The morning light filtered through my bedroom window, casting long shadows across the white dress that hung from my closet door. My mate ceremony dress. Today was supposed to be the most important day of my life—the day Maverick would finally mark me as his Luna, completing our fated bond in front of all the neighboring packs.

But my hands wouldn't stop trembling.

I pressed my palms against the cool glass, watching pack members scurry across the grounds below, setting up chairs and decorations for the ceremony. Their excited chatter drifted up to my window, but I caught the whispered doubts that made my stomach clench.

"Do you really think the Alpha will go through with it?"

"A wolfless Luna? It's unheard of."

"Poor thing doesn't even know what's coming."

I pulled away from the window, wrapping my arms around myself. They were wrong. Maverick loved me. He'd saved my life during that rogue attack years ago, held me as I grieved my parents' deaths, promised me that our bond was stronger than any pack politics. My missing wolf didn't matter—not to him.

A sharp knock interrupted my thoughts. "Come in," I called softly.

Luna Scott swept into my room without waiting for permission, her perfectly styled hair and immaculate dress making me feel even smaller in my simple nightgown. Maverick's mother had never hidden her disapproval of me, but today her contempt seemed especially sharp.

"Still not dressed?" She clicked her tongue, circling me like a predator. "The ceremony begins in two hours, and you're dawdling like a child."

"I was just—"

"Getting cold feet?" Her laugh was cruel. "How fitting. Though I suppose even you must realize how inappropriate this whole charade is."

I lifted my chin, trying to summon courage I didn't feel. "Maverick and I are fated mates. The Moon Goddess herself—"

"The Moon Goddess made a mistake." Luna Scott's voice cut through mine like ice. "A wolfless girl as Luna of the Silvermoon Pack? You'll be the laughingstock of every Alpha family here today. My son should have rejected you the moment he discovered what you were—or rather, what you're not."

Each word was a dagger to my heart, but I forced myself to stand straighter. "Maverick loves me."

"Love?" She laughed again, the sound echoing off my bedroom walls. "Child, you have no idea what's really happening, do you? But you'll learn soon enough."

With that cryptic threat, she swept from my room, leaving me alone with my racing heart and growing dread.

Two hours later, I stood at the back of the pack house's great hall, my white dress feeling more like a shroud than a celebration. Hundreds of werewolves filled every available space—Alphas, Lunas, and pack members from across the region had come to witness our ceremony. Their eyes followed my every movement as I walked down the aisle, some curious, others pitying, a few openly skeptical.

Maverick waited at the altar, devastatingly handsome in his formal black suit. But something was wrong. He wouldn't meet my eyes, his jaw tight with tension I'd never seen before. When I reached his side, he barely acknowledged me, his gaze scanning the crowd instead of focusing on his mate.

"Dearly beloved," Elder Morrison began, his voice carrying across the silent hall. "We gather today to witness the sacred marking ceremony between Alpha Maverick Scott and his fated mate, Raelynn Fisher, blessed by the Moon Goddess herself."

The ritual words that should have filled me with joy felt hollow, echoing strangely in the too-quiet space. I glanced at Maverick, searching for the warmth I'd always found in his eyes, but he seemed like a stranger.

Then I saw her.

Charley Palmer sat in the front row, her red dress vibrant against the sea of formal attire. She clutched a small figurine in her hands—some kind of collectible with delicate painted features. Our eyes met for a split second, and something cold passed between us, a look I couldn't quite interpret.

Elder Morrison continued the ceremony, speaking of eternal bonds and sacred promises. The words blurred together as anxiety clawed at my chest. Why did Maverick seem so distant? Why were there so many whispered conversations in the crowd?

"Do you, Alpha Maverick Scott, accept this sacred bond—"

Crash.

The sound of shattering porcelain cut through the elder's words like a blade. Charley's figurine lay in pieces on the marble floor, and she let out a wail of anguish that seemed to pierce every heart in the room.

"No!" she sobbed, dropping to her knees among the fragments. "It was my grandmother's! The only thing I had left of her!"

The hall erupted in concerned murmurs. Several pack members moved toward her, but it was Maverick who shocked me into frozen silence. Without a word, without even a glance in my direction, he stepped away from the altar and rushed to Charley's side.

"Charley, I'm so sorry," he said, his voice thick with emotion I'd never heard him use for me. He knelt beside her, gathering her into his arms as she continued to weep.

I stood there, abandoned at the altar, watching my mate comfort another woman while hundreds of witnesses stared at me with a mixture of pity and secondhand embarrassment. The elder had fallen silent, his ancient eyes wide with shock at this unprecedented interruption.

"Maverick?" I whispered, but my voice was lost in Charley's dramatic sobs.

Then he looked up at me, and the coldness in his eyes made my blood freeze. "How could you be so heartless?" His voice carried the unmistakable authority of his Alpha tone, designed to make me submit, to make me cower. "Standing there like a statue while she suffers. What kind of Luna shows no compassion for her pack members?"

Gasps echoed through the hall. Someone's sharp intake of breath cut through the tension.

"You're nothing but a cold-hearted witch," he continued, his Alpha aura pressing down on me until my knees nearly buckled. "Completely unworthy of the Luna title."

The words hit me like physical blows. Around us, the assembled packs watched in stunned silence as their host Alpha publicly humiliated his own fated mate. I felt every eye on me, every whispered judgment, every satisfied smirk from those who'd predicted this moment.

Maverick turned back to Charley, helping her to her feet with infinite gentleness while I stood frozen in my wedding dress, shattered as completely as the figurine on the floor.

I ran.

My white dress tangled around my legs as I stumbled through the pack house doors, barely registering the shocked faces that blurred past me. Behind me, the great hall buzzed with whispers that grew louder with each step I took—hushed conversations about the incomplete mating ritual, about the Alpha who'd abandoned his mate at the altar, about the wolfless girl who'd finally gotten what she deserved.

My small cottage sat at the edge of pack territory, a fifteen-minute walk that felt like an eternity. By the time I reached my door, my lungs burned and tears streaked my face, probably ruining whatever dignity I had left. I fumbled with the lock, my hands shaking so badly I could barely turn the key.

Inside, I collapsed against the closed door and slid to the floor.

The dress—this beautiful white dress I'd spent months choosing—pooled around me like a cloud. I'd imagined Maverick removing it tonight, his mark fresh on my neck, our bond finally complete. Instead, I sat alone on my cottage floor, unmarked and unwanted, while he comforted another woman.

My fingers found my neck, pressing against the smooth, unblemished skin. No mate mark. No sacred bond. Just emptiness where his teeth should have claimed me in front of all those witnesses.

A sob tore from my throat, then another, until I was crying so hard I couldn't breathe. How could he do this? How could he humiliate me in front of every Alpha family in the region? And for what—a broken figurine?

No. Not just that. The way he'd looked at Charley, the gentleness in his voice, the way he'd rushed to her without hesitation—those weren't reactions to a simple accident. That was something deeper, something that had been growing while I'd been blind to it.

"Cold-hearted witch." His words echoed in my mind, laced with that Alpha authority that had made my knees weak. Not from desire, but from the deliberate cruelty of using his power against his own mate.

I pulled my knees to my chest, making myself as small as possible. By now, news of the failed ceremony would be spreading through every pack. The wolfless girl who couldn't even keep her Alpha's attention long enough to complete a mating ritual. The would-be Luna who was rejected before she could be marked.

I was the laughingstock of the entire werewolf community.

A sharp knock at my door made me flinch. For one desperate second, I thought it might be Maverick, coming to apologize, to explain, to fix this nightmare. But when I opened the door, Luna Scott stood there with a smile that could cut glass.

"Well, well," she said, pushing past me without invitation. "That was quite the spectacle. Though I can't say I'm surprised."

I should have closed the door in her face. Instead, I stood there, too numb to protest as she circled my small living room with obvious disdain.

"A wolfless Luna." She laughed, the sound sharp and mocking. "Did you really think my son would go through with it? That he'd saddle himself with you—a defective mate who can't even shift?"

Each word was designed to wound, and they hit their marks perfectly. But something stirred in my chest, something hot and fierce that cut through the numbness.

"You should be grateful he waited this long to show you the truth," Luna Scott continued. "Honestly, I'm proud of him for finally standing up for himself and the pack's reputation. We don't need a weak, wolfless—"

"Get out."

My voice was quiet, but it stopped her mid-sentence. She turned to me, one perfectly sculpted eyebrow raised.

"Excuse me?"

"Get out of my house." Something was changing inside me, some locked door finally breaking open. My hands had stopped shaking. "You came here to mock me, to rub salt in my wounds. Well, you've done it. Now leave."

Luna Scott's face flushed with outrage. "How dare you speak to me that way? I am the Luna of this pack, and you—"

"I'm done being your punching bag." I moved toward her, and for the first time in my life, I saw something flicker in her eyes. Surprise. Maybe even a hint of fear. "Out. Now."

"You little—"

I grabbed her arm—actually grabbed the Luna of Silvermoon Pack—and steered her toward the door. She was so shocked she didn't even resist until I'd pushed her over the threshold.

"Raelynn Fisher, you will regret this!" she shrieked as I slammed the door in her face.

I locked it and pressed my back against the wood, my heart pounding. I'd just thrown out the Luna. Without a wolf to protect me, without any status or standing in the pack, I'd just made an enemy of the most powerful female in Silvermoon.

But I couldn't bring myself to regret it.

Hours passed in a blur of tears and numbness. The sun set, casting long shadows through my windows. I'd changed out of the wedding dress, unable to bear looking at it any longer, and now sat curled on my small couch when I felt it—a sharp pull in my chest that made me gasp.

The mate bond.

Maverick was using it to summon me, to drag me toward him through the invisible thread that connected us. I tried to resist, digging my metaphorical heels in, but his Alpha power overwhelmed my pitiful defenses.

"No," I whispered, but my body was already moving toward the door.

He appeared on my porch before I could reach it, and I stumbled backward at the sight of him. His jaw was set in that familiar stubborn line, his Alpha aura pressing against me like a physical force.

"Get in the car." His voice was cold, commanding. "Now."

"Why should I?" The courage that had allowed me to throw out his mother flickered inside me. "So you can humiliate me again?"

"Charley is hurt." He grabbed my arm, his grip bruising. "She's in the pack hospital, and you're going to care for her."

I stared at him, certain I'd misheard. "What?"

"You heard me." His Alpha tone wrapped around the words, making them impossible to resist. "Your cold-heartedness caused her fall. The least you can do is show some compassion now."

"I didn't—" But the protest died in my throat as he pulled me toward his car, the mate bond amplifying his commands until my body moved against my will.

This was my mate. The man who'd saved my life, who'd promised to protect me, who was supposed to cherish our bond above all else.

And he was dragging me to his mistress's bedside like a servant.

The pack hospital's fluorescent lights burned my eyes as Maverick dragged me through the sterile corridors. His grip on my arm was iron, the mate bond amplifying his Alpha command until resistance felt impossible. Pack members moved aside as we passed, their pitying stares following us like ghosts.

"Maverick, please," I whispered, but he didn't even glance at me.

Charley's private room was at the end of the hall—of course she'd been given the best accommodations. Maverick shoved open the door, and there she was, propped against white pillows, looking perfectly healthy except for a small bandage on her arm that seemed more decorative than necessary.

Her eyes met mine, and I saw it—the flash of triumph she couldn't quite hide.

"Stay here," Maverick commanded, his Alpha tone wrapping around me like chains. "Take care of her. Bring her whatever she needs. You will not leave this room until I say so."

"You can't—"

"I can." His voice dropped lower, the full weight of his authority pressing down on me. "And you will obey."

The mate bond twisted inside me, reinforcing his command until my knees buckled. He turned and left without another word, the door clicking shut behind him with the finality of a prison cell.

I stood there, trembling, while Charley watched me with that satisfied smile.

"Well," she said sweetly, her voice dripping with false concern. "Isn't this cozy? Just us girls."

I forced myself to move to the chair beside her bed, my legs unsteady. The mate bond ached in my chest, a constant reminder of Maverick's presence even when he wasn't here, a leash he could yank whenever he pleased.

"Water," Charley said, not asking but demanding.

I got her water. Then she wanted her pillows adjusted. Then the temperature was wrong. Each petty request was designed to humiliate me, and we both knew it. But the Alpha command kept me trapped, unable to refuse, unable to leave.

Hours crawled by. The sun set outside the window, casting long shadows across the hospital room. Charley alternated between fake sweetness when nurses passed by and cruel whispers when we were alone.

"He was supposed to mark you today," she said during one of those private moments, examining her nails casually. "Did you really think he would? A wolfless nobody like you?"

I didn't answer. I couldn't trust my voice not to break.

"He's mine now." She leaned forward, her eyes glittering with malice. "He always was, really. You were just too pathetic to see it."

The mate bond pulsed with pain—not physical, but something deeper, like my soul was being torn apart one thread at a time. Maverick was out there somewhere, probably thinking about her, definitely not thinking about me locked in this room like a servant.

"I'm thirsty again."

I stood too quickly, and the room tilted. My hand pressed against my stomach as a sharp cramp made me gasp.

"What's wrong?" Charley's voice held no real concern. "Feeling faint? How pathetic."

Another cramp, stronger this time, doubling me over. Something was wrong—something beyond the emotional agony of this nightmare. Heat radiated through my abdomen, and when I looked down, I saw red blooming across my clothes.

"Oh my goddess," I whispered.

The pain intensified, stealing my breath. I collapsed to my knees beside Charley's bed, one hand pressed against my stomach while the other grasped the sheets for support.

"Get up," Charley snapped. "Stop being so dramatic."

But I couldn't get up. The world was spinning, red spreading faster now, and the pain—the pain was everywhere, ripping through me in waves.

The door burst open. Elena Cross, the pack healer, took one look at me and rushed forward.

"Help her!" Even Charley sounded alarmed now.

Elena's hands were gentle as she lowered me to the floor, her face pale with shock. "Raelynn, how far along are you?"

"What?" The question made no sense through the haze of pain.

"You're pregnant. Or—" Her voice caught. "You were pregnant."

The words hit me like a physical blow. Pregnant. I'd been carrying Maverick's pup, and I hadn't even known. The cramps intensified, and I understood with horrible clarity what was happening.

I was losing our child.

"No," I sobbed. "No, please, no."

Elena shouted for assistance, and suddenly the room filled with medical staff. They lifted me onto a gurney, their voices urgent but distant. Through the chaos, I saw Charley sitting in her bed, her expression unreadable.

The last thing I heard before darkness claimed me was someone asking, "Where's the Alpha? Someone get Alpha Maverick!"

But I already knew the answer.

He wouldn't come.

I woke to silence.

The hospital room was dim, lit only by the soft glow of monitors beside my bed. My body felt hollow, emptied of something precious I'd never known I had. My hand drifted to my stomach, finding only flatness and the ghost of pain.

Gone. My pup was gone.

"You're awake." Elena's voice came from the chair beside my bed, startling me. Her eyes were red-rimmed, exhausted.

"How long?" My voice came out raw, broken.

"Six hours." She moved closer, checking my vitals with practiced efficiency. "You lost a lot of blood. The pup... I'm so sorry, Raelynn. It was too late to save it."

Tears slid down my temples, disappearing into my hair. "Does he know?"

Elena's hesitation was answer enough.

"He was notified," she said carefully. "But he... he's with Charley. She had another episode after you collapsed. He chose to stay with her."

Of course he did.

I'd lost our child, alone in a hospital bed, while Maverick comforted his mistress. The mate bond that should have drawn him to my side, that should have made him feel my anguish, meant nothing to him.

"Has anyone..." I couldn't finish the question.

Elena shook her head. "No visitors. I'm sorry."

I closed my eyes, letting the darkness take me again. It was better than facing this reality—that I'd been so completely abandoned, even my own mate couldn't be bothered to check if I'd survived.

The white hospital ceiling blurred above me as fresh tears came. Somewhere in this building, Maverick held Charley. And here I lay, marked by loss instead of love, my womb empty of the future I'd never known existed.

This was my life now. This was what being his fated mate meant.

Nothing.