After Aldrake left me standing outside the grand hall of the Silvermoon Pack, I remained rooted to the spot, staring at the doors as they slowly closed behind him and Amber. Their laughter echoed faintly through the thick wood, a cruel reminder that I was no longer welcome at his side.
The sting in my chest deepened until it felt like my lungs were being crushed.
I pressed a hand over my heart, willing it to calm down. Tonight was important to him. The alliance between the Moonlight Pack and the Silvermoon Pack was not something he took lightly. I had been warned to behave, to smile, to play my role well.
So I swallowed my pain. I forced myself to move.
Each step toward the hall felt heavier than the last, as if the floor itself was resisting me. I lifted my head, straightened my back, and reminded myself that I was still the Luna of the Moonlight Pack—whether he acknowledged me or not.
Inside, the hall glowed with warm golden lights. Chandeliers shimmered above, reflecting off crystal glasses and polished floors. The celebration was already in full swing. Music drifted through the air, laughter rising and falling like waves.
I felt out of place the moment I stepped inside.
An elderly man in formal attire approached us. "You must be the Alpha of the Moonlight Pack," he said to Aldrake with a respectful bow.
Aldrake nodded curtly. "Yes. Aldrake Greywolf."
"Please follow me, Alpha. The Silvermoon Alpha is waiting for you near the stage."
Before following him, Aldrake turned to Amber.
He took her hand.
Not the distant, formal way he used to hold mine during official events—but gently. As if he was afraid she might disappear if he let go.
"Stay here," he said softly. "Don't wander off. I'll come back for you once the formalities are done. Then I'll introduce you to everyone."
Amber smiled shyly, squeezing his hand. "Alright, Aldrake. I'll wait."
Then he turned to me. All warmth vanished from his face. "Come on."
No softness. No reassurance. No regard for my feelings.
I followed behind him like a servant trailing her master.
When we reached the front of the hall, Aldrake was greeted enthusiastically by the Alpha of the Silvermoon Pack—an old friend of his. They exchanged pleasantries, clasped forearms, and spoke of alliances and territory, of shared enemies and future cooperation.
I stood beside him, silent and invisible.
Moments later, the formal announcement began. The two Alphas stood side by side, declaring unity between their packs. Applause filled the hall. Cheers erupted. Glasses were raised.
I clapped politely, though my heart felt hollow.
Once the formalities ended, the celebration truly began.
Just as Aldrake had promised Amber—he stayed by her side.
Not once did he look back for me.
He guided her from table to table, introducing her to his friends, to their mates, to warriors and elders alike. They laughed together, leaned close to hear each other over the music. She touched his arm when she spoke. He smiled at her when she laughed.
Their closeness felt like a blade slowly carving into my chest.
I stood alone in the middle of the crowd, a Luna without a place.
People passed me by, offering polite nods or distant smiles. Some recognized me as Aldrake's wife, but their gazes slid back to Amber almost immediately—as if she were the one who truly belonged at his side.
The humiliation burned.
Unable to endure standing there any longer, I searched for somewhere to sit and found an empty stool at the small counter-bar tucked into the corner of the hall.
I sat down quietly, folding my hands in my lap, trying to look composed while my insides twisted painfully.
Leaders from different packs filled the room—Alphas and Lunas dressed in elegant attire, warriors standing guard near the walls, elders speaking in hushed tones. The air was filled with laughter, clinking glasses, and soft music.
It should have been a beautiful night.
But to me, it felt suffocating.
I stared into my untouched drink, watching the liquid ripple faintly with the vibrations of the music. I wondered how much longer I could pretend this marriage wasn't slowly killing me.
Then I felt it.
A presence.
The air around me shifted—heavy, commanding, cold.
I lifted my gaze and froze.
A man had just taken the stool beside me.
Everything about him screamed dominance. Broad shoulders stretched the fabric of his dark formal attire. His posture was straight, his presence oppressive in the way only a powerful Alpha could be. His skin was fair, his jaw sharp, his dark hair slightly tousled as if he didn't care much for perfection—yet everything about him was perfection itself.
He was terrifyingly handsome.
And terrifyingly powerful.
I realized, too late, that I had been staring.
"Are you done checking me out?"
His deep voice sent a jolt of shock through my body. I nearly jumped off the stool.
"I-I'm sorry," I stammered, snapping my gaze away as heat flooded my cheeks. "I didn't mean to stare."
I turned my head, pretending to look for Aldrake and Amber.
They were across the hall, seated at a large table surrounded by Aldrake's friends and their mates. Amber sat beside him, laughing freely, her hand resting casually on his arm.
She fit in so easily.
And I… didn't.
Why was this still hurting so much?
I already knew my place in his life. I had always been second. Always tolerated. Always forgotten whenever Amber was around.
"You alright?" the man beside me asked.
I turned back, surprised to find him still there—now holding a glass of hard liquor, his sharp eyes studying me with unsettling focus.
"I'm fine," I lied softly.
He studied me for a long moment, then tilted his head slightly. "You keep staring at that table like it's hurting you. And your fists were clenched. You look like you're fighting back tears."
I quickly relaxed my hands. I hadn't even realized I was clenching them.
"It's nothing," I murmured. "Just… thinking."
His gaze softened.
"Your eyes don't look like someone who's just thinking," he said quietly. "They look like someone who's being abandoned."
The words struck something deep inside me.
My throat tightened.
"You don't deserve to be hurt like that," he continued. "No one deserves to be treated as if they're invisible."
I stared at him, stunned.
"What do you mean?" I whispered.
"You're easy to read," he replied simply. "Pain leaves marks on people. Yours are written all over your face."
Before I could respond, a guard approached and bowed respectfully.
"Your Highness, the Alpha of the Neverland Pack is requesting an audience."
Your Highness?
I froze.
So he wasn't just any Alpha.
He was royalty.
"Let's go," the man said, standing up. Then he paused and glanced back at me. "Take care of yourself, milady. We might meet again."
And just like that, he disappeared into the crowd.
I sat there, stunned, my heart pounding.
After a moment, I stood and headed toward the restroom, desperate for a moment alone.
But as I entered the hallway, I saw Amber approaching with two women by her side.
"You go ahead," she said sweetly. "I'll catch up."
The women nodded.
I tried to walk past her without a word, but she followed me into the restroom.
When I stepped out of a cubicle, she was waiting by the sink, arms crossed.
"Aren't you going to say anything?" she asked.
"For what?" I replied coldly, heading toward the door.
She blocked my way.
"About Aldrake and me," she said smugly. "Doesn't it hurt to watch your husband choose me over you?"
My jaw clenched. "Not now, Amber. Stop provoking me."
She grabbed my arm.
"Why? You can't hit me," she taunted. "Aldrake would hate you for it."
"Let go of me."
She leaned closer, her voice dripping with poison. "I want Aldrake. And I will take him from you. He's already halfway mine anyway."
My stomach twisted.
"That's enough," I said, my voice shaking. "He's my husband."
"He doesn't love you," she whispered cruelly. "He never did."
Something inside me snapped.
I shoved her.
She fell backward, crying out as she hit the floor.
The moment she fell, regret crashed over me.
I rushed forward—
But a furious roar thundered behind me.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE, LIVIA?!"
My blood turned cold.
Aldrake.