid, along sides cocktails and wines.
• I raised my legs to where her cake was kept, on the highest table, and gleamed wickedly at it.
• My twin brother, Raymond, was in charge of keeping the little pups away from the table but he was far off outside the ballroom, watching the Alpha King invite the guests.
• I knew my brother would get in trouble for what I was about doing but I had to do it. Princess Vanessa owed me everything.
• I slapped down the cake, spreading it across the table. It made a melting sound and the high steps toppled to the ground.
• Inside of me, I felt bad ruining it but this was revenge. I was being petty but that was all nine-year old me could think off.
• Hearing footsteps from outside the ballroom, I envisioned the Luna Queen and the servants coming.
• I had shifted early so had my wolf. She told me to run away but I stubbornly didn’t. I didn’t care, I wanted them to see me. I wanted Princess Vanessa to see me. I ruined her cake!
• But Raymond appeared. His expression went from surprise to anger and then fear. He pulled me by the ear but I slapped his hands off.
• “Serves Princess Vanessa right!”
• My voice was small and light so I made a noise shouting like that.
• “And you’d be served a punishment soon…” he barely finished when the our Luna Queen walked into the kitchen.
• She wore a smile on her lips, which was also smeared bright red, matching her auburn hair.
• Her bright green eyes darkened on seeing the ruined cake. She pinched herself skin through her white dress wanting for everything to be a dream.
• Slowly, with a glare, she turned to my brother and I. Her eyes rested on my cake stained dress. I quickly cleaned it off scared as her strong aura filled the room.
• “Rihanna, no!” she tried dragging my hair but Raymond pushed me aside. She grabbed him and yanked his hair but I quickly bit her hands.
• She flung me easily and her claws crawled from their place, piercing my brother's neck. I knew I let her Luna wolf out. And it wouldn’t be easy to control.
• I began screaming while throwing cake on her. She was very annoyed that I was ruining her dress but I still didn’t care.
• I hated her like I hated her daughter. My mother rushed in, running with her blue stilettos that I felt would break any minute.
• A victorious smirk was etched to my face as all the guests came in, seeing the cake and the Luna Queen. Even Princess Vanessa came in and my wolf began laughing.
• “Raymond, who did this!” my father barked, he was the Beta of our Kingdom, he looked scary towering down at my brother in his black suit.
• But why did he care who did it? Couldn’t he see the Luna Queen almost killing his son?
• The Alpha King pushed my father aside and came in front. He’s expression changed to something different.
• The guests came closer one by one, eyeing the melted cake on the ground. I noticed a guest, Duchess Vivian wearing an impressed smirk. But then Princess Vanessa burst to a wail.
• I couldn’t help it and laughed along with Lana, my wolf. Everyone turned to me and Raymond looked scared. I shook my head hard while laughing so much that a jewelry fell off.
• They all must have seen the cake stained on me. I laughed like a mad wolf despite everyone looking at me.
• “I pushed Rihanna to the cake. It’s my fault.” Raymond shouted as the Alpha King advanced to me. I stopped laughing.
• My mother narrowed his eyes at him. “Raymond, she’s the one with cake on her dress…”
• “But I pushed her to it, mom.” he repeated.
• He was a mood spoiler, why was he taking the blame? What would they do knowing I did it? The Luna Queen's hands were tightened on him.
• “What did Princess Vanessa do to you?” she roared. Everyone stood watching. She was strangling him and no one said anything?
• I charged at her and head butted her on her stomach. She staggered and threw me by my hair, mom held unto Raymond that she dropped.
• “Sam, what’s wrong with your children!” the Alpha King screamed at my father.
• I wanted to yell at him back, on what was wrong with his wife.
• Trying to overpower the Luna was effortless so I bit her hand numerous times. I was an animal, I knew. But her daughter was a with and a bully.
• The servants fought and dragged me away from her, panting breathlessly.
• “Please, let her go. I messed up the cake not her!” Raymond stuttered, his small suit was already stained with dirt.
• His dark hair had sand mixed with it. I glared at him and the Luna Queen.
• “Shut up. I did it. Princess Vanessa, I am so happy to see you cry!” I screamed to everyone's horror.
• Raymond pushed me down and I fell on the cake. He repeated his claim on messing up the cake. What was he so scared off? Why’s he protecting me?
• “Raymond? Rihanna? Who messed up this cake and why?” my father asked, calmly.
• With Raymond behind me, he gave me a sign with his fingers not to speak. I grumpily obeyed.
• “I did, dad. It was an accident. Rihanna annoyed me so I pushed her to it, that’s why she had cake on her body…”
• “And not on her hair? And everywhere on her hands? You’re lying!” Princess Vanessa cried.
• Her little eye mascara were drooping with her tears, staining her white ball grown. Her mother sighed and dragged her away from us.
• My mother looked at me disappointedly. They surely knew it was me. Raymond was never reckless, that’s why he was asked to watch the cake. I was the little witch around the house.
• But since Raymond agreed to the crime, he was punished. And I didn’t know that could happen.
• Why was Princess Vanessa's cake so precious?
• My brother was given fifteen strokes for it! Who dared give the Beta's son strokes? Of course, the Luna.
• I was so upset but when I heard it was the Alpha King himself, I slid low. I hated everyone here.
• Princess Vanessa had earlier annoyed me by calling my father a stupid dog who only listened to her father without having a will of his own.
• I reported to the Delta but she wasn’t punished.
• The Delta’s excuse was it’s her birthday so no one would be punished. Yet my brother was flogged before celebration began.
• My hatred for Princess Vanessa increased but in return, the whole pack hated me. They didn’t like my confidence to stand up to myself. Or my mischievousness.
• They cursed at me that I was the reason for my brother’s scarred back. And no one played with me, I didn’t mind till I finally began to.
• My mother hated me and I became an embarrassment to my father. All I wanted was payback to Princess Vanessa who insulted my father.
• I revenged in the most painful way I could think of as a child but my actions kept on hunting me.
• Princess Vanessa occasionally spread lies against me, that I destroyed one thing or the other, and people believed and hated me more. I became timid.
• I had cooled down but the name and hatred never left me. I was now diminutive due to lack of love and care. I didn’t have confidence left.
• I was the most hated in the pack, all thanks to Princess Vanessa.
• Her birthday had come again, and suddenly some rush of energy, confidence and mischievousness.
• My wolf, Lana, was with me, so I won’t be beaten down so easily. I always remembered my sad story on all her birthdays.
• Today, she was to find her mate and that smelt like more trouble for me. I stood far away.
• We were at the open field and not the ball room, all Princess Vanessa friends couldn’t fit. I stayed far so I won’t get accused of something again.
• All the guests gathered around her, some important members of our kingdom as well.
• Our kingdom was a group of packs, with ours Black Hills being the most powerful, hence our Alpha, being the King.
• I always felt like he didn’t deserve it. The guests were from different packs and more were to come.
• They sang songs to the Princess, and gifted her precious stones from their land.
• Duchess Vivian gave her a bracelet with a supposed wishing gem. They granted one’s deepest wishes.
• That was a dangerous gift to give someone like Princess Vanessa.
• I stayed up at the hill, to ensure I didn’t spoil their mood or appetite. I hadn’t worn a formal dress and just a long-sleeved jacket with jeans.
• “Rih, what are you doing there?”.
• I expected to see my brother Raymond but I turned to see the Alpha King’s son, Prince Chris. My cheeks flushed a little, I jumped from the tree I was on.
• “Um… nothing. Just watching” I removed some strands on my face, backwards, looking him in the eyes. I became self conscious.
• “Hmm. From here? Why don’t you go down? Can you see anything?” he tried to look from where I was standing.
• Sometimes he forgot I was the hated Beta’s daughter. His niceness to me usually caught me off guard because he was my enemy’s brother!
• My ears weren’t very sharp so my eyes were sharper. He was almost slipping from the hill, from trying to peek from the hill so I wrapped my hands around him.
• “Thank you.” he sighed, deeply, as I pulled him back. My face was beet red and I dare not look at him. I had felt sparks holding him.
• “Come down and celebrate with us. Your birthday is next soon.” he stated. I laughed it off. My birthday would go as it came.
• I noticed when I laughed, his eyes seemed to tarry on me, so I frowned. I knew I was ugly when I laughed, he didn’t have to stare.
• “You know, laugh more. You look pretty”.
• What sir? Did he mean that? I looked at his retreating figure and I felt flying insects inside my stomach. Did I swallow butterflies?