Twelve years ago, after my parents divorced, my father entrusted me to the Alpha of the Silver Moon Pack.

I was only seven when I first met Ashton and Zion, the future Alphas, and since then our fates were entwined together.

Their possessiveness for me was so profound that they never allowed me outside the mansion on my own, declaring to the world that I was going to be their mate one day.

But a storm swept my life when Victoria Stone, my beautiful cousin entered our lives and garnered the attention of both Ashton and Zion.

She pretended to be sweet and fragile and created circumstances like I bullied her, making the twin Alpha’s love turn to hatred.

A month ago, on a full moon night I approached Ashton and Zion nervously. I had loved them beyond comprehension since a long time and that day I finally gathered courage to confess my feelings.

Unexpectedly their response was cold and indifferent making my entire body numb.

Ashton smiled at me without any warmth as he replied, “I have been only kind to you since we were raised together but now you seem to be getting ahead of yourself."

Ashton wasn’t even finished when Zion looked at me with annoyance, "Silver Moon Pack’s Luna must be someone we love wholeheartedly, don’t tell me you took our kiss and embrace to you as something with profound meaning.

Just because I proposed to you once doesn’t mean that I will take you as my mate."

I cried that night, yet the next day amplified my sorrow even more for it was my father’s death anniversary.

Two years ago, there was a major wave of rogue attack. My father hid many of his pack members in the underground secret room.

At last, with only a small secret space left, my father chose to hide Cousin Victoria when rogues surrounded him and took his life.

My father was a martyr.

It was this gloomy day, Ashton and Zion held Victoria in their embrace as they went to the Alpha declaring their love for her. Even though I was heartbroken I didn’t wish to hinder their choices, so I quietly left.

“Sister, why are you crying all alone in this terrible place?” Victoria entered the attic I had decorated with Ashton and Zion in childhood, looking at the place in distaste.

“Ashton and Zion have proposed to me and tonight I have organized a party to celebrate it, so I am here to invite you.”

“No need.” I answered curtly, going out of the room.

“Oh, don’t tell me I ruined your plans to become the luna. Have you ever looked at yourself, who would want an orphan to be their mate?”

When I chose not to speak a word it infuriated her before she smirked at me with provocation in her eyes.

“Your mother might have conspired so well for you to become Luna but even her schemes could not hinder Zion and Ashton in loving me. Don’t make a scene and hurry up.”

“Shut up! The hell with you and your party.” I turned to leave but the next words made me look at my cousin in indignation.

“Is today your father’s death anniversary?” She rolled her eyes before continuing.

“He is already dead, it's rather disgusting that you act so pitiful and filal. Come with me now.”

Victoria came forward trying to hold my hands with her nails scratching me, making me pull back in rage.

“My father died protecting you Victoria, you are truly shameless!” I pushed her away from me.

Victoria, expecting my reaction, smirked and fell down, clutching her hand as tears dribbled down her cheeks making it look like I deliberately harmed her.

I didn’t even have time to collect my senses when a raged growl echoed from outside accompanied by another.

“Sophia Stone! Have you been blinded by jealousy to the extent of hurting Victoria like this?! Stop with your drama of being innocent and gullible all the time, you disgust me!” Ashton did not even give me the chance to explain myself as he accused me.

“If it wasn’t for Victoria inviting you today, we wouldn’t even have considered it! I must have been blind to consider you pure and lovable when you are clearly this cruel! Apologize to Victoria at once!”

“I didn’t do anything wrong, she wants me to party today when-“the words ‘when today is my father’s death anniversary’ were never uttered as Zion growled lowly, scolding me as his arm held me with so much force that a bluish bruise appeared on my skin.

“When what?! We took you when even your mother discarded you and this is how you repay us?”

Ashton gently scooped Victoria into his arms embracing her tightly as he glared at me.

“We must take Victoria to hospital first.” Ashton said to Zion as they looked at me with annoyance, Zion pushed me away making me fall.

“Victoria is such a kind person who always thinks of you first, but you are so ruthless Sophia!”

They did not turn to look at me as I laid with the pain in my bones too profound to get up.

A week ago, the pack healer had advised me to complete bed rest yet to not worry Ashton and Zion. I had never uttered a word earlier, now when Zion had pushed me so hard I could feel my insides churning up.

“Miss Sophia, you are burning up.” A maid saw me, and she rushed to help.

“Please don’t worry, I have some medications, I will take them.”

“But-“

“Please don’t worry.”

I dragged my withering body to my room barely able to keep my eyes open with the pain.

I was born with a congenital heart condition and a weak constitution.

Since childhood I had episodes of seizures where I often fainted and felt numb for hours. In childhood it was Zion who first found me passed out in the garden and when I did not work up for a day, it scared him so much that he never left me alone after that, even feeding me himself.

Even going up the stairs wasn’t allowed since he carried me in his arms. Ashton on the other hand consulted the top physicians in the country and when none of them could properly cure me for longer periods, he himself tried learning medicine to become a healer so that one day he would cure me.

They had taken care of me with so much dedication and love, yet our past was like murky waters which was forgotten since they met Victoria.

Despite the pain I gathered all my strength to go visit my father’s tombstone.

An hour passed and I kneeled before my father’s gravestone with tears streaming down my eyes, gently laying black roses at his grave.

“Daddy, why didn’t you take me away with you? This life is terrible without you.”

“Dad, I will soon go away from this place, so goodbye.”

While returning to Jace Mansion from the cemetery I booked a cab but amidst the journey my body could not take anymore, and I had a seizure making me clutch my heart.

With trembling fingers, I called Ashton multiple times only for him to reject it. When I finally messaged him that I was having a seizure his reply made tears of absolute devastation fall down my eyes.

[When will you stop vying for attention? Are you that desperate to have us by your side?

You aren’t dead yet are you? You disgust me, Sophia.]

I thought I was their love just like they were mine, mates meant forever, but I was wrong. I was just a plaything that they enjoyed toying with and once their curiosity was satisfied, they discarded me completely like a ragdoll.

The girl whom they protected from malicious slanders and bullying was no longer me, it was Victoria.

The taxi driver saw my deteriorating condition and stopped the car hurriedly before taking me to a nearby medical hospital.

“Ma’am you should be more careful, if it wasn’t for that good man bringing you here immediately, you could have fallen into a coma.” Still shocked by Ashton’s indifference I quietly accepted the medicines before asking.

“Thank you, but when will I be discharged?” The doctor sighed before replying.

“You can go home tomorrow.” I nodded and called Johnathan Stuart, my father’s aide who had worked for our family for a long time.

“Miss Sophia, are you alright?”

“Uncle Johnathan, I want to sell off my family home in the suburbs, can you please start searching for a buyer quickly. I want it to be done within this week.”

“Miss, you have cherished everything your father left for you, are you sure you want to sell off your estate?” Uncle Johnathan was taken aback by my sudden request thus he asked in concern.

“Uncle, unlike everyone’s expectations, Zion and Ashton are not on my side anymore and have taken Victoria as their mate, I am afraid that Victoria would not stop there and would claim my father’s last inheritance too.”

Soon the call ended with Uncle Johnathan promising that he would do everything to ensure I can comfortably depart from this city.

Hours passed and it was already past midnight when I received a call from Victoria.

“Hello, Sophia, can you please bring me my clothes for tomorrow?” Listening to her overly sweet tone I could guess that the call was on speaker with Zion and Ashton hearing our conversation, yet I did not care anymore.

“No.” I did not bother to explain and was going to hang up when I heard Victoria sound like she was crying.

“Sister, I-I never wanted to take Ashton and Zion’s love, I know you are really angry but please try to understand, love cannot be forced.

Even if I want, I cannot separate our hearts from one another-”

“It’s already past midnight so I don’t have energy to hear your melodrama.” I cut her off and hung up without waiting for a reply.

The next day when I went to the Jace state, several pack members were worried about my health since they knew that I was having a terrible fever yesterday.

I assured them and was taking my medicines when the door of my room was thrown open with a bang as Ashton and Zion entered with deep scowl on their faces.

“She doesn’t know when to stop.” Zion looked at my pale face and assumed I was pretending again.

“Didn’t you tell me you had a seizure so how are you sitting absolutely fine now?” Ashton growled lowly before continuing.

“No wonder her parents abandoned her, all she knows is to pretend to be a princess when she is nothing but a discarded orphan.” My heart shattered when I listened to those piercing words.

“If it wasn’t for our mother deciding to raise you, you don’t even deserve to be a maid in the Silver Moon Pack.

Did you think we would not know how badly you hurt Victoria yesterday and instead of apologizing and bringing her the clothes you hung up on her blaming her for being mates with us!”

Upon hearing those cruel words and the image of twelve-year-old Ashton giving up his own room for me, just to have the best view in the mansion came to my mind.

All that changed when two years ago a ‘scared’ Victoria showed up. Zion and Ashton made me move out of that same room giving it to Victoria and settled me in the farthest corner of the mansion.

"Victoria is going to be your luna so you better know your place, Sophia. You are all but a guest. It has already been twelve years since you have started sucking the Silver Moon Pack’s resources like a leech, if you do not stop throwing tantrums, I will be forced to teach you a lesson you won’t forget." Zion said.

“From now on, you will be Victoria’s maid.” Ashton said. “It's high time you earn your keep and beg for her forgiveness.”

If I had heard those words in the past, I would have died with a broken heart yet now there was no energy left in me to argue with them. Thus, I simply took off the pendant they had given to me on my thirteenth birthday.

I remember them searching even the neighboring packs for a gemstone that could keep the bearer warm. It took them seven days to get it for me. The back of the pendant was carved with.

‘We will always protect you- A&Z’

“W-What are you doing?” Zion was astonished when I took off the pendant, I promised to never separate from myself.

“Sophia, what are you trying to do now!” Ashton felt uncomfortable when I looked directly at him with a straight face.

“I am knowing my place just like you said.

This expensive piece of jewelry doesn’t suit a maid like me so young master please take it back.” When Ashton heard me calling him so strangely, he was taken aback before scowling and taking away the pendant.

“If you don’t like it, I will buy you a new one. Stop throwing a tantrum already.”

“I do not need any of your gifts.”

When they left in anger I did not chase after them like always and rather choose to pack whatever belongings I had.

Upon closer inspection I found that there was nothing in this large space that I could call my own.

Most of my dresses were gifted by Zion who asked world renowned designers to doll me up without thinking of the costs. There was nothing that I saw, and he didn’t get for me.

But when Victoria came first at the Jace mansion, Zion asked me to be benevolent and give her my clothes. Victoria took almost everything and the only dresses I was left with were the plain ones I bought with my own money working small tasks in the packhouse.

While packing the dresses I saw a small box of jewelry in the corner of my closet along with the childhood journal I wrote together with Zion and Ashton.

Now that journal was half torn being the result of the fight that I had with Victoria. I collected everything and threw them away in the trash can.

As soon as I packed my belongings, I hid them below the bed and went outside.

Unknown to me Ashton and Zion saw me going out and entered my room in my absence.

“Zion, open Sophia’s wardrobe. Now that we have this pendant, we can couple it with a few pieces of jewelry and give it to Victoria.

It will cheer up Victoria if we say that Sophia gifted her these. Our sweet mate has suffered a lot and if Sophia would not give her an explanation, then she cannot blame us for taking away what we have given us!”

Zion nodded yet when he opened my chest and other things it was almost empty.

“Why is her chest and wardrobe empty?” He was speaking when his eyes fell upon the trashcan and the jewel box along with the journal in it making him stunned.

It was filled with our childhood memories, our love towards one another so he could not imagine me throwing off something I cherished all my life.

However, he quickly sneered, "She still thinks she is the princess to throw off such precious items and waste our pack’s money like her own. Wait till she comes back crying to us for more!"

Zion was raged and when I entered his eyes were flicking dangerously as his wolf surfaced.

“Did you just throw away my gifts in the trash?” I did not speak a word and stayed silent to which he opened up the jewelry box and turned it upside down.

“You went so far as to throw away my keepsake?!”

“It’s because I don’t need it anymore. Don’t you always say that I am cruel to Victoria so why question me when I am finally nice to her?

She always picks up on the thrash that I leave behind so this time too she can keep it, take it so you can gift it to Victoria-“Before I could react my face was knocked with so much force that I felt down with my head dizzy and ears buzzing with shock.

The sound of a slap echoed throughout the room making my body tremble uncontrollably.

Zion who had hit me came back to his senses with his eyes widening as he realized he had crossed all boundaries.

“Sophia..I am sorry I didn’t mean to…are you okay?“

My parents never raised their hand at me. It was the first time that someone this close to me chose to resort to physically harm me to release their anger. My entire world crumbled as I froze in terror.

The tense atmosphere was broken when Ashton’s phone rang.

“Baby, are you alright? Yes, yes, I will be there in a moment!” Zion crouched down but when he tried to hold me, I coiled back revulsed with his touch making him freeze.

“Just go away.” Today I had paid back for all his care in the past for me. The twins looked conflicted before they left in a hurry to take care of Victoria, not caring that all my room was in disarray with my items thrown in a haphazard way.

After everything that happened today, I didn’t wish to ever see Ashton and Zion again in my life, so I called my ailing mother, "Moher, I've thought it through. The man that you have decided for me to get engaged to, I am willing to meet him.”

My mom was worried about me, so she asked.

“Sophie, you have always liked Zion the most but to stop Ashton from being heartbroken had never rejected him either.

Although I want to see you married to a good mate who would care for you before I die, I don’t want to ever see you sad, my baby so please tell mom if you are sure about this.

If you want Zion-“

“Mom, I can choose anyone but him, there can never be anything between us anymore.”

In reality when I was born, the pack’s saint had declared long ago that I would be mates with the Alpha of Blood Moon pack who was five years older than me. The saint was pleased as he declared that the child born would lead the werewolf world.

The old Luna of Blood Moon loved me and even after my father passed away, she still wanted me to be the new luna but my mom never forced me and let me continue my relationship with twin brothers of Silver Moon Pack thinking that if it made me happy then she would defy all prophecies.

“Mom, this is my destiny since childhood and also my choice now, I will book the latest ticket to Blood Moon Pack to visit you first and talk about this." I told my mother, assuring her that I would be happy with this new choice.

I hung up and soon realized that I had received an email from the bank. They have released funds that previously belonged to my father along with the will which declared me the sole heir of our estate.

My eyes teared up when I saw that the bank had also indicated a black gold ring along with the family jewelry. It was what my father proposed to my mother with and now it was the last memorial of my parents’ togetherness left to me.