Clarissa

As I gazed out at the bright sun through the tinted windows of my dad's limousine, the diamonds on my dress seemed to mock me, reminding me of my failure.

Growing up, I thought all the males would fall at my feet because I was the Alpha's daughter, and my dad was a billionaire. But now, at twenty-three, with a first-class degree from Harvard and all the money in the world, I had no mate.

To crown it all, my longtime boyfriend had been cheating on me with my best friend for months before I found out, thanks to the moon goddess, who paired them as mates.

Thinking about it now made my chest tight. The two people whom I loved and trusted betrayed me in the most despicable way. Now my dad was forcing me to attend some stupid werewolf/lycan summit.

"Can you two stop shouting? My ears and brain hurt from your noise," I snapped at my younger brother, Bryon, who was giggling in the backseat with his girlfriend, adding a harsh contrast to my misery.

"Easy, Rissa. You've been snapping at everyone all morning. We're not the cause of your unhappiness," Bryon's girlfriend, Sydney, retorted, and a sharp gasp escaped my mouth.

"Dad, did you hear that!" I yelled. "How dare she talk to me like that!"

My mom, who was making a call on her cell phone, turned back, giving me a nasty glare, and my dad tapped my lap, the smell of his expensive cologne filling my nose.

"Why do you have to be so grumpy all the time, Clarissa? Can't you just smile and enjoy yourself for once?" My mom snapped, supporting Sydney, and I turned to my dad, glaring daggers at him and he sighed.

"Darling, you shouldn't overreact. Everyone knows you don't like Sydney, but she's a part of our family now that she's your brother's mate. Do you know how important she is?"

Sydney had a satisfied smirk on her face, and my brother, Bryon, lowered his gaze, not looking at me or correcting his loudmouth girlfriend.

Coward. 

I huffed, looking out the window at a blur of green trees and blue sky, the sound of my heartbeat in my ears thudding like a drum.

Perhaps I could create a robot mate with my skills because, at this point, I was tired of constantly being reminded that I had no mate.

We arrived at the venue, and everyone except me came down. I fished for my medication in my purse, but my mom snatched my purse from me.

"Mom, give it back," I snapped. "I need those."

"No, you don't. The doctor warned you to stop taking them. You've just been unnecessarily dramatic to gather our pity. Get out of the car now."

It took me a great deal of restraint not to break into tears, and I tuned out of my mom's high-pitched voice as she went on and on. She was always so strict and expected me to be perfect.

"Smile," she nudged me, her grip tight on my hand.

I couldn't wait for this to be over. Unlike humans, most werewolves never left their family. We walked into the huge glass building and everyone stepped aside for us, and we walked down the red carpet. 

Paparazzi flashed their cameras, reminding me of the public scrutiny I was under. In an hour, my pictures will flood all over the internet, giving the fashion police a field day with whether I nailed my looks or not.

"Rissa,"

I turned around to see my best friend, Genevieve, approaching me. It felt like a punch to the gut. 

Her pregnant belly protruded from her dress, round and full of life, reminding me of everything I didn't have.

"What do you want? You purposely stopped me because you know that the cameras are following me. News flash, I don't care about you or Alan anymore. Go fuck yourselves."

A mixture of pain and sadness washed over her, and I walked away as we made our way into the conference. The paparazzi rushed towards us like vultures, their cameras flashing and clicking as they tried to get the perfect shot. I was annoyed, but my family posed for the cameras, smiling and waving.

We walked past the people in the huge conference hall, divided into two sections, one for the werewolves on the right and one for the Lycans on the left.

The contrast between the two groups was so noticeable, with the expensive suits and dresses of the werewolves and the cheap-looking suits that seemed to hang off the Lycans' muscular bodies. They looked rough and unkempt, a far cry from the polished appearance of the werewolves.

My dad mounted the stage, and there was a roar of applause from the werewolves. He emphasized how generous we were being to the Lycans by providing them with financial aid.

The Lycan King was frowning, and my mom whispered insults about his mate's cheap dress under her breath.

My dad was unapologetic and unbothered after making the Lycans wait for hours. The superiority in his tone made me shake my head at his foolishness.

"And now ladies and gentlemen, I would like to welcome my beloved daughter Clarissa, who graduated from Harvard with a first-class degree in robotics last year and now has her own tech company. She's so beautiful, intelligent, smart..."

Dad kept rambling on and on, and his exaggeration made me feel uncomfortable.

"Why are you still seated?" My mum whispered harshly in my ear. "Everyone is looking at you, and you better not mess this up."

As I stood up to give my speech, a wave of nervousness washed over me. I was never a shy person, but the thought of standing in front of these fierce Lycans made my heart race. I needed to do my best, or else my mum would have my head on a platter.

As I began to speak I tried to focus on the words I had rehearsed hoping I wouldn't stumble or make a fool of myself.

"Thank you everyone for coming to this summit. Although we are from different hierarchies, the moon binds us…"

The door flung open and a tall, muscular male entered the hall. There was something about him that made me break into a sweat despite the air conditioning. 

He wore a cheap, black jacket but his confidence was impossible to ignore and his messy dark hair framed his face as he scanned the room, his piercing gaze seeing right through me.

A jolt of recognition shot right through me and before I knew it I let out a blood-curdling scream. The sound echoed through the conference hall causing everyone to turn and stare at me in shock.

I couldn't explain it but as I looked at him, I knew he was my mate. The scent of the mating bond was undeniable and as I screamed he shifted immediately into a beast.