The pack was celebrating 10 years of being under Alpha Ronan's rule tonight. Tonight wasn’t just a celebration—it was a statement. Under Alpha Ronan, the pack was stronger than ever, feared by enemies and respected by allies.

The werewolf clan called him god, and despite being young, Ronan won battles that others wouldn’t even start, leading from the front with his wolf tearing through anyone who challenged him.

For this celebration that will be held by only the council members, he agreed we were going as mates. He stood by the door, fixing his jacket. His crest shone under the moonlight. I held my dress up. “Does it look okay?” I asked, heart racing.

He glanced at me. “It’s fine,” he said, not smiling, not frowning.

“It matches your outfit,” I tried again, stepping closer.

“It’s fine,” he repeated, looking past me.

“We’re going together, right?” I asked, waiting for a no.

“Yes.” That’s all he said. I looked at him, wondering how I loved a person like him.

A second passed. Then his body stiffened. His head turned slightly, his nose twitching.

“What?” I asked, feeling my wolf stir.

“Elara,” he muttered. “She’s calling.”

I blinked. “Now?”

“She needs me.” His tone was final. He didn’t wait for me to respond. He shifted on the spot, fur rippling, claws hitting the floor before he vanished through the open door.

I stood there, my hands shaking. “I’ll just… wait, then,” I whispered, but he was gone.

I smiled bitterly, anger wasn't what I felt. Atleast, not anymore.

I had to be at the meeting. I grabbed my shawl and stepped outside. My wolf whimpered, her leg still healing, but I kept walking.

“She’s just a Luna by name” I heard the murmur, reminding me that I was already In the pack house and the council members were there.

“ She doesn't have anything to do other than following the Alpha.”

“But she is the Luna, nothing much”

“ Elara is an all rounder….. sweet yet fierce not this….”

And the murmurs kept on going. I was not angry, I stopped being angry at Ronan for not choosing me.

I sat down near the edge, scanning the crowd for Ronan. He wasn’t there. My chest tightened, but I stayed put. Elder Lyric stood in the center, his deep voice carrying over the pack.

“Our current allies grow weaker,” he began, his tone steady but grim. “If the Crescent Moon pack hadn’t been prepared in the last battles, we would’ve been crushed.”

Murmurs broke out around me.

“We’ve never lost before,” someone whispered behind me.

“Doesn’t mean we can’t,” another replied sharply.

Elder Lyric raised a hand, silencing the crowd. “Our strength isn’t just in numbers. It’s in how we adapt. We need more than what we have now. New defenses, new strategies.”

“How do we do that?” a younger wolf asked, his voice shaky.

“We expand,” Lyric said firmly. “Allies beyond the packs we know. Wolves, rogues, even other creatures.”

“Rogues?” A growl rippled through the crowd.

“Yes.” Lyric’s eyes swept over us. “Rogues who will fight for survival. The same survival we fight for. Or we face extinction alone.”

The weight of his words hung in the air, but I couldn’t focus. Where was Ronan? Why wasn’t he here? My fists clenched, my wolf restless.

I raised my head when the room went quiet, and my eyes found Ronan. My heart sank. Elara stood beside him, wearing the ceremonial blade I made. It hung at her side like it belonged there.

Ronan’s words from days ago echoed in my head. “It’s for the summit,” he’d said, his voice steady. “A symbol of peace.”

But now, I knew the truth. It wasn’t for the summit. It was for her.

“Elara looks good with it,” someone near me whispered.

My wolf growled, low and deep, clawing to get out. I bit down on it, hard.

Ronan walked past, his gaze brushing over me like nothing had happened. Like he hadn’t lied.

“Ronan,” I called, my voice sharp.

He stopped but didn’t turn. “Not now,” he said, his tone clipped.

I stared at his back, my hands shaking. My wolf begged to be unleashed, to rip the blade off her and bury it in the ground. But I stayed rooted, my rage thick and silent.

Not even Elara’s presence would make me lose my cool.

Not that I was blinded by love, I was only loyal to an Alpha who doesn't want me to be his Luna.

I spent days crafting a new set of silver cuffs for Ronan. He wanted them for the meeting with the other packs. “Make them strong,” he said, his voice low. “Something to show power.” I worked through the night, my fingers sore, but I didn’t care. Every stroke of the metal was for him.

When I handed them to him, I was stupid to believe he would consider my effort. But when the meeting came, Elara wore them.

“Ronan, you said these were for you,” I said, eyes filled with tears.

He shrugged. “She looks better in them.”

“Better?” I clenched my fists. “I made those for you!”

He glanced at Elara, her wrists shining. “She needed them more.”

My stomach twisted. “Needed?”

“Yeah,” he said, barely looking at me. “She deserves them.”

I turned away, my hands shaking. Every piece I made for him, she took. Every single time.

But it didn't end there.

The next time, it was a silver chain. Ronan wanted something that could be worn around his neck, something that screamed authority. I worked for nights, every moment focused on making it perfect. When I showed it to him, he barely acknowledged it.

But when I saw Elara wearing it, her fingers touching the chain like it belonged to her, I felt the floor drop from under me.

“Ronan, why?” I asked. Pained.

“She looks better in it,” he said, his words like a slap.

I stepped back, fighting the tears, fighting the wolf inside me that was ready to tear her apart. “I thought you wanted it,” I said, but he didn’t care. He never did.

________________________________________

I barely heard whatever was being discussed in the meeting. I picked up a small cup, filled with a herbal brew, its scent sharp and invigorating, something meant to strengthen the wolf within.

I watched Elara play the role of Luna and Beta at the same time. The meeting was coming to an end, and my hope was coming to an end too.

Elara smiled beside him, lifting a goblet filled with a dark, rich wine. It was blood-infused, a tradition for pack leaders to drink during moments of power and unity. She took a sip, her eyes meeting Ronan’s with a look I couldn’t read.

“ The Alpha and Beta held these packs “ Then came the murmurs yet again.

Truly they did. I smiled, sipping the herbs once more. I got up from where I was and Ronan didn't even notice and if he did, he didn't care.

That night, I went to Elder Myra. “I’m leaving,” I told her, my voice steady.

She looked at me, her eyes soft but serious. “You know Ronan won’t let you go,” she said, her voice low.

I smiled, cold and empty. “I don’t care anymore.”

“You’re making a mistake,” she warned, leaning forward. “Ronan—he won’t let you walk away. He’ll come after you.”

“I’m already gone,” I said, my voice hard. “I’ve been gone for a while. Just didn’t know it until now.”

She sighed, shaking her head. “You think you can just leave? He won’t let you go. He’ll break you before you get far.”

“Let him try,” I said, turning to leave. “I’m done being his second choice. I’m done with all of it.”

Myra grabbed my arm, her grip firm. “You’re not thinking clearly. You’re angry, and I get it. But don’t let it destroy you. Don’t walk away from everything you’ve known.”

I pulled my arm free, glaring at her. “Everything I’ve known? You mean everything he’s taken from me?”

She didn’t stop me. “You won’t win,” she whispered.

I didn’t answer. I just walked out, the door slamming behind me.

That night, I went to my chamber and began packing. My hands moved fast, gathering everything I could. Clothes, some jewelry, and a few silver pieces I made for myself—things I could carry with me.

Elara could have him—everything he gave her, all the pieces I had worked so hard to make. They could have each other. I was done playing the part of someone else’s second choice.

But I didn’t leave just yet, I was still in the chambers that has only memories of me begging him to honour our bond.