Elena's POV
"Members of the pack, I, Gabriel Foster of the Nightfall Pack, hereby announce that my fated mate Raine will be joining our pack. I hope that everyone will treat both Raine and Luna Elena with equal respect in the future."
Silence lingered in the air for a moment before the hall erupted into jubilant cheers.
"Congratulations Alpha Gabriel! Long live the Nightfall Pack!"
"Congratulations!"
I stared blankly at the two figures cuddled up in the center of the hall as a wave of numbness washed over me and I listened to all of the members of the pack congratulating them wholeheartedly. My mind was completely empty and in that moment, I couldn't even find the words to object.
My mate Gabriel had announced in front of all of our pack members on our third wedding anniversary that he had found his fated mate.
The only problem with that was that his fated mate was another woman. To make matters worse, instead of being shocked by this news, they accepted it without a second thought and gave their blessings almost instantly.
Anger and humiliation surged through me uncontrollably as my wolf Chloe growled inside my head.
"Elena... what the fuck is going on?!" she demanded, the hackles on her neck standing on end in her fury, clearly ready to rip this she-wolf's throat out.
"Chloe, calm down," I said, trying desperately to placate her and suppress my own anger whilst trying to prevent Chloe from forcing a shift due to her uncontrollable rage.
As Luna of the Nightfall Pack and daughter of the Alpha of the Ironclad Pack, I couldn't afford to lose control in front of so many people, especially not at such an important occasion...
"Fuck controlling yourself Elena, what is wrong with you? I don't give a shit what people think, I want to tear them apart!! Both of them! The smug little bastards, just look at them!" Chloe raged, practically foaming at the mouth as she refused to calm down.
"How could he do this to us?! For three years we've been married and I've managed his pack affairs perfectly whilst always remembering my duty as Luna…"
It was all I could do to maintain a false facade of composure. I was positively seething at this unexpected revelation.
"Don't just sit here like a weakling, Elena! Go and ask him just what the fuck he thinks he's playing at! Right now!" Chloe roared furiously in my head.
My body didn't seem to want to obey me as I forced my numb hands to lift my skirt as gracefully as I could manage and made my way toward Gabriel's side. It took everything that I had left in me not to shed the tears of anger and betrayal that threatened to fall.
The many eyes watching me as I made my way over were a constant reminder to me of my duty as their Luna and it helped me to keep my composure as I strode forward with a false confidence. I managed to keep Chloe in check as I walked, although I'm sure her fury radiated brightly from my eyes for those that looked closely enough.
I leaned down as I reached him, a tight smile in place as I spoke quietly to him, in the hopes that none of the assembled pack members could hear our exchange.
"Gabriel, what the hell do you think you're doing? Are you sure you want to do this to me on our wedding anniversary? Could this not have waited?"
"Elena, I'm sorry. I love you, but Raine... she's my fated mate after all… I can't deny her…" Gabriel said weakly as he looked up at me with a guilty expression written all over his face.
He didn't have the decency to let go of that woman though, he held onto her tightly without any intention of letting go.
He was nothing but a disgusting, cheating, hypocrite. I had no words that were pleasant enough to describe the woman sat next to him, smirking smugly up at me as I stood there, without an ounce of remorse in her eyes.
This had always promised to be the biggest obstacle between us. Gabriel and I fell in love when we were just 16 years old and had promised each other that we would be together for life. We had hoped desperately that the Moon Goddess would make us each other's fated mates when we turned 18 and shifted into wolves, but, much to our dismay, it didn't happen.
Even back then Gabriel had told me passionately: "Elena, I love you. Even though we are not fated mates, my pack members will never accept anyone else, you are the only person that they would ever accept as Luna! There will never be anyone else, I swear it!"
The man who had firmly chosen me back then and promised me the world, now stood before me holding another girl tightly in his arms. Despite my rage, the memories of the past few years kept flashing through my mind as I stood before them, trembling with barely suppressed anger and the unshed tears blurring my vision. I held onto my skirt tightly as I tried desperately to distract myself from the pain of my heart breaking and willed myself not to give into the grief and let these traitorous tears fall from my eyes.
I wouldn't give either of them the satisfaction.
"Elena, my love, you know what finding a fated mate means for an Alpha. Raine is just a poor girl whose pack recently suffered a catastrophe, I can't leave her alone. If I reject her, she will have nowhere else to go." Gabriel pleaded unrepentatnly.
He could see that I hadn't spoken for a long time but he insisted on reaching for me, and holding onto my hand like he usually did, all the while looking unashamedly at Raine with pity and affection in his eyes.
"Of course I know what being a fated mate means! But I'll warn you now Gabriel, you had better remember who your Luna is!" I hissed furiously in a low tone, so that only the three of us would be able to hear it, as I shook off his hand and stared boldly into Gabriel's eyes.
"Elena, my love, I can't help it, you know what the bond is like, all the times we wished that it was real between us so that we would feel that irresistible pull… ever since I laid eyes on Raine for the first time, my wolf has been going crazy, he's only satisfied when she's by his side. You know as well as I do, that a true Mate will only serve to enhance my strength as an Alpha. Elena, please forgive me, I really can't send her away…" Gabriel pleaded as he finally let go of the girl in his arms and tried to embrace me as he whispered into my ear, "Raine is a good girl; she can help you with the pack affairs."
I looked at Raine, who had big eyes and a petite figure. She was looking at me shyly while holding onto Gabriel's clothes tightly, appearing every inch the pitiful girl that Gabriel wanted me to believe that she was.
I snorted coldly at them both and Raine seemed startled by it before quickly picking up a glass of red wine from the nearby table and carefully handing it to me.
"Respected Luna, please allow me to stay here. I don't want to ruin your banquet, I promise! Gabriel has saved me out of the kindness of his heart and it really wasn't my intention to cause such a problem between you both!" Raine's pretty face was full of anxiety as her big watery eyes looked at me pleadingly.
"Do you want to know what I think?" I said as I looked down on her condescendingly.
Raine was taken aback and stood there holding the wine glass uncertainly, without knowing what to do next. Gabriel stepped forward protectively shielding her behind him before speaking.
"Elena, you need to calm down."
"You're the one who needs to calm down!" I hissed furiously, "You aren't content with your chosen mate and now you bring another woman into our home? Fated or not Gabriel, you made a promise…"
My argument with Gabriel was clearly beginning to make Raine panic as the girl suddenly knelt down before me, holding up her glass of red wine and crying as she said to me,
"I beg you, as long as I have a place to stay I won't interfere in anything, Luna! I can do laundry, cook for you and take care of your daily life! As long as you let me stay!"
"Oh, this poor girl looks so pitiful." a choked voice came from somewhere amongst the assembled pack members, closely followed by another.
"At least she is Alpha Gabriel's fated mate, she has a reason to be here. Luna Elena really shouldn't be so harsh on her..."
Some of the murmurs that reached my ears felt like knives stabbing straight into my heart. I turned to look at Gabriel but saw that he was looking at Raine with tenderness and love in his eyes. I closed my eyes and suddenly felt overwhelmed by confusion. This six-year-long love story that had blossomed since high school now seemed like nothing more than a joke.
"Fuck these arseholes!" Chloe growled lowly as she fought for control, wanting desperately to rush out and tear apart the couple in front of us.
But, I couldn't let her do that.
"It's not time for anger yet. At least for now I am still the Luna of this Pack." I replied calmly, forcing her to settle down.
"I don't agree with you in the slightest. You should be addressing this now, and publicly!" Chloe retorted sullenly as she slunk to the back of my mind.
"After the banquet ends, we will settle the score with them properly. I won't do this in front of so many people Chloe."
I took a deep breath and grabbed Raine's wine glass before drinking it all in one gulp. Then I reached forward, grabbing her tightly around the arm and pulling her upright forcing her to stand. With a disdainful sneer I pushed her towards Gabriel.
"Gabriel, my admiration and love for you ends here. You've made your choice, and now I make mine. After the banquet ends, we'll settle things properly." I announced coldly.
Gabriel opened his mouth seemingly wanting to say something more but I didn't want to listen anymore. Instead, I sat down on the seat that traditionally belonged to the Luna whilst waiting dutifully for Chloe to return after she had taken a breather.
"Chloe, it's time," I coaxed as I approached the forest edge. It was our favourite spot for letting loose when things became too stressful and we had spent countless hours running and exploring in the shady depths of the towering trees.
But something strange was happening. It didn't matter how many times I called to her, she didn't appear. I heard no response from her at all for the first time since we had found each other at 18 years old.
I felt distinctly unsettled about this and was just about to use the pack's mind link to ask the Pack's private doctor what was going on when suddenly, my heart seemed to burst, the severe pain radiating outwards and along my limbs, my body contorting in agony before I fell to the ground.
What the hell was happening to me?
"Respected Luna, did you enjoy the wine earlier?" A mocking voice sounded from somewhere above me.
I struggled on the ground, my body refusing to respond to my attempts to move as I tried desperately to lift my head, but all I could see was the solitary figure of a petite woman.
"Fuck, Raine!"
