The alpha’s forsaken vengeance

The Unmasking Hundreds of wolves celebrating beneath crystal chandeliers filled the ballroom with energy. I wended my way through the crowd, champagne flute in one hand, nodding politely to pack elders, searching for Ethan. “We sure do have some turnout for our new Alpha,” an older she-wolf commented as I passed. I offered a tight smile. "As it should be." The hem of my crimson gown — chosen with care for the occasion — brushed the marble as I pilfered away from chit-chat. Today wasn’t just Ethan’s birthday; it was his ascension. The culmination of all that we’d worked toward. Three days ago, he’d pressed his forehead to mine under the full moon and told me I was forever, even if there was no mate bond. “The moon goddess does not control my heart, Aurora,” he whispered. "You do." A lie, as it turned out. But I didn't know that yet. Not a sound came from the private wing of the pack house, and even though the festivities continued below, it was eerily quiet compared to the booming music and laughter. My heels clicked on hardwood as I neared Ethan’s chambers, preparing my pep to calm his pre-coronation nerves. Then I heard it. A deep, rumbling growl that belonged to you, followed by a laugh so light and feminine that I recognized it better than my own. My blood ran cold. I froze, my sixth-of-a-second reflection in the polished brass doorknob. The woman looking back at me looked haunted as if she already knew what lay on the other side. One heartbeat. Two. I pushed the door open. Time fractured. My Ethan was lost in ecstasy, his powerful back arched above my sister’s writhing form. The sheets clotted around them as though in a tableau from some deranged Renaissance painting. Neither noticed me at first, a gift I did not want to see them finish. “My Luna,” Ethan wheezed, falling atop Isadora. "My true mate." The champagne flute fell from my fingers, smashing onto the floor. They pivoted as one, startled predators interrupted at the kill. “Aurora,” Isadora purred, not bothering to cover herself. Instead, she writhed languidly beneath Ethan’s weight, a lioness on top of her land. “You always had horrible timing.” At least Ethan had the decency to lean away, even if his eyes bore none of the warmth they had less than twenty-four hours ago. They were now winter lakes — beautiful, but cold as hell. “This isn’t —” he started before catching himself with a bitter laugh. "No, I won't insult you. And this is what it looks like.” I had unearthed my voice, buried beneath shock and rage. "When?" "Does it matter?" Isadora sat up, the sheet spilling off her. My sister — five years older and an order of magnitude more calculating — had always been the golden child of our pack. Where I was soft, she was also steel. “The mate bond awakened last night. One touch and we both knew." “But you proposed three days ago,” I whispered to Ethan, deliberately ignoring her. “You said the mate bond was irrelevant.” His jaw tightened. "I hadn't felt it yet." "And now that he has?" Isadora’s smile was shark-like. “Everything else doesn’t matter. Especially you, little sister.” Ethan stood, magnificent and unashamed in his nakedness. He radiated power — the power I had helped power, nurtured, and loved. “The pack needs this bond, Aurora. My wolf knows her to be its equal.” "And me?" The question slipped out before I could swallow it. His face softened a fraction — a cruelty worse than indifference. "You were... comfort. Familiar. Safe." “But never enough,” Isadora said, slipping from the bed to stand with him. They were breathtaking together — alpha wolves exquisitely suited in beauty and hubris. Their bodies fit together like a jigsaw piece designed by the same sadistic hand. I backed toward the door, dignity being all I had left. “Your guests are waiting, Alpha.” The title tasted like ash. “Aurora—” Ethan stepped forward and Isadora placed a hand on his chest to stop him. "Let her go, my love. “The pack will find out soon enough.” Finally, his eyes met mine one last time. In them, I caught something unforeseen — a flicker of regret? Fear? It disappeared before I could name it. “I want you at the ceremony,” he said, his Alpha voice draping the words in command. "Standing with the pack. Showing support." The audacity stole my breath. "You expect—" "It wasn't a request." His tone turned and darkened to something dangerous. "Remember your place." "My place?" I laughed, the sound brittle as breaking bone. “And where is that now, Ethan?” Isadora's smile widened. “Wherever you’re gonna put ‘ya, sister dear.” As I stepped back, a strange feeling came over me — heat surging up my back, my vision sharpening to preternatural clarity. For a moment, the room appeared to thrum with invisible energy. Ethan's gaze shifted; his eyes grew big, locked on me. "Aurora—" But I was already on the move, slamming the door behind me. I heard something bang against the wall in my course and Isadora's gasp. Only as I got to the empty grand staircase did I stop, leaning against the banister, as tremors owned my body. Below, the music and laughter went on, unknowing of the shattering world above. One tear escaped before I viciously wiped the roll-off. The moon goddess had refused to let me have a mate bond with Ethan—maybe she'd been saving me all along. Or perhaps... Something moved in the corner of my eye. I glanced to see a stranger gazing down at me from the landing — tall, dark, dangerous. In the darkness, his eyes glinted unnatural silver. "Aurora Aldrich?" His voice was midnight velvet. I sat up straight, refusing to allow a stranger to witness my weakness. "Who's asking?" His smile unveiled teeth overly sharp for comfort, glinting like a predator eyeing its next meal. “Somebody who knows exactly what your sister and ex-boyfriend are hiding,” he said silkily, his voice smooth as silk threaded with razor wire. He reached out, with long meticulous fingers. “And why they’re suddenly so eager to cement power before midnight.” Footsteps hammered behind me — fast, urgent. Ethan’s voice sounded, serrated with something I couldn’t identify. “Lena! Don’t—” The stranger’s gaze darted past me, his expression changing from amusement to a search for something colder behind it. His fingers curled, waiting. “Do hurry, little wolf.” His voice lowered to a whisper. “Not all birthdays end with a broken heart.” The clock started hitting twelve.