Chapter One

The sun burst through my thinly lined white curtains waking me from my slumber. Today was the day I had to choose a dress for the Unmated Ball. Dread filled my sides as I showered that morning. I was met with beautifully perfect smiles as I went down for breakfast, last night had seemed to be forgotten but I remembered. Hurt set root deep in my heart as I gazed at my beautiful mother with her golden hair cropped short and her crystal blue eyes. Jealousy boiled inside me as I took a seat across from her.

“Morning sweetheart,” her voice light and airy, as she sipped at her morning coffee as her eyes flickered over the morning paper. We looked like a normal, happy family.

“Morning,” I muttered.

“Now really Lacy,” she frowned.

“Morning beautiful,” David kissed the temple of my mother as she smiled up at him. “Morning Lacy,” he said grinning before kissing the top of my head.

“Morning,” I didn’t look at them.

“Melody will be here soon,” my mother said after a long pause, breaking the stony silence.

“Why?” I asked confused.

“To go with you to pick a dress, silly,” she grinned. “We want you to look presentable at the Ball,” she ruffled my hair.

I nodded “Oh right.”

“You should get some breakfast,” Mother got up and wondered into the kitchen.

“She didn’t mean what she said,” David looked up from his news paper.

“Yes she did,” I disagreed with him.

He sighed “Lacy she didn’t.” He put the news paper to one side and looked me in the eye. “She loves you and only want what is best for you,” he smiled.

“So forcing me to get mate is because,” I paused. “And I quotes, because she loves me,” I sneered. “Right, that is bullshit and we both know it,” I growled. “She hates me because I look like my dad and not her,” I snapped before hearing the doorbell. “I’ll get that,” I got up and left.

I opened the door to Melody with her golden hair shinning in the morning sun, she sickened me. I sighed, “Hi.”

“Hey,” she gave me a dazzling smile and hated her all the more for it. “So we’re going shopping for dresses,” she looked overly excited while I just nodded. Her smile faulted a little “My Dad’s waiting,” she nodded her head to the parked car.

“Okay,” I muttered shouting my farewells after my mother handed her credit card to me with a glare. Don’t spend too much.

Soon we were at a little boutique at the edge of our little town.

“We have the store to ourselves,” Melody said wondering into the fancy shop with me and Alpha trailing behind. Inside was painted stark white, with glittering silver floors and curtains to the changing room. I frowned as I took in every inch of the store down to the crystal light fittings and the smartly dressed staff.

“Good morning Mr Carter,” a woman gracefully made her way across the shop floor towards us. “I see that you have brought your two beautiful daughters,” she grinned at us. “I love your hair,” she pointed to me.

I frowned, my hair was deep auburn almost brown but with a hint of red, no one liked my hair with its limpness and dull shine. “He’s not my Dad,” I commented.

“She is Melody’s friend,” Alpha Carter looked bored. “Lacy Whit,” he told the woman my name.

“Oh,” she frowned. “Well, Miss Carter and Miss Whit I am Jane and I am here to help you find your perfect dress,” she smiled warmly. Melody grinned wide and I just grunted. I hated dresses and I hated shopping for them. “Well take a seat,” she pointed to a sofa.

“Here are your drinks,” another woman with light blonde hair handed her two glasses of golden liquid.

“What is it?” I narrowed my green eyes at the fluted glass.

“Champagne miss,” she smiled and retreated from us. I had never tried champagne but as I sipped the golden liquid the taste filled my mouth, it was dry but I didn’t mind it.

“So what are you two looking for?” Jane asked.

“I was thinking red,” Melody grinned.

Jane nodded. “What about you my dear?”

“No idea,” I shrugged.

“Come on you must have a little idea?” I shook my head, nope. “Well I think I have the perfect colour for you my dear.” Jane disappeared behind a white sheer curtain and then soon came back with a handful of dresses; both scarlet red and emerald green. “I do believe green is your colour because of the hint of red in your hair.”

“Okay,” she handed all the red dresses to the woman with blonde hair.

“Right, if you two would step into the changing rooms,”

By the end of the shopping trip I and Melody had found out perfect dresses and shoes and by the end of the week my nerves were sky rocket.

“Lacy,” I was woke by my mother’s smiling face. “We need to start getting ready!” she clapped.

“What?” I moaned burying myself deeper under my covers. “Ready for what?” I rubbed my tired eyes.

“For the Unmated Ball silly,” my eyes widened.

“Huh,” I groaned as dread over took my being. Why, why did it come so soon? “Why do you need to get ready?”

“Well, fathers’ are meant to take their daughters but your father left so I have to,” she explained with an edge to her voice. “Now go shower,” she barked pushing me out my room into the shower.

By the time I had shower a woman was waiting for me. I quickly dressed in baggy clothes and then she started blowing drying my hair before put weird smelling, fruity products in my hair. I Checked the clock, my mum had let me sleep in until twelve.

“Here something to eat,” my mother placed a sandwich in front of me.

“Thanks,” I began to eat as the woman curled the mid-lengths of my auburn hair before pining them to my head. I frowned; I looked like an old-granny.

“Why are you doing that?” I asked as she began to spray them with hair spray.

“To keep them curled for the whole night, if I let them loose now they would be flat by tonight.”

“Oh,” I coughed.

“Hand please” the woman began to cut, file and pain my nails gold. She soon began on my makeup which was simple: gold eye shadow with a smoky affect around the crease, winged eyeliner and a pink-gloss lip. I smiled the makeup was natural and that is how I like it.

I dressed in my emerald green coloured dress; in some lights you could see hint of gold and lime in the silk fabric. The dress was a smile A-line and hung loosely off my slim frame, the straps were thing and made from emerald ribbon, the dress was backless and had a train at the back. The only details were the slight gatherings around my bust and were the skirt met the train. It was simple and beautiful.

I slipped my feet into simple emerald green high heels before the hairdresser undid the curls, letting the tumble softly around my face.

“Are you almost ready?” My mother came into my room in a tight purple cocktail dress and her golden hair twisted into a bun. Her makeup was smoky and her lips stained rosy pink as her perfume wafted into my airways, it was the perfume my father had brought her. She was messing around with a diamond earring and her black stilettos.

“Yeah” I replied as I gazed over her super-model form, jealousy seeping through.

She looked up. “Oh baby girl you look beautiful,” she smiled pecking me on my check. I sighed, at least she thought so. The dread me still there but I out on a fake smile preparing for the nightmare that was the Unmated Ball