BOUND BY MOONLIGHT

ｌｅａｖｅ

The wedding altar stood before me, draped in white roses and silver ribbons, but all I could see was the ring on *her* finger.

My fiancé—no, my *mate*—had just slipped our bonding ring onto the hand of my bridesmaid, Sophia Chen, in front of three hundred pack members.

“I, Adrian Blackwood, Alpha of the Crescent Moon Pack, choose Sophia Chen as my true mate.”

The words echoed through the ceremony hall. Someone gasped. My mother’s hand flew to her mouth. But I just stood there, frozen, my white dress suddenly feeling like a costume for a play I’d never auditioned for.

Then I saw them—floating words appearing in my vision like translucent text messages:

*[Don’t worry! The Alpha is just testing you! He wants to see you fight for him!]*

*[He’s being stubborn! Cry a little and he’ll give you everything!]*

*[Grab the ring back! He’ll definitely put it on your finger himself!]*

What the hell?

I blinked hard, but the messages—these bizarre floating comments—didn’t disappear. They just kept scrolling past my eyes like some kind of supernatural social media feed.

I looked up at Adrian. His ice-blue eyes watched me with barely concealed expectation, a slight smirk playing at his lips. He actually thought this was *working*. He thought I’d collapse, beg, make a scene.

The old Elena might have.

The Elena who’d spent five years pining after the future Alpha, accepting his hot-and-cold treatment, believing that his cruel games meant he cared.

But something snapped in that moment. Maybe it was seeing Sophia’s triumphant smile. Maybe it was the three hundred pairs of eyes waiting to watch me humiliate myself. Or maybe it was those ridiculous floating messages telling me this was all some romantic test.

I picked up the microphone with steady hands.

“Congratulations to Alpha Blackwood and Miss Chen. May your bond be eternal.”

The hall erupted in chaos.

[ADRIAN’S POV]

She wasn’t supposed to say that.

Elena was supposed to cry, to rage, to *feel something*. That’s how this worked. I’d seen it in my parents’ relationship—my father would push, my mother would break down, and then he’d swoop in to comfort her. Proof of love. Proof of need.

Instead, Elena Sterling stood at the altar in her silk wedding gown, looking at me like I was a stranger who’d bumped into her on the street.

“What did you just say?” My voice came out harsher than intended.

My wolf snarled inside my chest. *Wrong. This is wrong. Our mate—*

I shoved the feeling down. My wolf had always been too soft where Elena was concerned.

“I said congratulations.” Her green eyes were clear, untroubled. “I’m happy for both of you.”

The Sterling pack and Blackwood pack had arranged this alliance six months ago. Our territories bordered each other, and a union between the Alpha families would create the most powerful pack on the East Coast. It was supposed to be simple—a political marriage that would benefit everyone.

But somewhere along the way, I’d started to want more. I wanted Elena to *need* me the way I found myself thinking about her. I wanted to see passion in those cool green eyes, wanted to c***k that composed exterior she always wore.

So I’d pushed. Tested her. Kept her at arm’s length while pulling her close. Classic Alpha behavior, right? Make her work for it. Make her prove her devotion.

Tonight was supposed to be the culmination—I’d give the ring to Sophia, Elena would lose her composure, and then I’d magnanimously choose Elena anyway. She’d be grateful, emotional, *mine*.

“Elena.” My mother stepped forward, her voice sharp. “This is inappropriate. You and Adrian had an agreement.”

“We did,” Elena agreed calmly. “But Adrian just made a public declaration choosing another mate. That nullifies our agreement.”

My father’s face went purple. “Do you understand what you’re doing? The Sterling pack needs this alliance!”

“Perhaps you should discuss that with your son. He’s the one who broke the engagement.” Elena turned to Sophia, who was still kneeling beside me, clutching the ring I’d so stupidly given her. “Sophia, aren’t you going to thank the Alpha and his family for this opportunity?”

Sophia had been obsessed with me since high school. She was beautiful—dark hair, dark eyes, curves in all the right places—but she came from a minor pack family. Under normal circumstances, she’d never have a chance at being Luna.

Her eyes flickered with calculation before she prostrated herself fully. “Thank you, Alpha Blackwood. I’ll be a worthy Luna.”

“No—” I started to say, reaching for Elena.

But she’d already turned away, pulling out her phone like this was just another business meeting that had run long.

My wolf was howling now, clawing at my control. *Go after her. Fix this. She’s leaving.*

The floating comments I’d started seeing a month ago—ever since that strange meteor shower—appeared in my vision:

*[The Alpha messed up big time…]*

*[He’s panicking now! Look at his hands shaking!]*

*[This wasn’t in the original plot! What’s happening?]*

Original plot? What the hell did that mean?

I grabbed Elena’s wrist as she walked past. “We’re not done.”

“Actually, we are.” She pulled free with surprising strength. “Enjoy your wedding night, Alpha.”

Then Elena Sterling, the woman I’d spent months trying to break down, walked out of our wedding ceremony without looking back once.