The night of the mating ceremony was supposed to mark the beginning of my forever.
Instead… it became the night my world was destroyed.
The entire pack stood beneath the glowing full moon, their eyes fixed on me with anticipation. Soft whispers filled the air, excitement dancing through the crowd.
I was nervous—but happy.
Because tonight, I would finally become Luna.
Standing beside me was Alpha Xavier—my fated mate. The man I had loved for as long as I could remember.
He held my hand, but something felt… wrong.
His grip was cold. Distant.
A strange unease settled deep in my chest.
“I, Alpha Xavier…” his deep voice echoed across the silent gathering.
My heart skipped.
This was it.
“Reject you, Isabella Hart… as my mate.”
The words hit me like a brutal slap.
For a moment, I couldn’t breathe.
Couldn’t think.
Couldn’t even understand what I had just heard.
“W-what…?” My voice came out as a broken whisper.
But he didn’t even look at me.
Instead…
He turned.
And reached for someone else.
My chest tightened painfully as my gaze followed his movement—
And landed on her.
My sister.
“She is the one I choose,” Xavier said coldly, pulling her into his arms as if I had never existed.
Gasps erupted through the crowd.
My vision blurred as tears filled my eyes.
“No… this isn’t real…”
But reality didn’t care about my denial.
Because right in front of me—
He kissed her.
Something inside me shattered completely.
The pain was unbearable.
It felt like my soul was being ripped apart.
Laughter.
Whispers.
Judgmental stares.
“She got rejected…”
“How pathetic…”
“Even her own sister…”
I couldn’t take it anymore.
I turned and ran.
I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, ignoring the tears streaming down my face, ignoring the ache in my chest that refused to fade.
I didn’t know where I was going.
I just needed to escape.
The forest swallowed me whole—dark, cold, and endless.
Branches scratched against my skin, but I didn’t stop.
Not until—
A strong hand suddenly grabbed my wrist.
I gasped as my body was pulled back violently, crashing into a hard chest.
My breath hitched.
“Running away already?”
The deep, dangerous voice sent chills down my spine.
Slowly… I lifted my head.
And my heart nearly stopped.
Alpha Lucien.
The most feared Alpha.
The one no one dared to challenge.
His dark eyes locked onto mine, sharp and unreadable—like he could see straight through me.
Then… his lips curved into a slow, dangerous smile.
“Interesting,” he murmured.
His fingers tightened slightly around my wrist.
“The rejected mate…”
He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a whisper that sent heat rushing through my body.
“…smells like she belongs to me.”
