When the Moonrise Ceremony Fails

My fated mate Kaelan wanted to please his mistress Briar, so he planned to let her act as Luna for a while.

He pretended our bond was broken, refusing to even acknowledge me as his Luna.

As I passed the gym, I heard Briar's syrupy voice. "Darling, if I get to be Luna, will you mark me every night? But… won't Selene be suspicious? You've been mates for seven years, after all."

"What can she do?" Kaelan sneered. "She can't leave the pack, and she certainly can't leave me."

"Selene? That poor thing. I told her our bond broke naturally, and she actually believed it."

"Even if she finds out the truth, she'll just suffer in silence. The only Luna in my heart is you, baby."

I didn't confront him right then and there.

The lie of our weakening bond sent a sharp, agonizing pain through me. I turned and walked away.

Let them think their plan is flawless.

They would soon find out what a nasty surprise this "poor thing" had in store for them.

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1.

My mate, Kaelan, lied, claiming an "accidental attack" had severed our bond.

"There's a problem with my mate bond with Selene," Kaelan announced, having gathered all the core members in the top-floor conference room of the pack headquarters.

Beta Rhys frowned. "Alpha, what do you mean by that?"

"I no longer feel the mate bond with Selene," Kaelan said, his words slow and deliberate. "Instead, I feel a true mate's pull toward Briar."

I schooled my features into a neutral mask, as if listening to a story about strangers.

Briar held Kaelan's hand tightly, tears welling in her eyes. "We didn't expect this to happen either, but the mate bond is the will of the Moon Goddess. We can't resist it."

"So," Kaelan took a deep breath, "from this day forward, Briar will be the Luna of our Red Peak Pack. Selene, please hand over the Luna's scepter to her."

A dead silence fell over the room.

I slowly stood up and approached the Luna's scepter hanging on the wall. The silver scepter gleamed under the lights, the moonstone at its tip emitting a soft glow.

"Selene…" Elder Elara started to say something.

I gave her a slight shake of my head, silencing her.

I took down the scepter, walked over to Briar, and placed it on the table.

"This is the symbol of the Luna. It's yours now."

Briar eagerly reached for it, but my next words made her freeze.

"Actually, there are a few things we need to sort out first."

Briar sat up straight. "Since you're no longer the Luna, you'll need to hand over the files of all pack members to me, as well as all the healing records you've established over the years."

I glanced at Kaelan. He nodded. "She's right. Briar needs that information to properly fulfill her duties as Luna."

I sneered inwardly.

Classic Kaelan.

Whenever someone else's needs conflicted with mine, I was always the one to compromise.

Like three years ago, when I gave up the opportunity to study healing arts in Northern Europe to save the pack's lab money. Kaelan praised me for "seeing the bigger picture."

Or two years ago, when I used my bloodline power for three days and nights straight to soothe injured warriors, only to collapse from mental exhaustion. Kaelan said it was just a Luna's "duty."

And a year ago, when I wanted to buy a pair of rings for our bond anniversary, Kaelan said, "Now is not the time to spend money."

But now, he could buy Briar a limited-edition sports car.

For Briar, he could trample on our seven-year mate bond without a second thought.

"Selene?" Kaelan's voice pulled me back to reality. "What are you thinking about?"

I looked at him, the man I had once loved so deeply.

Now, all I saw in his eyes was calculation and hypocrisy.

"I was thinking," I said calmly, "that since our mate bond is 'defective,' the only logical step is to sever it completely."

Kaelan froze. "What?"