The Wrong Sister

Tessa's POV.

The bed is soaked in sweat beneath my back. The sheets are damp from the heat of our bodies and the slick juices flowing freely from between my thighs. The heavy, desperate rhythm of his hips moving in and out of me forces a raw, husky grunt from his throat. His hot breath brushes against my ear. My juices slick his thick cock, making every brutal thrust louder in the dim room.

"Don't tell Sienna," Alpha Kaelen groans.

His voice is wrecked with dark, primal desire. He grabs my hips, his large hands bruising my flesh, and pushes his cock deeper. He intentionally grinds the hard tip against a tender, aching spot deep inside my tight walls.

I shudder beneath his heavy frame. My fingers dig into the hard muscles of his back. The raw pleasure mixes with a sickening wave of guilt that chokes my throat. Sienna is destined to be his future Luna. The pack laws demand it. A devastating, suffocating reality hangs over us even as he claims my body: she is also my twin sister.

I look up at him through my wet lashes. My chest heaves as I struggle to catch my breath. Heartbroken and ruined by the forbidden thrill of his weight pinning me down, I whisper, "Don't tell my sister you slipped inside the wrong one?"

***

*Hours prior.*

The pack house kitchen is a chaotic war zone of party preparations. Heat radiates in suffocating waves from the giant industrial ovens, mixing with the heavy scent of roasted venison and sweet vanilla pastries. Servants rush past each other, carrying trays of crystal glasses and silver platters. I stand tucked away in the back corner, gripping a dull paring knife. I peel my way through an endless mountain of dirty potatoes.

My mother, Beta Vera, stands near the grand marble island in the center of the kitchen. She aggressively shoves delicate white daisies into a tall glass vase. "Everything must be perfect for my darling Sienna," she sighs. Her voice carries over the clatter of pots and pans.

Her green eyes dart across the busy room. They lock onto my hunched form. Her lips curl back into a sharp, ugly sneer. I rip my gaze away, staring hard at the brown peels falling into the steel sink. My heart pounds a frantic rhythm against my ribs.

"You better not embarrass us tonight, Tessa," she warns under her breath. She takes a menacing step toward my workstation. Her voice drips with pure, unfiltered disgust. "You are already so useless. I do not want you tainting Sienna's perfect day."

I lower my head, staring at the cold running water. Hot, stinging tears prick the corners of my eyes. My throat burns, tight and painful, as I swallow back the lump of sorrow. "I won't cause trouble, mom," I whisper to the sink.

"Don't call me that!" she snaps viciously.

The sharp crack of her voice makes a few nearby maids freeze in their tracks.

"Call me Beta Vera! Do not call me mom! I refuse to be called such by the shame of this pack."

Beside me, Mabel stops chopping carrots. The elderly, kind-hearted maid reaches over and gently squeezes my trembling hand in silent solidarity. Her warm grey eyes crinkle with deep pity. It is not the first time Beta Vera has spoken to me with such venom, but the words always pierce my chest, twisting like a jagged blade.

Tonight is Sienna's eighteenth birthday. It is a massive, monumental milestone for any werewolf. The agonizing truth is that it is my birthday, too. We shared the same womb. We entered this world on the exact same day. Yet, as the wolfless disappointment of the Beta bloodline, my existence is ignored. I am the girl who never got her wolf. The one no one cares about. No one is throwing a party for me.

The kitchen staff resumes their work, buzzing with loud gossip. "I wonder if Alpha Kaelen will finally claim her tonight," a young helper sighs in awe, whisking batter in a glass bowl.

My mother chimes in. Her tone shifts from vicious cruelty to sickly sweet, manufactured pride. "I bet he will! It is set in stone by pack law. Kaelen must mate with the strongest female in the pack, regardless of destiny. That happens to be my Sienna."

A chorus of agreement echoes from the kitchen staff. Some nod with enthusiasm, while others stay dead silent.

My mother is right. It is written in stone. Our leaders mandate that the Alpha must mate with the strongest female to ensure powerful, dominant offspring. It does not matter if Sienna is truly his fated mate chosen by the Moon Goddess. He is fixed to claim her.

"My sweet Sienna," Beta Vera claps her hands, beaming with pride. "She makes us so proud every single day."

Her cold eyes cut directly back to me, morphing back into that familiar sneer. She publicly mocks me for the room to hear. "Unlike wolfless Tessa over here."

I flinch. My shoulders hunch forward to make myself smaller. I let my sandy brown hair fall, creating a curtain around my chubby cheeks to protect myself from my mother's harsh glare.

"Anyway, I am taking these pretty flowers up to Sienna. After you finish those potatoes, Tessa, her room needs to be cleaned," Vera commands. Her tone is dry, lacking any maternal emotion. She grabs the vase and marches out of the kitchen.

As her heavy presence disappears from the room, I let out a shaky sigh and remember how to breathe. Tonight at midnight marks my eighteenth year of life. Here I am, prepping food and scrubbing floors for my twin sister's extravagant bash.

"Are you okay, deary?" Mabel asks softly, scanning my pale face.

I nod, swallowing hard. "I've been told worse," I murmur. "It is not like I shouldn't be used to it by now."

Mabel's frown deepens, the lines around her mouth tightening. She gives my shoulder a sympathetic pat. I hate those looks of pity. I let out a heavy breath and focus back on the dull knife in my hand.

Before I can peel another potato, the sharp, aggressive clicking of heels echoes on the tile floor, growing louder with every step. I do not possess the enhanced hearing of a wolf like the rest of them, but I do not need it to know who is coming.

Sienna struts into the kitchen. She is a vision of sharp-featured, blonde perfection, towering over everyone in bright red stilettos. She inherited dad's striking blue eyes, while I got mom's green ones. She has sharp cheekbones, long legs, and radiant, intimidating confidence. I have softer features and a shorter build. We are twins, but we look nothing alike.

"Tessa," she purrs. A fake, condescending smile plasters across her lips as she casually swipes a lock of perfect blonde hair over her shoulder.

I raise a skeptical eyebrow, setting the knife down on the cutting board. "Sien?"

"I need you to go fetch something from Gemma's house for me. I need it before noon." She steps deeper into the kitchen. Her alpha-like presence forces the nearby staff to lower their heads respectfully. "I forgot the silver necklace Alpha Kaelen gave me last year for my birthday in her bedroom."

She stops right in front of me, looking down her nose. "So, I need you to go fetch it. Like the good dog you are," she sneers.

Her cruel words punch the air out of my lungs, clenching around my fragile heart. I nod, keeping my voice carefully flat. "Will do."

Mabel gently pries the potato and the peeler away from my damp hands. "I will do it, don't worry," Mabel whispers with a gentle smile, taking over my station.

I walk over to the sink and wash my hands. "I will ask dad if I can borrow the car to go," I suggest meekly, drying my hands on a ragged towel. "It is too much of a long walk, and—"

"No," Sienna cuts me off with a vicious sneer. Her mask slips, replaced by pure malice. "You stink, Tessa. Dad won't let your sweat ruin his expensive leather seats. You better walk."

I turn to look at her. My nails bite into my flesh, leaving crescent moon indents in my palms. My tongue burns with all the angry words I desperately want to scream in her face. A triumphant smirk paints her flawless features.

Gemma's house is an hour-long walk from the pack house. I am not like the rest of them. They can shift into their massive wolves and cover the distance in a matter of minutes. I have no wolf. I have two slow, human legs.

"But—"

"I need the necklace before noon," she spits, her blue eyes narrowing into dangerous slits. "You better hurry up before I tell mom and dad that you are upsetting me. You don't want them knowing you are making me sad on my special day, right?"

I bite my tongue until I taste the metallic tang of blood. With a shaky sigh, I swallow my pride. She holds all the power, and she knows it. "Fine."

"Try not to be slow," she snaps. With those final, mocking words, she spins on her red heels and struts out of the kitchen.

Mabel shoots a glare at the empty doorway. Her grey eyes flash with a mix of deep pity and suppressed rage on my behalf. I force a tight, unconvincing smile.

"I'll be fine," I say. I grab a cold bottle of water from the massive stainless-steel fridge. I will need it if I have to walk all the way to the border. It is not like a single person in this house would dare offer me a ride and risk angering the future Luna.

I slip out the back door, escaping the bustling, suffocating heat of the pack house. I breathe in the crisp, cool forest air. The loud chatter and the clinking of dishes fade behind me as I start the long trek down the driveway. However, the silence is quickly replaced by the sound of distant laughter as pack members set up the extravagant outdoor decorations for Sienna's party.

The gravel crunches under my worn-out sneakers. I prepare my mind for the grueling, humiliating journey ahead.

Suddenly, the loud, aggressive screech of expensive tires echoes through the long driveway, cutting through the forest air.

I stop in my tracks and turn around. I watch in awe as a pristine, shiny red Lamborghini pulls up the paved path, its powerful engine purring like a caged predator. I know exactly who that shiny red car belongs to.

The sleek door of the Lamborghini opens smoothly. He steps out.

He is tall, standing at an imposing six-foot-three. Dark, shaggy black hair falls perfectly around his sharp jawline. His dark, mysterious eyes scan the driveway, matching the dangerous aura rolling off his broad shoulders. He has red lips that look like they were made for kissing. He wears a dark fitted shirt that clings to his chest and muscular arms. He is easily the most handsome guy I have ever laid eyes on.

Alpha Kaelen.

For the first time all day, a genuine, uncontrollable smile graces my lips as our eyes clash across the distance. The crushing weight of my oppressive sadness vanishes, replaced by a sudden, fleeting warmth that rushes through my veins. A strange romantic tension flutters deep in my chest.

He tilts his handsome head. A devastatingly teasing smirk curls up the corner of his lips.

"Hey sparrow," he says in that low, husky voice that makes my heart skip a beat.

I beam. I practically run over to him, temporarily forgetting the pain of my miserable existence. Alpha Kaelen isn't just destined to be my sister's powerful mate. He has been my best friend for years.