Chapter 1
The night before the sacred ceremony, my Mate disappeared.
My wolf stirred restlessly, whispering the unimaginable truth to me: the Alpha I fell in love with at first sight, my fated Mate, had betrayed me. He had cheated before the sacred ceremony, a union meant to mark our eternal bond.
It felt impossible. Jason, the man who had saved me from death, who promised to stand by me, couldn't have done this.
I first met him three months ago.
It was a gray, somber day, with ash and despair heavy in the air. My Pack lay in ruins, decimated by a relentless attack from rogue wolves. Almost all the Pack members had perished, including my father. I was barely clinging to life, moments from being torn apart by the sharp claws of a rogue, when Alpha Jason appeared.
He descended like a god, his movements swift and decisive. With a single strike, he stopped the rogue's claws and saved me.
In that moment, I embraced him, feeling the resonance of his heartbeat against mine. It was then I realized the truth: he was my fated Mate, a gift from the Moon Goddess herself.
Jason brought me back to the North Pack, promising to introduce me as their Luna at the sacred ceremony. His words became my lifeline, a beacon of hope amidst the ashes of my past.
For weeks, I had clung to that promise, hiding the news of my pregnancy to surprise him at the ceremony. I envisioned his joy, the way his face would light up when I shared that we were bringing new life into the world.
But now…
Guided by my wolf's instincts, I found myself standing outside Jason's office. My palms were slick with cold sweat, my heart pounding in my chest. I silently prayed that my wolf had been wrong, that this was all some horrible misunderstanding.
Yet, even before I touched the door, the scent hit me..a potent, unmistakable mix of Alpha and Omega intertwined. It rushed into my nostrils like a physical blow, followed by the sound of a shrill, laughing female voice.
I froze, as if a witch had cast a spell on me.
The voice belonged to Julia, Jason's childhood friend. The two of them had grown up together, their bond lauded as a “match made in heaven” by members of the North Pack. If not for my sudden appearance as Jason's fated Mate, it would have been Julia standing beside him as Luna.
A storm of emotions churned within me…jealousy, betrayal, heartbreak. Before I could stop myself, I pushed the door open.
Inside, the laughter abruptly stopped.
Jason sat on the couch, Julia curled up beside him in a silk nightgown, her petite frame tucked against his side. Her arms and thighs were bare, the delicate fabric clinging to her form.
Jason's eyes met mine, his expression darkening with irritation.
"Clara! Didn't I tell you to knock? How many times must I remind you not to barge in here without permission?" His voice was sharp, filled with anger.
I gripped the tulle of my gown tightly, trying to steady my trembling hands. My gaze remained fixed on their intimacy, the way Julia seemed to fit so effortlessly into his arms.
"The sacred ceremony is about to begin," I managed to say, my voice barely above a whisper. "I wanted to discuss the details with you."
Jason scoffed, his irritation deepening. "You interrupted us for that?"
I gulped, unable to find the words to respond.
Julia rose gracefully, adjusting her nightgown. "You two can talk," she said, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "I'll leave you alone."
As she walked past me, carrying a tea set in her hands, she “accidentally” stumbled, sending the set crashing to the ground. Scalding tea splashed across my thighs, the heat biting into my skin. I gasped in pain, my knees buckling as I collapsed to the floor.
"Julia!" Jason rushed to her side, ignoring me entirely. His hands hovered protectively over her as if she were the one injured.
"Clara!" Julia cried out, tears welling in her eyes as she clung to Jason. "I know you're jealous that Jason likes me, but you can't bully me so openly!"
I stared at her, stunned by the audacity of her lie. My legs throbbed, the red burns already beginning to swell.
Jason's eyes blazed with anger as he turned to me. "What if Julia had miscarried? What would you have done if something happened to our baby?"
His words struck me like a physical blow. I felt the air leave my lungs as I stared at him in disbelief.
"She's… pregnant?" I managed to stammer, my voice barely audible.
I searched Jason's face for even a flicker of regret, some acknowledgment of the betrayal he'd committed. But all I saw was cold indifference.
"Apologize to her!" he demanded, his voice sharp and unyielding, as if he were speaking to a servant.
Chapter 2
"Why would I apologize to her? I'm your destined Mate, the future Luna of this Pack! And now you're asking me to apologize to a..." My throat tightened, and the words came out in a tremble, "...your cheating mistress?"
Jason's icy gaze swept over me, piercing and disdainful, as though I were nothing more than an annoyance. "Mistress? Julia and I were childhood sweethearts. If it weren't for you, we would've been together long ago! You're the one who destroyed everything!"
"It was the Moon Goddess who chose us to be together..." I protested shakily, staring into his cold, unyielding eyes.
I had never realized just how much resentment Jason harbored toward me.
"So what?" he sneered. "I don't care about the Moon Goddess or Pack honor. I care about what *I* want! And I want to be with the person I *choose*!
"If the Moon Goddess hadn't chosen you, do you think I would've given you a second glance? Even looking at you makes me sick. You're nothing but a wild wolf from some foreign Pack. Did you really think you'd ever be my Luna?"
"Jason," a soft, honeyed voice broke the tension as Julia's delicate hand brushed against his chest. "Don't be so harsh. You're scaring me."
Jason's entire demeanor shifted as he looked down at her. His gaze softened, and his arms instinctively wrapped around her protectively. "Are you okay? Does anything hurt? I'll take you to the hospital right now."
Eight hours before my sacred ceremony, the man the Moon Goddess had chosen for me—the Mate I had hoped to build a future with—embraced another woman, leaving me curled on the cold floor, injured and humiliated.
I forced myself to stand, dragging my scalded leg as I stumbled out of Jason's office. Each step felt heavier than the last.
"Clara?"
An elegant, deep voice called out from behind me, stopping me in my tracks. I turned to see Richard, Jason's uncle and the Alpha of the neighboring Silverblade Pack. He was tall and commanding, his sharp brows furrowing slightly as he took in my disheveled state. Despite the tension in my chest, I couldn't help but notice the warm smile playing at the corners of his lips.
"Alpha Richard," I greeted, forcing a tired smile onto my face. "What a coincidence."
Richard studied me carefully, his penetrating gaze dropping to my injured leg. "What happened to your leg?"
The throbbing burn on my thigh was impossible to hide, but I mumbled a weak excuse. "It was an accident. I fell."
Richard raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced, but he was measured in his response. "If you need help, don't hesitate to ask," he said softly.
I nodded, intending to say something else, but before I could, a voice intruded through the Mind Link.
*“Ms. Clara, your mother's condition has worsened. Please come to the hospital immediately.”*
Panic surged through me. Without another word, I shifted into my wolf form and raced toward the hospital, ignoring the searing pain in my leg. My mind was consumed with one thought: *Mom is all I have left.*
But as I neared the hospital entrance, I was intercepted by Julia.
She stood in my path, her arms crossed and her lips curled into a mocking smirk. The delicate panic she'd displayed in Jason's office was gone, replaced by open malice.
"What are you doing here?" she demanded, her voice dripping with scorn. "Do you think you can win Jason back by running to the hospital like this?"
I clenched my jaw, biting back the retort rising in my throat. I didn't have time for her games. My mother's life was slipping away.
"Move," I said, my voice low and urgent.
Julia stepped closer, her smirk widening. "What's the matter? Too ashamed to answer? You alien coyote, how dare you be rude to me?" She reached out, grabbing the collar of my dress.
Even as an Omega, I had survived life-and-death battles. Julia's petty aggression was nothing compared to the strength I had built. I shoved her hand off me, but as I did, she staggered back with a scream, crumpling to the ground.
Blood spread rapidly beneath her as she clutched her stomach, her face contorting in exaggerated pain. "The baby! My baby!" she wailed.
"Julia!" Jason's furious voice boomed as he appeared, rushing toward us. He grabbed my wrist with a grip so tight it made me wince. "What have you done? Are you trying to kill me and her baby?!"
I opened my mouth to explain, to plead my innocence, but the words stuck in my throat.
Nurses and doctors rushed to Julia's side, whisking her away to the emergency room. Jason didn't spare me a glance as he followed them, his wrath palpable.
"I didn't mean for this to happen," I whispered, tears blurring my vision. "Please... let me see my mom."
Jason's cold eyes turned to me, filled with disdain. "Apologize to Julia," he demanded. "Then maybe I'll consider it."
My heart sank, but desperation overpowered my pride. "I'll apologize," I choked out, my voice trembling. "I'll do whatever you want. Just... let me see my mom. She's all I have left."
Jason's stare was unyielding, as if weighing whether I was even worth his mercy. Then, without a word, he released my wrist.
I didn't wait for an explanation. I sprinted into my mother's hospital room, only to find her lying eerily still, her eyes closed.
"Mom," I whispered, my voice cracking as I fell to my knees beside her. "Please, wake up. Don't leave me..."
Her body was cold.
The weight of her loss crushed me, pulling me into a sea of grief.
"Why?" I sobbed, clutching her lifeless form. "Why does everyone leave me? Why am I always left alone?" .
Chapter 3
My mother's funeral felt like a hastily scribbled note… unfinished, impersonal, and devoid of the reverence she deserved.
We had only been part of the Northland Pack for three short months. I didn't know most of the Pack members well, and they certainly weren't interested in helping me, an outsider, prepare for the funeral.
To make matters worse, my sacred ceremony with Jason—what should have been the start of a new chapter as his Luna—was postponed due to my mother's death.
Instead of a coronation, there was rain.
I stood alone, soaked to the bone, guarding the six-foot casket that held the only family I had left.
My mother had been the beloved Luna of our Snow Wolf Pack. She had commanded the Gamma warriors with unmatched grace, safeguarded the Pack's well-being, and been the strongest, most radiant figure in my life.
Yet here she was now, confined to a narrow wooden box, her brilliance snuffed out like a flame.
“Condolences.”
The voice was warm and low, accompanied by the reassuring weight of a large hand on my shoulder.
I turned to find Richard standing behind me. His grief-filled eyes mirrored the stormy sky above us.
Behind him stood a group of solemn, black-clad warriors—Gammas from the Silverblade Pack he led.
“Allow us to pay our respects,” Richard said gently. “Any life lost deserves to be honored.”
I nodded, my throat too tight to form words. My tears, indistinguishable from the rain, continued to fall freely.
Richard waved his hand, and one of his warriors stepped forward, opening an umbrella to shield me from the rain.
Then Richard handed me a crisp, white handkerchief.
“Thank you,” I whispered, my voice barely audible.
Thank you for the handkerchief. Thank you for your presence. Thank you for honoring my mother.
Without warning, Richard stepped closer, wrapping his arms around me in a warm, steady embrace.
“I think you need a hug,” he murmured softly.
His chest was broad and solid, his heartbeat a steady rhythm that drowned out the chaotic noise of the world. For a fleeting moment, the storm, both outside and within, seemed to calm.
But the peace shattered like glass.
“Why are you cuddling with him?!”
Jason's voice cut through the rain, sharp and accusing.
I turned to see him standing a few feet away, clutching a disheveled bouquet of flowers in his hands. His furious eyes darted between Richard and me. “What are you doing?!”
I laughed—a bitter, hollow sound that escaped before I could stop it.
Where had this possessiveness come from? When he was with Julia, parading her around like a prize, had he spared a single thought for me, his Mate?
“It's my mother's funeral,” I said coldly. “I don't want to argue with you.”
Jason's grip on the bouquet tightened, his knuckles turning white. “That's not what I meant…”
But his words trailed off, swallowed by the relentless patter of rain.
Silence stretched between us until the last shovelful of earth covered my mother's coffin. Jason finally stepped forward, placing the bedraggled flowers on her grave.
I stared at the wilted blooms, a wave of absurdity washing over me.
“Jason, what are you pretending to do now?” I asked, my voice cutting through the stillness.
He hesitated, his eyes flickering with something close to guilt. “I wanted to come sooner, but I've been busy—Pack business had to be taken care of before—”
“Stop.” My voice cracked, and I clenched my fists at my sides. “You don't get to justify this. Last night, I could have seen my mom for the last time. But you.. ” My voice faltered as pain twisted in my chest. “You stopped me.”
Jason's gaze faltered, his shoulders sagging for the first time. “I didn't think…”
For a brief moment, uncertainty and regret flickered across his face. But it was too late.
I took a deep breath, steeling myself. “Let's split up,” I said firmly.
Jason blinked, his brows knitting in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“I don't want to be your Luna anymore, Jason. I'm done. I'm too tired.”
My voice didn't waver this time. I stared into his eyes, willing him to see the truth in my words.