chapter 1

Peach

It's been a year since graduating from Brodsworth University and I start my first job today.  she had been so lucky to have even gotten this job when I did plus it had been at the fashion design company of my dreams, The Royal Blue! They only make designs for actual royalty and are the most prestigious and only Lycan owned design company in the entire world and starting today she, Peach O'Reilly the nobody was going to be working there as a direct assistant designer no less. I really wonder what they could have possibly seen in me. It had to be a fluke, A mere string of luck maybe someone had accidentally logged her name in or maybe there was a strange M or S out of place, maybe they had thought it was somebody else and it was a Peaches O'Reilly instead. 

 Whatever it was I was in. And I was going to try and make the best of it the way her father and best friend told her she should do when she told them about the news. I could barely sleep through the night and felt like I'd drunk a gallon of coffee the day before. My eyes were seriously heavy and my eye bags were prominent. This wouldn't stop me though because there really wasn't anything a little concealer couldn't fix. That's what her mom had told her anyways. But I usually didn't were concealer so I'm going to have to take some of my mums. It is an important day after all and I have to try and look my best, however that is.

I put a little on each side of my face and gaze into the mirror. My hair is frizzy and huge I usually just leave it that way its not like anyone was looking in my direction anyways, they never really do but since today was special I decide to tie it up with a pink scrunchy. There, I look fine. I think this is the most effort I've ever put into my appearance. Ever! I'm wearing my favourite blue jacket and a pair of washed-out jeans.  But who am I kidding. My dad may think I look great but I feel like I went to bed two tones heavier. My mum will definitely notice. I knew I should have skipped desert yesterday but Cody insisted. Damn that Cody! Always making sure she's well fed.

She heads down for breakfast with her family. Her mum hands her a plate of salad and nuts. There's barely even anything on the plate. Her breakfast looks just as depressing as it feels. Her mum is weaking her usual red and blue tracksuit, meaning she must have obviously just come from her yoga class with her girls. My mum is a cool blonde woman who is just effortlessly beautiful but that doesn't ever stop her from trying. She's relatively mid-size but is always complaining about her weight and always on a new diet. I personally don't think that's a good way to live at 52. I mean, how much time do you possible have left but her mum wouldn't have it. 

'hmmm. You obviously didn't skip out on those sweet butter biscuits last night. I mean honey, you should really try and watch your weight. You don't want to end up like your aunt Linda now do you' she says while sipping some green mocha smoothie that I'm sure tastes awful! She's had a few of her mum's diet food and wonders how someone could so willingly torture their own tastebuds so badly. For some reason it doesn't really feel all that much like self-love. 

"Aunt Linda didn't die because she was overweight. She died because she refused to take her drugs, and frankly because she was a tad bit looney" she retorted back and her mum's frown grew even larger, as if what I had said didn't even matter. All she cared about was that I wasn't listening to her "You know, you are just like her!" she said, and I couldn't see how seeing as her aunt Linda worked in a brothel for most of her adult life so she could fund her heroine addiction and had been in and out of a mental institution for the past decade. Her aunt Linda never even went to school as she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder very early on and would always act out. Once her aunt Linda had asked her when she was eight if she how much her dolls would go for when she asked her if they could play with together on one of her visits to the rehab hospital.  She and her aunt Linda shared little in common other than a blood relation but she let her mother continue. "If you two weren't so selfish then at least you would know how your deadly habits are affecting your family members. I mean! Your aunt Linda embarrassed the family for years with her strew of illnesses and her, oh lord, drug problems! And my own daughter is doing the same thing to me I must be cursed" she says frustratingly putting her hand in her ears.

I feel a tinge nauseated. 'If my weight is such an embarrassment to you, why don't you just throw me out?' I say to her in my head. Tears prickling at my eyes which I try to suck back in otherwise it would just make the whole situation worse. My mum would just complain about how selfish my tears were and how I wanted to make her feel guilty for just looking out for me. 

Luckily for me my dad just stepped into the room. He's a round man and he looks just like her. The same freckly skin and ginger hair. His Mustache is so thick I can never see his lips when he talk just his jiggly Mustache. It used to be my favourite thing as a kid. 

"what's all this racket? I have good news this morning so let's not try to spoil the fun shall we, woohoo' he laughs

"what news?" I ask, wanting to veer away from this already tensed up situation.

"well, you know about your betrothal to my old friends the kings son? Well, muffin cake it's being finalized! You're getting married my little Lycan Princess"

I'm in shock and from the look on my mothers face I am not the only one "Prince Amon has agreed to marry her?" My mother asks more shocked than excited. I understand it though, He's price Amon. He was voted GQ's handsomest! He's one of the most sought-after bachelors in 2023. He's dated super models and he's going to marry me?

"oh but don't act so surprised" said my father "My Peach is a real gem you know! Smart talented, and she's beautiful too!" he continued "oh stop it, Harold! You can't be serious! Have you seen that boy? I mean you can't do this to me?"

"Oh Do what Kate? It's not like its you that's getting married!"

"oh off course I'm part of it Harold, she is my daughter and we are a family. We can't possibly be seen─"

"stop now Katherine" he cuts her off "less you might say something you regret."

My mum squeezes her face even tighter dropping her cup down she says "This is all your fault Harold. For always buying her all those damn sweets even though I told you not to. And now you want to go off to the world and embarrass me! I can't with you two, honestly!" She storms off from the table, leaving me, my dad and her harsh words to fill up the rest of the space. I honestly can't say she's wrong. I mean, I've known Amon as long as I can remember, I mean I've been to the palace a couple hundred times since my childhood and he's never even looked at me once. I sure as hell wouldn't be surprised if he didn't even know my name or who I was. 

My father puts his hand on my shoulder and then moves to clasp my chin in between his index figer and thumb "don't listen to what your mother says dear, You are beautiful. You are my gen and I have always told you that. A prince is less than what you deserve my darling. You shouldn't worry about your weight. He will be glad like me, that there is only more of you to love." My fathers words go deep. They always somehow manage to sew up almost every cut the world leaves on my soul, so that all is left is the scars.