My Mate Sold Me to Protect His Mistress

The tablet was old, its screen cracked in three places, but it worked. A guard—young, with eyes that couldn't quite meet mine—had left it on the meal tray two days ago. An accident, maybe. Or mercy.

I didn't care which.

My fingers shook as I navigated through the pack's security system. The password was embarrassingly simple: Christopher's birthday. The same code he'd used for everything since we were teenagers.

The cameras loaded one by one. Kitchen. Training grounds. Main hall.

Then the balcony.

Christopher stood there in full Alpha regalia, the afternoon sun turning his dark hair bronze. The entire pack gathered below, their faces upturned, expectant. I recognized the formation—this was a formal announcement.

My heart started hammering before my brain caught up.

Adelynn stepped into frame, wearing a dress I'd never seen before. Cream silk that caught the light, making her look ethereal. Untouchable. She moved to Christopher's side, and he smiled at her with something that looked almost like tenderness.

He reached into his pocket.

No.

The Luna's collar gleamed in his hands—white gold etched with moon phases, sapphires the color of midnight. My mother's collar. The one she'd worn until the day she died. The one that should have passed to me.

Christopher's voice carried through the tablet's tinny speaker. "Blood Moon Pack, I present to you my Chosen Mate. Adelynn has stood by me through crisis, shown unwavering loyalty when others faltered. She is human, yes, but her heart is stronger than any wolf's."

He fastened the collar around her neck.

The pack erupted in cheers.

I watched Adelynn's hand rise to touch the sapphires—my mother's sapphires—and something inside me cracked so deeply I thought I'd shatter.

Luna didn't even whimper. She'd gone silent days ago.

I turned off the tablet and lay back on the narrow bed, staring at the ceiling until the stone blurred.

Weeks crawled by. The wolfsbane worked its way out of my system slowly, leaving my healing fractured and incomplete. The scars on my back pulled tight whenever I moved, a constant reminder.

Then Christopher came for me.

He unlocked the cell without knocking, holding a garment bag. "Get dressed. It's my birthday celebration tonight. You're attending."

I didn't move. "No."

"That wasn't a request." His Alpha tone pressed against my skull, making Luna whimper. "You're still my mate, Kiana. Officially. Your absence would raise questions I don't feel like answering."

"Tell them the truth, then."

His jaw clenched. "Get. Dressed."

The dress was beautiful—deep emerald silk that complemented my dark hair. It had long sleeves and a high back, carefully designed to hide every scar. But the neckline plunged low, exposing my unmarked neck for everyone to see.

No claiming bite. No collar. Nothing.

Christopher led me into the main hall, and conversation died. Every eye tracked us as we walked, and I felt their judgment like physical weight. The Alpha's mate, but not his Luna. Present but not honored.

He seated me at a table near the kitchen. The Omega table.

I sat, spine straight, and watched him return to the head table where Adelynn waited, radiant in silver and sapphires.

Dinner was torture. I pushed food around my plate while laughter and music swirled around me. Adelynn kept touching Christopher's arm, leaning close to whisper things that made him smile. The collar—my mother's collar—caught the candlelight with every movement.

Then she stood, glass in hand, and the room quieted.

"I want to thank you all for welcoming me into this pack," she said, her voice sweet and clear. "I know I'm not what you expected in a Luna. But I promise to serve you with everything I have."

The pack applauded. Christopher pulled her down for a kiss that lasted too long, and I tasted bile.

When the speeches ended, Adelynn made her way through the crowd, stopping at tables, accepting congratulations. She was heading toward me. I knew it before she changed direction.

She slid into the seat beside me, close enough that I could smell her perfume. That sickly sweet scent that had haunted the cabin.

"You look lovely tonight," she said, loud enough for nearby tables to hear. Then she leaned in, her voice dropping to a whisper. "I sold you to those Rogues for fifty thousand dollars. Paid off my gambling debts and had enough left over for this dress."

I couldn't breathe.

"Christopher knows," she continued, her smile never wavering. "I told him everything. He said you were a necessary sacrifice. That's the exact word he used—necessary." She touched the collar at her throat. "He loves me, Kiana. Really loves me. You were just... convenient."

She stood, patting my shoulder like I was a child, and walked away.

I sat frozen, her words echoing in my skull, while the party continued around me.

The morning run was tradition—the pack shifting together to celebrate the Alpha's birthday under the full moon's fading light. I didn't want to go. My body wasn't ready. But Christopher's Beta, Marcus, came to collect me with orders I couldn't refuse.

I shifted painfully, feeling every scar pull and tear. Luna emerged weak and small, her golden eyes dim. We fell to the back of the pack immediately, struggling to keep pace.

Adelynn insisted on joining in a jeep, claiming she wanted to "experience the tradition." Christopher agreed, of course.

I watched the vehicle bounce along the trail ahead, Adelynn at the wheel, laughing.

Then she swerved.

The jeep tilted, sliding into a drainage ditch with a crunch of metal. Not fast enough to be truly dangerous. Just enough.

Christopher's massive black wolf skidded to a stop, then bolted toward the wreckage. The entire pack followed, abandoning the run.

I kept moving, one paw in front of the other, until my back leg caught on a root.

I went down hard. Something tore—old wounds ripping open. Blood soaked into my fur, hot and sticky.

I shifted back to human, gasping, pressing my hand against my side. The world tilted.

By the time I stumbled into the pack infirmary, Christopher was already there, cradling Adelynn like she was made of glass. She had a small bruise forming on her wrist. That was it.

I collapsed against the doorframe, blood dripping onto the clean tile.

The Head Healer, Dr. Morrison, looked up, his eyes widening. "Luna Kiana—"

"Tend to Adelynn first," Christopher cut him off, his voice sharp. "The Luna's comfort comes first."

Dr. Morrison hesitated, his gaze darting between us. "Alpha, she's bleeding—"

"I gave you an order."

The healer's shoulders slumped. He turned back to Adelynn, gently examining her wrist while I bled onto his floor.

Christopher didn't even look at me.

I slid down the wall, my vision graying at the edges, and wondered if this was how it would end. Bleeding out in a pack infirmary while my mate chose someone else.

Again.