CLAIMED BY THE LYCAN KING

The entire pack was gathered beneath the silver moon. Hundreds of wolves stood around the ceremonial grounds, their voices blending into an excited murmur. Tonight was supposed to be the happiest night of my life. I stood near the edge of the crowd, nervously smoothing the folds of my blue dress. My heart wouldn’t stop racing. Tonight, Alpha Adrian was choosing his Luna. And I had spent the last three years believing that woman would be me. I looked toward the platform. There he was. Adrian. Tall, confident, and impossibly handsome beneath the moonlight. The man I had loved since I was nineteen. My first love. My first everything. Our eyes met. He smiled. My heart fluttered. He’s going to choose me. I’d heard the whispers all week. Everyone expected it. Even my friends had teased me about becoming Luna. I had imagined this moment so many times. Adrian would walk toward me. He would take my hand. He would announce me as his mate and future Luna. And finally, everyone would know that I belonged beside him. The Alpha stepped forward. The crowd immediately fell silent. “My people.” His voice carried across the entire clearing. “Tonight, I have made a decision about the future of this pack.” My hands trembled. I couldn’t stop smiling. Then Adrian turned. But he didn’t look at me. Instead, his eyes landed on the woman standing beside the elders. Serena. My smile disappeared. She was beautiful. Long blonde hair. Perfect features. Elegant white dress. And a nervous smile that somehow made everyone adore her. I looked back at Adrian. He was walking toward her. No. My heart began pounding. No. He stopped in front of Serena. Then he took her hand. The entire pack erupted into cheers. I couldn’t hear anything anymore. The world seemed to tilt beneath my feet. Adrian raised her hand. “Tonight, I officially name Serena as my chosen Luna.” My breath caught. Someone beside me gasped. I stared at them. Serena. His chosen Luna. Not me. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t breathe. Three years. Three years of loving him. Three years of standing beside him. Three years of believing I was his future. And he had never even considered me. My eyes filled with tears. Adrian finally looked toward me. Our eyes met across the crowd. There was no happiness in his expression. Only guilt. That was when I knew. He had known. He had known exactly what he was going to do. And he had let me believe otherwise. I turned away before he could see the tears falling down my cheeks. I pushed through the crowd. I needed air. I needed to get away. But before I could reach the forest, I heard footsteps behind me. “Aria.” I stopped. Adrian. I slowly turned. “Congratulations,” I whispered. His expression tightened. “Aria, let me explain.” “Explain what?” “You deserve to hear the truth.” I laughed bitterly. “The truth?” He stepped closer. “I never wanted to hurt you.” “Then why did you?” Silence. I stared at him. “Was I ever enough for you?” His jaw tightened. “You were important to me.” My heart broke all over again. Important. Not loved. Not chosen. Important. Then he said the words that destroyed the last piece of hope I had. “Serena is my true mate.” I stared at him. The person I had loved for years had just told me that I was never the woman he wanted. I wiped my tears. “Then why did you let me love you?” He looked away. “I was afraid.” “Of what?” “Of losing you.” I shook my head. “You already did.” I turned and walked away. This time, he didn’t stop me. I didn’t know it yet, but that night wasn’t the end of my story. It was the beginning. Because before the sun rose again, my entire place in the pack would change. And I would learn that sometimes… The person who breaks your heart is the one who teaches you how to become stronger.