After My Fated Alpha Chose My Sister, I Mated with the True Alpha He Replaced

"You actually thought he would choose you?" Selene’s voice echoed off the damp stone walls of the basement.

I pressed my back against the cold iron door, glaring at my younger sister. Three of her loyal enforcers flanked her, blocking the only exit.

"Damon is my fated mate," I said. "The ceremony starts in ten minutes. Move."

Selene laughed. The sound bounced around the confined space, sharp and mocking. "A fated mate without a wolf. You can't even shift, Elara. You’re a disgrace to the Whitmore name."

"The Moon Goddess made the match," I countered, keeping my chin up. "Damon honors the goddess."

"The Moon Goddess made a mistake." Selene stepped closer, her amber eyes flashing with genuine malice. "Damon needs a Luna who commands respect. Not a weak, wolfless human who cowers at a simple growl."

"He loves me," I insisted. "We are bound."

"Let’s test that theory." Selene snapped her fingers. "Make sure she misses the vows. Don't kill her. Just make her sleep."

A heavy fist slammed into the side of my head. The world tilted, spinning into darkness before I even hit the floor.

Pain throbbed behind my eyes. I pushed myself up from the freezing stone. The basement was empty.

"No," I whispered.

I threw my weight against the heavy wooden door. It held fast. I backed up, ignoring the sharp ache in my ribs, and rammed my shoulder into the frame. Wood splintered. I shoved again, tearing my skin, until the latch finally gave way.

I stumbled up the stairs, blood dripping from my temple. The packhouse was eerily quiet. Everyone was outside at the Moon Altar.

My chest heaved. Every step sent a jolt of pain up my spine, but I forced my legs to move. I had to stop him. I dragged my injured body down the main hallway, shoving the grand double doors open.

The night air hit my face. Hundreds of pack members stood in a massive circle around the glowing altar.

And there, standing at the center, was Damon Blackthorn.

My heart leaped, but the relief vanished in an instant. He wasn't alone. Selene stood beside him, her hand perfectly intertwined with his.

"Damon!" I shouted.

The crowd parted. Whispers erupted among the pack members as they took in my bruised face and torn dress.

Damon turned. His expression remained completely flat. Not a single trace of concern crossed his features.

"Elara," he said, his voice carrying over the silent courtyard.

"What are you doing?" I staggered forward. "We are supposed to take the vows."

"You didn't show up," Damon replied coolly. "A pack cannot wait for a Luna who fails to honor her own ceremony."

"She locked me in the basement!" I pointed a shaking finger at my sister. "Her enforcers ambushed me."

Selene gasped, pressing a hand to her chest. "Alpha, I have been by your side this entire evening. Why would she lie like this?"

"Because she is desperate," Damon said.

"Damon, look at me," I pleaded, taking another step. "I am bleeding. I fought my way out to get to you."

Damon held up a hand, silencing me. "Enough. The truth is plain to see. Elara, you lack the strength to lead. You have no wolf. Selene is beautiful, intelligent, and possesses a powerful spirit. She is the Luna this pack deserves. I declare her my chosen mate."

"You cannot break the threads of fate!"

An old woman pushed through the front row of the crowd. Morgana, the pack’s seer, leaned heavily on her wooden staff. Her blind eyes fixed unerringly on the Alpha.

"The Moon Goddess's guidance remains unchanged," Morgana declared, her raspy voice echoing with authority. "Damon Blackthorn, your fated mate is Elara Whitmore. Rejecting her will bring ruin."

Damon’s jaw tightened. "I make my own fate, witch."

Selene sneered. "Guards! Drag this crazy old hag out of here. She’s disrupting the sacred rite."

Two massive wolves shifted back to human form, grabbing Morgana by the arms and pulling her into the shadows.

"You will regret this!" Morgana screamed.

Damon ignored her. He pulled a silver dagger from his belt and sliced his palm, then did the same to Selene. They pressed their bleeding hands together.

"I, Alpha Damon Blackthorn, bind my soul to Selene Whitmore. She is my Luna, now and forever."

A blinding flash of silver light erupted from their joined hands.

The Luna contract was sealed.

An agonizing force ripped through my chest. It felt like invisible claws were tearing my heart directly out of my ribcage. I collapsed to my knees, clutching my shirt.

"Ah!" A scream tore from my throat.

Deep inside my mind, something massive slammed against a heavy, invisible wall. A violent, terrifying energy surged, trying to break free. The seal in my head cracked. The pressure was unbearable, a blinding white heat expanding in my skull.

The last thing I saw was Damon placing the Luna crown on Selene’s head before the darkness swallowed me again.

I woke to the smell of dust and old wood.

The room was dim, illuminated only by a sliver of moonlight slipping through a barred window. I pushed myself up on the lumpy mattress, my muscles screaming in protest.

"Look who’s awake," a gruff voice called from the hallway.

I dragged myself to the iron-reinforced door. A guard stood on the other side, leaning casually against the wall.

"Let me out," I demanded, my throat raw.

He chuckled, tapping his keys against the metal bars. "Why don't you just break the door down, sweetheart? Oh, right. You're not a real wolf. Just a weak little human playing dress-up."

I gripped the bars, my knuckles turning white. "Where is Damon?"

"Busy with his real mate." The guard smirked. "The whole pack is celebrating. No one is thinking about you."

Footsteps echoed down the corridor. The guard immediately stood at attention, bowing his head.

Damon stepped into the faint light. He waved a hand, dismissing the guard, who hurried away without a word.

Keys turned in the lock. The heavy door swung open.

Damon walked in, shutting the door behind him. He looked immaculate in his ceremonial suit, the faint scent of pine and Selene's sickeningly sweet perfume clinging to him.

"You look terrible," he said.

"You bound yourself to her." My voice shook with raw devastation.

He closed the distance between us, reaching out. I tried to pull back, but he caught my chin, his fingers trailing down my bruised cheek.

"If you hadn't disappeared before the ceremony, I wouldn't have chosen Selene," he murmured softly.

I slapped his hand away. "She locked me up! She planned this, and you know it."

"Does it matter?" Damon shrugged, his tone shifting to ice. "A true wolf would have fought her way out in time. You failed."

"We are fated," I whispered, the betrayal burning my eyes.

"Fate is a suggestion," Damon replied, stepping back. "The contract is finalized, Elara. The pack recognizes Selene. You are going to have to accept your new reality."

"I will never accept her as my Luna," I spat.

A cruel smile played on his lips. "Tomorrow, you will serve your sister. Or you will be banished as a rogue. Sleep well, Elara."

He turned and walked out, the lock clicking shut behind him.

I stood alone in the dark, the pain in my chest throbbing in time with my heartbeat. But beneath the sorrow, that strange, violent energy in my mind slammed against the cracked seal once more.

I wasn't just a weak human. Something was waking up inside me.

And it was furious.