I pressed the golden wax seal onto the final invitation, my fingers trembling slightly as I smoothed the edges. Three hundred and forty-seven invitations. I had counted each one, addressed each envelope in my careful script, ensuring every pack member would witness this moment—the moment Eliam would finally acknowledge our bond before the Moon Goddess and our people.
*Tonight,* my wolf whispered, her excitement making my hands shake as I arranged the invitations in neat stacks. *Tonight he'll see us. Really see us.*
I touched the Beta collar at my throat, feeling the familiar weight of the silver chain that had hidden my scars for so long. After tonight, I would wear the Luna's crescent instead. After ten years of waiting, of serving, of believing that devotion would be enough—tonight would change everything.
The ceremonial dress hung on my bedroom door, moonlight silk that caught the light like water. I had chosen it myself, imagining how Eliam's eyes would soften when he saw me waiting at the altar. How his wolf would finally recognize what had been right in front of him all along.
"Sage?" My assistant knocked softly. "The decorations are ready. The altar looks beautiful."
"Thank you, Maya." I gathered the invitations, my heart hammering against my ribs. "Make sure these reach every household before sunset. Everyone needs to be there."
She nodded, but I caught the flicker of concern in her eyes. "Alpha Eliam confirmed the timing, didn't he?"
My wolf whimpered at the question I'd been avoiding. When was the last time Eliam and I had spoken about anything beyond pack business? When had he last looked at me as anything more than his efficient Beta?
"Of course," I lied smoothly. "Eight o'clock under the full moon. He wouldn't miss this."
But even as I said it, doubt crept through my chest like ice water. I pushed it down, buried it beneath ten years of hope and faith. This was our moment. Our Moon Goddess-blessed bond would finally triumph over his foolish obsession with Clare Tucker.
The hours crawled by in a haze of preparation. I bathed in moonflower oil, brushed my hair until it shone like copper in the lamplight, and slipped into the silk dress that made me feel, for once, like something precious. Something worth choosing.
My reflection stared back from the mirror—nervous, hopeful, beautiful in a way I rarely allowed myself to believe. Tonight, I would stand before our pack not as Beta, but as Luna. As Eliam's true mate.
*He has to come,* my wolf insisted, pacing restlessly. *The bond calls to him. He can't ignore it forever.*
By seven-thirty, the ceremonial grounds hummed with anticipation. Hundreds of pack members filled the stone amphitheater, their voices a low murmur of excitement under the rising moon. White roses and silver ribbons adorned every surface, and the ancient altar gleamed with fresh polish.
I took my place at the center, my hands clasped to hide their trembling. The silk dress flowed around me like liquid starlight, and the Beta collar felt suddenly heavy at my throat—the last time I would wear it.
Eight o'clock came and went.
The murmurs grew louder, confused glances passing between pack members. Elder Morrison checked his pocket watch for the third time, his weathered face creased with concern.
"Perhaps the Alpha is handling last-minute pack business," he suggested quietly, but his voice carried in the stone amphitheater.
Eight-fifteen. Eight-thirty.
My wolf whined, a sound of pure distress that echoed through my bones. *Where is he? Why isn't he here?*
I stood frozen at the altar, my carefully arranged composure beginning to crack. The pack members shifted restlessly, some beginning to whisper behind their hands. Children grew fussy in their parents' arms. The perfect ceremony I had planned with such meticulous care was crumbling around me.
"Luna Sage," Elder Morrison approached carefully, his voice gentle. "Perhaps we should—"
"He's coming," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "He has to be coming."
But even as I spoke, I felt the truth settling in my chest like a stone. Eliam wasn't late. Eliam wasn't coming.
The sound of running footsteps echoed across the ceremonial grounds. A young pack messenger burst through the crowd, his face flushed and his breathing ragged.
"Beta Sage!" he called out, his voice carrying across the silent amphitheater. "I have news from Alpha Eliam!"
Every eye turned to me as I stood there in my silk dress, surrounded by white roses and broken dreams. My wolf howled silently as the messenger approached, and I knew—with the terrible certainty that comes before devastation—that whatever news he carried would shatter the last of my foolish hope.
"Speak," I managed, my voice steadier than I felt.
The messenger's eyes filled with pity as he delivered the words that would change everything.
