Samantha’s POV
When I finally reached my house, I covered my face. Everything around me blurred. My vision was hazy, my breath shallow. I felt as if everything was falling apart. Nothing seemed stable anymore.
And then, as if out of nowhere, Mom appeared. She rushed to my side, her voice soft but firm, “Samantha, you need to calm down. I know this hurts. I know it feels unbearable. But please, just breathe. It will be okay.”
Her arms wrapped around me, trying to comfort me, but I couldn’t find peace in her embrace. It wasn’t the warmth of her hug that I needed; it was something else. My mind was screaming, and my heart was fractured. Before she could say anything more, I stopped her. My voice cracked, filled with pain, and my words spilled out without thinking.
“I want to cancel the mating bond. I don’t want to give it to Alexander, Mom.”
I didn’t even know if she could understand the weight of what I was saying. I was desperate to stop it all, to halt the ceremony before it could happen, before I had to face him again.
She looked at me, her face shifting into concern. “Samantha, I understand. But you need to think this through. There are consequences to these actions. Things won’t be easy if you go through with this. You need to consider everything.”
But at that moment, I couldn’t care less about the consequences. They seemed so insignificant compared to the storm raging inside me. Nothing else mattered except stopping the pain, stopping what felt like my life spiraling out of control.
I shook my head, trying to push the thoughts away. I couldn’t make sense of it. Alexander and I had been fine. We had been okay—at least, that’s what I had thought. So why had everything turned upside down? Why did it feel like I was caught in a trap? Something wasn’t right, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that Cassandra was somehow behind it all. She had always been manipulative, and now, it seemed, she had twisted things even further.
I couldn’t understand how she had pulled Alexander in, how she had turned him against me.
---
The next morning, a sense of dread washed over me. I knew I had to tell my father what was happening, but how could I? Tonight was the night of the ceremony with Alexander, and I had no idea how to face him. How could I walk into that room, knowing everything that had happened, knowing how betrayed I felt?
And then, as if the universe had other plans, Alexander called me.
“The Alpha is looking for you,” said one of the servants.
He summoned me to the pack house, and despite everything, I couldn’t refuse. I had to go. I didn’t know why, but something in me urged me to answer his call, even if it terrified me.
When I arrived, the servants were already busy preparing for the ceremony. They were arranging everything, setting up the decorations, and making sure everything was in place. It was all so carefully orchestrated, yet I couldn’t escape the feeling that it was a show—a performance for everyone else.
“Samantha, come here,” I heard Alexander’s voice. It cut through the tension like a knife.
I walked towards him, each step feeling heavier than the last. When I finally stood in front of him, I couldn’t look him in the eye. My gaze dropped, my heart pounding in my chest. He wasn’t the Alexander I had known; he was someone else now, someone I couldn’t trust.
“What is it?” I managed to whisper. My voice was shaky, betraying the fear I felt inside.
I wanted to scream, to ask him why everything had changed. Why he was doing this to me. But instead, I stood there, frozen, unable to move. My anger boiled beneath the surface, but I didn’t know how to express it. I couldn’t understand him anymore. He had hurt me, betrayed me, and now, he was here, standing in front of me, like nothing had happened.
One swift motion, and he was closer. It was almost as if I was caught in his sway, unable to escape, even though every fiber of my being screamed for me to run. He reached out to me, and I recoiled, my heart racing in panic. The air around us felt thick, suffocating. My breath caught in my throat, but I said nothing. I had no words left.
Even though he had hurt me, even though his touch now felt like a threat, I couldn’t walk away. I was trapped, not just by him, but by my own heart, torn between the person he once was and the person he had become.
Suddenly, every memory we shared came rushing back, the warmth of his touch, the way my heart raced whenever he was near, the moments that once felt like forever.
I had loved him with all my heart... yet, why did it all lead to this?
He grabbed my wrist, pulling me closer to him. "Look, I'm sorry for what happened. It wasn’t intentional. Maybe I just got carried away with what I was feeling because you yelled at me. It felt like you were accusing me of doing something with your sister behind your back."
His words left me stunned.
“Of course, she’s your sister, and she deserves to see the ceremony. She’s part of the family that’s why I invited her.”
I couldn’t understand why Alexander was saying these things. It felt as though he was manipulating me, like he was gaslighting me. I wasn’t angry when I confronted him that night. I simply wanted answers. Yet somehow, it felt like all the blame was being placed on me.
“I wasn’t mad at you that night,” I said, trying to steady my breath. “I just wanted to understand why you invited her, even though you know everything she’s done to me.”
He reached out, gently adjusting a strand of hair that had fallen across my face, his touch sending a shiver down my spine. “Well, the past is the past. You need to move on,” he said, his voice soft yet firm.
His words were like a slap to my soul. How could he say something so cold? I wanted to argue with him, to tell him it wasn’t that simple. That the pain he caused wasn’t something I could just forget. But I bit my lip, swallowing my anger. I wasn’t ready for a fight, not now.
“And our mating ceremony is about to begin. I want you to prepare,” he continued, his voice now more commanding. “We’ll see each other later, and I can’t wait for you to be my Luna.”
I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself, but my thoughts were a whirlwind. I had so many questions, so much anger, yet I was supposed to let it all go.
“Okay.”
“Good,” he said, turning to leave.
I stood there for a moment, stunned, before I walked away, trying to collect myself. This ceremony was supposed to bring us together.
For a brief moment, the heaviness in my chest eased. Maybe he was right. Maybe I had overreacted. It wasn’t like him to hurt me on purpose. But no matter how I tried to convince myself, the doubt lingered.
I needed to focus, to prepare for what was coming. The ceremony wasn’t something I could just avoid.
As I finished getting ready for the ceremony, I looked around for Alexander. I needed to speak to him again, to see where his mind was at.
“Samantha!” I heard my father’s voice calling out from behind me. “It’s time. Remember, you’re doing this for our tribe. For our future.”
I nodded, trying to gather my thoughts. “Yes, Father. I’m just looking for Alexander.”
“Alright, we’ll wait for you,” he said, walking away to join the others.
I asked around, hoping someone could point me to him. “Have you seen Alexander?”
“He’s in his office,” someone replied.
I nodded, heading toward the pack-house. But as I approached the door, I paused. I heard muffled voices—moans that sent a chill through me.
“Alex,” a voice moaned, soft and seductive. My stomach churned as I recognized the voice.
It was Cassandra.
And then I heard Alexander’s voice, low and gruff. “Ohh, baby…”
My heart froze.
My legs felt like they might give way beneath me.
I knew what was happening, and I couldn’t bring myself to open the door to confront them.
The world around me seemed to shatter, piece by piece. The worst possible thing had happened, on the very night of the mating ceremony.
