Betrayed By The Mate The Moon Goddess Chose
Chapter 2
Kairi Murray arrived the next day, summoned by Michael Garcia. Her eyes betrayed a flicker of reluctance, though she masked it quickly. It wasn’t hard to understand why. Once, she had been a high-ranking Delta in her pack, a respected warrior. Now, she stood before me, an Omega in the Garcia Pack, her status reduced to that of a servant. The imbalance must have burned her, but she kept her composure, her posture stiff but obedient.
After she finished her formal greeting, I gave Zayla a subtle nod. “Kairi, there’s no need to bow,” I said, my voice warm but firm. “We’ve discussed this before. You’re not here as a subordinate.”
The coffee and desserts I served were of the finest quality, a gesture meant to show her that I held no ill will. I spoke to her as I would have in our earlier days, treating her as an equal, not a pawn. The conversation was light, filled with topics I knew would interest her. By the time she left, the tension in her shoulders had eased, and her guard seemed slightly lowered.
The second and third visits followed the same pattern. I maintained the same demeanor, never letting her feel diminished. By the fifth visit, I judged the moment right. I handed her a set of ancient scrolls, carefully preserved and wrapped. She stared at them, her hands trembling as she took the box.
“These were my brother’s,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “He gave them to me on my Come of Age Ceremony. He said… he said I’d become a scholar, that I’d make him proud.” Her tears fell freely now, her grief raw and unfiltered. “He’s gone now. My parents, my brother—all of them. If only… if only our pack hadn’t been disbanded. If only they were still here.”
Her sobs grew louder, a torrent of pain and regret. I stepped forward, gently dabbing her tears with a tissue. “The past is gone, Kairi. Your family wouldn’t want you to drown in sorrow. You must keep living. There’s still hope.”
She clutched my hand, her grip tight and desperate. “I misjudged you, Luna,” she said, her voice thick with emotion. “I thought you were cold, calculating. But you’ve shown me nothing but kindness. I’m ashamed of the way I acted, the things I did.”
Before I could stop her, she dropped to her knees again. “Please, Luna, let me make amends. I swear, from this day forward, I’ll follow you without question. If I betray you, may my wolf never find peace.”
I pulled her up gently, shaking my head. “Kairi, if you call me sister, then we’re family. There’s no need for such oaths. What’s done is done. You made choices to survive, and I would’ve done the same. All I ask is that you let me protect you from now on.”
She wept openly, her guilt and gratitude spilling over. “I have nothing to offer you, Luna, but my loyalty. I’ll follow you, no matter what.”
I held her shoulders, my gaze steady. “I don’t need your loyalty, Kairi. I need you to find happiness. To live freely, without regret.”
“But Michael…” she began, her voice trembling.
I cut her off gently. “You and Michael were close once. If things had been different, you might have been his mate. I love him deeply, but he’s the Lycan Prince. He can’t belong to just one person. I’d rather see him happy with someone he truly cares for—someone like you.”
My words left her stunned, her face a mix of shame and admiration. I’d struck the right chord, and I knew it. To seal the moment, I shifted the conversation to lighter topics, coaxing a smile from her tear-streaked face.
After she left, I let out a long breath. Winning over a fallen Delta wasn’t easy, but it wasn’t impossible. Treat her with respect, remind her of her worth, and offer her a piece of her past. Eventually, the walls crumbled. If she kept her promise to follow me, I’d keep mine to protect her.
As for my declaration of love for Michael? A necessary lie. To me, he was nothing more than my superior, my path to securing my position. Love and romance were fleeting. Power, however, was eternal.
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