The Moon Festival was supposed to be the happiest night of the year.
Silver lanterns hung from ancient trees, casting a soft glow over the pack grounds. Music echoed through the valley while wolves danced around bonfires, laughing and celebrating beneath the full moon.
Tonight was supposed to be a night of unity. A night when bonds were strengthened, and a time when the pack stood together. At least, that was what everyone else believed. For me, it was a reminder that I would never truly belong.
I stood at the edge of the crowd, clutching a small gift hidden inside my coat. My gaze never left Alpha Ethan. The man standing at the centre of everything. The man I loved most, the man I admired without hatred. The man who had spent the last three years pretending I didn't exist.
My chest tightened as another she-wolf approached him. She was beautiful and elegant, perfect, outshining, everything I wasn't. The crowd parted automatically for her as she moved toward Ethan. A blunt smile spread across her face as Zane smiled back at her. The sight of this felt like a knife sliding between my ribs.
"You shouldn't be here." I flinched.
A group of she-wolves had stopped nearby. They weren't even trying to lower their voices. One of them crossed her arms.
"The Alpha's celebration isn't for stray,. "one said
The others laughed loudly at me. I lowered my eyes, humiliated. I should have been used to it by now. Everyone in the pack knew my story. Or rather, they knew the lack of one.
Sixteen years ago, I had been found unconscious near the borde—noo family to talk of, no records, not even a wolf, nothing. The pack had taken me in out of pity.
But pity wasn't the same as acceptance. To them, I was still an outsider, a burden, and a mistake.
"Maybe she's waiting for a miracle." One of the girls smirked. "Maybe she hope a wolf finally chooses her." Another said.
The group burst into cruel laughter. Heat flooded my face, then i turned away before they could see the tears threatening to form. I wasn't going to cry, not tonight, not again, or ever.
A familiar scent suddenly wrapped around me. Pine, smoke, rain, I smelled it. My heart skipped, It was Ethan. The moment our eyes met, the noise around us faded, For a second, it felt like every secret moment we had shared came rushing back.
Every stolen kiss, every whispered promise, every night he held me and told me that things would change, then he approached carefully.
"cassia, you came,” he said in a soft tone
The sound of my name on his lips hurt more than it should have , then a bitter laugh escaped me.
“Of course I came,.” I replied
Because despite everything, a part of me had still been stupid enough to hope, hope that tonight would be different, and hope that he would finally choose me tonight.
I pulled the small gift from my pocket and pulled out a leather bracelet, which was handmade and simple, made from hard work and love. The kind of thing only a fool in love would spend weeks making.
Ethan's eyes widened slightly.
"Cassia..." He called out
"Happy Alpha Day,." I answered
The smile on my face felt forced, his expression darkened. Guilt flashed across his face That alone told me everything. My stomach dropped slowly, painfully, like falling off a cliff.
"What's wrong?" I whispered.
Zane looked away. That was all the answer I needed, then the music suddenly stopped. The crowd turned toward the center stage, and an elder has stepped forward.
"Pack members," he announced. "Tonight is a special occasion."
A strange feeling settled in my chest, then Zane went completely still. Beside him, the beautiful she wolf smiled, as if she already knew what was coming, immediately, my pulse quickened, and the elder raised his hands.
"We are honoured to announce the future Luna of our pack." He continued.
The world froze around me, I couldn't breathe, couldn't think, and still couldn't move a step. The she-wolf stepped onto the stage, and thunderous applause erupted, with Cheers everywhere. Not until then did my heart shattered, not because she was standing there.
But because Zane walked up beside her, and took her hand, then the crowd exploded. The cheers were loud,both the celebration and the congratulations.
Each one felt like another crack, spreading through my chest, The bracelet slipped from my fingers, and it hit the ground and shattered. Still, nobody noticed. Not even Ethan.
The elder continued speaking. "The alliance between our packs will strengthen our future."
Alliance, Like a political alliance, everything suddenly made sense. All those excuses, those delays, those fake promises. Zane had known the entire time. I couldn't hold myself, tiny droplets rolled down my cheek.
As the crowd surged forward, and people rushed to congratulate them, I couldn't hear anything anymore. A particular ringing filled my ears, My vision blurred, until then did I realize that It's been three years, three years of waiting, three years of believing that there would be change, was now wasted.
Someone grabbed my shoulder. As I looked up immediately to see, it was Ethan and his face was pale.
"Cassia, wait." He said
Something inside me broke, Not loudly, and not dramatically, it was quietly, like the final thread holding my heart together snapping apart.
"Wait?" I repeated.
He glanced around nervously. Checking if too many people were watching, and If too many ears were listening. He was Still worried about appearances. Still worried about everyone except me.
"Let me explain." He said
I laughed out in mockery. The sound was sharp and painful.
"Explain what?"I asked in disgust
"cassia—" he called out a second time
"Explain why you spent three years telling me you loved me?" I said sharply
His face tightened, Several nearby wolves turned toward us, Whispers spread instantly amongst all the guests, then I stepped closer, and My hands trembled, but my voice didn't.
"Explain why you promised things would change?"I asked again in tears.
"Lower your voice."
There it was, No concern, no regret at all, Just fear, and fear of what people would think. I saw this coming, tears fell, I couldn't hold back.
"You don't get it, cassia." He said
"No," I said quietly. "You don't get it."
For the first time, anger flashed across his face.
"You know how pack politics work." He said
I stared at him, pack politics, those two words had become his favorite excuse, those excuse he used every time he disappointed me, the same excuse he used every time he chose power over love.
The excuse he used every time he left me standing alone, the realization hit me with brutal clarity. Then I realized that he wasn't trapped, He was choosing this, and he had always been.
Every single time. A strange calm settled over me. The pain was still there. But beneath it, something else was growing. Seemed like Freedom. I took a deep breath. Then I said the words that changed everything.
"We're done." I said.
Silence erupted, Absolute silence. The crowd seemed to freeze, and even the wind stopped moving. Zane blinked, as if he hadn't heard correctly.
"What?, We're done? ." He asked
Gasps erupted around us, then the she-wolves who mocked me earlier stared openly, and Ethan's eyes darkened.
"Don't do this." He smirked
For years, I obeyed, I apologized, and I begged him to stay, Not anymore.
I shook my head. "No more secrets."
His jaw tightened. "Cassia."
It sounded like an Alpha command, a warning, or perhaps, an order, But it no longer had power over me. For the first time in my life, I chose myself and turned around. I walked away in tears, showing no remorse, then whispers followed instantly.
"Did she just reject him?" One said
"Has she gone insane?" Another said
"Who does she think she is?" And another
I kept walking, taking one step at a time. The farther I got from the celebration, the easier it became for me to breathe, the music had faded behind me, and the laughter had disappeared, Soon only the forest remained.
It was dark and silent, I felt it would be endless. Tears blurred my vision. I wiped them away angrily.
“No, I wouldn't cry over him, Not again. ” I said
A sudden pain exploded through my wrist, I gasped. The force nearly dropped me to my knees, the agony lasted only seconds, but it felt wrong. Something ancient and alive. I stared at my wrist, nothing showed, no wound nor mark, Yet I could have sworn something moved beneath my skin. I felt a pulse, a heartbeat, and a presence, and the forest suddenly became very quiet, too quiet.
Every instinct screamed at me, then I felt A twig snapped. I froze immediately, then turned around slowly, but nothing showed. Just darkness between the trees, and Yet the feeling remained, Someone was there, I felt it, watching and waiting, then another twig snapped. Closer. My heartbeat thundered.
"Who's there?" I called.
No answer. The shadows shifted. A cold breeze swept through the forest. And far beyond the tree line, a pair of glowing red eyes opened, was locked directly onto me, and began moving closer.
