Chapter-43
VALERIE'S POV
"What did you say?" I turned to Beatrice, who had a smug look on her face.
From my peripheral vision, I noticed some alphas and Lunas looking at me warily. It felt like deja vu. This was the same gaze people used to use in the pack whenever they were reminded of this.
My heart trembled at the contempt in their gaze, and though I was putting up a strong facade, I felt nothing more than that 14-year-old girl who was rejected by the pack and that 18-year-old girl who was rejected by her mate all because she was cursed.
It has always been Beatrice. She has always been the one who instigated this hatred in the pack members too. And now, today, just because she is jealous because people are calling me pretty, she started this again.
I looked at my hands and noticed my nails elongating slightly and remembered that anger wasn't good for me if I wanted to keep my eyes and fangs in check.
"I told the truth. Alpha of the great moon pack rejected you because you were cursed. And today, I am here to announce my marriage with him," Beatrice smiled smugly, and I gazed at Damian, who looked to taken aback by the sudden change of events.
"Beatrice -" Logan started, but I held his hand.
This wasn't his battle. This was mine. If I don't end this for once and all today, she is going to bring up this topic every time we are in the same room, and that's the last thing I want.
Today, I want to be the one to clear all these matters to her.
"Don't say anything. Let me handle it myself," I said and took a step ahead.
"So you are saying, just because I am cursed, I don't deserve to be happy?" I asked her, and Beatrice looked even more smug.
"Well, what can I say?" She looked at me with a smirk before stepping ahead.
"When you were cursed with - never mind, as I was saying. When you were cursed, you lost your gateway to happiness forever," she looked into my eyes, and I smiled.
"You know why I am cursed? And what is being cursed?" I asked her before stepping ahead.
"A curse is being a family member of a selfish, snobbish, power-hungry, envied, and full of jealousy girl like you. I was cursed the moment you became my elder sister. Honestly speaking, I put the Great Moon pack now. They are getting a Luna like you, who is nothing but someone who would open her legs the moment she finds someone more powerful than alpha Damian. Do you know why? Because you are just like that," I looked straight into her eyes.
"Valerie! Don't forget -"
Pat!
Yes. I slapped her. The thing that I had been wanting to do ever since I found out she knew about everything and chose to make my life a living hell. Because she was scared, I would get a better life than her.
"Don't take my name from your filthy mouth. You are not qualified," I said before looking at all the alphas and Lunas present in the room.
"I, Valerie Katya, am cursed by the moon goddess because I didn't turn into my wolf when I was fourteen, but was it enough to judge and decide my entire life based on that?" I scoffed.
"I... I was deprived of what love and friendship feel like from your pack members. I was deprived of what family love or love from a lover feels like. My mate rejected me all because they considered me a bad omen," I took a deep breath before looking at the alphas.
"They were brutal enough to throw me out into this world which is run by hatred, and when I found my way around, people like Alpha Zade and Alpha Xero did everything in their power to tame me and turn me into their Sl*t," I said, and they bowed their heads in shame.
'Valerie-' Adele looked at me concerned, but I shook my head at her.
I didn't want to calm down. Yes. I would keep my anger in check, but I needed to take these words out of my system today.
"Where the hell was I wrong? What the hell did I do to deserve all this? If I decide I want to end these Alpha's careers just because they did this to me and ask the council rightfully to snatch their position because I am now part of the council, it won't take me a second to destroy all those entitled alphas and their packs," I smiled in self-pity.
"But I am not going to do it. I am not a believer of God who would think the moon goddess would punish them. Nope. I will hate and take my revenge at any given chance. So you guys beware of me. And all the alphas who want to help these people who took away my happiness, I warn you. Especially Alpha Damian of the Great Moon pack. Your so-called to-be wife, aka Luna, has disrespected me twice. You better watch out," I turned and was about to leave when someone held my hand, and my resolution and strength immediately trembled.
"Who says you are alone? I am sorry that you went through all this because of a few jerks, but you still have people who would lay down their lives on a silver platter just for you," Alpha Ambrose said before he hugged me from behind.
"You don't need to leave. I swear, and I promise to you, that I will help you win the respect you lost. Even if it means I have to initiate the pack wars and bathe your hair in their blood, I will do it," Ambrose's words shocked not only me but probably everyone in the room.
What the hell was he saying?
"What are you talking about? Are you high on drugs? This is my fight. Why would you initiate pack wars and sh*t? Those innocent people did nothing," I said to Ambrose, and he turned me around before grabbing my face between his hands.
"I am not high on drugs. I am high on your love, and this fight, I won't initiate with those packs. When we say pack wars, I mean killing a few alphas because they disrespected my Luna," he said, and I looked down when he looked at me with that same intensity that said he would kill anyone and just everyone for me.
"No one is initiating anything when I am here. If those alphas or anyone present in this room, including this impudent and selfish Sister of Valerie, dares to touch Valerie, their Alphas will have to suffer," Logan said before he turned me to him and bent to my eye level.
"No one is worthy of your tears and emotions, so don't waste them on anyone. You still have me. Even if I am now your brother, no one will have the nerve to mess with you," Logan wiped the stray tear that fell from my eyes, and I smiled before nodding.
"Look at this man, taking away my to-be wife in front of me. You, come with me," Ambrose held my hand, and I chuckled at the men around me, my teary eyes making my vision blur.
"Come here," Ambrose forced my head on his chest, and his heartbeat calming my heart too.
"Alpha Damian, I would suggest you take away your mate and keep her at a good distance from mine. I don't care if we are standing in the council hall of this annual ball is the symbolic representation of our unity. I won't think twice before doing something that would make all of us regret it," Ambrose said before I felt him bending.
"Piss off," Ambrose's voice was low and full of malice, so much that I had never felt before, and I saw the alpha and luna in my vision, shaking at the coldness in his voice.
"Can I have the honor of your second dance?" Ambrose asked me, and I nodded before he took me to the dance floor.
"You are beautiful, and no one deserves to take this beautiful smile away from you. This is our night. This is the night when you are officially mine," Ambrose said before he closed the distance between us and kissed my lips in front of everyone, making me both shy and happy at his claim.
"I love you," he said, and I smiled before nodding.
"I know you are not going to say it just like that, and I am not going to force you into it either. I just hope you can give me a chance to make everything right that I wronged last night. Give me a chance to prove my love is worthy of being with you," He whispered into my ears, and I was about to say that he didn't need to stress it out anymore when I felt a weird energy strike inside me, almost making me sway on my feet.