Her name was Katie Silverwood, Jeremy's first love.
She hailed from the exiled Silverwood Pack.
The Nathan Pack Elders had never acknowledged her.
Naturally, Jeremy's family would never allow her to become the pack's Luna.
Despite her humble bloodline, Katie had an unbending pride and couldn't stomach the humiliation. So, she chose to leave him, vanishing without a word.
And me? His so-called 'fated mate'?
I was chosen merely because my aura was a pale imitation of hers.
Now that the genuine article was back, he had no more use for me, the replacement.
She had returned right around the time Jeremy had become "too busy" to see me these last two months.
It all made sense now.
I couldn't help but shake my head, a bitter laugh escaping my lips.
Who would have thought I'd end up as the stand-in lover in such a cliché story?
Katie's return was not meant to be a quiet affair.
She had a grand plan.
She intended to crash my bonding ceremony, declare that Jeremy belonged to her, and then inform all the guests that I was merely keeping the Luna's seat warm for her.
Meanwhile, Jeremy saw this as the perfect chance to prove his undying loyalty, a grand gesture to win back his petulant sweetheart and force the entire pack to accept her.
As for me and our bonding ceremony?
We were just props, sacrifices in their meticulously orchestrated drama.
The absurdity of it all made me want to throw my head back, shift, and howl at the moon.
That night, the lights in my residence burned late.
While other she-wolves dreamt of their grand ceremonies, I was frantically packing my alchemical ingredients.
Two hours earlier, I had booked a one-way flight to Europe.
They wanted a spectacle? Fine. I'd give them one with a twist.
I would answer their farce by severing the mate bond myself.
My family had long been settled in Europe. To spare them a long journey, they hadn't been invited to the ceremony.
This saved me the trouble of navigating a messy fallout.
When my friend, Tessa Hathaway, found out, she took the box I was packing, her expression turning serious.
Her thoughts were a jumble I couldn't decipher, but her serious expression was clear enough. "Tessa," I asked, "are you trying to stop me?"
She rolled her eyes dramatically.
"Of course not. I'm having my father fetch you a special protective case. It'll be perfect for your alchemical ingredients."
On the day of the bonding ceremony, Jeremy and I stood side by side, greeting guests from various packs.
Today, his thoughts were a deafening roar I could barely tolerate.
'Has Katie arrived yet?'
'I can finally be with Katie.'
'Three years, three whole years. She's finally going to be the Luna of the Nathan Pack, my mate.'
'This will prove to her how much she means to me. More than anything.'
I shot Jeremy a look of pure disgust.
But he maintained his calm, powerful Alpha-to-be demeanor, even asking with feigned concern, "Clara, you seem a bit on edge."
"Why don't you go rest in the lounge? I'll handle the guests. Just come back before the ceremony starts."
That suited me perfectly.
Honestly, I was looking for an excuse to disappear.
