The Alpha's Betrayed Mate.

Aria's POV.

The voices from the ceremony were still ringing in my head, blending with the steady pounding of my heartbeat. Every step I took down the corridor felt heavy, like my feet were made of stone. The noise of the pack celebrating Zac's choice for Luna echoed far behind me, but it clung to me all the same, like sharp claws digging into my back.

Vanessa's laughter lingered most of all. That smug, triumphant sound. She had won. At least, that's how it looked to everyone in the hall.

I didn't understand. I couldn't. Just a week ago, Zac's hands had been on me, his lips whispering promises only I could hear. His voice had been soft then, his touch gentle. We were in love, we had plans. Tonight was supposed to be the night everything changed for us. For me.

And it did. Just not the way I thought.

I found him standing in the torch-lit hallway, his back against the stone wall, his posture relaxed as if nothing had happened. My chest tightened so hard it hurt. How could he look so calm after destroying me in front of everyone?

"Zac," I whispered first, my voice breaking even though I wanted it to come out strong.

His eyes slid toward me, sharp and cold, like I was nothing but an interruption.

I swallowed, clutching the front of my dress to stop my hands from shaking.

"What just happened out there?" My words tumbled out too fast, too desperate. "You..you were supposed to pick me. We talked about this. You told me I was your Luna, that tonight..."

"Stop." His voice cut through mine like a blade.

I flinched, but I forced myself to keep going, tears pricking my eyes. "Tell me what this is, Zac. Tell me why you said her name instead of mine. Please I need..."

He pushed off the wall slowly, towering over me now, and the small smile curling his lips made my stomach twist. It wasn't kind. It wasn't loving. It was smug and it was cruel.

"What happened, Aria," he said with a sharpness that made my knees weak, "is that I chose what was best for me. For this pack. For my future. And it was never you."

The words slammed into me like someone had just punched me in the stomach.

I shook my head, tears blurring my vision. "No, no, that's not true. Don't say that. You loved me, Zac. I know you did. Everything we've been through, everything we shared..."

"Shared?" He laughed bitterly, the sound echoing down the hall. "Don't flatter yourself. You were never more than a distraction. A warm body in my bed when I needed it. Did you really think you were anything more than that?"

My chest felt tight, I couldn't breathe. His words burned through me, stripping away every memory I had of us, every touch, every whispered promise.

"You're lying," I whispered. "You're saying this to hurt me because you're scared. You don't mean it..."

"Oh, I mean every word." His voice was low, mocking now as he leaned closer, his eyes cold but glinting with satisfaction. "You were just convenient, Aria. Nothing more. I never loved you. I never wanted you. You were good enough to warm my bed, but never good enough to stand beside me, and how do you expect an orphan with only goddess knows her roots to become a Luna."

My world shattered at that moment.

I stumbled back, shaking my head, my tears spilling fast now. My hands clutched my stomach instinctively, a protective move he didn't even notice. He didn't know yet about the baby, our baby. The proof that what we had was real, wasn't just some twisted illusion.

But how could I tell him now? How could I place that fragile truth in the hands of a man who had just torn me apart?

My voice broke when I asked, "Then why? Why all these years? Why hold me, why whisper promises, why talk about our future if it was all a lie?"

"Because it was easy," he said flatly, his lips curling. "Because you were foolish enough to believe me. And because you were always there, waiting, desperate to be chosen. You made it too easy, Aria."

I felt my legs weakening under me, the weight of his cruelty crushing me. But I still couldn't stop. I still needed something, anything, that made sense because everything happening right now doesn't make a single sense.

How was I to accept it, just like that?

My voice was a broken whisper. "I gave you everything. I stood by you when your father died, when you became Alpha, when you said you couldn't do it alone. I was there for you. And this is what I get?"

His eyes flickered for just a second, almost like he remembered. But it was gone just as fast. His expression hardened again, sharper, colder than the last time as he pushed me against the wall. I felt a sharp sting of pain, burning where he gripped me tightly.

"You were useful then," he said, his tone final. "But I don't need you anymore, you've served your purpose."

My breath hitched, and for a moment, I thought it couldn't get worse than this. I thought I had reached the very bottom of heartbreak. But Zac wasn't done.

He straightened back as he smiled at me, his voice carrying a cruel pride now, like he was making some grand announcement.

"And since you're so desperate to know, Aria... this isn't just about Vanessa. It's just a first step to my path of greatness, I would be the greatest alpha the pack has ever had and you my lovely dear, has been sold."

The words froze me where I stood. "S-sold?" I stammered, my body trembling.

He nodded once, smugness dripping from him. "Yes. To the Winchester Alpha. As proof of our alliance. Consider it your final role, your last usefulness. You'll make a fine little offering to keep the peace."