The next day, Jalen arrived.

But he didn’t come to my door. Instead, he went straight to Ariella’s quarters.

After a while, Jalen and Ariella walked into my living room, arm in arm.

As soon as Ariella saw me, she began her usual act of tears and apologies.

"I’m so sorry, Sofia," she said, her voice trembling. "I brought Jalen here to apologize to you."

"It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have fallen for him, and I shouldn’t have gotten close to him."

"Every mistake is mine. Please, Sofia, don’t blame Jalen for this."

Jalen’s heart ached at her words. He gently pulled Ariella to her feet and comforted her. "Ariella, you’ve done nothing wrong. I’m the one who insisted on making you my mate. This is my fault, not yours."

I hadn’t even said a word, yet they’d already painted me as the villain.

I was furious and frustrated, but I couldn’t find the words to refute her.

All my life, Ariella had overshadowed me, and it was always because she was better with words.

Jalen had known me for ten years. He knew my nature, and he knew how Ariella had always bullied me.

For years, he’d told me to be patient with her, and I thought it was for my sake.

Now I realized it was only because he loved her.

Their performance was more dramatic than a soap opera.

I didn’t hold back as I ordered them to leave. “If you want to cry, do it somewhere else. Don’t taint my territory.”

“Sofia, you’re being too harsh.”

Watching their interaction, a sour ache twisted in my chest. I refused to stoop to Ariella’s level, forcing back the tears that threatened to spill. Keeping my voice steady, I said, “Since you’re so in love, I’ll step aside and let you be together.”

Seeing my compliance, Jalen’s attitude softened slightly. “I knew you’d understand, Sofia. If you can get along with Ariella, I’ll make sure you’re taken care of.”

“Get along with Ariella? What are you talking about?”

Jalen spoke with an alpha tone, as if he had already decided everything. “You and Ariella will both join the Blue Moon Pack. She’ll be my Luna, and you’ll be my chosen mate.”

I stared at him, feeling a wave of unfamiliarity. “Jalen, what’s happened to you? What do I even mean to you?”

“Sofia, the Blue Moon Pack is prestigious. My Luna can only be someone like Ariella—a noble and refined she-wolf with a strong aura. Having a mate who spends her time tending to herbs in the forest would be an insult to my pack.”

He repeated his decision with finality. “My Luna will be Ariella. Allowing you to remain as my chosen mate is already a gesture of kindness, considering our history.”

“Sofia, don’t be stubborn. It won’t do you any good.”

Jalen smiled as he said this, the curve of his lips dripping with mockery.

This wasn’t the way he used to treat me—a childhood companion. It was the way he looked at a weak omega.

I couldn’t understand why Jalen had suddenly turned against me.

The news of Jalen's rejection spread like wildfire, and it seemed everyone in the werewolf community knew I had been cast aside. Despite the humiliation, I still received an invitation to the gathering hosted by one of the prominent Alphas in the city. I had prepared myself for this moment, knowing full well what I was walking into.

It was a habit of mine to spot Jalen in a crowd. Back then, we would arrive together, and I’d beam with pride when people called us the perfect pair. Now, it was Ariella who clung to his arm, her scent—a mix of rosemary and vanilla—drifting toward me as if to mock my loss. Though the whispers about them were far from kind, Jalen looked utterly content, as if he hadn’t a care in the world.

When his eyes locked onto mine, a shiver ran down my spine. That familiar glint in his gaze—I knew he was up to something. He let out a loud laugh, his Alpha tone resonating through the room, commanding everyone’s attention.

"Thank you all for honoring the Blue Moon Pack," he began, his voice dripping with false modesty. "But I must say, Sofia sitting so prominently at the high table doesn’t sit right with me."

My jaw tightened. He hadn’t even officially marked me as his mate, yet here he was, acting as if he had the right to dictate my place in the pack. The audacity.

I forced a polite smile and met his gaze head-on. "Where I sit is the host’s decision, Alpha Jalen," I replied, my voice calm but firm. "I don’t believe that’s any concern of yours."

The room fell silent, the weight of my words hanging in the air. Jalen’s smirk faltered for a moment, but he quickly recovered, his Alpha aura flaring as if to remind me of his rank. Ariella’s grip on his arm tightened, her scent sharpening with irritation.

I held my ground, refusing to let him—or anyone—diminish my worth. The gathering was far from over, and I was determined to navigate it with the dignity I deserved.