Betrayed

2

~*~

I grumbled when I felt someone tap the side of my face. "Wake up, sleepy head". A familiar voice said from beside me. I ignored him and continued to sleep. The mattress felt so comfortable, I did not want to separate from it.

He poked my face again and I groaned in annoyance. "Go away" I mumbled, before I was again submerged into the sweetness of sleep.

"Wake up already!" The person yelled. Suddenly, I felt cold water all over my body. I jumped out of bed immediately.

"What is your problem—?!" My words got hooked in my throat when I saw my little brother with an empty bucket in his hands.  "Hugo?"

He looked at me as if I had gone crazy... "Uh, Yes?" He answered. "Why are you looking at me like that? Are you sick?" He placed the back of his hand on my forehead to ascertain if I had a fever, which was something he used to do a lot when he... when he was alive.

I furrowed my brows in confusion. What is happening, am I dreaming? How is Hugo still alive? I stared into those big hazel eyes of his. The last time I saw him was on the night he died in my arms ten years ago. That night I let him go out to play with his friends; to this day, that is my biggest regret.

I looked around us and realized that we are in my old room. The squeaky bed, the pink walls, and the shaky table...it's been so long since I was here.

Without giving it much thought, I threw my arms around Hugo, pulling him in for a big hug. I don't care if this is a dream, but I am going to make the best of it. Not many people are lucky enough to see the person they lost again, but here I was, hugging my little brother.

He protested against my hold and pushed me until I let him go. He made a disgusted face. "Ew, why did you hug me like that? I'm telling Mother!"  After saying this, he ran out.

Mother? Did he just say Mother? I hurried to the hallway. Everything is just as I remember it. The portraits hanging along the wall, down to the staircase. From the distance, I heard my mother's voice. She was screaming orders to whoever was unfortunate enough to be on the receiving end. I followed her voice to the kitchen and saw her standing there. She was barking at one of the servants, but when she saw me, she gestured for the servant to leave.

"What was taking you so long, child?" She asked.  "I warned you to go to sleep early last night." She observed me closely. "Why is your hair wet?"

"Mother?" I spoke in a low, breathy voice, as though I were afraid that speaking too loudly will put an end to this wonderful dream.

She stared at me as if I was insane.  "What's the matter, Melissa?"

My eyes were filled with tears. "It is you, Mother!" I embraced her tightly as more tears flowed from my eyes. "I never thought I'd see you again, thank the heavens you are here."

She forced my hands away from her. "What is the matter with you, Mel?! Enough of this madness, go get dressed this instant! The guests will arrive soon." Then, she returned her attention to the kitchen filled with cooks busy with their respective tasks of making different foods. As well as servants who were running helter-skelter in the preparation of kind of feast...

"Guests?" I asked, still trying to understand what was happening.  "What guests?"

She turned around and gave me a burning look. "The guests arriving for your birthday party!" Then she returned to hurling commands.

My birthday party? Wait, the last thing I remember was standing in front of the moon goddess, How Then is this my birthday party? I thought this was a dream, but it feels so real. My last birthday was on the day I turned twenty-eight, that was the day I was captured and beaten without any remorse. But this feels so different.

As one of the maidservants walked past me, I held her arm. In a low voice, I asked her the question pulling at the hem of my mind. "How old am I?"

She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes in skepticism:  "This is not the time for jokes, my lady—"

"I am serious," I pushed.  "How old am I?"

She glanced at my mother who was too busy with something else to notice us—then returned her gaze to me. "It is your eighteenth birthday, my lady." She pulled out of my hold and went on with her work.

My eighteenth birthday? This was ten years ago! How—?

I remembered the words of the moon goddess. Does this mean that I have the chance to rewrite my destiny?

I ran back to my room and saw the beautiful dress laying on the bed; it was a shiny blue dress just as I remember.

I ran to the washroom to prepare myself for the party. When I was done dressing up, I came out of my room and my eyes fell on the familiar man waiting for me in the hallway, Vincent, the man I was once in love with. He wore an expensive black suit, his black hair was combed backward and his green eyes gazed upon me as if I was the most beautiful girl in the world.

He walked up to me and offered me his hand which I accepted. He placed a kiss on the back of my hand: "You look ravishing, Melissa." He complimented me, as a smile graced his handsome face.

I could fall for his charms all over again, but I will not make the same mistake, not this time. I did not acknowledge his empty words, nor did I blush like a tomato.

Together, we walked to the top of the stairs which overlooked the guests who were already in attendance. They wore their most expensive clothes and had chalets of wine in their hands. They watched in admiration as Vincent and I walked down the staircase.

My eyes fell on my father. He had a look of pride in his eyes and a huge smile on his face. But I know that in a few minutes, things will change for the worse. In a few minutes, he will find out that I have no wolf, and he will hate me...