Chapter 1 - Betrayed From Birth
Beverly POV.
The alarm rang on my bedside clock and I jumped out of bed.
It was 5.30 AM.
The Knightley household usually began its day early. Waking up sharp at 6.00, followed by breakfast and going over the day's schedule. By the time the clock struck 7.30, everyone was out of the house, rushing to their respective places of work.
But my case was special.
I had to be the first one to wake up, wash the dishes, make breakfast for the entire family, and leave for work only after everyone had been fed. It was not normal for the eldest daughter of an Alpha to perform household chores as part of her routine, nor was it expected of her to take on the entire burden of responsibilities - from cleaning to cooking.
But such was my fate.
I was the eldest daughter of Alpha Magnus, the leader of the Penumbra pack. But I was also the full-time domestic help, considered fit to perform menial tasks like washing and cooking only.
And my day began half an hour earlier before the rest of the family.
I rushed down the stairs, hurried into the kitchen, turned on the flame and began to heat the pan. Breakfast had to be served no later than 6.30, and even a moment's delay could invite punishment and criticism.
After all, my case was special.
I cleaned, wiped, cooked and set the table. Panting in mild exhaustion and wiping a tiny drop of sweat from my brow, I glanced at the clock.
It was 6.30 AM.
A flurry of footsteps could be heard walking down the hallway in my direction. The Knightley family was known for their punctuality. And they were never more punctual than at the breakfast table.
One by one, they all walked in and took their respective seats at the table.
My father, Magnus, the Alpha and head of the family, always sat at the head of the table. My mother, Marie, sat right next to him. Evelyn, my sister, sat wherever she wished to. And I was not supposed to sit down or have my breakfast until they had finished theirs.
"What the hell is this?" shrieked Evelyn at the top of her voice as soon as she had taken a bite of the breakfast I had prepared. "You call this food? This is trash!"
"Why? I cooked it properly, and -" I muttered softly, startled by her severe complaint. "I think it is fine -"
Before I could utter another word, Evelyn got up from her chair, stepped forward and slapped me.
Hard. On my cheek.
"This is fucking shit!" she screamed right into my face. "My puke tastes better. This food is a pile of shit, just like you are."
I was too stunned to react.
"Evelyn is right," my Mom remarked scornfully. "This food has no taste, no aroma, no value of any sort. The first meal of the day should be the best one. This one is worse than the worst."
I stood with my head down and cheeks burning. The slap hurt my cheek, but the insult hurt my soul.
"What's wrong with you, Beverly?" My Dad was the last to speak. "You are a disgrace both inside our home and outside. You look like a freak, you act like a moron, and you can't do even one thing right! You have brought us nothing but shame and ridicule. I curse the day you were born."
I did it, too. Cursed my birth. This humiliation has been a constant companion since my birth. But I kept mum and didn't respond to my father.
They all left the table without touching the food. As if it was a plague that needed to be avoided. My tireless efforts to please my family members had turned into a resounding failure.
Yet again.
I slowly wiped my tears and packed my bag. I had to leave for work. It was 7.30 and duty beckoned.
Ivan's Cafe and Diner. A fast food joint a couple of blocks away. That was my workplace.
I left home and started walking to the diner. My mind was in turmoil caused by this morning's harrowing ordeal. And my heart was sinking slowly in gloom and despair.
"C'mon! Cheer up!" Fiona spoke suddenly in the mind link.
Fiona was my inner wolf. My constant companion. Just like the daily contempt and insults inflicted by my family, Fiona and her pep talk were an inseparable part of my life.
"There is nothing to cheer for," I replied to Fiona in a sullen voice.
"Of course there is," she shot back excitedly. "It's your birthday today, Bev! You turn eighteen today."
I sighed. Nobody remembered my birthday at the breakfast table. Nobody bothered to wish me till now. I wished Fiona hadn't, either.
I didn't need a reminder of how painful my present existence was. And how unwanted, unloved, and uncared-for I had felt for the past seventeen years.
"You know that's not true," Fiona read my mind and intervened in my thoughts. "I have always been there for you. Besides, you are going to meet someone special today."
"Who?" I couldn't catch her drift.
"Your mate, who else? You turn eighteen today. Which means you get to meet your fated mate today."
Fate? I harbored no illusion of a promising future lying ahead. I had resigned myself to the idea of being condemned at birth.
The feeling of being abandoned had never left me for once in my life. Abandoned by both fate and family.
My parents have been cursing me my whole life. My father favored my younger sister Evelyn over me any day. My mother was no different, either. Together, they made me feel like an orphan sometimes.
But my life should have been different, considering I had good looks and a great academic record. I was 5 feet 7, tall and - what most people would refer to as - sexy. I was no bombshell beauty, but certainly better than average.
Way better.
And my academic performance was the envy of most of my peers. I was the fastest learner in my class, the youngest to graduate, and the undisputed school champion in combat skills and martial arts. My fighting skills were so awesome that most girls avoided getting into a contest with me, and most boys secretly admired and applauded me.
And yet, I was cursed at home for being a freak and a mistake.
It had something to do with the day of my birth. Or, rather, the time.
I was born on a Blood Moon night. And the Blood Moon is considered as inauspicious by the Wolf universe as the sun not rising at dawn.
Blood Moon is unlucky. And children born on a Blood Moon even more so. They are despised as agents of doom. And in my case, a freak.
It also didn't help that I had yellow hair. And mismatched eyes. One of my eyes was crimson. The other white.
I was the only one in the Penumbra clan who had these features. Everyone else - my grandparents, parents, my sister, cousins, uncles and aunts - were blonde-haired and blue-eyed.
It's said that you are not a Penumbra unless you have blonde hair and blue eyes. I was the only exception. And the color mismatch of my eyes earned me the nickname of "freak".
I would come to know later that my yellow hair and mismatched eyes were, in fact, directly inherited from my original ancestors - the first Penumbra - who had the same features. But that was centuries ago, and nobody in my tribe remembered this fact.
All they could see in me was someone who was not a Penumbra.
Maybe I wasn't. Maybe I did not belong to this clan. Maybe my destiny lay elsewhere.
Maybe it was time for me to leave home.
Abused and abandoned though I was, I knew one thing for certain. That I was smarter and faster than the rest, and had the skills and knowledge to take care of myself.
I was intelligent, a quick learner, and a skilled fighter who could stand up to any challenge and overcome any obstacle. I was different, but I was not a loser.
I was not a mistake.
And now that I had turned into an adult, I could finally leave my wretched home and uncaring family behind. I could chart out my own course in life instead of following someone else's lead.
I am Beverly Knightley Penumbra. Until yesterday, I was a daughter, sister, servant and freak.
But tomorrow, I am going to leave home and create my own destiny.
This is MY story.
