Chapter 32 HI, I'M MERRIELYNN FORTNER
CORMAC
AGE 14
I scowled at my reflection in the mirror, adjusting the tie that felt more like a noose than an accessory.
Valtor lounged on my bed, tossing a baseball into the air, his carefreeness only seemed to intensify my irritation.
“Are you done yet, Prince Cormac?” he teased, catching the ball with a smile. “We can’t have the royal family waiting too long, can we?”
I shot him a glare through the mirror, my fingers fumbling with the stupid tie. “You know, some of us have responsibilities, Valtor. Not everyone gets to sit around all day.”
He shrugged, a playful grin on his face. “Responsibilities? You mean pretending to enjoy the company of some boring visitors? Sounds rough.”
I didn’t respond to that.
He was right after all, With each passing day, the weight of my title pressed heavier on my shoulders.
From the outside, I knew my life looked like a fairy tale—living in a grand palace, with the king and queen as my parents. But inside, I felt trapped, suffocated by expectations that felt more like chains than privileges.
But all the grandeur was just that: grandeur. Everything else sucked. The hierarchy sucked.
I had to accept the hierarchy, the way it worked, and the fact that the former Beta was being replaced. My reflection in the mirror only deepened my scowl at the thought.
Valtor tossed the ball to the ceiling, catching it with a laugh. “It’s not going to be that bad. This isn’t even the first Beta to be replaced—you know how this stuff works.”
I thought to myself, He was the first Beta I actually liked.
Just then, the door burst open with a bang, and I heard a loud gasp. I closed my eyes in exasperation as my sister barreled into the room, her voice rising with urgency. “Cormac! Are you seriously not ready yet?”
I opened my eyes and glanced at Valtor, noticing how he clutched the baseball like a lifeline, his cheeks as red as roses as he stared at Lorelai.
"Gross." I murmured under my breath.
I inwardly cringed at Valtor’s obvious crush on my sister, shaking my head and looking away before the grossness of it made me feel sick for the millionth time.
Lorelai rushed over, saying “You know how important today is, yet you’re still not ready, here letting Valtor distract you.”
She glared at Valtor, whose blush deepened as he stammered, “I wasn’t distracting him.”
But Lorelai dismissed him with a shake of her head, slapping my hands away to adjust my tie herself. I scowled at her, and she caught my expression, scowling right back. It lessened some of the anger bubbling inside me—she was an exact replica of what I looked like. My twin. Just female.
But that diminished anger was replaced by something else entirely when Lorelai shifted my collar and shrieked, “Is that a tattoo?”
I shoved her hands away as Valtor laughed, but when Lorelai shot him another glare, he sobered up so fast that I almost laughed too. This day was shaping up to be more chaotic than I had anticipated.
Lorelai ran a hand through her hair like she couldn’t deal with either of us, shaking her head before saying, “Whatever. Mom’s waiting downstairs. Let’s go.” I sighed, grabbed my jacket from the back of a chair, and followed her out.
Valtor called after me, “Don’t forget to put on your happy face!” I flipped him the middle finger, hearing his laughter as I closed the door.
Walking down the long staircase, I thought about how tired I was of all of this. This was the fourth Beta I’d met in the last ten years, and the last one… I was really attached to him.
My dad trusted the man, often leaving me alone with him. We went on hunts together, and he taught me how to shoot arrows and play football, which I loved. It felt like a lifetime ago, and now I was just trying to keep my head above water with all these changes.
Just because of wolf laws that state a rank challenge can never be declined, the man was challenged—and lost. He died. That man was practically a father to me, and now, because he was the weaker wolf, he was gone.
I gritted my teeth as I reached the bottom of the stairs, my fists clenched at my sides as I thought about him. I couldn’t shake the bitter taste of anger that rose in my throat.
“Why does it have to be this way?” I muttered under my breath, thinking about all the stupid rules around here.
I hated the hierarchy, the unyielding nature of it all. Now, I had to put on a respectful face for the family of the man who had killed him.
As I forced a smile, my mom appeared, a warm smile spread across her lips. “There you are, sweetheart,” she said, pecking my cheek and smoothing my suit jacket.
“Thanks, Mom,” I replied, though my heart wasn’t in it.
My dad joined us, offering his hand to her. “Ready?” he asked in his usual cold voice, as he placed his other hand on the small of her back.
I couldn’t shake the feeling that any affection my parents showed each other was just for appearances. They were like actors in a play, putting on a show for the audience while the real drama unfolded behind closed doors.
“Let’s get this over with,” I said, my voice tight as we stepped outside.
As I trailed behind them with Lorelai, I swallowed as I watched the black Range Rover pull up with a low rumble, and I sighed, staring at the pavement. I’d rather be anywhere but here, and I knew it showed.
The driver side door opened, heavy footsteps making their way toward us before I heard another door pull open. Smaller, softer footsteps reaching my ears.
“Make eye contact. You’re being rude,” Lorelai nudged me with her elbow, her voice was so sharp that it cut through my thoughts.
I exhaled deeply, forcing myself to look up.
And then my heart stilled, as I laid eyes on a small blonde girl approaching us.
Freckles dusted her cheeks, and she squinted up at me in the sunlight, her face brightening with a grin that seemed to light up the world around us.
A muscle in my chest jumped.
What the...
“Hi," she said, extending her hand eagerly, her braces catching the light. "I’m Merrielynn Fortner!”