The basement air clung to my skin like a damp shroud as I slipped into the white gown my mother had tossed down the stairs earlier. Seven years of waiting, of enduring, would finally end today. Today, I would officially become Marcus Thompson's Luna.
My fingers trembled as I smoothed down the fabric. The dress was old—Grace's discarded confirmation gown from two years ago—yellowed at the edges and smelling faintly of mothballs. But it didn't matter. Nothing mattered except that Marcus had chosen me, wolfless though I was.
"You should be grateful anyone would have you at all," my mother had sneered when she'd thrown the dress down. "Don't embarrass us more than your existence already does."
I pushed her words away and focused on the flickering torchlight that cast dancing shadows against the cold stone walls. The basement had been my bedroom since Grace shifted at sixteen, her silver wolf demanding more space than my human form. I didn't mind. At least here, I had privacy.
I brushed dust from the hem and pinched my cheeks for color. No mirror down here—mirrors were for those worth looking at, as my mother often reminded me. I ran my fingers through my plain brown hair, trying to tame it into something presentable.
"Marcus loves you," I whispered to myself, the words a talisman against doubt. "He saved you from the rogues. He chose you."
The memory of that day seven years ago still made my heart race—rogues attacking me in the woods, Marcus appearing like a guardian angel, fighting them off. "You're mine to protect now," he'd said, and those words had sustained me through every cold night, every cruel taunt from Grace, every dismissive glance from my father.
I climbed the basement stairs, wincing as splinters from the worn wood pricked my bare feet. The main house was empty—everyone had already left for the ceremony. Of course, no one had thought to wake me. Why would they?
Outside, dawn painted the sky in hesitant strokes of pink and gold. The air smelled of pine and possibility. I followed the familiar scent trail toward the sacred mating glade, my heart drumming a rhythm of hope against my ribs. Soon, I would belong. Soon, I would matter.
The forest path wound through ancient trees, their branches forming a natural archway that led to the glade. The sacred space where generations of Silvermoon alphas had claimed their mates awaited me. My steps quickened.
But when I pushed through the final curtain of leaves, my heart stopped.
The glade was empty.
No Marcus. No pack members. No ceremonial fires or flower garlands. Just silence and the accusatory stare of the morning sun.
Confusion clouded my mind. Had I misunderstood? Was I early? Late?
Then I felt it—the ripple of pack auras, dozens of them, pulsing not from the glade but from the direction of the main ceremonial hall. The collective energy was vibrant, excited. A celebration was happening, but not here. Not for me.
My legs moved before my mind could process what was happening. I ran through the forest, branches tearing at my dress, at my skin, but I barely felt the sting. Something was wrong. Terribly wrong.
The ceremonial hall loomed ahead, its stone façade gleaming in the morning light. I slowed, suddenly afraid of what I might find. Music and voices drifted through the open doors. Laughter. Cheers.
I crept forward, keeping to the shadows, and positioned myself behind a massive column near the entrance. From there, I could see everything without being seen.
And what I saw shattered my world into a thousand jagged pieces.
Marcus stood in the center of the hall, resplendent in ceremonial robes. Beside him, radiant in a gown of pure white silk adorned with silver thread and moonstone beads, stood Grace. My sister. Her silver-blonde hair cascaded down her back, catching the light like a halo. She was smiling up at Marcus with triumphant eyes.
The pack surrounded them in concentric circles, my parents in the innermost ring, beaming with pride. Pride they had never once shown for me.
"Today marks a new chapter for the Silvermoon Pack," Alpha Garrett Thompson's voice boomed. "My son takes his rightful mate, uniting our strongest bloodlines."
My knees weakened. This couldn't be happening. This was my ceremony. My mate. My day.
Then Marcus stepped forward, his face solemn but his eyes gleaming with satisfaction. When he spoke, he used his Alpha tone—commanding, powerful, impossible to ignore.
"I, Marcus Thompson, future Alpha of the Silvermoon Pack, reject you, Emily Watson, as my mate."
Pain exploded through my body like liquid fire. Every cell screamed as the mate bond I thought we shared was violently severed. I clutched at the column, a silent scream trapped in my throat.
Through tears, I saw Grace's smile widen. She knew I was here. She had planned this—my public humiliation, my complete destruction.
As darkness crowded the edges of my vision, I turned and fled into the forest, the sound of celebration chasing me like hungry wolves.
