Lavender stood on the balcony. Below, she caught glimpses of Fern laughing with some girls. Her eyes thinned, noticing the fresh mark sitting above the blonde girl’s collarbone.
It was an Alpha's mark, and the bitch was flaunting it like a badge of honor.
Her knees weakened to the point that she had to lean against the railing for support. A few days ago, Cedar was fiercely denying it, but now Fern was flaunting it as if she had won a prize.
She used her extraordinary hearing to eavesdrop on their conversation, picking up snippets of Fern boasting about her mark.
"I'm so happy, girls," Fern was saying. "Finally, Alpha Cedar will introduce me as his mate. You all have to congratulate me when it happens."
"Oh wow. We're pleased for you!" one of the girls replied, feigning excitement. "But what's Luna's reaction regarding this? Did she get mad or upset about it?"
Fern paused. And as though she had sensed Lavender listening in, she turned and looked up at the balcony with a smirk. "Oh, don't worry about Luna," Fern said confidently. "She knows her place now."
The nerve of this girl to say those words about her. She wondered if Cedar knew that behind that seemingly innocent facade, Fern was actually quite cunning and manipulative.
Just last night, Cedar had the little bitch occupied in one of the quarters on their floor. She refrained from questioning him when he relocated to that dreadful room, not even when she detected the muffled sounds of pleasure emanating from it. After all, she had decided to leave him for good, to give him the freedom he seemed to desire.
A cough interrupted her thoughts, and she turned sharply to see Cedar standing by the doorframe. The man she had loved for so long was now a stranger she barely recognized.
"I need to talk to you," he said.
"I don't think we have anything to say," Lavender replied. She could feel her wolf’s low growl vibrating in her chest.
His expression softened, but only slightly. "I know this isn’t easy, but I need you to understand. This is the way it has to be."
Lavender’s eyes narrowed. "And why is that? Because Fern is your true mate? Because I was never enough for you?"
Cedar flinched but quickly masked it with a deep breath. "You are enough, Lavender. But this isn’t just about us. It’s about the pack, the future of Shadowpelt. Fern and I have a bond that can’t be denied. She's my fated mate, the one the moon goddess has paired me with, so I have to honor that connection."
She gulped down the lump in her throat. "So what now? You plan on making her your Luna, replacing me like I was never even here?"
Cedar hesitated, seemingly taken aback by the question. "I want us to stay united. I’m asking you to accept her, Lavender."
His words only ignited the fire in her chest. "And what if I don’t accept it? What if I refuse to bow down to your decisions?"
Cedar’s eyes darkened. "You don’t have a choice. I’m the alpha. You’ll do as I say, like everyone else in this pack."
Lavender felt her anger boiling in her veins as his alpha aura crashed over her. It was a suffocating presence that demanded submission, and even though she was his Luna, she couldn't resist the command.
"I refuse to do it," she uttered through clenched teeth. "I won’t let you do this to me, Cedar. You know I'll die in pain if you continue to sleep with her!"
"Then you leave me no choice." Cedar’s voice was cold now, distant. "I’ve made arrangements. You’ll have to participate in the bonding ritual."
Lavender blinked, confusion sweeping over her. "The bonding ritual? What are you—"
But Cedar didn’t give her a chance to finish. "I’ll be bonded to both of you. You, Fern, and I. That's the sole method to resolve this issue and maintain harmony."
Her stomach twisted at the thought. A ritual. Bonded to them both. To him and Fern, in a union that felt more like a trap than a choice.
"You can’t be serious," Lavender chuckled, but stinging tears were streaming down her face. "You want me to accept this, to accept her?"
Cedar stepped closer, gripping her wrist. "I don’t want this either, but it’s what we must do for the pack. The bond, the ritual—it will help you understand. It will help you heal with the wounds brought by Fern mating with me."
"I don’t need healing," she spat, pulling her arm from him. She was aware that Fern was watching from a distance and amused by the argument happening. "I need freedom. And I need to be rid of this pain."
Cedar's gaze hardened once more, the alpha within him emerging as his eyes flickered to his wolf's amber ones. "This is the only way forward. Do not make this harder than it has to be."
Before she could respond, he turned and left. Lavender stood there, shaking.
How could she accept it? He was offering her nothing but chains that had once been a symbol of their love.
—
That night, as she lay in bed, the sound of footsteps outside her room jolted her from her thoughts. She opened the door to find Fern standing there.
"I thought we should talk," Fern said in a sweet face and voice.
Lavender’s wolf growled. This woman, this interloper, would not take her place in Cedar’s life.
"Talk?" Lavender echoed, raising her brow. "About what?"
"About how you’re going to make this work. About how you’re going to let Cedar and me be happy."
A wave of disgust washed over Lavender. She could feel the sharp edge of Fern’s words.
"You’ll never replace me," Lavender said firmly.
"Oh, Luna. I already have." Fern whispered in her ear.
