Betrayed At Our Bonding Ceremony

My bonding ceremony with Rhys Valerius was supposed to be the event of the season, with all eyes on us.

But when the great ceremonial doors swung open, Rhys didn't walk toward me.

Instead, he turned to his childhood friend, Cassia Thorne—the witness for our bonding—and pulled her into his arms.

Then, in front of the entire pack, he gave her a deep, passionate kiss that lasted for a full, agonizing minute.

His Beta and Gammas howled and cheered, as if this were a common sight.

After the kiss finally ended, Rhys offered a dismissive explanation, calling it a reward to "thank her for her years of loyalty."

His childhood friend, Cassia, even had the audacity to smirk at me. "A future Luna shouldn't be so petty," she purred.

I smiled, lifting the laurel wreath from my hair and placing it on her head.

"Of course not," I replied, my own smile razor-sharp. "May your bond be unbreakable."

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1

Cassia's witness gown and my ceremonial gown were nearly identical. With my wreath on her head, she looked more like the Luna-to-be than I did.

I took their hands, Rhys's and Cassia's, and placed one over the other.

"If you two are willing, I'm happy to step aside and let you be together."

The uproar from the pack died instantly. The silence was deafening.

Cassia looked at Rhys, tears already welling in her eyes.

"Oh, Rhys, what should I do? I think I've made Aveline angry." She turned to me, her voice trembling. "Aveline, I truly didn't mean for this to happen..."

Rhys's face darkened as he shielded her behind him.

A wave of his Alpha presence washed over me, heavy and demanding. "I told you, it was a reward. This is not the time to be unreasonable."

His pack members chimed in, rushing to make excuses for him.

"You're his fated mate, Aveline. You have to understand."

I stared at the handsome face that had made my heart flutter for seven years. Now, seeing his features etched with worry for another woman, I found the sight pathetic.

If he truly cared about this gift from the Moon Goddess, he never would have let Cassia be his witness.

And he certainly wouldn't have held her so tightly and kissed her on the day of our bonding ceremony.

Even now, a hint of longing lingered on his lips.

I waved a dismissive hand.

"Good. Now that I see things clearly, take your mate and go."

With that, I turned and strode toward the main doors.

I hadn't taken two steps before my wrist was yanked back.

Rhys's face was grim, his anger barely contained.

"Are you finished with this drama? Don't forget that you and your pack begged for this union!"

He was right.

My pack had pleaded for this union.

It was the Moon Goddess's decree from seven years ago, but he had never been satisfied with me.

He could have defied her.

But because my pack begged and pleaded, he reluctantly agreed to let me be bound to him.

Our fated bond was forged in an instant, and in the next, my heart shattered completely.

I forced a smile. "I won't force you anymore."

His grip on my wrist tightened, his voice dropping to an icy whisper that chilled me to the bone.

"Everything is ready for the ceremony, and you're trying to run now? Are you making a fool out of me?"

I glanced at Cassia, who had a faint, triumphant smile playing on her lips.

"Weren't all the arrangements made according to her preferences anyway? It's perfect. The two of you can bond instead."

Cassia burst into tears.

"Aveline, I was just trying to help. It's all my fault, I didn't consider that you might not like it…"

Rhys cut her off.

"Don't listen to her, she's lost her mind. You had good intentions; you don't need to apologize."

As they spoke, their hands were already clasped tightly together.

I let out a self-deprecating laugh and strode past them.

Rhys's cold threat echoed behind me. "Let her go. The mate bond will have her crawling back, begging."

But this time, he had miscalculated.