Kael barely spared me a glance the entire time, his indifference as sharp and cold as a winter wind in the packlands. It was obvious he was still irritated that I chose work over attending his precious Selara’s celebration.
The irony of it almost made me laugh—how could he possibly be upset with me when he had spent months making me feel like I did not belong by his side?
Of course, Selara had to step in and play the gentle mediator.
“Kael, Railey had a job to do tonight, so you shouldn’t be upset with her,” she said softly, her voice laced with that perfectly rehearsed concern, as though she truly cared about our bond.
Then she turned her attention to me, her smile sweet and flawless. “It’s actually a good thing she’s here working as the photographer for my event. Why don’t you both take a picture together too, like the rest of our guests?”
My grip tightened around my camera.
It was a performance. A carefully staged act meant to make it seem like she was bringing us closer, when in reality, she wanted to place me in the center of a humiliation I could not escape.
At that moment, I stood there in my simple shirt and faded jeans, my plain clothes making me look painfully out of place among the elegantly dressed wolves gathered in the hall.
Meanwhile, Selara shone like the Luna of the night in her designer gown, styled to perfection, her presence commanding the entire room. Kael, dressed in a tailored suit that marked his status as a future Alpha, looked like he belonged right at her side.
Before I could refuse, Selara had already taken my camera from my hands with a playful laugh.
“Come on, just one shot,” she insisted lightly.
I stepped beside Kael, my body stiff, and the moment Selara lifted the camera, the murmurs began to ripple through the crowd like gossip carried on the wind.
“Kael must be ashamed to have Railey as his mate.”
“Obviously he prefers Selara.”
“Did you see their Bali pictures? He kissed her like she already belonged to him.”
“Well, if I had someone as stunning and seductive as Selara, I’d choose her too.”
Soft laughter followed those whispers, each cruel word pricking into my skin like silver needles.
Kael remained silent. He did not say a single word to defend me.
I stepped forward, taking my camera back from Selara, my face carefully blank. “This is your celebration, Selara. You should be the one in the spotlight.”
I lifted the camera slightly. “Just tell me if there’s anything else you want me to capture.”
My voice was steady, stripped of all emotion.
Selara tilted her head, as if trying to read what lay beneath my calm expression, but before she could say anything, the grand doors opened.
Kael’s parents had arrived.
They entered the hall with effortless elegance, their presence immediately drawing attention as they approached Selara’s parents and greeted them warmly, as though they were already one family.
Selara’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction.
She looked back at me with a bright smile. “Then take a photo of Kael and me with our parents, okay?”
Kael did not hesitate for even a second. He stepped beside Selara and wrapped his arm around her waist as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Their parents stood beside them, all of them forming a picture-perfect family.
I raised my camera.
Through the lens, I saw everything clearly—the way Selara leaned into Kael, the ease with which he accepted her closeness, the proud smiles of their parents who looked at them as though they were already bound as mates.
And in that moment, it struck me…
It had always been this way.
I had always been the outsider.
When the photo session ended, Selara walked toward me again, pulling out her phone to show proof of the partial payment she had already sent, her smile knowing and controlled.
“The rest of your payment will be transferred after I review the final photos,” she said lightly, though there was a sharp edge hidden beneath her tone.
Then she added, as if it had just slipped her mind, “Oh, and originally I only booked you until the main celebration ended, but since Kael’s parents are here, we’re having another small gathering afterward. Stay a little longer, okay?”
She smiled wider. “Don’t worry. I’ll include an extra bonus for you.”
There was amusement dancing in her eyes, as if she was aware of something I had yet to discover.
I simply nodded and turned back to my work, focusing on my camera.
But because I kept following Selara to capture candid moments, I inevitably overheard the conversation between our parents.
And that was when my heart shattered completely.
They were discussing Kael and Selara’s mating bond. Not just that—they openly announced that Selara’s birthday celebration had now become the day of their engagement.
My hands tightened around the camera, trembling slightly as I pressed the shutter. I forced myself to keep working, to stay professional, even as everything inside me collapsed.
Around me, the crowd erupted in cheers. Some guests clapped excitedly while others shouted in delight, “Kiss! Kiss!”
I turned toward the voice and recognized one of Kael and Selara’s friends from Bali—the same wolves who had mocked me behind my back, who had celebrated Selara as though she was already the Luna of Kael’s pack.
Selara blushed, lowering her gaze with a soft laugh. “Everyone, don’t tease us like that. Our parents are right here.”
But Kael only tightened his arm around her waist and leaned closer, his voice playful as he murmured, “Why not, my love?”
The cheers grew louder. Some guests covered their eyes in mock embarrassment, while others tapped their glasses against the tables, urging them on. Their parents simply laughed, clearly pleased by how perfect the two of them looked together.
And then it happened.
With a shy giggle, Selara leaned in—and right there, in front of everyone, Kael kissed her.
It was not a brief, harmless peck.
It was deep, lingering, and intimate.
And the crowd roared in approval.
To celebrate them, everyone raised their glasses in a toast.
So did I.
I walked toward the towering pyramid of wine glasses arranged on the table. Instead of taking one from the top like everyone else, I reached into the middle and pulled one free.
The entire structure collapsed instantly.
Glass shattered across the floor, fragments scattering in every direction as gasps filled the hall.
I did not even flinch.
Raising my glass calmly, I let a faint, knowing smile curve my lips.
“Congratulations,” I said coolly. “Two shameless wolves—what a perfect pair.”
Then I drank the entire glass in one swallow, set it down, turned my back, and walked out of the celebration without another glance.
---
When I returned home, Kael was already waiting—and he exploded the moment I stepped inside.
“What the hell was that, Railey?” he shouted, his face flushed with anger, his Alpha aura pressing down heavily. “Do you have any idea how humiliating you made me look in front of everyone tonight?”
I let out a cold, humorless laugh. “Really? And you kissing your so-called childhood sweetheart right in front of me wasn’t humiliating at all?”
Kael dragged a hand through his hair and exhaled sharply. “It was just an act, Railey. Our families are close, and our packs are tied through business. We had to play along for them.”
I scoffed and folded my arms, tilting my head slightly. “An act?”
I met his eyes directly, my voice turning sharp.
“Then explain this to me, Kael.”
His jaw clenched. “Explain what?”
I held his gaze, my tone cutting through the tension like a blade.
“Then why did you lie about the Bali trip?”
