The Beta's Daughter

1 | Party? What Party?

"What do you mean, you're not going to the party?"

I met my family's bewildered gazes evenly.

"I'm not going to the party. There's no reason to," I shrugged, crossing my leg over my thigh.

When my parents had told me and my adopted sister Dani that we were going to the party, I had been all, 'Party? What party?'

Apparently, I should've known about the Alpha's son's birthday party.

And here is where I make my point: the Alpha's son, Lennox, didn't mingle with us peasants. Even though I was the Beta's daughter, I'd only met him once, when I was eight, before we'd shifted.

I hadn't liked 'im them, I didn't like 'im now.

I was convinced he was a sexist dog.

"B-but you're the future Beta," my father sputtered, looking flustered. I shrugged. "So? Nobody treats me like the future Beta," I crossed my arms, getting annoyed.

When a girl says no, she means no. When she says no twice, she means NO FUCKING NO.

But nobody treated me like the future Beta of the Golden Blood pack. They treated me like everyone else. Probably because they all thought Lennox Gold, the future Alpha, would want a male Werewolf as his Beta.

And I, Juliette Mason the fourth, was most definitely not a male.

I guess they had a reason to treat me like I was average - I wasn't curvy and soccer-loving, like Dani. I wasn't beautiful and kind, like my mom. I wasn't smart and strategic, like my dad.

I was average. If Average made cereal, I'd be on the box. And I was cool with it. I'd come to terms with my average-ness early in life. At least nobody stared at me all the time.

"Julie, you have to go," my mom said firmly, like I had no choice in the matter.

I shook my head. "I'm not going."

*

And that was how I ended up in the family's car, squished between Dani and my mom.

I sighed, resting my head on Dani's shoulder. She interlaced her fingers with mine, sending me a reassuring smile.

She and our mom had forced me into a short, white dress that showed off a little too much cleavage for my taste and ended mid-thigh. I felt slutty.

I was one of those girls who liked dresses and skirts and things, but not if they were too revealing.

I mean, being the Beta's daughter, I was expected to wear dresses and skirts and things.

They'd done my makeup, which was light, and curled my hair, which I kinda liked.

But not, like, really, really liked.

"Face it, kiddo - you're going to this celebration," Mom told me, her blue eyes determined. I sighed, laying my head back.

"Don't be so hard on her, Russia," my dad murmured, glancing at her in the rear-view.

My mom scoffed. "I'm not hard on her," she defended.

"Why don't you want to go to the party anyway?" Dani asked, facing me slightly. I sighed. "I just don't like him," I said honestly.

My dad frowned. "How can you not like him? You haven't seen the guy in seven years," he reminded me. I rolled my eyes. "He's been avoiding us common folk for the last seven years. What does that tell you?" I crossed my arms smugly, smirking.

"Julie, for all you know, he's your soul mate," Dani announced, her voice flat. I giggled, covering my grin with my hand. "No, he's not," I chuckled.

Even my parents were grinning. "That's a little far-fetched, sweetie," my mom told my sister. Dad nodded, chuckling along with me.

Dani rolled her eyes. "Just wait. Lennox Gold is Julie's mate - you just jinxed it."