Rise of the Betrayed Luna

14

CELESTE

The wedding day came in a rush.

As punishment for defying him, Father made sure I handled every preparation myself. I’d been so busy that I barely had time to rest.

Yet, by the time I was done, the Dark Vine Pack grounds had never looked so polished. Just like I demanded, everything was over the top. My father invited all the Alphas and Nobles he could. Most of them stared at me with judgment in their eyes. But I’d learned long ago how to walk through it like smoke. I stood still while attendants fussed over me, brushing my copper-red hair into an intricate braid. My dress was a masterpiece of white silk.

I was a vision of ice and vengeance, and yet, my hands trembled. It wasn’t from fear of the ceremony. It was because I could feel him drawing closer. Knox Morrison. The Alpha of Grey Storm. The man who had dragged me, half-dead, out of the woods and now stood ready to chain me to him forever. His words after the engagement party stayed with me. It couldn’t deter me from my revenge, but it made me wonder again why he was so keen on this sham of a marriage.

When the trumpets sounded, my pulse skittered.

I walked out into the light. Knox stood tall, unyielding, and the embodiment of calm danger. He looked like sin in human form, beautiful, cruel, and heartbreakingly restrained.

Knox didn’t smile. His jaw was tight, his shoulders tense, but his gaze burned. Even across the distance, the mate bond throbbed like a pulse between us. His wolf recognized me. Mine tried to claw free. I swallowed hard and forced her back.

He was controlled, stoic, but the wolf inside him was restless. I could feel it prowling just beneath his skin, snarling at anyone who dared to breathe too close to me. His possessiveness radiated like heat. It terrified me. It thrilled me. I hated it.

When I reached him, he extended a hand. I stared at it for a heartbeat too long before placing mine in his. His grip was firm, warm, and unbearably steady. My entire body wanted to betray me.

“This isn’t real,” I whispered under my breath, just for him.

His lips twitched. “Keep telling yourself that, sweetheart.”

The officiant began the rites. Everything blurred words of unity, oaths of loyalty, and the promise of an eternal bond. My chest tightened with every vow. I wasn’t listening to the words; I was remembering the last time I’d uttered them.

I remembered Mila’s laughter at my first wedding and Robb’s voice promising forever. Then, I was immediately hit by memories of the betrayal. They traumatised me every night, and now they felt so real that I almost faltered. My humiliation flashed before me in shards of memory. I had thought I’d buried that girl. But she was still there, trembling and praying for vengeance.

Knox’s eyes flickered as his gaze seemed to penetrate my thoughts, and then he stepped closer. His breath brushed my ear.

“You know,” he murmured, “I told myself you couldn’t have been up to nothing all these years.”

My heart stopped.

He continued, his tone a low, taunting growl meant for me alone. “I had my men dig into your past. You’ve been very busy, haven’t you, Celeste?”

I froze, forcing my expression into polite blankness as the officiant continued speaking.

He leaned closer, his lips ghosting the shell of my ear. “You’ve always hated me, but there’s something new about you now. Something darker. I can smell it.”

I tried to steady my breathing. “You’re bluffing.”

“Am I?” His smirk deepened. “I’ll give you one chance to tell me the truth before I find it myself.”

The blood drained from my face. I wanted to strike him, to run, to scream. But I did what I’d trained myself to do best, I smiled.

“You don’t scare me,” I whispered.

“Liar,” he said, and then the officiant spoke the final words.

Knox didn’t mark me yet. That would happen on our wedding night, in his pack, under the full moon. But when he sealed the bond with a drop of shared blood, his growl vibrated through the air.

“Mine,” he declared.

The sound sent shivers down my spine. The bond flared a rush of heat, energy, pain, and connection. My wolf whimpered. I bit my tongue until I tasted blood.

The ceremony was short. As soon as we stepped away from the altar, applause thundered around us. My father looked pleased. I was beginning to feel overwhelmed. I underestimated how much I’d loved Robb Marshall and how much memory of that love I retained. Every moment of the wedding reminded me of the one I had with Robb, and it made me bitter, and worse, it hurt. It hurt so bad. I wanted to rush to somewhere quiet and wail. I hated him so much.

I could feel Knox’s gaze on me the entire time. He hadn’t released my hand since the bond had been sealed, and every touch made my nerves hum. He was too close, too composed. It wasn’t fair that he could look so collected while I was coming undone inside.

The reception was to be held in Grey Storm territory. To travel there, the packs would shift and run together, a display of unity, strength, and tradition. I was expected to join them as his mate.

I wasn’t ready for this. The memories of my run with Blood Moon pack were swelling in my head. I wanted to scream. I wasn’t fine. I needed to disappear. Nothing would prepare me for another run that would strip me bare, literally, and emotionally. But there was no choice.

When Knox howled, the sound rolled through the clearing like thunder. It was commanding and devastatingly beautiful. His wolf emerged massive, silver-gray, and terrifyingly dominant. He looked back at me, those same charcoal eyes glinting in the beast’s form.

My body trembled. I closed my eyes and let my wolf take over.

The shift came fast, bones snapping, muscles stretching. The burn of the transformation stole my breath. When it was over, my wolf stood white-furred, eyes the colour of emerald fire.

Knox’s wolf prowled toward me, brushing his muzzle against mine possessively before lifting his head to howl again. I had no choice but to join him.

Our howls intertwined. The sound rolled across the land, marking the union of Grey Storm and Dark Vine. My heart clenched.

Then the run began.

I tried to keep pace and tried to ignore the memories clawing at me. Robb’s voice whispers promises. The feel of his pack closing in on me that night. The pain. The humiliation.

But Knox’s wolf stayed close. Every time another wolf approached, he snarled, snapping at them until they backed away. He wouldn’t let anyone near me. He was guarding me like a prized possession.

It should have made me furious. It should have reminded me that he was just another Alpha, another man trying to claim what wasn’t his. But the way he moved around me shook made me feel safe. When I ran with Robb’s pack, he let them hit and almost maul, claiming it was part of the ritual. I had been expecting the same thing from Knox, but it didn’t happen.

By the time we reached Grey Storm territory, my chest was tight with exhaustion and emotion I couldn’t name. Knox howled again, his pack responding in perfect harmony. Their power vibrated through the earth. I lifted my head and howled beside them, and at that moment, I belonged.

Instead of shifting before the pack, Knox led me to a private chamber, away from the crowd. My skin burned as I emerged, breathless. He turned away immediately, offering me privacy.

Again, I was surprised. Robb had never given me that courtesy. On our wedding day, he’d made me shift in front of everyone, told me that my shame was proof of loyalty. The memory made bile rise in my throat.

I dressed quickly, tears stinging my eyes. How had I been so blind? So desperate to belong that I’d accepted cruelty as love?

When I stepped out, the servants surrounded me, adjusting my dress and brushing out my hair. I caught Knox’s reflection in the mirror, broad shoulders, strong back, head slightly bowed as he fastened his own clothes.

The celebration continued late into the night. I danced when required, smiled when necessary, and played the perfect Luna. Inside, I was screaming.

Knox didn’t leave my side once. He was polite to his guests, but his attention never strayed far from me. Every time someone looked at me too long, his wolf stirred. Every time I looked at him, mine trembled.

When the final toast was made, and the hall erupted in cheers for us, he leaned down, his lips brushing my ear.

“Welcome home, Luna,” he murmured.

I smiled through my teeth. “Don’t get too comfortable, Alpha. You might regret it.”

He smirked, that infuriating, knowing curve of his mouth. “Sweetheart, I already do.”