Alpha's Contracted Surrogate

Today marks the third anniversary of the passing of the former Luna, Selina.

As I styled my hair in the same manner as Selina's, Angela, my six - year - old daughter, suddenly rushed towards me.

In a fit of rage, she forcefully stuck the chewed - up gum into my hair, and no matter how hard I tried, it just wouldn't come off.

"Today is my mother's birthday! How dare you style your hair like my mother's? This hairstyle is only for my mom!" she shrieked, her eyes blazing with anger.

Truly, she is the offspring of that man.

The gum had matted my hair into a tangled mess, and every attempt to comb it out only made my scalp sting more painfully.

I could only stare at my own disheveled reflection in the mirror, feeling utterly helpless.

My scalp had turned red from the fruitless attempts to remove the gum, and now it was constantly itchy and numb, making me extremely uncomfortable.

Angela sneered triumphantly, "Don't think that just because you married my father, you're the mistress. That Luna position will always belong to my mother! You shameless home - wrecker, I will never, ever recognize you as part of this family!"

Looking at this child, who had come from my own womb, I suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of weariness.

I carried her for ten months and raised her for six long years, yet her heart remained as cold as ice towards me.

"You don't have to recognize me, because I'm leaving this place, this pack, forever,"

Angela let out a cold, contemptuous snort.

"Serves you right. You'd better drop dead, right this instant."

"You're such a nuisance! Look at yourself. You deliberately styled your hair exactly like my mother's and even wore clothes similar to her style. Do you really think you can pass yourself off as my mother that easily? You're delusional! My mother is one - of - a - kind, and you'll never, ever replace her in my heart. Give up this foolish idea!"

Scenes like this had become all too familiar to me.

I straightened my back, a flash of annoyance in my eyes as I stared straight at her.

"Hey! Stop your baseless accusations. Who said I was imitating your mother? Think about it. Your mother always wore those elegant long gowns with exquisite accessories. Look at me, my style is casual and laid - back, nothing like hers. It's just a coincidence that we look somewhat alike. You look at your mother's photo every day; you know exactly what she looks like. Stop insisting that I'm copying her. There's no truth to that!"

Angela's face turned deathly pale with anger, and she stormed off.

I heaved a weary sigh and dragged my tired body back to my room, longing for a moment of peace.

Just as I was about to slip under the covers, a pungent, putrid smell assaulted my nostrils.

In horror, I flung back the covers, only to find a dead rat lying there. Its eyes were wide open, and its body was already in a state of decay, exuding a nauseating stench.

Instantly, a shiver ran down my spine, and my scalp tingled with horror. I instinctively took a step back, staggering and nearly losing my balance.

Just then, Angela burst into the room, laughing maniacally.

"Surprised? You fool! How does it feel to sleep with a dead rat? I prepared this especially for you. Isn't it so 'thoughtful'?"

"You're taking what belongs to my mother. Now you get to taste this!" she snarled viciously.

With a final look of disgust and a mocking grimace, she darted out of the room.

Suddenly, an unbearable itch spread all over my body, as if thousands of tiny ants were crawling beneath my skin.

Only then did I notice the fine hairs scattered around the dead rat.

I was severely allergic to such fur, and now, my skin erupted in large, angry red rashes.

Unable to resist, I started scratching wildly, but the more I scratched, the itchier it became. In some places, I scratched until blood trickled down, leaving angry red welts.

My breathing grew rapid and labored, my throat constricted .