Samantha’s POV
I covered my mouth with both hands, my entire body trembling as I fought the urge to scream.
The door was slightly ajar, giving me a clear view of the scene unfolding before me. Cassandra’s legs were spread open, her body arching against Alexander. His movements between her thighs were unmistakable. It was a sight so painful, so utterly soul-crushing, that I felt as if I had been punched in the chest.
“Fuck, I’m cumming!”
“Oh, baby! Yes!”
How could they?! How could Alexander do this to me on the night before our mating ceremony?!
I had done everything to prepare for this ceremony. My makeup was flawless, my white gown draped over my body like a symbol of purity, of devotion. Ritual marks had been drawn onto my skin, marking me as his mate. But now… now I didn’t know if I could go through with it. My heart was breaking, shattering into a million jagged pieces.
But what would happen if I didn’t go through with the ceremony? I could already hear my father’s voice in my head, laced with anger and disappointment.
And then there was Alexander—Alexander, the man I had loved with everything I had. I had given him my heart, my trust, my entire being. I had sacrificed for him, for our tribe. I had done everything in my power to make this work.
And yet, this was my reward.
My body moved on its own, my feet carrying me away from that wretched scene. I was running—running away from the betrayal, from the pain, from the man who had broken me beyond repair.
Suddenly, I bumped into someone, and it was my mother.
“Samantha, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?”
My body shook uncontrollably as I held onto her, my sobs muffled against her shoulder.
“I-I want to leave,” I choked out. “I want to get out of this tribe. I don’t want to be here anymore.”
Mom stiffened in shock. “Samantha, what are you talking about?!” She pulled back slightly, her hands gripping my arms as she searched my tear-streaked face. “Where would you even go?”
“I-I don’t care!” My voice cracked, filled with raw pain. “I saw them, Mom. I saw Alexander having sex with Cassandra… the night before our mating ceremony.” I shook my head, fresh tears spilling down my cheeks. “I can’t do this. I can’t pretend like everything is fine. Not after this!”
Mom’s eyes widened, her lips parting in silent horror. She looked as though she wanted to say something, to offer some sort of comfort or reasoning. But what could she say? There were no words that could fix this, no words that could undo the damage that had already been done.
I didn’t wait for her to respond. My body moved on instinct, pushing past her as I ran towards the edge of the tribe’s grounds.
“Samantha!”
I had to get out. I had to escape before I suffocated under the weight of my pain.
Then, suddenly, as I stepped outside, I heard something unexpected—cheers.
“She’s here! Our future Luna!”
The crowd erupted in cheers, their voices echoing through the ceremonial grounds.
I wanted to escape.
I wanted to scream at them, tell them that I couldn’t go through with this mating ceremony! That I didn’t want this anymore! But then, as my gaze swept across the crowd, I saw the hope in their eyes. The unwavering expectation. They were looking at me as if I was their salvation, the Luna who would lead them beside Alexander.
Suddenly, a figure stepped forward—my father.
“Samantha,” his voice rang with authority. “The Moon Goddess will now unite you with Alexander.”
I froze. My entire body locked in place, refusing to move. My pulse pounded in my ears, drowning out everything else. I turned my head slightly, my desperate eyes searching for my mother. She was standing there at the edge of the gathering, her face pale, her hands clasped together. Our gazes met.
Help me.
I silently begged her, pleading for her to step in, to stop this. To tell my father that I couldn’t do it!
But she didn’t move. She didn’t speak. She just stood there, letting my heart break into a million pieces.
I sucked in a breath, the sharp pain in my chest making it difficult to breathe. Still, I forced my feet forward, each step feeling heavier than the last. My legs felt like lead as I walked toward the sacred ceremonial grounds at the heart of the village—the place where my fate was about to be sealed.
Then, as I reached the altar, Alexander arrived.
He stood before me, his expression calm, composed, as if nothing had happened. As if he hadn’t slept with my sister. As if he hadn’t betrayed me in the worst possible way.
I wanted to slap him. I wanted to scream at him, ask him how he could do this to me. How he could stand there and pretend that everything was fine. But the cheers of our people, the Elders waiting in silence, and the crushing expectations left me paralyzed.
I swallowed back the bile rising in my throat, my entire body trembling. Alexander reached for my hands, his touch warm. But all I felt was disgust. Those very hands had been all over Cassandra just moments ago, touching her, claiming her. And now they were on me.
“Samantha,” he said, his voice steady. “This is the moment we’ve been waiting for.”
I looked away, my stomach twisting. My gaze wandered through the crowd, and then—I saw her.
Cassandra.
She stood among the people, her lips curled into a satisfied smirk, her eyes gleaming with triumph. When our eyes met, she scoffed, rolling her eyes before flipping her hair over her shoulder.
I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. But before I could even react, Alexander spoke again.
“I can’t wait for us to finally be united,” he continued, his voice sickeningly smooth. “The Moon Goddess will bless us.”
I said nothing. I couldn’t.
The ceremony began. My heartbeat thundered in my chest, each second feeling like a countdown to my own destruction.
Every instinct in my body screamed at me to stop this, to run. I didn’t want to be mated to him! I didn’t want to be his Luna anymore! I didn’t want to be bound to a man who had already chosen someone else over me!
“I love you, Samantha.”
I bit my bottom lip, trying to stop the tears from falling. And then, everything shattered. All the emotional pain I had been carrying came crashing down in that moment, because of those three words—the same ones that made my heart race for him, time and time again.
“A-Alexander…”
But before I could finish, the world around us exploded into chaos.
“Princess Cassandra collapsed!”
Gasps rippled through the crowd. My eyes widened in shock as I watched her body go limp, her head lolling to the side. People rushed toward her, but before I could even process what was happening, I felt a sudden force shove me aside.
Alexander.
He pushed past me without a second thought, his entire focus locked on Cassandra. Panic twisted his features as he knelt beside her, his hands cupping her face with such tenderness it made my stomach churn.
“She needs help!” His voice cracked with urgency. “Call the healers! We need to stop the ceremony—Cassandra needs immediate attention!”
Silence fell over the crowd. And in that moment, I realized the truth I had been so desperately trying to ignore.
He would always choose her over me.
Always.
