The livestreamer, a girl named Sophia Rivers, dangled my student ID in the air triumphantly.
“Look, everyone! See how clever this mistress is? She gets caught and immediately lies about being his sister.”
She shoved my ID toward the camera. “Her name is Lyra Morningstar. You’re a Morningstar, the Alpha is a Sterling. You’re not even from the same family. How could you possibly be siblings?”
She was broadcasting my personal information online. Panic set in. I lunged for my ID, but two women grabbed me and held me fast.
Celeste, feeling like she’d been played for a fool, flew into a rage. Crack. Crack. Two more slaps landed on my face. My head spun, and the taste of blood filled my mouth.
“You lying fox! How dare you trick me? I’ll rip you apart!” Celeste screamed.
I was pinned to the floor, helpless against the barrage of her kicks and punches. My inner wolf whimpered in pain inside me.
“We really are siblings,” I said weakly.
No one believed me. Their eyes were all drawn to the lavish decor of the villa.
“Thane really spent a fortune on you. He hasn’t even put this much effort into the home we’re supposed to build together,” Celeste said, sneering as she scanned the room.
Then, she spat out two words: “Smash it.”
“Are you all watching? The real show is about to start! Share this stream, you don’t want to miss what happens next!” Sophia shrieked with excitement.
This house was my gift to Thane for his bonding ceremony. I had overseen everything, from the design to the final touches. The thought of them destroying it sent a wave of panic through me.
“No! Don’t touch anything! I put my heart into this place!” I struggled wildly, trying to break free from the two women holding me down.
I clawed blindly at them, leaving bloody scratches on their arms. They cursed at me and tightened their grip.
It wasn't about the money. It was my design, my creation, my gift.
The more I panicked, the more they seemed to enjoy it. Within minutes, the house was filled with the sound of shattering and tearing. The top-of-the-line television was smashed, the leather sofa was slashed, and even the antique vases were reduced to shards.
“You… you’re all insane! I’m calling the cops!” I gritted out, forced to watch as they turned my work into a wasteland.
My threat reached the ears of the women holding me. “What’s that? The little bitch wants to call the cops?” one of them mocked. “This is pack business. We’re Celeste’s sisters, here to back her up.”
They shoved and pinched me as I curled up on the floor, doing nothing but clenching my jaw against the pain.
“What’s this? One of our viewers says this statue is a limited-edition bronze of the Pack Guardian. That it’s worth a fortune?” Sophia asked with theatrical surprise.
That got my attention. “Don’t touch that statue!” I yelled. “You can’t afford to replace it. It’s our family’s guardian!”
“Why would Thane give something that valuable to some stray he picked up?”
“It’s probably a fake.”
“Even if it’s a fake, look how worked up she is. It must be worth something.”
The women stood before the statue, chattering amongst themselves.
“Don’t touch it! If you break it, your entire families couldn’t afford the damages!” I shouted, my voice cracking.
Thane had bought the statue anonymously at a private pack auction and had me place it in the new house.
Hearing this only made Celeste angrier. “He hemmed and hawed when I asked him to buy me that moonstone necklace, but he buys you a guardian statue? Who the hell do you think you are!”
She turned to the others. “Destroy that piece of junk!”
“Everyone watch! We’re about to smash this so-called guardian live! How exciting is this? Let the gifts fly!” Sophia yelled gleefully.
They shoved the statue over and stomped on it with their feet.
I could only pray that the family artisans could repair the damage.
“Get me a hammer,” Celeste announced. “This must be a love token Thane gave this little slut. I want to smash it to pieces.”
The last sliver of hope in my heart died.
“You’re going to regret this, Celeste,” I said, my voice hollow.
My brother told me his mate was sweet and innocent. Did he have any idea she was capable of something this vile?
