Mated To My Supposed Brother

Promotion

The midday sun hung heavy over the pack’s central pavilion, a massive open-air structure of rough-hewn cedar and stone.

And today wasn't just a regular training day; it was the Grand Recruitment Assembly, the day the elders and the Alpha themselves came to witness the strength of the new warriors and the mastery of the veterans.

Aria moved through the rows of long tables at the edge of the pavilion, her hands shaking as she set down heavy ceramic platters of roasted venison and bowls of spiced tubers.

As part of the kitchen server team today, she was forced to be in the heart of the crowd, her apron stained with grease and her hair escaping her ponytail in frantic wisps.

“Keep moving, Aria! The warriors are going to be starving after this round,” the head cook barked, but Aria barely heard her.

Her eyes were locked on the raised stone platform in the center of the grounds.

Liam stood there, his bare chest glistening with sweat and dust, looking every bit the lethal predator the pack feared and admired.

Beside him stood Marcus, his only true rival in strength.

They were the twin pillars of the pack's defense, two men who moved with such synchronized violence that the crowd was absolutely mesmerized.

“I’ve never seen Liam look this... intense,” Sarah whispered as she hurried past Aria with a tray of ale.

“It’s like he’s trying to kill the air itself.” She said

But Aria didn't answer instead she watched as Elena, sitting in the front row of the high-ranking families, leaned over the railing.

Elena was radiant in a silk tunic, her copper hair braided with gold thread. Every time Liam parried a blow from Marcus, Elena would stand and clap, her voice ringing out above the rest.

“Finish him, Liam!” Elena cheered, her eyes glowing with a possessive pride. “Show them who you are!” She screamed with excitement

But not once did Liam didn't look at Elena.

As he and Marcus circled each other, their heavy breathing the only sound in the sudden silence of the square, Liam’s eyes would cut toward the serving tables.

Every time he caught sight of Aria—dressed in her humble apron, sweating over the heavy trays—his jaw would tighten.

With a roar that shook the pavilion, Liam lunged forward and the fight was over in a heartbeat.

He had moved with a speed that shouldn't have been possible for a man his size, slamming his shoulder into Marcus’s chest and pinning him to the stone floor with a forearm to the throat.

The crowd exploded as Men cheered, and women screamed Liam’s name.

Elena was practically falling over the railing, her hands outstretched as if she could touch him from there.

“Liam! Liam! Liam!” the chant went up.

Alpha Silas stood up from his central throne, his massive frame casting a long shadow over the grounds.

He raised a hand, and the silence that followed was absolute.

Liam stood up, breathing hard, his gaze finally dropping to the floor in a show of respect, though his posture remained unyielding.

“Liam,” the Alpha’s voice boomed, rich with pride.

“Today you have proven once again that you are the sharpest blade in this pack’s arsenal.

Your discipline and your power are what keep our borders safe.”

Liam gave a curt nod. “I serve the pack, Alpha.”

“And the pack rewards its own,” Silas continued, a wide, calculated smile spreading across his face.

“A warrior of your caliber needs a home that is complete as stability is the key to a long reign of peace.”He said

As Aria felt a cold, jagged spike of dread settle in the pit of her stomach.

She stopped moving, a heavy tray of meat still clutched in her hands, her knuckles turning white.

“Therefore,” the Alpha declared, looking toward Elena, “to honor your victory and to strengthen our bloodlines, I am officially promoting Liam to First Commander of the Vanguard.

And to ensure his heart is as focused as his blade, the union we have all been waiting for will be finalized.

Liam and Elena, your wedding will take place under the light of the Half Moon—in two days' time!”

And immediately the pavilion erupted in a deafening roar of approval.

Elena let out a joyful shriek and jumped over the railing, running toward the platform.

She threw her arms around Liam’s neck, her face buried in his chest.

“Oh, Liam! Two days!” Elena cried out, her voice carrying through the cheers.

“I can’t believe it’s finally happening!”

Aria felt the world tilt. The tray in her hands felt like it weighed a thousand pounds.

She stood frozen among the tables, her chest heaving as she tried to pull in air that felt like liquid lead.

She could see them on the platform—the golden girl clinging to the dark, silent warrior.

Liam didn't hug Elena back. His arms stayed at his sides, his hands clenched into fists.

His eyes scanned the crowd, frantic and dark, until they locked onto Aria’s.

“Aria, are you okay?” Caleb asked, appearing at her side and reaching for the tray.

“You’ve gone completely white. Here, let me take that.”

“I’m fine,” Aria whispered, but her voice broke.

She turned away, her vision blurring with hot, stinging tears that she refused to let fall in front of the pack.

She began to walk, then run, away from the tables and the cheering and the sight of her mate being promised to another woman.

“Aria, wait!” Sarah called out, but Aria didn't stop.

She ducked into the shadows of the kitchen annex, her hands flying to her mouth to stifle a sob.

She leaned against the cool stone wall, her body trembling with a mix of fury and soul-crushing grief.

Two days, her mind screamed. In two days, he belongs to her forever and she would become a nobody to him.