Mated To The Angel King

LAYLA'S POV

My heart throbs harder as I watch my wristwatch count down the minutes towards midnight while I feel no sign that my body will shift into anything. Anxiety makes my intestines churn. It's my eighteenth birthday, I should be able to phase tonight. Otherwise I will be the first wolfless she-wolf in our pack and in the whole of Silver Creek Kingdom.

Nothing would be more disgraceful than being wolfless when your father is the Beta of your pack and your step-sister is the chosen mate of our dashing and powerful angel Prince, Nate Rowan.

If you haven't heard about the golden winged angel of Silver Creek, well, he didn't exist twenty five years ago. Silver Creek was the largest Kingdom ruled by an alpha King. It was also the only Kingdom with both Grey werewolves and Lycans within it's borders.

While all are werewolves, each kind is a little too different from the other that they couldn't manage to peacefully coexist together. Each wanted to dominate the other at the time, feeling that they were too strong or powerful to submit to the other. War broke out and lasted so long that the weaker werewolves began to free the Kingdom.

That's our golden winged angel was born, to force harmony between the two races. He is a formidable being with great powers and dazzling beauty. Not that I have seen him, but I have heard those that have seen him talk about being stunned by his beauty. I am assuming he is more gorgeous than any of the men I have seen.

He was just one, but ended the war and took over the throne. He let his werewolf father become King while our Alphas were allowed to keep leading their small packs while staying loyal to him. The whole Kingdom thrived under his care to the massive and wealthy Kingdom we are in now. What's even more amazing is how the formerly incompatible races have been so at peace with each other in presence of a more formidable race.

He sure has phenomenal powers, irresistible beauty and charm. But him and us are alike in a few ways too. He has a fated mate just like us even through he is yet to find her.

He is still the most adored being of our Kingdom. You can always hear people whispering about his perfections now and then. That's why every unmated girl now wishes she is my step-sister, his chosen mate.

She isn't his true mate of course. They don't have a mate bond despite her being the only other person that phased into an angel. Her wings are white and she is powerless. She is just someone he chose to become his future wife since he is about to take over the throne and he has waited for his true mate far too long.

Being the most powerful of all the living beings, his true mate was probably going to be another golden winged angel. But there hasn't been a new golden winged angel for as long as he has waited. It's understandable why he decided to quit waiting.

My step-sister phased into a white winged angel at seventeen and our father set up a big party to celebrate his step-daughter's special phasing.

That was also the day my life turned upside down. As a daughter of a Lycan Beta, I was supposed to get my wolf on my seventeenth birthday, but it never came.

My father was quite disappointed in me and began giving me less attention. He however didn't become a complete jerk until my step-sister phased into the first white winged angel of our pack and she became the apple of his eye.

He has always been a man obsessed with fame and power. Her phasing gave him exactly that. I on the other hand have brought him shame. Because though some werewolves do phase later than others, it is not what is expected of a Beta's daughter.

I have been bullied and derided because of it. But hopefully that will stop after I phase later tonight. Midnight is only an hour away and the anticipation is killing me.

There is an exquisite party that has been set in the hall downstairs and all the kingdom's royal and rich guests are in attendance. It's not to celebrate my birthday through. Who would even remember that I exist on a day like this?

It's the first time Prince Rowan is visiting our pack to get engaged to my step-sister. He was supposed to have arrived earlier, but I heard people saying he had urgent issues to attend to.

I would have liked to see him for the first time. See if he is really what people say he is. But I don't want to be in here when I start to phase. I don't want to mess up anything especially when no one needs me here.

I feel like just phasing today will not win my father's love back. He will always prioritise my step-sister, the angel and soon to be the Princess of this Kingdom.

I think the only way to find peace and my own happiness is if I leave, find myself a job and hopefully enroll for a degree in the Kingdom's best college.

I am not counting on meeting my mate and having him save me from all this. I have had enough of being kind and trying to impress people only to get scorned and laughed at in return. Who said one cannot be happy alone?

"Layla!" I am startled by my step-mother's stern voice and I shift my gaze from the clothes I was packing into a bag to wear after phasing and shifting back into human form. I cannot return here naked unless I want to get immediately kicked out.

"What are you doing in there while everyone else is working? Get out, the kitchen needs cleaning!" The woman barks while banging on my bedroom door.

I finish packing the clothes and leave the bag to go face her. She is already fuming by the time I open the door. I just made her wait for a few seconds and that alone makes her angry. Can't wait to get out of her presence.

"Why am I the one to do that too? I haven't had a break since morning. Why can't the maids do it?" I ask, ignoring her fury.

"They are already dressed in their new white uniform and I don't want any of them to get dirty. They will be escorting princess Ava to the stage to meet the Prince when he arrives." She answers with a proud smile.

I am tempted to remind her that her daughter is not yet a Princess. The Prince may have chose her over a few other white winged angels but they are not yet married. Correcting her will however infuriate her more and she will most likely claim that I have disrespected her.

"I don't want to get dirty either. I am already dressed for the party." I reply.

She openly checks out my sky-blue dress with pursed lips and scoffs. "You're not attending my daughter's party. Your father ordered that you stay away from the hall and anywhere near the guests. Don't you ever understand what a disgrace you are?"

Her words makes my jaws clench in anger. My father ordered that I stay away from the hall?! When did I become so detestable? Does he even remember there is still a chance that I will phase today? Or has he now disowned me completely?

I wonder if he would be doing the same if mother was still here. He was a devoted and prudent father when she was alive and many months after she was gone. Until he replaced her with the vixen that he now calls wife.

"Hey! Did you not hear a thing I said?" That vixen flaps a finger in front of my face. "Don't step anywhere close to the hall! Only the kitchen floor needs mopping. Early up because I don't want any guest that may decide to mill about to find you there." She orders and waits for my response.

"Okay." I say, knowing that I have no option but to obey her for now.

"Good. Be done in thirty minutes." She turns and walks away.

I check my watch again as I descend the stairs to the ground floor. It's only a quarter past eleven. I can manage to clean that floor within thirty minutes if I hurry. Then I will have fifteen minutes to run back to my room, grab my bag of clothes and leave the pack house before it's midnight.

What really sucks is I will have to pass through the living room that my step-sister and her maids are waiting for the Prince to arrive in order to get to the kitchen.

The maids make faces when I step into the room. They are all in matching white dresses and pink flat shoes. The only one in red heels and wearing the loveliest, flowing, white designer dress is my step-sister. The dress has no back to allow her space to spread her wings.

"You look really beautiful." I complement politely as I pass by where she is seated facing the mirror on the wall.

"I know." She answers in a cold tone without sparing me a glance.

I keep walking towards the kitchen door ignoring the snide comments from the maids that doesn't seem to care that I can hear them.

"Layla! Here is a cake for your birthday!" Little Talia squeaks, running towards me with a cupcake in her tinny hands. I had not seen her behind the group of maids until she screamed my name.

Talia is a seven year old orphan that the Alpha and his Luna adopted after her parents died in plane crash while traveling outside the Kingdom. She is the only friend I have got in and outside of this house. The only one not old enough to know how valueless I am to the pack and start hating me.

"The little idiot stole the cakes we baked for guests!" One of the maids points.

"It's just one for Layla." Talia defends in her innocent voice.

"They were made for noble guests, Talia. Not just everyone!" Another maid reprimands.

I pick the cake from Talia's hands. "I will return your to kitchen. No need to get so rude to a kid."

"And who will eat something that has been so tampered with?" Another questions.

It's amazing how everyone now finds it fit to confidently disrespect me. It's like I am no longer the daughter of the pack's Beta.

I squat and give Talia a hug. "Thank you very much honey. Carry the cake to my room, I will be coming back there soon so we eat it." I whisper and she smiles.

"I will find a candle for you to blow." She says as she runs past me and out of the room. I look around and notice all the glares directed at me like I am a massive piece of rubbish standing in the room with them. My step-sister is still admiring her beauty on the mirror. I turn and walk into the kitchen.

Two maids are still inside, chatting while sipping coffee. Ignoring their presence I grab the bucket and mop stick from their place at the corner of the big, classic kitchen and start the job.

"So you've seen the Prince before?" I hear one of the maids ask but don't look up to see which one.

"Yes. He is like perfection in flesh and bones." The other answers, sounding a little too excited to be talking about the man. "He is flawless and almost all kinds of good you can think of." She adds.

"But I heard he phased on his nineteenth birthday. Quite late don't you think?" Her friends questions.

"Yeah. But who knows when golden winged angels are supposed to phase? I am sure they need to be mature enough to handle the powers responsibly without using them for selfish gains." She answers.

"He would have been kicked out of the palace if his parents were not such nice and patient people.

I look up at them only to see one point at me.

"Maybe. But she wouldn't be here if all parents were like that." She argues without caring about the fact that I just saw her point at me.

The other snorts. "Her father already ordered that she be escorted out of the pack house if she doesn't phase today." She says and my heart nearly quits beating.

So I am to be kicked out after today? Where would I go? Live in the streets? Being kicked out of your home would be too shameful that no one would be willing to offer you a job.

But I said I will be escorted out only if I fail to phase tonight. I don't see a reason that would happen. I will phase, have fun running freely for a while before coming back here to let my father know that I am no longer a waste of space as that's what he is already convinced I am.

I don't listen to the rest of the maids' conversation as I hurry to finish up cleaning. I am on my way out when loud cheering erupts from the hall. The excitement in the voices is so vivid.

"The Prince has arrived! Let's hurry!" The maids rush past me and out through the door. I step out to see that Ava and her maids are already on their feet, heading towards the hall. She leads the way and the maids line up behind her, their eyes are literally glowing with excitement.

I feel like sneaking into that hall for a moment just to see the Prince. This may be the only opportunity I may ever get to see him.

I however don't have enough time to do that as my watch shows I have only eleven minutes to grab my bag and get away from the house before I start phasing and howling in here.

I take off the black heels I was wearing and run up the stairs to my room. Talia is already asleep on my bed while the candle burns away on top of my small dresser.

I put off the candle before grabbing my bag, a torch and a pair of flat boots before rushing back out. I use the backdoor to leave the pack house since my step-mother made it clear that I shouldn't let the guests see me.

I glance at the watch again and see that I have only five minutes to get to the pack forest. It's only half a kilometre away, so I take off running.

The things those maids said while I cleaned keep replaying in head as I hurry towards the first line of trees not too far away.

I am to be kicked out of the pack house if I don't phase today. I will no longer have a roof over my head or somewhere to get food. Can't believe my father is already so tired of being patient with me.

I heard one of the maids say that the powerful and supergorgeus Prince phased at nineteen and his parents were always treated him like their golden son. My father and pack members are however not going to wait that long. Because well, who would believe I am meant to phase into a golden winged angel? I wouldn't dream that far either.

I finally get past the first line of trees and check my wrist watch again. Only five seconds to midnight. I drop my bag and torch and wait for the transformation to begin. My heart is beating harder than it was when I was running.

I glance at the watch again. One more minute to go. Shouldn't I be feeling even a slight symptom of the transformation I am waiting for?

9o9

LAYLA'S POV

I can almost hear the sound of my heart pounding hard. My wobbly legs are hardly supporting the rest of my quivering body as I gape at the minute hand of the wristwatch tick past midnight while my body remains the same. I can't hear a sound from my wolf either.

How can this be happening? What act of transgression am I being punished for this harshly? Being denied a wolf in a Kingdom of Lycans, vampires and angels? Even the most immoral people I know did get a wolf. So why am I the only one getting past her eighteenth birthday without one?

I let myself fall to the dump ground as the tick-tock sound of the watch carries on. Tears sting my eyes and I let them flow. I wish I can stop time so I won't have to live on and face this reality.

The reality that I am now officially wolfless and will soon be homeless as well. And there isn't a single person or place I know that I can run to.

I curl up and let the negative emotions flow. The fear and pain inside can never end even if I cry a river. But it's the only thing I can do now. A part of me still holds a little hope that my wolf will soon speak even though it's already minutes past midnight. I moan my miserly for hours yet nothing changes.

My clothes are dump with dew and I have an headache when I finally run out of tears. My whole body is trembling because of cold and of course dread as well. I look at my watch and immediately sit up with alarm. It's only an hour before dawn.

I can't return back to the pack house when everyone can see me looking like I had been buried alive. They will immediately know that I have not phased and I will be dragged back out in front of everyone as my father and stepmother will want to show how much they do not condone failure or shame.

If I wait until dawn I probably won't have a chance to gather what I need even though I don't know where I will run to. Would my father allow me to stay a few more days if I dearly beg him?

He will be too furious to learn that I didn't phase on my eighteenth birthday even if he didn't seem to care if it was my birthday. I am a huge disgrace to him and the rest of the pack. But he is still my father and should feel a little concern for me. I will kneel in front of him if I have to. All I want is a few more days to figure out where I can go start anew.

I will sneak back into the packhouse through the backdoor now that it's still dark and go straight to my room. I will wait there until it's morning when the party will be over and go see him in his office.

I pull myself back to my wonky feet and pick up my flashlight and bag. Guess I will forever be the only being in this Kingdom that will always have to use a flashlight because my eyesight will never be strong enough to see through the darkness.

I wipe off the tears still blurring my vision and start my journey back to the pack house. I have never felt this scared of the house I have called home since I was born. Now just looking at the lights eminating from it through the windows makes me shiver.

I can already hear the sounds of jubilation from inside the house while still a few metres away. Guess my sister is having her best day. She is about to become a princess then became Queen once her lover gets crowned as the new King.

She hates me so much that I am certain she will want me out of their Kingdom. I am most likely going to end up a wolfless rogue and probably won't last a month out there on my own.

I manage to get back into the house through the backdoor without being seen by anyone. It's like everyone is in the party and the rest of the place look deserted.

I make my way up the stairs quietly then down the short corridor to my room. I am still shivering with cold and apprehension as I push the door open and step inside.

I immediately freeze at the appalling sight that lay in front of me, something more horrifying than all I have been though already.

I momentarily shut my eyes just to make sure I am not hallucinating. But Talia is still laying on the floor in front of me with deep cuts on her body when I open them. The cuts look like they were made by animal claws and are all over her feet and arms. Her dress is torn and though I can't see the wounds on her torso, I can see blood is still oozing out and soaking the dress. There is even more on the bed where I left her sleeping, like something had attacked her while on the bed and dragged her bleeding body down to the floor.

I hear her make a faint, gasping sound and I rush to her side. Her wounds are deep and she has lost a lot of blood. But she has got a very weak pulse and her skin is still warm.

"Talia! Talia!" I call as I put pressure on the deepest wound on her belly. She gasps in pain but the voice is feeble and I can tell blood is already choking her.

Her eyes slowly open and they are filled with terror. Tears flow out as she gazes up at me. She strains to say something but no words come out.

She has lost a lot of blood and may not make it, but I still scream out for help. It's a huge mistake and I don't realise it until it's too late.

"Someone please come help!" I yell but my voice has become hoarse from all the running and crying and isn't loud enough to be heard from far.

I look down again at Talia's face and see that she is attempting to say something again. I lean down so I can hear her super low whisper.

"Run . . .now . . . pleeese." She stutters.

I look around the room, searching for whatever she is asking me to run from. I don't see anything and look back at her in confusion.

That's when three of my step-sister's maids rush in and immediately start screaming out loud. Not calling out for help, but accusing me of hurting the little child.

"You attacked a child?! What kind of a monster did you phase into!" One yells and my body stiffens with shock.

"I didn't hurt her, I found her like this!" I yell back in defence. But no one listens.

"Look what you did to a poor orphan! What wrong did she do to you!" The second one squeaks.

Talia is my only friend, how can they think I could have done this her? Only someone wicked like a devil would do this.

It's however clear they don't want to listen to me. This being my room doesn't mean I am responsible for all that happens inside it even when I am gone. But they won't listen.

Perhaps they will listen to Tallia. She can tell them I didn't attack her so they can stop yelling at me and call for help instead.

I look back at her to realise that her eyes have closed again. "Talia? Talia!" I call but this time I get no answer. I use my fingers and it's still there though too weak. She must have fainted.

LAYLA'S POV

My only friend is critically injured and will probably leave this world soon yet all the ladies in front of me only keep yelling out accusations. I wonder what kind of evil being could have done this. Because no sane being would attack something so young and innocent.

The woman I had been dreading to see again today, my vixen stepmother, finally storms into the room. She shrieks when she sees the injured girl in front of me. But her shock appears faked and kind of exaggerated.

Her horror is only expressed by her melodramatic gasp and screams. Her eyes are actually glowing with what seems to be pleasure.

I am not surprised when she also accuses me of assaulting the child. I doubt she knows I didn't phase so I have no claws that could have done this.

"You wicked loser! How dare you try to kill a child?" She bellows.

I don't say anything since I am certain she won't listen. She probably thinks that I phased and the only way to get me kicked out of the house is to pin this evil act on me.

A group of guards march in through the door. They must have heard her screaming.

"Look what she did to a child! Arrest her!" She orders the men, pointing at me. Their faces darken with rage as they stride forward.

"I did not do this. I wasn't even in the house!" I say thinking they will be more reasonable than my stepmother and the maids.

"This is your room, right?" One questions in a stern voice.

"Yes . . .but I didn't do this. I was away when it happened" I defend, not wanting to admit to anyone that I didn't phase. It would be the best prove that I am not the one that hurt Talia. But I would be giving my stepmother another reason to order the guards to drag me out of the pack house even before I get a chance to speak to my father.

"Don't let her lie to you! She just turned eighteen. She must have finally phased, lost control and attacked the child!" My step-mother argues. Everyone else seems to agree.

The guards grab me by my arms and hair. Not gently, but as if they want to rip those parts of my body.

I grunt in pain as they pull me up from my knees and start dragging me towards the door, the maids and my step-mother hailing them.

"Take her to the hall, the Prince will be the one to decide on her punishment." She orders the guards and my body stiffens with shock.

The Prince?! Hell no!

He may be the most adored being of this Kingdom, because people claim he is extraordinarily compassionate. But don't mistake compassionation for mercy. I have heard he is very ruthless when it comes to deciding punishment for people that have been accused of commiting wicked crimes. Like the one I am being falsefully accussed of.

If I don't defend myself now before we get to him, I may end up enduring a terrible punishment for a crime I have not committed.

"I did not attack Talia! Please listen to me! I didn't even phase!" I shout out, no longer afraid of revealing the fact that I am still wolfless.

My step-mother appears dumbfounded for a moment. She however quickly recovers and shoots me a glare.

"Stop lying! You're the only one that wasn't in the hall and Talia was right in here in your room. Everyone can see what happened!" She snaps.

"Yeah, you're quite stupid to think you can fool us when this happened in your room." The guard that is pulling on my hair says and yanks harder.

I shriek in pain only to hear them laugh.

I have to keep my feet moving despite the pain because otherwise I will get dragged like a dead body. That would be more painfully.

"Take Talia to the infirmary. I will inform our pack doctor that she is there when we get to the hall." My step-mother orders before following us out of my room and down the stairs to the hall.

"You're such a pathetic being. Look how awful you look! Did you fall into the swimming pool or something?" She insults walking fast behind me and the guards.

Oh hell! I am still in the dirty, wet dress I was in when I got back from the forest. I am sure my hair is even dirtier and a mess than my outfit. I have never looked as good as any girl of my age in this Kingdom. That's because I didn't get to phase on my seventeenth birthday like them and get a shapely body and sleek skin like them.

I still have physical human flaws. Like a few pimples on the face, a little more fat than everyone else and a few scars that don't seem to be in a hurry to leave my skin.

Whether I am beautiful or not, this isn't how I imagined meeting the famous Prince. I will be the ugliest being he has ever seen. He will obviously think I am mad enough to attack a child.

My father had ordered that I don't get anywhere near the hall or let any guest see me. Yet that's where my stepmother is hailing the guards to take me.

She wants to have me humiliated to a point that my father will not want to keep me near him anymore. The show she wants to put up will be beyond embarassing for me. And there isn't a thing I can do about it as long as this giants have their hands on me.

There are still delightful sounds of celebration as we get closer to the door. They suddenly turn into gasps of shock when I am dragged in through the door.

"What on earth is she?" I hear a woman exclaim in disgust as the guards pull me forward. I feel too mortified to look ahead at the stage where I know the Prince, my father and my step-sister are. I have never wished I have the ability to become invisible this much before. I can hear people hurling insults at me already even before learning what I am accused of. They have already declared me guilty just because I don't look so good.

The guards halt and forcefully push me to kneel on the floor. I still keep my gaze on the floor, afraid to look up and face the great and noble people that are obviously glaring down at me.

"What is this?" The sexiest and most mesmerizing voice that I have heard speaks and my curiosity forces me to look up.