Claimed by the Alpha Twins.

Jasmine's POV

I am turning eighteen today.

To everyone else, it was a day of celebration and rejoicing, but that wasn't the case for me. In fact, I had been dreading this very day.

It was the day I was going to shift into my wolf.

In the case of other wolves, on the day they turned eighteen, a loud celebration party was thrown to celebrate them becoming a full-blown wolf.

Some family members would also be around to cheer them during the shifting process to ease the shitload of pain involved in it.

I wasn't even sure my parents knew my birthdate. Heck, they didn't even know how old I was.

My twin sister, Chloe, was also turning eighteen today, and my parents had arranged a very elaborate ceremony for her, totally excluding me from it.

Today also happened to be the Pack's mate ceremony day.

The mating ball was a ceremony held by our pack once a year for every unmated wolf from eighteen years and above to find their mates.

I glanced at the crooked ancient clock on the wall. It was exactly five a.m.

I groaned as I struggled to rise from the hard floor I slept on. My bones ached terribly. I hurried towards the kitchen and began to prepare breakfast for my family.

As I did the last dish, I heard the sound of the door opening behind me. From the scent, I knew it was my mother.

I turned around and fell on my knees immediately, not daring to meet her eyes.

Experience and the multiple scars on my body had taught me so.

"Good morning, Mom."

Slap! Slap!

Two loud slaps landed on my cheeks in quick succession.

"How many times have I told you never to address me with 'Mom,' you hag?!" she snarled, dragging me by my hair.

"I'm sorry mo-... Ma'am," I pleaded, tasting blood on my lips from the impact of the slap.

"Let that get into your thick skull. My womb never bore an accursed thing like you." She released my hair forcefully, making me hit my head against the kitchen cupboard.

I was glad the dishes weren't affected.

My mother glanced around the kitchen, clearly looking for more faults.

"And why is our breakfast not ready yet? Don't tell me you overslept."

"Breakfast is nearly ready, Ma'am. All that remains is just the sauce," I responded and held my breath, waiting for her hand to land across my cheeks.

Luckily for me, she instead glared hatefully at me and exited the kitchen.

I released a deep breath I didn't know I had been holding in.

I finished with the last phase of the cooking and began to carry the dishes towards the dining room. I found out that everyone was already up and awake, including my twin sister, Chloe.

"Good morning, sis," I greeted in a polite tone.

"Yeah," she muttered nonchalantly in response, her attention fully on her cellphone.

After I finished serving the meal on the dining table, I stood at the far end of the door, waiting until they were done.

Even though they were my family, I wasn't permitted to eat with them at the table.

My name is Jasmine, and I am turning eighteen today.

Both of my parents are Betas to the Alpha of our pack, the Moonshadow Pack.

For as long as I've known, my family has hated me to their core.

They treated me so badly that numerous times I have wondered if I was indeed their daughter.

The sight of me simply disgusted them.

Furthermore, they invested all their love and affection in Chloe while treating me like a common slave.

"I need a second serving. This one is not enough!" Chloe ordered in a rude tone.

"Of course, but, err... you'll have to allow me a few minutes to prepare it. In ten," I explained.

"What do you mean by ten minutes? I want it now!" Chloe began to throw fits like a child.

"Are there no leftovers in the pot?" my mom asked, glaring at me.

I swallowed the saliva that had gathered in my mouth. "There is a little in the pot, but it is mine."

Pa!

My mother charged the chair she had been sitting on right towards me, and it landed on my head before I could dodge because I hadn't expected it, followed by the hot coffee mug in front of her.

The coffee burned into my skin, causing blisters to form immediately.

"You filthy dog! Who gave you permission to eat from our pot?!"

"I'm sorry, Ma'am. I haven't eaten anything in the past three days," I said in a pitiful voice, rubbing the affected part the chair had just hit.

"And so? Why don't you just die then? You are of no use to anyone anyway," Chloe spat.

"Now get the hell out of my sight and serve the remaining portion to my daughter."

My father was seated with them at the dining table, neither saying nor doing anything to defend me from their assaults.

"Yes, Ma'am," I bowed and staggered towards the kitchen.

I had left that portion remaining in the pot to gain strength for the shifting process later in the day.

But now that it was going to be taken away from me, I could only hope I didn't die.

I returned to the dining room with Chloe's requested extra portion and met them in a chatting mode.

"I'm so excited about today's mating ceremony. I wonder who my mate is going to turn out to be," Chloe gushed excitedly.

"It better be an Alpha or a person of higher ranking because that's what my daughter deserves."

My face turned pale on hearing that, and I only managed to place the dish before her before it slipped from my hands.

But Chloe had a boyfriend... Was she planning to abandon him?

Despite my somewhat unfortunate status, I had managed to capture the heart of the soon-to-be Alpha of our pack.

His father, Alpha Derek, was the current Alpha and was going to retire in a few months and hand over to him.

Jason and I had been together for over five years now, and we were so much in love with each other.

Even when my family and every other person in the pack hated and despised me, he had shown me actual love.

It was simply because of him that I was still hanging on and hadn't ended my life yet.

We hadn't been confirmed as mates yet, but had promised each other to reject our mates when the time comes and stick with each other.

"Oh... an Alpha. I would make such a beautiful Luna," Chloe said and snuck me an evil side glance.

My heart skipped a beat, but I managed to maintain my composure until they finished their meal.

An hour later, every one of them had left for the mating ball, leaving me behind.

They had neither invited me to come along either.

I took a cold bath and, after nursing my injuries, prepared to lay down in the storeroom that I also managed as my room when an urgent knock sounded on the door.

"Hi, baby. It's me, Jason. Open up."

Jasmine's POV.

Jason had informed me that his parents were out as well, and I went with him to his house.

They had also gone to the mate ball ceremony, and he was going to join them later.

"I missed you so much," he mumbled as he closed his room door after we had entered.

"But we just saw yesterday," I protested, even though I was blushing inside.

"That is not enough. I want to live in your skin so that I can be close to you at all times."

"Eww." I rolled my eyes in fake disgust.

Jason's words never failed to make my heart flutter.

We settled down on his bed, and he lifted me into his lap.

I couldn't help myself from stealing glances at him at intervals.

His looks were so gorgeous and unearthly that many times, I had wondered what good I had done in my past life that I was being rewarded for.

"Are you hungry? I made something for you," Jason said softly.

My stomach growled just at that moment, and I smiled in embarrassment.

Jason chuckled and patted my belly tenderly. "I got my answer."

"Thank you," I whispered, my eyes welling up.

You see why I loved this boy?

He disappeared and returned a while later with a tray of assorted dishes.

They contained toast, sausages, ramen, and even fruits included.

"All these for me?" My eyes widened.

"Yes. Just eat to your fill."

He sat beside me and watched in silence as I ate.

I leaned forward to grab the jar of water when Jason grabbed my hands.

"Who did this to you?" he growled.

His face had completely darkened, and I swear, this was the most I had ever seen him angry.

"W-what do you mean?" I stammered in fear.

He had seen the burns and latest injuries I got this morning from my mother as I leaned forward.

I was so stupid. I should have worn a better cloth that would cover it up and not relied on the injury-fading makeup.

"WHO DID THIS TO YOU? Look, your skin is all burnt up and injured," he hissed impatiently.

"It's nothing." I tried to divert the topic. "See, let me tell you something. Your food tastes more delicious every time I taste it that I would suggest you open a restaurant in this pack. It would bring you so many profits."

"Shut up, Jasmine, and stop trying to divert the topic!" he hissed in irritation.

"Your family did this to you, right?" he demanded.

"Y-yes, but it's okay, I'm fine, you see." I attempted to force a smile on my face.

"Those bastards," he cursed and gritted his teeth.

"I should tell my father to sack them from being Betas to this pack. This should not be tolerated."

"Come here." He stretched open his hands for a hug, which I took without hesitation.

I hugged him back so tight and began to cry. The tears I had been holding in all this while-of pain, anger-they all came out in a torrent.

"Cry it all out, baby," he whispered, patting my back soothingly.

I calmed down after about five minutes and laughed in embarrassment after seeing the mess I had made on his shirt.

"Do you want to take a shower? I would go prepare it for-"

"I already took my bath before leaving the house," I interrupted.

Jason cleared the plates after I was done eating and returned to the room.

I snuck a glance at him and smiled. I was really the luckiest girl in the world.

This soft side of his-Jason only showed it to me. To the others, he was the cold, heartless soon-to-be Alpha.

"Happy birthday to you," he greeted and took the seat beside me.

"Thank you," I smiled.

He was the first and only person who always remembered my birthday.

I fumbled with my hands nervously as I remembered something.

Jason was going to find his mate today.

Jason was twenty-one years old and had long had his wolf. He had been skipping every mate ball since then not to hurt me, but he couldn't escape this year's one, as his father had specifically asked him not to.

"What's on your mind?" Jason queried on noticing my uneasiness.

"Er... you are going to find your mate today. Are you going to reject her?" I asked, gazing at him intensely.

My heart was thumping so loud that anyone around could easily hear it.

Heavy silence reigned in the air, and I could feel my world crumbling.

"We have talked about this before," he began, holding one of my hands tightly.

"If the moon goddess allows it and I find my mate, or rather, we both find our mate, we are going to reject them and remain with each other."

"Fuck the mate bond." He smirked.

I relaxed and grinned. "I love you."

"Hm. How about we do something else?" Jason's face morphed into a sly grin.

"Like what?" I asked, even though I could already tell what he meant.

"Like this." He cupped my face in his hands and crashed his lips against mine in a passionate kiss.

He nuzzled me onto the bed, his lips still connected to mine.

His hands roamed under my blouse, and I whimpered as he pinched my nipples lightly.

"Let's take this off," he said in a husky tone, and within a short while, I was fully naked.

I helped him out of his clothes too, and he captured my lips once again in a passionate kiss.

My arousal increased as his erected cock brushed the area below my abdomen.

He brought his head lower and settled in the area between my legs.

"Ah-h," I gasped in shock and pleasure.

It felt so good.

After minutes of pleasuring me, Jason positioned his rod at my fold entrance and held my eyes for me to give him permission to go in.

I mean... Could I say no?

"Yes, please," I whimpered. I didn't have to wait so long, as he eased himself fully into me.

I moaned loudly and dug my fingers into the bedsheet for support.

"Fuck," he cursed under his breath and gritted his teeth.

"Are you okay?" He didn't start moving yet and glanced at me with concern.

I didn't respond. Instead, I raised my hips to meet his and began to move.

He leaned into me and kissed the area below my neck. "Fuck the mate bond. You are mine, Jasmine."

I wanted to respond, but it came out as a moan instead.

__Fuck the damn mate bond. You are mine also, Jason.____

Jasmine's POV

I managed to reach the venue of the mating ball just in time.

I scanned through the crowd to locate my family and found them sitting under the canopy right next to the Alpha's family.

I was putting on an old, worn-out dress that could fit in five people of my size. This was the best dress I could afford, and I didn't want to miss witnessing Chloe's shifting process.

With my head downwards, I walked toward my family and I hadn't even taken a seat when my mother shouted:

"Why are you here? Who invited you?"

As heads turned to look in my direction, I felt a wave of extreme shame.

"I didn't want to miss witnessing Chloe's shifting ceremony," I responded passionately.

"Dressed like a hag? You are such a disgrace and shame to this family," Chloe spat hatefully.

"I am sorry," I apologized.

I glanced forward to see if Jason had witnessed this disgraceful scene, and was grateful to find he wasn't within earshot.

"Stop apologizing and leave here right now, or go sit at the far back. You are embarrassing us," my father ordered in an icy voice.

I couldn't dare to frown my face or rebel against them and exited the place quietly.

I found a suitable place to sit away from them, but I would still have a good view of what was going on.

Suddenly, I began to feel uneasy and restless. I rubbed my sweaty palms together and glanced around nervously.

It felt like some unknown force was fighting to take control and begging for release.

It was gradually approaching dusk, and the moon shone brightly.

Not wanting to attract any more attention to myself, I rose quietly and left the arena.

I stopped when I had gotten a respectful distance away from the ceremony. I found a gigantic tree and rested against it.

I heard the sound of bones breaking. Was that from me?

Next, pain followed. No, it wasn't the type of pain you felt when you were injured or beaten.

This was a hot, searing pain that felt like my skin was on fire and my flesh was melting. It burned me both internally and externally.

I fell to the ground, crying, screaming, and pleading for help. I wanted this to cease, to stop, but it kept getting worse.

My hands and legs began to morph into paws, my skin into furs. My bones were also being elongated and stretched.

After ten minutes of feeling pure hell, the whole pain suddenly ceased. I felt suddenly taller.

"Hi. I'm Elsa. I'm your new wolf," a tiny, soft voice spoke. I swear, I fell in love with my wolf immediately.

"Hi. I'm Jasmine," I responded curiously.

'Elsa' sounded like an adorable name.

"Don't you want to see what we look like?" Elsa asked.

"I would like to, but there's no mirror nearby."

"There's a clear stream nearby. We can get a near-perfect reflection of how we look. I'll lead the way," Elsa said and took off before I could even say anything.

She arrived at the stream, walked towards its bank, and stopped.

I closed my eyes, took in a deep breath, and opened my eyes to look at our reflection in the water.

A shocked gasp escaped my lips.

Her fur was all covered in white color and had dabs of pink and blue everywhere. I had never seen a wolf this unique and beautiful. Her teeth were sharp and elongated.

"We are so beautiful," I whispered in awe.

"Yes, we are," Elsa smiled.

I suddenly wished Jason was here so he could see how beautiful we were.

Talking about Jason, why don't we go show him how we looked?

I took in a deep breath and shifted back into my human form and walked towards the venue of the mating ball.

Jason was not in seat. Even better, so I could talk in private. I tried to mind-link him, but it wasn't working, and so I decided to go check him in his house.

Perhaps he had gotten tired of the party and had gone home to rest.

I fastened my pace, too excited to show Jason my wolf.

As I got nearer to his house, I began to feel somehow uneasy but waved it off.

Jason's room window was slightly open, meaning he was around. I got to his door entrance and paused.

The footwears at the entrance belonged to more than one person, and one of them looked slightly familiar.

In fact, I had washed it and cleaned it up for her earlier this morning before she left for the mate ball.

Chloe in Jason's room?

My heart was beating wildly, and my hands were already trembling.

I heard voices coming from inside the room, and I pressed my ear closer to the door to hear what was being said and who were those inside.

"How do we handle it when that stupid sister of mine finds out we are now together?" I heard Chloe's voice clearly.

"I don't care. You, my mate, are more important to me than that hag," Jason's voice came out next.

"No atom of sympathy for her?" Chloe giggled, clearly pleased by his words.

"At all. Let me tell you a secret. I have never loved her, you know... I only felt pity for her. I have always liked you, and I'm glad you turned out to be my mate."

"A strong Alpha like me needs a strong, beautiful Luna by my side, not that weak slave..."

I froze. I could not believe what I was hearing.

This was not happening. No, no, no.

Without thinking, I pushed open the door and barged into the room. Never in a thousand years would I have expected the sight that lay before me.

Jason and Chloe lay fully naked in each other's arms, and my eyes caught something else - the fresh mate bond mark on Jason's neck.

"J-Jason?" I croaked in disbelief.

Both turned to look at me simultaneously, and Chloe sat up, clapping her hands. "Wow, wow, wow. Look who we have here."

I ignored her and faced Jason, my lips trembling.

"Why are you here?" Jason asked, glancing at me coldly, as though he had never seen me before.

My legs couldn't hold it anymore, and I fell on my knees, crying.

"This is a dream, right?" I whispered more to myself.

"Sorry, girl. This is reality." Chloe snickered.

I gathered myself and looked at him. "Is Chloe your mate?"

"Yes."

"You promised that we are going to remain together. Are you going to reject her?" I asked in a desperate tone.

Jason's face darkened. "Did you really believe that shit? You must be so dumb."

"Tell her, baby." Chloe rolled her eyes and flashed me a look of contempt.

I fell down and began to cry. My body shook as tremors of sobs wrecked through me.

I was in a state of utter despair. I loved Jason so much, I couldn't live without him.

Furthermore, I glanced at him with tear-filled eyes. "How about the five years we shared together?" I couldn't believe all this was going down the drain right before me.

"They mean nothing, Jasmine. I never loved you. All I felt was pity."

My heart shattered into pieces. Everything else faded around me, and all I could feel was pain and hurt.

This pain I felt was worse than the shifting pain I had felt earlier. It felt like a part of me was being butchered. I bowed my head to the floor and sobbed bitterly.

I had an idea. What if I pleaded with him? To let me stay by his side, even as just a side piece or mistress. He could remain with anyone else, and he didn't have to love me back as long as he let me be with him. I wanted him; I loved him. I-

"You are always horny," Chloe giggled and slapped his chest playfully.

"I just can't get enough of you, babe," Jason responded and captured her lips with his, kissing her aggressively.

Right here in my presence?

Chloe's moans of pleasure and the sounds of their bodies against each other filled the room.

I finally couldn't take it anymore.

"It's okay. I'll take over now," Elsa whispered softly.