"Naomi get up! It is past 2 p.m. already; have you forgotten what today is?"
My mother walked into my room that afternoon and opened the curtains to the giant windows to let the morning sun hit me directly in my face.

This was her usual ritual every morning since I always slept more than I should, especially on special occasion days like today was in the palace.

"I want to be in bed today mom, I don't feel like getting up now". I answered her, covering my head further with the duvet to prevent the sun from piercing into my eyes that early in the morning.

"Don't be silly young lady, every other person is up already, and dressed. The guests will be arriving anytime soon and the ball will begin". My mother insisted.

"But I don't want to attend the party mom".
"But you must attend. Your father has asked every daughter of the family to be present, and no one dares disobey the Alpha in this pack". My mother said as she opened my wardrobe and begins to bringing out my dress. She also checks the other accessories that have been laid out on my vanity table.

"My father?” I asked, scheming to find a clue from my mother about the secret Lucas mentioned to me last night at the garden.

The question, and the tone I used in saying it made my mother to stop what she was doing, and turned to look at me. I maintained my gaze on her, which was still a part of my scheming. Then she responded, rather in a hurry.

"Your stepfather!” She said, and continued to placing the dress and a pair of shoes on the bed beside me and urged me to get up and get ready.

"Mom, can I ask you something?"

"No Naomi, no more distractions and delaying of your getting ready; it is almost time for the guests to arrive! Now get up and go have your bath, and where is this maid?” My mother commanded, and calling on the maid that was assigned to me to come help me get ready she left the door. I could still hear her voice at the hallway calling on the maid to hurry up and come assist me.

The maid took her time on my hair and makeup, before dusting my collarbones with some shimmer.

The party had already commenced before I could finish dressing up and I stepped out from my room. I didn't take time to take a look at myself at the mirror that evening to see how I looked.

My mother had already confirmed that I looked beautiful in my dress yesterday and I was not in the mood to do that anyway.

Who cares whether I looked beautiful or not for the party? When there is a secret hanging over my existence in the royal family.

Haunted by that feeling, I walked slowly through the estate yard to the ball room. There were fleets of beautiful and expensive looking cars littered all over the estate parking lot. Cars ranging from Rolls Royce, to limousine, to Benz, and to the latest Bugatti and Ferrari in town, all beautifully arranged around the yard. In the middle of them all was a very beautiful one, romantically designed with red ribbons and scented flowers, with a placard that read "BE MY WIFE" on it.

Wow, it was so beautiful to behold.

When I arrived the hall, all guests were already seated, and chatting happily with each other while eating and drinking.

The Alpha was seated too, in the midst of the noble chiefs and leaders with their attendants. And beside the Alpha on both sides were his two favorite wives; the Alpha's first wife Luna Rachel, and his last but not the least favorite wife, Luna Isabella, my mother.

As soon as I walked in through the door, my mother's eyes caught with mine, and she smiled heartily at me like she had been staring at the door counting times and expecting me to walk in. I smiled back, more like a grin though, and not wanting to disturb or interrupt the happy party people, I decided to stand at a corner by the door.
While there, I took a full view of the noble guests at the party, which was full of more gentlemen than ladies in attendance.

All the men in attendance were expensively dressed, and gorgeous with an aura that spoke of wealth. The only female amongst the guests was a young girl that looked like she was about 15 years old, the last child of the Night-Shade City chief. Even she was not left out in looking good and expensive.

She was rumored to be her father's favorite child, and he has always gone to events and parties in her company ever since she was 6 years old.

Tired of admiring the wealthy people, I decided to step out a bit for a fresher air. And with the glass of non-alcoholic wine that one of the maidservant gave me on arrival, I turned to leave the hall and bumped into someone mistakenly, spilling my drink. I turned around, only to come face to face with a young man.

"Sorry." I said as I quickly fished out my handkerchief to clean the little wine that spilled on his shoe due to our coalition.

"No! Don't worry, I can take care of that". The gentle man said, and with a serviette, he dabbed the wine off his shoe gently and looking up at me, he smiled and said.

"My name is Collin, and you are?"

"I am Naomi" I said with a smile.

"Naomi? You must be the orphaned girl the Alpha-King took in out of pity because I know of princess Kiara and Anita and Cleo: the three daughters of Alpha Magnus. Am I right?" The man who had introduced himself as Collin asked, smiling innocently.

What? My eyes widened in shock. An orphan?
I opened my mouth to say something but it was as if a big lump was trapped in my throat. I immediately forgot how to talk.

Standing at the far end of the ballroom hallway was Lucas, staring at us and quietly observing Collin and I with a big grin on his face.

As soon as my eyes met his, I felt a great rolling sensation in my stomach as if I would throw up if I did not leave there immediately.

I ran away, towards the direction of my room, forcing back the tears that were fighting to pour out from my eyes.

Collin stood there perplexed, and wondered what he had said wrong.