I stood speechless at the edge of the courtyard, my arms intentionally hugging myself as if, somehow, it could protect me from the uncontrollably embarrassment happening right in front of me.
"You really pictured that he would pick you?" a sharp voice spat maliciously beside me.I didn't need to look up to know it was the pretty devil, Lila. Her laughter was as toxic as her remarks since our first encounter.
I made sure to stay silent. My heart was already shattered into many pieces; the last thing I wanted was to allow her to derive pleasure from watching me break down. Lila moved in closer, her perfume suffocating me just like her attitude.
"You should move far away from here before the ceremony commences. You don't in any way belong here."
I suppressed my anger by biting my cheek, the metallic taste of blood lingering on my tongue. "I belong here just as much as you think you do," I replied, though my voice lacked the confidence to back it up. She laughed derisively at my remark.
"Of course, I can see that you do. That's why Ryker could not wait to marry me."
Her words cut through me more than they should have. I turned away, rushing out to put some space between us, but her voice still trailed behind me like a cursed shadow.
I didn't stop - not even to defend myself - until I reached the far end of the courtyard. My hands shook terribly as I clung to the wooden railing, watching in shock as the pack assembled. Ryker stood confidently at the center, his broad shoulders raised high, his expression unreadable, yet unmistakable. The mate bond tugged strongly at me, cruelly reminding me of what was supposed to be mine.
"Why exactly did you even come here?"
I flinched in shock at the sound of his voice.
Ryker.
He had followed me closely. I turned slowly to face him, but l met his piercing green eyes.
"I… I wanted to see everything for myself," I said softly.
"To see what exactly?"
"That the bond from the Moon Goddess meant nothing to you." My voice wavered, and I hated myself for it.
He laughed devilishly, a cold smile forming on his lips. "It doesn't matter. You were merely a regrettable mistake - one planned by the Moon Goddess."
His words struck really hard. "How can you even say that?"
He drew closer, hovering over me, his presence heavy. "Because it's truth. Do you think I would leave everything behind just because the bond exists, and be with you? You're nothing to me, Mira - an ordinary Omega with no power, no status, not even a future. Why would I ever bind myself to someone so beneath me?"
He laughed mockingly, the harshness and derision clear from my side. "The bond is a curse, and surely, it will connect you to someone as pitiful as you. Can't you see that Lila is strong, powerful, and deserving the title of Luna. You? You're just a liability."
"I do - everything I said actually," he replied icily. "And if you still have any pride left, or reputation to protect, you should be long gone by now, before you further humiliate yourself. Watching you pathetically cling to this shattered connection is just sad."
The elder's voice officiating the ceremony vibrated through the courtyard, signaling its beginning. Ryker glanced proudly at the crowd, then looked back at me with disgust."Leave, now" he said, his voice ringing with dismissal."No one desires, nor will they ever long for your presence."
He turned without remorse and walked away without a second glance, leaving me hanging and frozen in place. The pain was unbearable, too much to be contained in my chest, but I wouldn't allow the tears to fall. Not here. Never. Not now or tomorrow.
As the ceremony commenced in earnest, I slipped away, my feet moving with the speed of light toward the forest's edge. The cheers and laughter of the pack gradually faded behind me, replaced by the horrified whisper of the leaves and the distant howl of a wolf. I collapsed wearily by a stream, my hands tightly clutching the wet ground.
"Why wasn't I sufficient ?" I murmured, my voice shaking slightly.
The bond was meant to signify something strong - supreme and unbreakable. But Ryker couldn't have cared less, shattering it as if it were nothing. I had no idea how long I waited there, the cold tearing through me, deep into my bones, but a rustling sound behind me made me stiffen,suddenly more aware of my surroundings."
"Running away already without a fight?" a voice drawled behind me. I spurn around sharply, my heart racing. A huge man emerged from the shadows, his eyes shimmering dangerously in the moonlight. I didn't recognize him, but the grin on his face was enough to scare the life out of me.
"Who exactly are you?" I demanded, struggling to maintain my tone calm. He tilted his head, his eyes keenly observing me, as his grin broadening.
"Let's just say I've been interested in your case, keeping an eye on you, Mira. And I believe we are destined to assist each other."My stomach churned loudly.
"What do you want from me?" His eyes sparkled with something dark and threatening - maybe mischief. "Revenge."
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
The forest felt unnaturallycold, far beyond normal, the air heavy with an unsettling silence. The man's unwavering, glowing eyes stayed fixed on mine, his grin cool as he moved nearer.
"Revenge?" I repeated, my voice quivering. "Why do you think I should seek revenge?"
He laughed darkly, the sound alone awakening fear in me. "I witnessed everything that happened back there - How he cruelly shamed you. How your so-called mate publicly treated you like trash." His voice became softened slightly but his words struck harder this time. "You don't deserve any of that."
I tightened my fists, my nails digging into my palms. 'And what would you possibly know about what I deserve?"
"I know enough to give you a good life,'he replied, his voice strangely calm. 'I've observed this pack for a long time - its so-called devilish customs. They idolize strength, centering everything on power, and status while happily trampling anyone they view as unworthy to belong to their clique. People like you, Mira, are merely there to serve as stepping stones to them."
My heart ached at his choice of words because they carried a truth I had been reluctant over the years to face. For years, I had wished and struggled to prove myself, to show that I was more than just an ordinary Omega. Yet, here I was,doing nothing, but standing, cast aside and shattered in humiliation.
"What exactly do you want from me?" I asked, my voice just a whisper, though I knew he could hear me.
"Nothing much," he said, casually leaning against a tree for support. "Just nothing but your trust. Allow me to empower you in reclaiming what belongs to you. Let me help you in my own little way, to show them all that they were wrong to underestimate your worth."
I shook my head , retreating a step. "I don't even know who you are."
"You will, with time, ' he stated matter-of-factly, his glowing eyes seeming to penetrate deep into my very soul. "But first, consider this: What do you have to lose anyway?"
The question hung in the air, heavy and impossible to answer. What exactly did I have to lose? My dignity? My standing in the pack? Ryker had already taken all that mattered from me.
"I didn't ask for your help," I asserted, my voice shaking. "I can handle this one on my own."
He raised an eyebrow in suprise, his grin fading into seriousness. "And how exactly, has that worked out for you so far, all this years?"
I opened my mouth to reply, but no words came out. I despised him for being right.
"You don't have to choose anything now," he said, stepping back into the shadows. "But when you're ready to act, I'll be here."
Before I could ask more about his name or his identity, he vanished, blending into the darkness as if he had never existed. I stayed there for a long while, my thoughts racing.
Who was he to come to me? What did he want? And why, despite my instincts urging me to run, did his words sound so profound?
The moon was already high in the sky by the time I returned to the packhouse. The ceremony had ended not so long,leaving the courtyard strangely silent. I avoided the main entrance, sneaking in through the back to avoid anyone who might still be awake.
The hallways felt chillier, each step a conscious reminder of my unwelcomeness in my own home. I arrived at last at my small room at the end of the corridor, gently closing the door behind me.I leaned against it, my legs failing me as I collapsing to the floor.
The tears I had held all day finally poured out freely, hot and unyielding.Why wasn't I enough ? Why did the mate bond choose me knowing that my family wasn't noble, knowing Ryker could dismiss it so easily?"
My cries echoed in the small room, the weight of my sorrow threatening to crush me. I lost track of how long I wept, but soon, fatigue overcame me, and I slipped into a restless slumber."
I found myself in a dense forest once more, but this time, the trees appeared alive, their branches curling dangerously toward me like claws.
The air reeked of blood, and the ground beneath me was strangely damp and sticky.
"Mira...'The voice strangely came out as a murmur, gentle yet somewhat eerie. I turned for help, but no one was there."
"Mira…'It called again, louder this time. My heart raced uncontrollably as I spun around, trying to find the source.Then I spotted him - it was him again."
"It was the man from before, his eyes radiating more intensely than earlier. He stood at the edge of the glade, his expression utterly unreadable."
"Who exactly are you?" I demanded, my voice unnaturally loud in the stillness.He didn't respond - he made no effort to. Instead, he lifted one hand, and the shadows surrounding him began to twist and break, forming shapes I couldn't comprehend."
"What do you think you're doing?" I asked, my voice faltering unwillingly.
"He moved closer, his actions slow yet calculated and measured. "You're even more powerful than you can imagine, Mira. But that power comes with a heavy cost."
"What cost are you talking about?" His eyes locked steadily onto mine, and for a brief moment, I thought I saw sadness there."
"Everything you have." The shadows moved toward me, and I screamed as they forcefully enveloped me, dragging me into darkness."
"I awakened abruptly, sweating, my heart racing and skipping a beat in my chest. The room was dark, but I could sense that something was different. And then I saw it. Boldly inscribed into the wooden floor beside my bed was a single word: 'Choose."'