The Rightful Luna

HAZEL.

Today, the shopping mall was packed with so many young ladies, all going about excitedly, shopping in preparation for the big day tomorrow. Tomorrow was the Concubine Selection day and the whole park was excited and looking forward to who the Alpha was going to choose as his concubine.

The Alpha had been mated to his Luna for the past four years and they had not been able to produce a child because of her bedridden illness. Because of their childlessness, the selection of a concubine was being organized for for the Alpha by his mother, so that the concubine would bear the Alpha a child.

I had my nose snuck in the novel I was reading as I walked behind my twin sister into the mall. She kept bubbling on and on excitedly about how she was the most beautiful lady in the pack and would certainly pique the Alpha's attention. I couldn't argue with her. She was right. She definitely was the most beautiful girl in the pack. And the most ill-mannered as well.

"Hazel. Are you even listening to me?" She barked at me and I immediately diverted my attention from the book and back to her. I pasted an apologetic smile on my face."I'm sorry, Harriet. You were saying?"Harriet rolled her eyes at me and flipped her long, perfect blonde hair behind her neck, cat-walking ahead of me while I ran to catch up with her like a dog trailing after its master.

When we got to the boutique section in the mall, we saw that there were several other girls in line, getting attended to by the staff. Harriet's eyes flew open in horror as she saw a girl holding her favorite dress– the type she kept going on and on about how much she wanted. Seeing Harriet eye the girl with so much disdain was enough to make me sure of one thing.

Hell was about to be let loose today. Harriet dashed towards the girl and snatched the dress from her hand. The girl gasped and gawked in surprise, mirroring the expression of the sales girls and the rest of the girls in the boutique. I held my breath and watched my twin sister wreak havoc.

If there was one thing I knew too well about Harriet, it was that she hated to share her things and would do anything just to have her way and get the thing she wanted the most. She was always used to winning and I was used to letting her win.

"You stupid piece of shit! Who told you that you could have this dress?"

"Excuse me?" The girl continued to glare at Harriet in pure disbelief.

"Are you deaf or just daft?" Harriet spat at the girl again.

"What the heck is even your problem?" The girl asked, confused. I remember when I used to ask Harriet the same question when we were much younger. But as we grew up, I learned to put up with her terrible attitude and let her have her way with everything.

Harriet and I were identical twins. Same long, blonde hair. Same sapphire colored eyes. Same height and body size. The only difference was our personalities. While I was the quiet, reserved and weak one, Harriet was the loud, outgoing and tough one. "You cannot have this dress, missy." Harriet replied to the girl.

"I already picked it even before you were here." She eyed her terribly before throwing the dress to one of the sales girls who caught it with a small stagger. "Wrap that up for me."

"Ok–okay, miss." The sales girl stammered before proceeding to wrap up the dress. The rest of the girls watched Harriet in shock and disbelief. Probably wondering how someone could be so confident, so full of herself and yet, untouchable. It was obvious that Harriet would win against the girls in the Selection.

Her beauty and confidence was unmatched. As for me, I never made a big deal out of my good looks and I wasn't the least interested in the Selection or anything related to royalty.Harriet paid for the dress and strode past me again.

"Let's get going, Hazel."I quickened my pace after her and we left the mall, boarded a cab and headed for home. As soon as we got home, Harriet received the warmest reception from my parents while they ignored me as though I was a ghost. It didn't bother me. I was used to them ignoring my existence and cherishing Harriet's.

"How did it go? Did you get the dress?" My mother drew Harriet a seat in the living room and I sat down on a solo cushion next to Harriet's. "Yes." Harriet unpacked the dress from the packaging box. "I was just on time before some other girl got it."

"Lucky you." My mother commented and held the dress up to get a proper view of it. A proud smile crossed her face as she did so. "You are definitely going to slay in this, my dearest."

"Of course, she will. She is her father's daughter." My father gave Harriet a peck on the cheek and I rolled my eyes at the gesture before returning my attention to my book again.

"No, she is not." Mother chuckled and slapped father's arm playfully. "She is her mother's daughter. By the way, Harriet dear, your father made spaghetti with jarred pasta sauce and ground beef. Your favorite."

"Sounds yummy!" Harriet sounded ecstatic about the idea.

"I don't like spaghetti." I raised my eyes from my book and looked towards their direction. My parents gave me a ridiculous look."Then go find yourself something else to eat." Mother waved me off and focused her attention back to Harriet again.

"You are going to be the fairest of them all at tomorrow's Selection. I wish I could be there to cheer you up. But the Alpha wanted it to be a private event."

"You don't have to worry about me, mother. I will win the Alpha's heart and bear him a child. That is definite."

"Your father and I have strong faith in you." My mother replied.

HAZEL.

It was always obvious that my parents were desperately in support of Harriet partaking in the Selection because they were interested in having a tie with the Alpha and milking money from him. Sometimes, I wondered why the gods chose this family for me.

"Tomorrow is going to be my big day." Harriet squealed excitedly.Only this time, Harriet was wrong and things didn't go her way as they usually did.

Because, the next day, which was the big day, Harriet fell from the stairs and twisted her ankle, badly. It was obvious she would not be able to make it to the Selection in that injured state. And that was when my parents arranged for me to be her substitute for the Selection.

Who said a twist of the ankle doesn't result in a twist of fate?I stared at my reflection in front of the large mirror as my mother dressed me in a red, velvet dress in readiness for the Selection, which was only an hour away.

She took her time to make me up and get my hair done. I could not remember the last time she had paid so much attention to all the delicate features in my body. But then again, she was only doing this for her precious daughter and so that this golden opportunity would not pass her. I had never met a mother this selfish in my entire life. She adjusted the corset of the dress and watched my reflection from behind me, her eyes critical and serious.

"Too tight?" She asked me and I shook my head and gave a small, polite smile.

"Not at all." I lied. I could hardly breathe in the corset and I would do anything to take it off my body. Harriet was better made for this kind of life. Not me.

"Remember, be respectful and courteous. Act like a lady; delicate and soft. Don't show everyone how clumsy you are or I swear by the gods, I will never forgive you if this opportunity slips past our family." My mother reminded me. This was not the first time she was telling me this. It was probably the hundredth time today.

I knew if I messed up, my head would be served for dinner tonight. Not to talk of what Harriet would do to me. As if on cue, the door was slowly pushed open and Harriet walked in, limping and using the aid of a clutch stick. Her eyes scrutinized the dress I was wearing. Her dress. The same dress she had almost started a fight at the mall for. She stared at me as sad, bittered tears filled her eyes.

My mother's face fell and she left me to attend to Harriet. "Oh, come on, darling. Don't be like that."

"I'm fine, mother." Harriet sniffed back the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes and she held her head up to gather her confidence again."That dress looks lovely on you." She told me. "Who would've thought you'd be the one who would get to wear my favorite dress instead of me?"

"I'm sorry, Harriet." I felt a strong impulse to apologize. "If you are not okay with me taking your place, I could just stay back and…"

"No." Harriet's strong, blunt reply came. "Don't. Don't stay back." She helped herself to advance closer to me. "You cannot stay back. You have to go there and save my spot. Promise me you'll come back victorious and top all the rest of the girls there." She said to me with pleading eyes that melted my heart. For the first time in a very long time, I pitied and felt sorry for her.

"I promise." She gave me a small, encouraging smile and arranged the tendrils of my hair neatly. Her fingers slid to my cheeks, cupping my face into her hands. Her eyes locked to mine, the softness gone and a malicious determination in it.

"Oh, dearest sister. I am not asking you for a favor. I am commanding you to fulfill my heart's desires. If you mess this up, I will mess with the rest of your life. Are we clear?"

I blinked and gulped down dry lumps down my throat. Where was the pitiable girl from a few seconds ago? Being sisters with Harriet for twenty years, I should have been able to look past her manipulation and deception and know she didn't deserve any of my pity or compassion . As always, she was using me to get what she wanted and treating me like a nobody. Just like she had always done. "Are we clear?" Harriet's grip on my face was harsher now and I tried my best not to let my eyes get teary. My mother was watching us without doing anything to save me.

"Yes."

By the time we got to the Alpha Quarters, the castle was already filled with many young girls, looking both nervous and eager. I couldn't look past them as opportunists. All desperate for a chance to creep into the Alpha's life and trap him down with a child.

I waited in the great hall, eager and feeling all sweaty under my dress. I couldn't wait for all of this to end so I could tear this dress off my body and return back to my normal life and my books. The rest of the girls had their eyes traveling around, looking for the slightest sign of the Alpha. I was sure that just like myself, most of the girls had never met the Alpha or seen what he looked like.

He was only seen in the upper class area of the pack and never in the lower class area and he hated public appearances on the television and the papers. Because of this, many people didn't know what he looked like but that never stopped the different speculations about his look to fly around. Some people said he looked as good as Zeus. Some said he looked like a hideous monster, which was why he didn't like to show his face.

Well, we shall find out the truth about his looks today. "Oh my goodness. The Alpha is here." A girl whispered to her friend and the rest of the girls turned their heads to stare at the direction of the entrance. The regalia of the Alpha and his mother was enough to confirm the girl's words and we immediately curtsied in greeting. We watched the Alpha's feet walk elegantly past us, our hearts in our mouths.

It wasn't until he was seated on his throne that we raised our heads again. The girls stole him some glances and I did as well.I was a little surprised that he looked nothing like most of the rumors spoke of him. He looked nothing like Zeus or a hideous monster. He looked like a god even greater than Zeus.

The handsome, siren and dark features of his face caused my heart to stop beating for a moment. Even as he was seated on his throne, he looked very tall and dominating. He had the most intoxicating good looks I had ever seen in my entire life. Whoever would win today's selection would most definitely be a lucky girl.

"Let's begin." The Alpha's mother instructed and a younger woman stepped forward, a long scroll in her hands. "Please step forward and present yourself as soon as you hear your name." The woman instructed and I waited nervously as she proceeded to read from the long lists of names.

"Penelope Landon."A girl walked elegantly from the row we stood, gently and elegantly towards the Alpha and his mother; Luna Theresa. She curtsied before the both of them. Luna Theresa's eyes analyzed her entire body critically while the Alpha's eyes looked bored as though he didn't want to be here in the first place.

Luna Theresa waved the girl away with her hand and she curtsied for the second time before turning her back and walking towards our direction again. She looked a little red in the face and as though she was going to cry any moment from now. She had lost and she knew it.

The woman called another name and the girl received the same treatment from Luna Theresa. It continued that way with the rest of the girls that followed. I was so lost in my thoughts that I almost didn't hear my own name being called. Or rather, my sister's name.

"Is Harriet Archibald not in this gathering?" The woman's voice was stern and impatient this time. I almost jumped off my skin and I raised my hand quickly to identify myself.

"I'm here! I'm here! Oh, my god. I'm so sorry." I babbled and fetched my dress into my hands, quickening my pace towards them. It was not until I was halfway that I recalled that I should have strode toward them.

Not half-run, half-walked. I could already tell that I had lost. My family would definitely disown me today. I cleared my throat and strode towards them regardless.