The Alpha's Stolen Mate And Her Hidden Destiny

Ellery POV:

I sat in the most luxurious ballroom in the city, attending the annual charity gala held by the Stone family, the largest pack among the werewolves. And I was the only human at this entire event.

I slowly raised the wine glass in my hand. The server beside me immediately bowed respectfully and poured the Romanée-Conti that had been taken from the deepest corner of the wine cellar into my glass.

Every female who passed by me couldn't help but leave behind either an envious or jealous glance.

Everyone here knew that my fiancé was Jagger Stone. He was the only Alpha heir of the Stone family, the partner every female wolf dreamed of having.

I touched the moonstone necklace resting against my collarbone and smiled with a sense of reassurance and contentment.

The moonstone was something Jagger had personally searched for across three territories just to find for me. Even though our relationship was only a family arrangement, he had never treated me coldly. The sweet words he had once said to me replayed in my mind again and again, making the smile on my lips grow deeper.

At that moment, I still had no idea that before long, everything would become nothing more than a ridiculous joke.

Under the dazzling lights of the ballroom, females in luxurious gowns danced gracefully with their Alpha partners. My eyes searched through the crowd, looking for him.

But in the Stone family's ballroom, I couldn't find Jagger's figure.

I couldn't wait to share with him the moonstone necklace I had redesigned and recreated. Without realizing it, I set down my wine glass and stood up, walking toward the balcony.

The closer I got, the stronger the scent of cedar became. Although I was human, I was familiar with Jagger's scent. I knew I had come to the right place.

The balcony door was open. The cool night breeze entered through the doorway, creating a small current of air. The music from the ballroom gradually became distant. A thin trail of smoke drifted out from the edge of the balcony door, and a hand holding a cigarette flashed briefly into view.

It was Jagger's hand.

The excitement I couldn't suppress pushed me forward. I took another step, until that familiar voice, now carrying an impatience I had never heard before, reached my ears.

"I'm really tired of pretending to be the perfect fiancé."

The smile that had filled my face suddenly became painful. I silently stepped back, returning the foot I had just moved forward.

Those words left me momentarily dazed.

I stood there and forced myself to calm down.

Two black silhouettes stood by the window, their backs facing the light and surrounded by the smoke of cigars. One was the Jagger I knew so well. The other was his closest friend, Pierce Montgomery.

I quietly retreated into the shadow of the heavy velvet curtains. My hands hung weakly at my sides, trembling uncontrollably.

My pride forced me to stay and continue listening.

Pierce seemed to only just realize what Jagger meant. He shifted the arm resting against the railing and slowly exhaled a ring of smoke.

"This is the family's arrangement, man. If I remember correctly, it has something to do with the alliance between your families that has lasted for generations."

Jagger's head tilted slightly. His cold, disdainful laugh reached my ears.

"I'm the only heir of the Stone family, yet I have to be bonded with an ordinary human who can't even sense a wolf's emotions. She can't even understand my feelings. She's more boring than a rock."

The tension made my breath catch in my throat. I quickly covered my mouth, preventing myself from making any sound. My hurried breathing made my throat burn painfully.

"You don't know how fucking fake she is."

Jagger sounded almost frustrated. He took a deep drag before exhaling a thick cloud of smoke into the sky.

"Everyone remembers that rogue wolf attack. Kaitlyn's wrist was scratched and left with a scar, but when Ellery came back, she was completely unharmed. Not a single wound on her body. She used the excuse that everything happened too quickly and she couldn't explain it, but I saw everything."

The cigarette tip flickered with a faint red glow in the darkness, brightening for a moment whenever Jagger took a drag.

"She ran away in panic and left Kaitlyn alone to face those rogues. Kaitlyn was helpless and ended up getting injured by them."

Kaitlyn Preston, Jagger's childhood companion and a female wolf who was always kind and gentle.

The moment I heard that name, my legs nearly gave out. I tightly gripped the curtain beside me, barely managing to keep myself standing.

Before I could even react, a warm drop of water slid down my cheek.

"Are you still hung up on that?" Pierce asked lazily as he turned around, his gaze resting on Jagger. "I remember Kaitlyn has already been abroad for years. Wasn't she there studying jewelry design?"

"She's back." At the mention of her, Jagger's voice noticeably softened. "She's the one who should be beside me. A real female wolf, not a human."

As if remembering something frustrating, he crushed the cigarette in his hand against the railing.

"This engagement makes me feel humiliated. I'm really done with it. Once my father's project is finalized, I don't want to see Ellery Simon's face ever again."

I didn't even realize I had been holding my breath until I heard those words. I quickly covered my mouth, taking a shaky breath and forcing myself not to make a sound.

When I stepped backward, I finally realized my legs were so weak that I could barely stand.

The man who had once crossed mountains and territories to find the thing he loved for me died completely in that moment.

No. They were never the same person.

I lowered my presence as much as possible and retreated back into the ballroom. I wiped away the dried tears on my face. When I faced the crowd again, I had already returned to my calm expression.

"Ellery, your necklace is beautiful!" A passing female clan leader looked at the necklace around my collarbone and sincerely complimented it.

I smiled faintly. "Thank you. This design is already outdated. I'll continue creating a new one."

The female clan leader nodded appreciatively. Her eyes shifted behind me, and then she lowered her gaze and elegantly walked away.

I turned around and saw Jagger and Pierce walking toward me, one after the other.

The moment Jagger met my eyes, the impatience on his face instantly transformed into the familiar gentle expression he always showed me.

He came to my side and naturally reached out to wrap his arm around my waist, but I instinctively stepped aside.

The moment his arm missed its target, the impatient expression immediately returned to his face.

I reached out and picked up a champagne glass from a passing server's tray. Then I nodded politely at him with a faint smile.

"Enjoy your evening, Jagger."

Jagger still tried to reach for me, but I took a step back, put away my smile, and turned to leave.

I could feel his irritated gaze following my thin figure. Maybe it was because of the cold sweat running down my back, but I felt a chill travel through me.

Yet my heart felt strangely lighter. I knew he hated the feeling of losing control.

By the time I realized it, my body's instinct had already brought me back to the top-floor apartment where we lived together.

I didn't turn on the lights. Following my memory, I walked into the master bathroom. The sensor light above the mirror turned on, revealing a lifeless face reflected in the glass, a face drained of all emotion after the devastating blow.

The moonstone resting against my collarbone gave off a faint glow, looking painfully bright.

Slowly, I reached my hand behind my neck. With a gentle twist of my fingertips, the necklace slipped away from both sides of my neck.

As it fell, the moonstone pendant seemed to become infinitely larger in my eyes, as if even time had frozen for a single second.

The next moment, the moonstone struck the floor with a dull crack.

I looked down at it. The clear fractures spreading across the stone completely shattered the final trace of hope I had held for this relationship.