Chapter 4 Family's worry

**Evelyn's POV:**

"Sister!" My siblings entered the room and looked shocked upon seeing my disheveled state.

"What happened to you?!" one by one, they asked me. I smiled at them and rubbed my swollen cheeks with both hands, unable to see my face and the severity of the angry she-wolves' actions against me.

"Ouch!" I winced in pain at the sore wound on my left cheek.

"Sorry, sister, what happened?" My siblings asked as they approached where I sat on the wooden brown couch.

"I was running home happily for my birthday celebration tomorrow and fell down on the road," I lied, smiling at my four siblings who had entered the room.

I didn't want to tell them the truth that I had been attacked by many angry she-wolves who were jealous of me after hearing me whisper the word "Mate" in front of our Crown Prince.

It wasn't like I had shouted it, but the majority of them saw Crown Prince Noah sniff the air around him twice, acting strangely before his gaze landed on me.

I noticed the way his eyes switched colors from silver to red. Many of them might not have noticed it, but I did, and that was the moment his mother interrupted me as they heard me call him "Mate!"

Queen Sabrina could have asked her son if I was truly his mate, but she disliked me.

Also, since it was Crown Prince Noah's homecoming day from the Pack's University, she didn't want to question him about me in the presence of everyone. That was the reason she quickly dismissed me and sent me away.

Right now, I didn't want to break the news to my family that I had lost my job and that I was mated to Crown Prince Noah.

It should be a great blessing to be mated to the crown prince of our pack. I also knew for sure that Prince Noah could not reject his fated mate unless he wanted our entire pack to face dire consequences.

I was aware that Stella had been groomed by Queen Sabrina as the upcoming Luna.

How unfortunate! Stella was my age mate, and she was loved by Queen Sabrina because she was Beta Remi Braxton's daughter.

I smiled at my siblings, wanting them to believe my lies as I noticed the frown etched on their faces while I awaited our mother's return with the ointment she went to fetch for me from her room.

As we weren't Alpha or Beta wolves, our wounds didn't heal quickly, and so my mother took it upon herself to create local herbs that could heal our injuries.

"But your face looks swollen, sister, and why are you wearing the royal maid's gown if you have truly finished work? Were you chased away from the palace, as you haven't worn this gown to come home before?" Rebecca asked. She observed my appearance, and it dawned on me that I hadn't changed into my casual clothes.

I was only supposed to wear this royal palace uniform while working and not at home. Although I could wear the uniform outside of the palace, it was only when sent on errands by the senior maid.

Rebecca was smarter than Ruth, and I smiled at her. "It's our Crown Prince's homecoming today, and you know Queen Sabrina doesn't want us lower-class wolves there. So I had to run back home before he arrived," I lied again.

Hoping that I wouldn't bite my tongue as my wolf wasn't happy with me lying to my siblings.

"Wow! But you could have waited to sneak a peek at the prince. I heard he's handsome, wouldn't you be returning to the palace to work with them now that Crown Prince Noah is back?" Rebecca continued to inquire.

"Or is Her Royal Majesty, Queen Sabrina, scared that you would capture the heart of the noble Prince?"

"Rebecca!" Our mother heard my sister's query as she stepped into the living room and walked out of the small corridor to meet us.

"Mom, you know that Eve is pretty, and maybe that's why Luna Sabrina doesn't want her first son to see her. Big sister will be turning 18 years old tonight, and she will meet her mate. What if Prince Noah is her mate and the queen doesn't want Prince Noah to see Eve?" Rebecca continued, and I smiled sadly at her words.

I didn't want to tell them the truth that I was indeed Prince Noah's mate. I was seen as a forbidden she-wolf due to my albino complexion.

Also, I was from the lower class, and additionally, I didn't further my education to the level that Queen Sabrina preferred.

Stella, however, was a student at the Pack's University; she had just entered this year, making her Queen Sabrina's choice.

I could feel my wolf howling in pain, knowing our mate didn't want us, and we had to prepare for his rejection.

Although now wasn't the time to discuss it with my family.

My mother walked up to me and replied, "Don't mind Rebecca; you know that she talks too much. I know that you're pretty, but the royals only marry those of high rank like them. I wouldn't want you to get involved in royal matters as you should focus on your job there with them-and hopefully, you won't get into trouble."

"Okay, Mom," I replied as I collected the ointment from her hand.

I stood up from the brown couch to go back to my room. "Mom, I need to go and freshen up as I feel so dirty. After my bath, I will apply the ointment."

"Okay," my mother replied, while I quickly went back to the room that I shared with my sisters.

Although I knew my sisters weren't happy with the news that I couldn't become a queen due to our family status.

I knew they would still hear rumors about what had happened to me when they resumed school. But for now, most poor werewolves living around us wouldn't be aware of my ordeal in the palace.

"You all should go inside and drop your bags and allow your sister to rest. We expected your returns yesterday if it hadn't been for your delayed results," my mother said to my siblings just as I smiled and entered the corridor.

I went to the room that I shared with my younger sisters to freshen up.

I heard them squealing, "Daddy is back!"

"He has returned with the bushmeat he went to hunt."

Luckily, I wasn't there in my disheveled state to welcome him, as I overheard my siblings excitedly discussing how they would roast the meat that our father had brought home.

Inside my room, I took off my blue dirty dress and prepared to bathe.

The way Prince Noah had looked at me still haunted me.

"Look at her! Ugly duckling Omega! Does she think she could become our queen? Never!" I remembered the taunts of some of the rich she-wolves bullying me and how they attacked me.

A teardrop threatened to fall from my eyes, but I walked up to the mirror in my room to look at my face.

Indeed, my cheeks were bruised with scratch marks that would leave lasting blemishes because I was an Omega.

Tears streamed down my cheeks once more as I stared at my wounds.

My neck and arms were bruised, and suddenly, I heard my room door slide open while one of my sisters came in.