My parents’ faces flushed with embarrassment as they demanded to reject the mate bond, while Alpha Callahan and Luna Loretta shouted at Jalen, their voices sharp and furious. The room was in chaos.

I stood frozen, my mind reeling, unable to comprehend what had transpired between Jalen and Ariella. How could this happen? How could he betray our bond?

In the midst of the commotion, Ariella spotted me, her eyes lighting up as if I were her last hope. She rushed over, tears streaming down her face, and grabbed my arm, pulling me behind the ornate screen that divided the room. Her voice trembled as she pleaded, “Sister, please, help me convince Father to let me be with Jalen. You could be his chosen mate. I promise, once we’re in the same pack, neither Jalen nor I will mistreat you.”

I stared at her, my heart aching with a mix of anger and betrayal. “Do you really think I’d settle for being a chosen mate?” I asked, my voice low but firm.

Something in my words must have struck a nerve, because Ariella’s tearful expression shifted. The vulnerability in her eyes vanished, replaced by a smug, triumphant smile. “You never change, do you, Sofia? Always looking down on those beneath you, always despising me for being the illegitimate one.”

She stepped closer, her voice dropping to a venomous whisper. “But here’s the thing, sister: even though I’m the illegitimate one, I’ve still taken everything from you. Our parents’ affection, your position in the pack, and now, your mate. And yet, you still act like you’re above it all.”

Her words cut deep, leaving me speechless. As the legitimate daughter of the Silver Fang Pack’s Alpha, I had always believed I held a certain status, a certain respect. But now, standing here, I realized that none of it mattered. Not to her, and not to Jalen.

Ariella’s sweet scent and charm won over not only our father but even my own mother, Zelda Hughes.

Years of my hard work paled in comparison to a single comforting gesture from Ariella.

Mother, the Luna of the Silver Fang Pack, prided herself on fairness and impartiality, managing the pack’s affairs with precision. She cared deeply about her reputation, always fearing that other packs might criticize her leadership.

To maintain this image, she never treated anyone in the pack unfairly—except perhaps me.

In terms of privileges and resources, my siblings always had more than I did.

When Ariella fell ill, the entire pack rallied around her, fussing over her like she was the center of the world. Meanwhile, I was left to fend for myself, seeking out a healer in silence.

I had long grown accustomed to the cold indifference of my parents, willingly ceding them to Ariella, and I had given up on everyone who favored her over me.

Jalen was the only exception among them. He had always been radiant, even from a young age.

So many wanted to be near him, to bask in his aura, that he could barely remember Ariella’s existence.

That was why I had chosen him as my future mate.

But now, even he had been taken by Ariella. The last person I thought I could hold onto had slipped through my fingers.

An old wound, long scarred over, tore open again, binding me in a suffocating grip.

I couldn’t tell if it was despair or grief that choked me, but the weight of it pressed down on my chest, making it hard to breathe.

My wolf, Lyra, stirred faintly in the back of my mind, a soft whimper escaping her, but I pushed her down. There was no comfort to be found there, not now.

Jalen, with his commanding presence as the Alpha of the Blue Moon Pack, had always been a beacon of strength and power. His dominance, his alpha tone, had once been a source of security for me. But now, it felt like a cruel reminder of what I had lost.

Ariella, with her sweet smiles and cunning words, had always been the favorite—the one everyone gravitated toward. Even now, she clung to Jalen’s arm, her scent of lavender and vanilla mingling with his, a fragrance that should have been mine.

I clenched my fists, trying to steady myself. The pack’s whispers echoed in my ears, their judgmental gazes piercing through me. I was nothing to them now—just an Omega, a shadow of the woman who had once stood by Jalen’s side.

But I wouldn’t break. Not in front of them.

I straightened my shoulders, forcing myself to breathe deeply. The air carried the faint scent of pine and earth, grounding me.

“You’re stronger than this,” I told myself, even as Lyra’s whimpers grew louder in my mind.

I had survived years of neglect, of being overlooked in favor of Ariella. I had survived the rejection ceremony, the humiliation of having my mate bond severed in front of the entire pack.

I would survive this too.

But as I turned away from the gathering, the weight of Jalen’s betrayal and Ariella’s triumph pressed heavier on my chest, and I wondered if I truly would.