Chapter Five (Family Sucks big Time)

TXUNAMY'S POV

We were to go to the Moon Howlers pack, to the royal household where we would meet the alpha, Lucas and his wife, Maureen as regards the mixup with his meeting with his mate.  Dad came to give me small prep talk while we were yet to get into the car.

"The pack is Proud of you and how much you have done for the pack, daughter."

He said. I nodded.

"Your skilled swordsmanship is one thing that has inspired a lot of Young girls In the pack, they now understand now that there is no limitation for them in whatever they set their mind on."

Dad said. I nodded. On that, he was right. When I had first started the sword fight, many had frowned upon it, saying it was unladylike and too far away from what the daughters of alphas were to learn. The beta and the  gamma had come to my father severally to state that I was not setting a good example for the other girls from noble homes, but my resilience and courage had kept me going until I had become skilled in the art, so much that I caught the attention of all the noblemen who visited the pack, and on different occasions, I had defended weak members of the pack in the woods upon stumbling on them almost being taken advantage of by rogue wolves who occasionally came to the Blood Venom territories. 

"I do not want you to let all that is happening right now to bother you, Txuna."

He said. I felt my eyes start to well up and I blinked back the tears. 

Dad took my hand.

"Don't be sad, Txuna. If the moon goddess does not want you to have this man, then I'm sure there are better plans for you. The moon goddess knows best and would definitely give you what you deserve in due time."

He said. I wanted to throw his words away and tell him that he was saying nonsense, but I could not, his words touched me and I felt better than I had been days since the incidence with Riele and Oliver.

He patted my head 

"Don't be sad, daughter. The moon goddess definitely has better plans for you, of that I'm sure."

He said. I nodded. 

Mom called from outside. She and Riele were already in the car and they were ready to leave now. 

Dad held my hand and led me out. 

When dad and I got into the car, mom smiled. She was looking at me and she said, 

"Txuna dear, don't have a face like that, smile."

I nodded and forced a smile even though I had not exactly been frowning. 

"Txuna, you don't have to go there and embarrass this family. Just wear a smile and be happy."

She said. She sounded like happiness was something I could just turn off and on at will, and it did not come from inside. 

"Mom, I'm fine."

I said. Riele was looking at mom and I was sure I was the only one who saw the small mischievous smile on her face. Or maybe callous was the word. It was a callous smile. 

"You should support your sister and help her stay happy with this new man. I'm sure it is the will of the moon goddess and that is why everything is playing out the way it is now."

I wanted to disagree with her, to tell her that it was not so, it had happened because my sister had made it happen.

Riele was sitting next to me in the backseat and mom and dad took the next row in front, the guards were to come in another car, following behind us. Dad had insisted on driving his family, dismissing the chauffer because of the many personal things we were going to be talking about. 

"I've heard you, mom."

I said instead. 

"You know, it is better that it is your sister that is ending up with Oliver rather than someone else. Would it not be considered even worse if it was someone else who had ended up in bed with Oliver?"

Mom asked. With each word she spoke, she sounded even dumber to me.

"Think about it, Txuna, what if some maid had seen him first and had claimed to be the betrothed he had come to look for? Would that not be worse off?"

She asked. I had already adjusted to this new life and I wanted mom to just stop talking already. 

What she was asking was for me to be happy and be in my best behavior, whatever happened had no right to infuriate me or make me change tones. She was asking me to be impassive to whatever happened and I was going to do just that so I didn't appear envious of my own sister. 

"The marriage is still happening in our family, we'll remain affiliated with the royal family of the Moon Howlers pack and we should be grateful nothing has changed that."

Riele Shrugged as if to to say, 

"Yeah, she should understand that."

And of course, it was directed at me. 

I sighed and my eyes caught dad's in the rearview mirror. 

He looked away and instead said, 

"She's gotten it, Gloria, let us leave now, alpha Lucas is even now expecting us and we can not afford to run late, can we?"

Mom nodded.

"Be in your best behaviors, girls, no faux pas, be coy, and act the exact way the royal girls are to act."

Mom said. We nodded in unison.

The moment we got into the Moon Howlers pack's territory, Riele started to cry, loud choking sobs that came out too suddenly to be real to me. 

"My head throbs badly!"

She cried. There was instant panic and I reached for her and patted her back. Mom was even more worried.

She turned to me and said in a slow commanding voice, 

"Txuna, sweetie, get off the car and get your sister Pain relief drugs now."