Morning arrived too soon.
The Riverdale Pack’s estate was already alive with movement by dawn. I could hear the steady rhythm of boots against stone, warriors preparing for their patrols, servants hurrying about to prepare for the gathering tonight. The entire pack was buzzing with anticipation.
Anticipation for Astrid.
I sat at the edge of my bed, staring at my reflection in the tall mirror. Dark circles rimmed my silver eyes, evidence of the restless night I had spent trying to silence my thoughts. My long black hair hung in loose waves over my shoulders, a stark contrast to the pale skin that had grown even lighter over the years.
I had once been vibrant—before the forced bond, before I lost my wolf. Back when I had a future I could control.
Now? I was nothing but a Luna in name only.
A sharp knock on my door shattered my thoughts. I exhaled slowly, schooling my face into something unreadable.
“Enter,” I called.
The door swung open, and Darius stepped inside. Caleb’s Beta, his closest friend. He was tall, broad-shouldered, with dark brown hair that always looked slightly tousled, as if he spent too much time training and not enough time caring about appearances.
His hazel eyes studied me carefully, unreadable but searching.
"You're expected at the gathering," he said.
Expected. Not wanted.
I rose to my feet, smoothing down the dark blue dress I had chosen—elegant, but understated. I wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of seeing me broken, but I wouldn’t dress like a woman desperately clinging to a position she never truly had, either.
Darius didn’t move as I approached, and for a moment, he hesitated.
Then, in a voice lower than before, he muttered, “Are you alright?”
I stilled, caught off guard by the question. Darius had never been cruel to me, but he had also never acted as if my wellbeing mattered much.
I let his gaze, lifting my chin slightly. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
A muscle in his jaw tightened, but he didn’t call out my lie. Instead, he let out a quiet sigh.
“Just… stay close to Caleb tonight,” he said at last. “Things are changing. And not in your favor.”
I felt it then—the warning underneath his words.
Whatever happened tonight, it wouldn’t just be another celebration in Astrid’s honor. It would be a shift in power.
A shift meant to push me out.
I nodded once, then stepped past him. Let them try.
Because after tonight, I’d be gone.
By the time the sun set, the packhouse had transformed.
Golden lanterns lined the pathways leading to the grand hall, casting a warm glow over the snow-covered courtyard. A bonfire burned at the center of the gathering space, its flames licking at the sky as warriors and pack members milled about, exchanging greetings.
Laughter and music filled the air. But beneath it, I could feel something else—a shift, just like Darius had warned.
This was more than just a gathering.
It was a declaration.
A reminder to everyone that Astrid was Caleb’s true mate.
I took my place near the main table at the front of the hall, my posture perfect, my expression unreadable. Caleb had yet to arrive, but it didn’t matter.
I could feel the weight of her presence before I even saw her.
Astrid.
She entered as if she were already Luna.
Her golden dress shimmered under the firelight, perfectly tailored to hug her figure in a way that demanded attention. She didn’t need to claim power—she already carried herself as if she had won.
And why wouldn’t she?
She had Caleb. She had the pack’s admiration.
She had never been forced into a bond with a man who would never love her.
She was the one he chose.
Astrid’s gaze found mine across the room, and I saw the flicker of amusement in her honey-colored eyes. She tilted her head slightly, then made her way toward me, her smile saccharine sweet.
“Nyra,” she greeted, her voice smooth, sickly sweet. “I’m so glad you made it.”
I offered her a polite smile, refusing to let my expression betray anything. “Wouldn’t miss it.”
Her lips curved just a little higher, and she leaned in slightly, lowering her voice so only I could hear.
“I’m surprised,” she murmured. “I assumed you’d have given up by now.”
I stiffened, the veiled insult cutting deeper than it should have.
She knew.
She knew Caleb never wanted me. That this bond had never been real.
And she wanted me to acknowledge it.
To accept defeat.
I forced myself to meet her gaze evenly. “I don’t break as easily as you’d like.”
Astrid laughed lightly, stepping back as if she were simply enjoying a casual conversation. But before she could say anything else—
Caleb entered the hall.
And my breath stalled.
He walked straight toward her.
Not me.
Her.
His golden eyes never even flickered in my direction.
Instead, he stepped beside Astrid, resting a hand lightly on her waist. The entire room stilled, watching, waiting.
A gesture of possession. Of claiming.
Something inside me snapped.
For Three years, I had stood by Caleb’s side. I had endured his distance, his indifference. I had accepted every cold glance, every quiet dismissal.
But this?
This was a public humiliation.
A calculated move to show the pack who truly held his loyalty.
Astrid turned to him, smiling, tilting her head ever so slightly so he would meet her gaze. And Caleb—my mate, my Alpha—looked at her the way he had never once looked at me.
As if she was the center of his world.
The room spun.
I couldn’t breathe.
Caleb’s voice cut through the silence. “Astrid, tonight is for you.”
A thunderous roar filled my ears. A deafening, crushing weight pressed against my chest, but I refused to move. I refused to let them see the cracks forming in my mask.
I curled my fingers into fists beneath the table, keeping my voice level, detached. “A generous gift, Alpha.”
The term Alpha made him pause for a fraction of a second.
Because it was the first time I had addressed him as only that.
Not as my mate. Not as my husband.
Just an Alpha.
Because that’s all he was.
Nothing more.
I rose from my seat, my movements slow, controlled. Every step felt heavier than the last, but I forced myself forward, keeping my chin high.
The crowd parted as I walked toward the exit.
And I didn’t look back.
Because after tonight, I would never let them look down on me again.
Because after tonight, I would be free.
Because after tonight, I would break this bond—and they would never see me again.
