After My Alpha Betrayed Me, I Became His Uncle's Luna

Damien’s hands were tangled in Vanessa Holloway’s hair, his mouth bruising hers against the leather seat of his SUV.

My tires skidded on the slick asphalt. Through the rain-streaked windshield, their intertwined bodies mocked me. The mate bond we shared didn't pulse with love. It flooded my veins with the sharp, toxic sting of his betrayal.

My wolf screamed, tearing at the confines of my ribs. She thrashed against my sternum, howling in pure agony.

I jerked the steering wheel. The headlights spun wildly across the wet road. Metal crunched against the concrete guardrail, shattering glass and bone. The steering column crushed my chest. Blood filled my mouth.

Then, darkness swallowed me whole.

I gasped, lungs pulling in sterile, air-conditioned oxygen.

My hands flew to my chest. No blood. No crushed metal. My skin was perfectly intact.

I stared at the reflection in the vanity mirror. White silk clung to my curves. A delicate bridal veil rested on my head.

Today was the day of our Mate Ceremony.

I pressed my palms against the cool glass of the mirror. I had died. I felt the life leave my body on that highway. Yet here I was, standing in the bridal suite of the packhouse, hours before the bond was supposed to be sealed.

I pushed up from the velvet chair and stepped into the corridor. The heavy oak door to the VIP lounge stood slightly ajar.

"Damien, wait," a woman murmured.

Vanessa.

I froze.

"What if Aurora catches us?" she whined, her voice laced with fake concern.

"She’s too busy playing the perfect Luna," Damien grunted. Flesh slapped against flesh. "You’re the only one I want. You know that."

My stomach turned. They hadn't just betrayed me after the ceremony. They had been doing this right under my nose.

"But she's your fated mate," Vanessa said. "You have to mark her today."

"It's just politics," Damien replied, his breathing growing heavier. "The Blackwoods need the Ashford alliance. Once the ceremony is over, I'll put her in her place. She'll be nothing but a trophy wife while you rule by my side."

"Hurry," Vanessa whispered. "The guests are waiting."

"Let them wait," he sneered.

Anger, hot and blinding, surged through my veins. My wolf growled, demanding blood. But I forced her down. I didn't cry. I didn't scream.

I turned on my heel and headed for the grand ballroom.

The massive oak doors swung open. Hundreds of werewolf nobles turned their gazes toward me. The string quartet began to play a soft, romantic melody.

Damien stood at the altar, adjusting his cuffs. He looked every bit the noble Alpha heir of the Blackwood family. He smiled at me. A fake, practiced smile that I used to think was reserved only for me.

Vanessa stood in the front row, dabbing her eyes with a tissue, playing the supportive best friend. She wore a pale pink gown that perfectly highlighted her innocent act.

I marched up the aisle. My dress dragged heavily against the floor.

"Aurora, you look beautiful," Damien whispered as I reached the steps. He reached out to take my hand.

I slapped it away. The sharp smack echoed through the silent ballroom, cutting off the string quartet.

"The ceremony is over," I announced, projecting my voice to the back of the hall. "There will be no mating today."

Gasps rippled through the crowd. Murmurs erupted from the high-ranking Alphas and Lunas in the front rows.

"Aurora, what are you doing?" Damien hissed, his smile faltering. His fingers twitched at his sides. "Stop making a scene."

"A scene?" I grabbed the microphone from the stunned officiant. "I think you and Vanessa Holloway already made quite the scene in the VIP lounge ten minutes ago."

Damien's jaw tightened. The color drained from his face. "Put the mic down."

"Tell me, Damien," I continued, staring dead into his eyes. "Did you even wash your hands before coming out here to claim me?"

The ballroom erupted into chaos.

"You're acting insane," Damien said, his voice dropping to a dangerous, warning growl. "You're throwing a tantrum over nothing. Someone get her a glass of water. She's hysterical."

"Hysterical?" I laughed. A harsh, bitter sound that startled even me. "Is that what you call it when a woman refuses to be treated like garbage?"

Damien stepped closer, lowering his voice so only I could hear. "I don't know what you think you heard, but you are ruining our families' reputation. Fix this right now, or I swear to the Goddess, I will make you regret it."

"You already made me regret it," I replied, my voice carrying over the microphone. "Every single moment I spent believing you."

Vanessa rushed forward, clutching her chest. "Aurora, please! I don't know who fed you these lies, but you're not well."

She reached out to touch my arm.

I yanked my arm back. "Don't touch me."

"I'm your best friend," Vanessa pleaded, tears spilling over her cheeks. "Why would you accuse me of something so vile? I would never hurt you."

"Save the tears, Vanessa," I said, my tone ice-cold. "Your lipstick is still smeared. And you missed a button on the back of your dress."

Vanessa's hands flew to her back, fumbling with the fabric. The crowd noticed. Whispers turned into loud, accusatory murmurs.

"The stress of the ceremony is getting to your head," she cried, forcing out a pathetic sob. "You're hallucinating! You need help, Aurora."

"My head is perfectly clear," I said.

"Alpha Ashford," Damien called out to my father in the front row. "Get your daughter under control. She's embarrassing both our families. We will discuss her mental state in private."

My father stood up, his brow furrowed, but I didn't wait for him to speak. I slid the heavy diamond engagement ring off my finger.

"I, Aurora Ashford, reject you, Damien Blackwood."

The words hung in the air, heavy and final.

"You wouldn't dare," Damien snarled, stepping toward me. His Alpha aura flared, trying to force me into submission.

I stood tall, unaffected. "I just did."

I dropped the ring. It bounced off the marble floor, rolling to a stop right at Vanessa's feet.

"Keep him," I told her. "You deserve each other."

I turned my back on the altar and walked down the aisle. The crowd parted for me, their faces painted with shock and disgust—not at me, but at the Alpha who had just been publicly humiliated.

"If you walk out those doors, Aurora, you're done!" Damien shouted, his voice cracking with rage. "No other Alpha will ever look at you!"

I didn't look back. I pushed through the heavy double doors into the grand foyer.

A towering figure blocked my path, his silver eyes locking onto mine.

"Rejecting a Blackwood," the stranger rumbled, holding out a sealed black envelope bearing the royal crest. "Just the woman I was looking for."