Liora POV:
"Selena, forget the dress," she said, her voice strangely flat. "There's not going to be a ceremony."
The words didn't register at first. They were just sounds, meaningless and absurd. "What are you talking about? Kade is waiting for me."
A twisted smile, half-apology and half-boast, curled her lip. "Oh, he's waiting, Liora. But he's not waiting for you. He's waiting for me."
My mind went blank. The world tilted on its axis. In my head, Lyra let out a confused, heartbroken whimper. The word 'mate' was a sacred thing, a concept that could only be tied to one name. Kade. Not... not her.
Selena raised her hand, turning her wrist. A freshly inked silver rune shimmered on her skin, a swirling symbol of a wolf's bite.
The sight seared my eyes. I knew that mark. It was the sigil of a Chosen Mate—a binding ritual an Alpha performs only when rejecting their Fated Mate for another.
The room spun. I grabbed the edge of the vanity to keep from collapsing. My reflection stared back at me, a ghost in a white dress, her face a mask of disbelief.
"Why?" The word was a raw, ragged tear in the silence.
"He needs my father's support," Selena explained, her tone chillingly rational. "The Betas hold a lot of power. With their loyalty, his transition to Alpha will be seamless. It's a political alliance, Liora."
Her words were daggers, each one finding its mark. "An Omega, even a Fated one, can't give him that strength. You have to understand. The pack's needs come before everything else." Her voice was cold, echoing the pragmatic, rank-obsessed values her father had preached for years.
A sharp, stabbing pain shot through my chest, right where my bond with Kade resided. It was the feeling of a fated connection beginning to fray, a spiritual tearing that only happened when one mate committed the ultimate betrayal.
My heart didn't just sink; it turned to a block of ice. He hadn't just decided. He had already done it. The ritual was complete.
Lyra's whimper of confusion morphed into a furious snarl. *Liar! Traitor!* she howled in my mind.
The shock began to recede, replaced by the cold, clear focus of my true Alpha nature. I had to get out. I had to see him. But the facade had to hold. I was a heartbroken Omega. That's what they all had to see.
I shoved past Selena, my movements clumsy and desperate. "No," I choked out, stumbling toward the door. "I have to talk to Kade. I have to hear it from him."
She didn't try to stop me. "Don't humiliate yourself, Liora," she called softly to my back. "Just accept it."
I ignored her, yanking the door open and plunging into the hallway. The festive decorations, the silver lanterns and moonflower garlands, seemed to mock me. I ran, the silk of my dress tangling around my legs, a cruel reminder of the future that had just been stolen.
Pack members turned to stare as I flew past, their faces a mixture of shock and confusion. I could hear their whispers, their questions about why their future Luna was running through the packhouse like a madwoman.
I didn't care. I followed the thrum of my now-agonizing bond, a homing beacon leading me straight to the source of my pain. It pulled me toward the Alpha's study. He was in there. I could feel him.
The heavy oak door was slightly ajar. I could hear voices from within—Kade's, and those of his closest friends.
