Chapter 1 Cathy
"Cathy, get out of my way!" Linda said rudely, shoving me without waiting for me to move. "The guests are about to arrive, and the last thing we want to do is ruin our father's party, right?" she inquired.
Linda was my half-sister, my father's “firstborn” since she was his daughter with his Luna. On the other hand, I was his daughter with a mere Omega who had surrogated her womb to the Alpha. But after a few years, his Luna had become pregnant, and since Linda was born, I was sent into oblivion. The only reason I was still with my father was that I carried his blood in my veins, but his Luna, whose name I wanted so badly to forget, constantly reminded me that I was worthless and a commoner with a little luck.
I loved my father, even though he could not look me in the eye when he spoke to me. I longed for him to someday tell me he loved me or at least speak to me for something other than giving me orders.
"Excuse me. I'm just finishing setting up the salon," I replied.
"You've done your job. Now, go!"
I nodded and walked toward the exit.
The salon was so large and spacious that it could fit the three packs that reigned in this territory; the chairs and banquet, the guest artists, the workers, and even the housekeeper had a place, but not me.
"Hurry up!" she insisted, her voice arrogant.
I turned to look at her and, for one last time, admired the ballroom of the Jasmine Hotel, one of my father's many businesses and the one chosen to celebrate his 130th birthday.
The floor was white marble, polished to the point that you could see your reflection in it; the banquet table was overflowing with exotic foods of all kinds, and there was a 6.5-foot ice sculpture in the center of the room in the shape of a gray wolf, a dais at the far end.
"Tell Dad I'll be outside if he needs me," I said in a low voice, knowing it would be in vain because I would never be allowed into the party.
I left through the small exit at the end of the hall, the one used by the employees, and went through a lonely corridor that divided the kitchen from the security area.
"Hey, Cat, come here!" Morgan, my best friend, whispered to me from the security and monitoring area entrance.
I walked toward her and entered the small monitoring room with a crescent-shaped desk and, in front of it, a bunch of screens showing the view from all the security cameras.
"You won't get in trouble because I'm here?" I asked her.
"Not if you don't tell anyone," she said, winking at me. "Do you want to join me?" she asked, pointing to an empty chair beside hers. "From here, we can watch the party and make fun of the guests. Don't you think it's funny?"
A chuckle escaped my lips, and after thinking about it for a few seconds, I nodded, and she held the chair for me to sit down.
"I hate this place," I said, clenching my fists.
"Hey, don't be rude! At least pretend to enjoy my company," she said to make me laugh.
Morgan was a redhead with curly hair, paper-pale skin, a facecovered in chestnut-colored freckles that made her look angelic, and eyes as blue as the sky. She was good at everything but telling jokes.
"I wasn't talking about you, and you know it," I complained. "It's unfair to leave me out of the party. He's not only my Alpha but my father, as well."
"I know; it's unfair." She walked over to the larger screen and pointed her finger at Linda, who was sneaking a cherry off the cake. "If I were you, I'd beat the shit out of that girl for everything she's done to you."
My stomach churned from the bitter memories that flashed through my mind.
"It's not worth it. Besides, she's the perfect girl. If I did anything to her, I'd end up locked in a dungeon for life," I replied with disdain.
"I would help you escape. After all, my father is the head of security, and I have some knowledge of escaping."
I sighed and stared at the screens, watching the guests talking among themselves, how they all went to shake my father's hand, the others dancing and tasting the food, and Linda surrounded by all her admirers who treated her as if she were the offspring of the Moon Goddess herself.
"I'm fed up," I said, getting up from my chair. "I want to enjoy the party I worked so hard to organize for my father!"
"Of course, you do! And luckily, I brought my dress, even though I knew I wouldn't have time to go to the party," she said, walking toward the door.
She closed it, and behind it, hanging on a rack, was a gold dress and low black sneakers.
