At our engagement ceremony, I stood in the grand hall of the packhouse, the Victorian-style dress my grandmother Holly had sewn for me flowing elegantly around me. The room was filled with pack members, their auras buzzing with excitement. Atharv, the Alpha of the Crimson Moon Pack and my supposed mate, stood beside me, his imposing figure radiating authority. But his dark eyes weren’t on me—they were fixed on Ada, a cunning she-wolf who had always lingered too close to him.

When Atharv turned to me, his alpha tone cut through the murmurs of the crowd. “Sariah,” he commanded, his voice cold and unyielding, “perform a dance for Ada. She deserves some entertainment.”

My heart stuttered. A dance? At an engagement ceremony? And for Ada, of all people? I clenched my fists, my wolf stirring uneasily within me. “Alpha,” I said, keeping my voice steady, “this is our ceremony. I won’t—”

Before I could finish, Atharv gestured to the warriors flanking the hall. “Strip her,” he ordered, his tone sharp and final.

The room fell silent as the warriors stepped forward, their hands reaching for me. I froze, my mind screaming, but no sound escaped my lips. The dress Holly had made for me—the one she’d poured her love and hope into—was torn away, leaving me exposed in front of the entire pack. The laughter of the guests echoed in my ears, their auras dripping with mockery.

Then, Atharv did the unthinkable. He took the mate mark—the symbol of our bond—and placed it on Ada’s neck instead of mine. The crowd erupted in gasps and whispers, their eyes flicking between me and Ada, who stood there with a triumphant smile.

“I, Atharv, Alpha of the Crimson Moon Pack, reject you, Sariah, as my mate,” he declared, his voice cutting through the chaos. The words struck me like a physical blow, the mate bond burning with a searing pain that nearly brought me to my knees.

From the crowd, Nina, my best friend and the pack’s Gamma, stepped forward, her aura flaring with anger. “Alpha, this is—”

Atharv cut her off with a wave of his hand, his alpha tone silencing her instantly. “She’s nothing,” he said, his voice dripping with disdain. “An Omega who couldn’t even hold my interest. Ada is the one who deserves to stand beside me as Luna.”

The room erupted in murmurs, some of pity, others of scorn. My vision blurred, but I held my head high. Just as the humiliation threatened to consume me, my phone buzzed in my hand. A message from the hospital—Holly was gone.

I managed a smile through my tears. This was my chance to escape.

---

Days later, I was at the hospital, arranging Holly’s affairs, when I encountered Atharv and Ada. They looked momentarily stunned, but Ada quickly composed herself, her eyes welling with fake tears.

“Sariah,” she said, her voice trembling with faux innocence. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have suggested that dance at our engagement ceremony. I just thought it would liven things up.”

The dance she’d suggested was anything but appropriate, and she’d proposed it in front of the entire pack. Yet, Atharv pulled her into his arms, his face full of concern. “Ada, your intentions were good,” he said, his alpha voice softening. “Remember, the healer said to stay calm. Just take deep breaths.” Then he turned to me, his tone sharp. “Some people don’t recognize kindness.”

“Sariah,” he continued, his voice cold, “do you know that after you left, Ada was so anxious she nearly collapsed? Apologize to her, and we can move past this. Otherwise, your grandmother’s medical bills…”

Ada glanced at me with a smug expression, basking in her triumph. My hand shook slightly as I clutched my purse.

I remembered the year I’d won the pack’s annual Moonlight Games, my agility and grace earning me the top spot. Atharv had carried me off the field, his alpha aura possessive, his voice a low growl. “From now on, you dance only for me, or you’ll regret it.”

But now, he wanted me to perform a humiliating dance in public.

In my darkest hour, Atharv had appeared as my savior, offering to help my family in exchange for our mate pairing. Yet, within six short months, he became the source of my suffering. Love, it seemed, was as fleeting as it was fickle.

Numb, I walked into the hospital room to gather Holly’s belongings. When I emerged, I was holding a bundle.

An accidental bump sent me stumbling forward into Atharv’s arms. He grimaced, pushing me away with disdain. “What are you trying to pull? It’s just a dance.”

“Thank you,” I said flatly, moving past him like a ghost.

Atharv furrowed his brow, starting to say something.

Suddenly, Ada whimpered, “Atharv, I’m feeling a bit dizzy.”

Atharv immediately lifted her, urgently calling for the healer, but Ada stopped him.

She clung to him like a vine, her gaze cautiously darting to me, her voice weak. “Atharv, I’m just feeling a little faint. The chicken soup Sariah made last time helped me recover. I’d like to have more.”

Atharv swiftly grabbed my hand, commanding, “Sariah, go home and make that chicken soup for Ada. She’s having these tests because of you!”

I looked up, puzzled. "When did I ever make gingerbread for you?"

Ada didn’t bother to answer, but Alpha Atharv’s expression faltered briefly, guilt flitting across his face. Then he suddenly raised his voice, his alpha tone sharp and commanding. "Just follow orders, Omega. No questions asked."

I wondered if he remembered how he’d spent an entire month trying to convince and beg me before I agreed to make gingerbread for him indefinitely. Back then, he’d been so persistent, his alpha aura softened with what I’d mistaken for genuine care. Now, it felt like a distant memory, buried under the weight of his betrayal.

The small spark of resistance in my heart completely died out. I clutched my grandmother’s heirloom closer, trying to soak in its warmth. Holly’s scent—faint, like lavender—still lingered on the fabric, a comforting reminder of her love and wisdom.

At that moment, Ada’s voice took on a playful lilt. "Alpha Atharv, I’m not feeling well. Could you stay with me tonight?"

Atharv instinctively glanced my way, his smile stiff as he attempted to explain. "We’re just friends, Sariah. Don’t read into it."

I didn’t bother to call him out, pretending not to notice the faint trace of Ada’s perfume on his collar. She tugged him away, her movements deliberate, her eyes glinting with triumph.

My gaze fell on the rings on their fingers. A pair of antique rings symbolizing eternal love—the very ones I’d been with Atharv when we bought them at an auction for three million dollars. That night, he’d held me close, weaving dreams about our future together, his alpha aura warm and reassuring.

But now, he’d given the rings to someone else.

Unwilling to witness their affection any longer, I turned around and went home to pack. But as soon as I walked in, I noticed the photo of Atharv and me was missing from the wall. In its place was a cute picture of Ada’s pet. I recognized that dog instantly—it was the same one from Atharv’s phone wallpaper.

In the end, his affection had never shifted. He’d always loved her. I was just a placeholder. Not that it mattered anymore. Our engagement was always a formality, a mate pairing contract born out of necessity rather than fate. I had only come back to retrieve the Victorian-style dress my grandmother, Holly, had crafted for me.

Atharv returned then—I didn’t even need to look to know it was him. His alpha aura filled the room, heavy and oppressive. With a disdainful snort, he knocked the dress from my hands, his voice dripping with contempt. "Getting sentimental, are we?"

"Why did you upset Ada? She’s the heiress of the Wright family. You’re just an Omega. How could you possibly compare?"

His words cut deeper than I cared to admit, but I held my ground, my wolf stirring faintly in the back of my mind, a quiet growl of defiance. I wouldn’t let him see how much it hurt. Not again.

Words can wound the heart, yet they also reveal truths about people. It turns out that lineage does matter to him after all.

In a haze, I remembered the Alpha from three years ago, so full of passion and sincerity. He had stood in front of me, defying his mother with conviction: "I don’t care about her family’s rank or connections. I just want her."

Back to the present, I pulled out the letter my grandmother, Holly, had left for Atharv. "Grandma passed away," I said, my voice steady despite the ache in my chest.

Atharv’s eyes narrowed, his Alpha aura flaring with irritation. "Jealousy shouldn’t go this far. Don’t joke about Grandma."

How could I use Grandma, my last family member, as a pawn in our petty disputes? The thought alone made me feel sick. I swallowed my pain, forcing back tears, and carefully packed the Victorian-style dress she had made for our engagement ceremony into my suitcase. "We need to end this," I said firmly.

It was time to sever this dysfunctional mate bond.

Three years ago, my family had fallen from grace. Our once-proud pack was stripped of its status, and both my parents took their lives. I was left fending off creditors while caring for Grandma, who had been diagnosed with a rare illness. Facing enormous medical bills, I eventually yielded to Atharv’s advances, though I knew deep down it was more of a contract than a true pairing.

After reading the letter, tears filled his eyes. He pulled me into a remorseful hug, his Alpha scent—a mix of cedar and storm—overpowering. "You still have me," he said, his voice softening.

For a moment, it felt like those intimate times from the past. But the scent of roses, which belonged only to Ada, clung to him, making my stomach churn. "Alpha," I said, my tone firm, "I’m serious."

His expression turned cold, a sarcastic smile playing on his lips. "And how would you manage without me? Where could you possibly go on your own?"

"Stop overreacting. I know you’re upset, but just this once!"

Yes, my only family was gone. I was an orphan, an Omega with no pack ties left. I clenched my fists, nails digging into my skin, unable to speak.

Atharv realized he had crossed a line and quickly tried to backtrack, his Alpha tone shifting to a more placating one. "That’s not what I meant. I would never abandon you." He pulled an antique ring from his pocket, the silver band gleaming under the light.

I froze. Wasn’t this ring supposed to be with Ada? Stiffly, I let him slide the ring onto my finger. He held me close, his voice dropping to a whisper. "We’ll be together forever."

Just as I was about to speak, a message from Ada appeared on my phone. "Sariah, Atharv has really crossed the line this time!" she wrote. "He had a fake antique ring made for you. The real one has a scratch under the diamond from the original owner."

My heart sank. The ring, the scent, the lies—it was all too much. I stepped back from Atharv, my resolve hardening. "I, Sariah Moreno, Omega of the Silverfang Pack, reject you, Atharv Castellano, Alpha of the Silverfang Pack, as my mate."

The words hung in the air, heavy and final. The mate bond between us screamed in protest, a searing pain that shot through my chest. But I stood my ground, refusing to let the tears fall.

Atharv’s eyes widened, his Alpha aura flaring in shock and anger. "You can’t do this," he growled, his voice low and dangerous.

"I just did," I replied, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside me.

He stared at me, his expression a mix of disbelief and fury. But I didn’t wait for his response. I turned and walked away, my suitcase in hand, ready to face whatever came next.

My wolf whimpered in the back of my mind, but I silenced her with a firm thought. This was my choice, and I wouldn’t look back.