When the Moonlight Thread Broke

At the Pack's annual gala, beneath the glow of a blood moon, my Beta mate, Jasper Thorne, arrived with Camille Sterling—his childhood friend.

When she claimed to have no suitable gown, he gave her my Marked Shawl. I had handwoven it myself from priceless moonlight thread—a treasure meant only for our bonding ceremony.

"Camille wanted to experience what it's like to be a mate," he said, his tone dismissive. "It's just a glamour rune. It'll wear off."

I watched, my expression placid, as Jasper applied the very rune I had designed to conceal the mate's mark on his arm.

She looped her arm through Jasper's, her voice sickly sweet. "You're the best, Jasper. Can I borrow this shawl for a little longer? The moonlight thread is just too stunning to take off."

One of our friends couldn't stand it anymore and interjected, "Scarlett spent a whole year weaving that shawl, Jasper. And you're just letting someone else wear it? Have you even considered how she feels?"

He patiently helped Camille adjust the shawl before replying, his voice casual, "I'm just letting her wear it for one night. Scarlett won't mind. I'll make it up to her."

He was right about one thing. I would be fine. Because I had already begun to erase myself from his world.

But before I left, I had one last promise to keep to the Alpha: a journey to the Silent Canyon to find the lost Moon Well.

From that night on, our paths were destined to diverge forever.

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1

I wasn't the least bit surprised to see Camille Sterling at the gala. In the three years I had been with Jasper Thorne, she had been a constant shadow, intruding on every moment that should have belonged only to us.

Three years of discontent and arguments had slowly eroded into a quiet, resigned acceptance.

Jasper always told me, "Camille is like a sister to me. I promised her parents I would take care of her, so it's almost instinctual for me. Don't overthink it. She'll have her own mate one day, and you are my fated mate."

Just then, Camille glided toward me, draped in the Marked Shawl I knew better than my own skin. A smug smirk played on her lips. "Scarlett, Jasper said you specially invited me to the gala. Thank you so much!"

She ran a hand over the moonlight thread on her shoulder, her eyes glinting with undisguised provocation. "And thank you for the shawl. I absolutely love it."

I stared at the shawl, its familiarity a blinding ache. No matter how I fought for composure, a storm of fury was gathering inside me.

It was handwoven from moonlight thread and imbued with the magic of my Lunar Alchemy—something unique in the entire pack.

It was the sacred centerpiece of my bonding ceremony attire, and here was Camille, flaunting it like a common trinket.

I stared at Jasper, my eyes wide with disbelief. He lowered his head, avoiding my gaze, and explained, "Camille's gown was accidentally damaged, and there wasn't enough time… Besides, she's an important member of the Sterling Clan. For the Pack's dignity, she has to be dressed presentably."

Camille linked her arm with his, affecting an innocent expression. "I've always heard from Jasper how generous and considerate you are. You wouldn't get angry over something so small, would you?"

I met his gaze, searching for a flicker of guilt. He knew what that shawl meant to me—to us. He knew how I’d dreamed of wearing it at our bonding ceremony.

But his gaze was placid, as if giving my shawl to Camille was the most ordinary thing in the world.

I lowered my head, taking a deep breath. The last flicker of hope in my heart finally died. "It's fine. It's just a shawl. You can keep it if you want."

Camille clearly wanted to needle me further, but my easy agreement left her momentarily speechless. Jasper, too, glanced over, his expression surprised.

I averted my gaze, swallowing the bitter taste in my mouth, and forced a smile. "Since Camille is here, you should take her to greet the Pack elders."

He studied me for a long moment before nodding. "Alright. I'll find you when the Moon Goddess's Blessing begins. We have to drink the moonlit wine together for the blessing. Wait for me."

I nodded and obediently retreated to a corner of the terrace. Camille pulled Jasper toward the center of the crowd. Before leaving, she even shot me a triumphant glance.

I opened the pack's internal social network, The Howl, and saw the latest post she had just published. She was wearing my Marked Shawl, arm-in-arm with my mate, in a series of intimate photos.

One of them was a close-up of the mate's mark on his arm, covered by a Frost Rose Rune.

The comment section instantly flooded with replies.

"Camille, is this your mate? That shawl looks absolutely stunning on you!"

"OMG. Is that Beta Jasper Thorne from the Crimson Moon Pack? You two look so perfect together!"

Camille neither confirmed nor denied it, instead replying vaguely, "I'm so lucky to have him!"

In the midst of the lively gala, I stood alone in the shadows. The endless, subtle glances from the other guests made me feel like an exhibit on display, and my skin began to crawl.

Despite it all, I forced myself to stay. A small, foolish part of me had to see if he would keep his promise—if he would come back for me and the moonlit wine.