On what should have been the happiest day of my life, Nicholas Robertson, the Alpha of the Blue Moon Pack, acted as if I were a stranger. In front of the entire pack, he declared that Goldie Cruz, the Luna of the Crimson Tide Pack, was his true mate, demanding I remove the ceremonial gown I had prepared for our marking ceremony.

"You’re absolutely not worthy of being my Luna. Take it off!"

I was desperate, humiliated, and tried to remind him of the bond we had shared, the memories we had built over the years. But he dismissed me with a cold sneer, calling me an unfit mate. I turned to my parents, fellow Omegas of the pack, seeking their support, but all I received were harsh words of blame.

"You chased after the Alpha, and now you’re embarrassed—serves you right!"

My spirit shattered, I faced the impossible. Later, Nicholas claimed his memory had returned and pleaded with me not to leave him.

***

The marking ceremony was supposed to be in full swing, yet I found myself locked in the ceremonial chamber, stripped of my dignity. Just a wall away, the ritual was unfolding, the Luna exchanging vows with the Alpha. That Luna was meant to be me.

The gown I had designed and sewn with meticulous care for three days and nights now adorned Goldie Cruz, the Luna from the Crimson Tide Pack who had always been Nicholas’s unattainable ideal. Clutching my phone, I watched the live broadcast in disbelief.

Goldie, in her gown embellished with moonstone and silver threads, stepped toward Nicholas. He rushed to her side without hesitation, enveloping her in his arms as they sealed their mate bond with a kiss. The pack hall erupted into howls of approval; confetti rained down on them, heralding a future together.

Yet this ceremony was supposed to be mine.

I had secretly loved Nicholas for a decade. One summer, during a pack gathering, he stood up for me when I was being bullied by a group of Deltas.

"Enough! Anyone bothering her again will answer to me!"

Though he wished for peace to enjoy the gathering, those words ended months of torment. I was grateful, and gradually, I got to know him, falling deeper into my feelings.

Nicholas was proud and commanding, a true Alpha. When Goldie rejected his mate bond publicly and left to join the Crimson Tide Pack, I saw my chance.

I pursued him for three years, memorizing his every preference. He was particular about his meals, so I crafted lavish feasts with dishes like venison stew and honey-glazed pheasant. He admired strength and confidence, so I pushed myself to train harder, to stand taller, to speak with authority.

I poured my heart into earning his affection, and finally, he acknowledged our mate bond.

Today was meant to be our marking ceremony, the day I had dreamed about for so long. Every detail, every ritual was carefully planned by me. I had rehearsed it over and over in my mind.

But as I stood before him, my heart overflowing with joy, I saw only disdain in his piercing blue eyes.

"Who are you? I don’t know you at all! I would only ever bond with Goldie!"

They told me he’d lost his memory, so I frantically recounted our shared moments, the bond we had nurtured. But he was bored and uninterested, tugging at the ceremonial gown I wore.

"This isn’t yours! You’re not worthy to be my Luna. Take it off!"

No matter how I begged, he didn’t relent.

I felt exposed, like a rogue cast out for all to see.

The pack’s murmurs and the flashing lights of the ceremony hall blinded me as Nicholas’s actions left me standing on the dais, my gown torn away, reduced to my undergarments.

"Stop embarrassing yourself! Today is Nicholas and Goldie’s marking ceremony!"

My mother yanked my arm, dragging me back into the shadows of the hall.

I finally noticed Goldie’s scornful gaze from the audience. Somehow, the ceremonial scrolls had been altered to show her as the Luna, her name etched beside Nicholas’s.

"Just behave! If you upset the Alpha, you’ll regret it when we get back to the packhouse!"

She left me abandoned in the ceremonial chamber, while Nicholas never once glanced back at me, not even for a moment.

I rubbed the bruise on my arm where my mother had pinched me, tears dripping onto the floor. How could this happen? I worked tirelessly for this marking ceremony, sacrificing sleep and sanity, only for someone else to live my dream.

The officiant's voice echoed from outside, reciting the mate vows, and Alpha Nicholas’s clear "I do" pierced through to me. Maybe the fitting room was too cramped, making it hard for me to breathe. The moment I heard him passionately declare his love for Luna Goldie, I could no longer fool myself. I kept banging on the door, praying someone would let me out. But it was pointless. As the cheers outside reached their peak, I finally understood how a mate bond could shatter someone completely.

When I opened my eyes again, it was to the hospital ceiling.

"You fainted just like that! Do you know how much your parents worried?"

"Eat something, don’t act like we’re neglecting you."

My mom was sitting by my bedside when I woke up, forcing a buttery shortbread cookie into my hand. I didn’t like crumbly cookies, but it was one of those rare times she showed me any affection. The grease from the cookie clung to my fingers as my mom spoke again.

"What’s gotten into you, child?"

A flood of grievances welled up inside me, and just as I was about to spill my heart out, she cut me off.

"Listen to your mother. Keep the peace. Don’t forget your brother’s future position in Alpha Nicholas’s pack."

"And let’s be honest, you were never really a match for Alpha Nicholas, so stop causing a scene."

My dad chimed in from the other side of the room. "Your mom’s right. Don’t be unreasonable."

"He humiliated me in front of everyone by rejecting me as his mate—is that my fault too? It was supposed to be my marking ceremony! Do you know how helpless I felt?"

But instead of comforting me, my parents chose to blame me.

"We told you he wouldn’t ever choose you, but you insisted on pursuing him. Now you’re embarrassed—isn’t that deserved?"

"I didn’t! He told me he felt the mate bond, too!"

Just then, a familiar voice interrupted my standoff with my parents.

"Who said they felt a bond with you? Are you that eager to spread rumors?"

Alpha Nicholas walked in, one hand holding a shopping bag, the other intertwined with Luna Goldie’s. My eyes landed on their interlocked hands, and I bit my lip fiercely to keep from crying. Even after we acknowledged the bond, Alpha Nicholas seldom held my hand, saying it was too intimate for someone of my status. Yet now, he held his Luna so tightly.

They both wore the marking rings—the ones I had personally selected for our ceremony. How ironic that the rings I had meticulously chosen were now worn by my mate and another woman.

"Alpha Nicholas, do you really not remember me? Just last week we prepared for the ceremony together—I have the photos, you..."

"Enough!" My anxious words were swallowed by the look of disdain on his face.

"Stop making up stories. No matter how desperate I get, I would never choose someone as ordinary as you. I only love Luna Goldie!"

At that moment, Luna Goldie looked at me with a sympathetic expression. "Saylor, I know you’ve felt the bond with my mate for over three years."

"But he really doesn’t recognize you. You can’t just force a bond that isn’t there, right?"

Other pack members and their families in the ward were casting curious glances our way, and someone murmured, "The Omega on the bed is terrifying, isn’t she delusional?"

Alpha Nicholas listened to their insults and speculation about me, not bothering to defend me once. Naturally, with Luna Goldie’s poised demeanor, the entire ward sided with her. I realized I had no one but myself to rely on.

I opened my phone’s photo gallery, revealing pictures and videos of Alpha Nicholas and me together to everyone present. His voice was strong and clear in the video. "Saylor, I, Nicholas Robertson, Alpha of the Blue Moon Pack, accept you as my mate."

Suddenly, every eye in the room was on the couple across from me.

"Did you say you lost your memory and didn’t recognize me, so you humiliated me at our ceremony? Was it my fault, Alpha Nicholas? It was you who acknowledged the bond. This wasn’t just a one-woman show."

The pack members and families watching from the neighboring bed started whispering, "Isn’t he just a disgrace? Wow, even an Alpha can be so cruel."

"All you’ve been saying—isn’t wanting me as your mate just for my loyalty? Pathetic."

"Ask your parents. Can they honestly say we were never bonded?"

He raised his eyebrows at my mom and dad, and a sudden wave of unease washed over me. My mom’s ensuing words made me feel as if I’d plunged into an icy abyss.