BE MINE: THE FAKE LUNA'S PRICE

LILY: They say the Moon Goddess gives you what you need, not what you want. I used to believe that — until tonight. When I first met Alpha Prince Mathew Storm, I was twenty-two, and freshly graduated from medical school. My father, the royal gardener, threw a small celebration for me. It was nothing grand, just family, close friends, and a few pack members. Mathew arrived late, claiming he was there on behalf of his elder brother, Vergil, and father, Alpha Sebastian. Both couldn’t attend because of the Alpha being ill. When our eyes met and the word “mate” echoed into my ears, I was the happiest girl in the pack. The best part was it didn’t matter that he was a prince, and I was a servant’s daughter. Fate had chosen me, and Mathew chose me too. He quickly claimed me, promising my father he would take care of me. I spent the next year believing destiny had elevated me — believing I’d earned my place beside him. That this was my grass-to-grace story, rising from dirt-stained hands to silk gowns and courtly grace. I had worked so hard helping the pack as a doctor, putting the Snow Hound Pack on the map as the best medically out of the three Hound Packs. Our pack became sought after, drawing wolves from other packs, increasing our finances. But even with this, the nobles believed I was unworthy. I endured all their scorn because of Mathew. I loved him, and I thought he loved me, too. Tonight proves he doesn’t. “She won’t find out,” Mathew’s voice rasps through my phone’s speakers. “She’s too busy trying to be something she’ll never be.” A gasp echoes, followed by a feminine giggle belonging to Elena Ashburg. She’s the Beta’s daughter, noble in every way. I stare at the video from the unsaved number through tear-stained eyes. Mathew has his lips on her neck as his body moves over hers with a hunger he hasn’t shown me in months, because, in his words, “he’s too busy with his duties as Alpha Prince.” The words replay again, taking a fresh jab at my chest as I watch the man I trusted betray me so carelessly. His voice, once soft, now sounds like a threat to my life. My fingers shake as I clutch the phone, bile rising in my throat. A glass slips from my other hand, shattering against the kitchen tile. I barely notice until Mathew appears in the doorway, his facade still intact, rushing toward me with fake panic. “Lily,” he gasps, stepping forward. “Are you alright?” I meet the gaze of those warm brown eyes I used to love, and for the first time, I see him clearly — not as my mate, but as a liar wrapped in silk. “How could you?” My voice cracks. “We are mates, Mathew. Bound by the Moon Goddess herself and you—” “What are you talking about?” he interrupts, cupping my face tenderly. “I told you I was busy and…” “I saw the video. You and Elena.” I cut his sorry excuse and watch the mask slip quickly. The real Mathew shows up, his jaw clenched. For a moment, silence blooms between us. Then he grabs my hand roughly. “f**k, I’m tired of pretending!” He snarls, tightening his grip. “You really thought I’d make you my wife?” His smile turns cruel. “My father is dying. My brother still hasn’t found his mate, which makes me the right choice to be king. The kingdom needs strength, not sentiment, and Elena comes from power.” “And I don’t?” I whisper. “You’re the gardener’s daughter,” he spits. “Books and dreams don’t change blood, and I cannot let my lineage be corrupted. I have to raise powerful kings.” Tears burn my eyes, but I stand straighter. “Then I want the wedding called off. I reject you—” His hands slip to my throat, knocking the air from my lungs as he pins me to the wall. “No need. You just made this easier for me!” He chuckles darkly while I slap his hands, gasping for breath. His voice drops coldly. “I, Alpha Prince Mathew Storm, reject you as my mate.” The bond snaps quickly, and pain unlike anything I’ve ever felt surges through my chest. My wolf howls, torn from the bond, and I stagger backward as he lets go of me. He just stands there, watching me break. Then he says cruelly, “Leave my house and never show your face again, you worthless thing!” The rain hits hard as I drive. Lightning flashes across the night sky, illuminating the winding roads. I’m not going anywhere in particular—just away. Away from the palace on the northern side of Storm Hound, because Mathew drove me away. If someone told me that today I’d be driving away from the man who made me believe in fairy tales, I’d have called them a liar. A small voice in my head begins to blame me for speaking up. The wedding was in a couple of weeks, and maybe after that, I could have operated from inside the palace. But I talked. Mathew still loved you, but you just don’t want to share. How selfish of you, the small voice judges. My mind goes haywire from guilt and betrayal, but the honk of a truck ahead pulls me back to reality. I step on the brake pedal—but it sinks beneath my foot with no resistance. “What—?” I press harder, but nothing happens. Panic surges in my chest, and I wheel to the right without checking. The car skids on the wet pavement. Headlights glare ahead as I crash into a second vehicle. The world explodes in screeching metal and shattered glass. ** I wake up with blood in my mouth and sirens wailing in the distance. My ears ring. My vision blurs through the cracked windshield and wreckage of the other car. A voice screams nearby, panicked. “Aria! Oh my goddess—Aria!” The name echoes inside me like a bell tolling, but I can’t make sense of it. I try to sit up. Pain flares along my ribs, but I manage, dragging myself out of the car. Rain mixes with the blood on my hands, and everything shimmers under flashing red lights. That’s when I see it—a silver ring lying on the asphalt between the two vehicles. My mind is hazy, but I recognize it as a royal engagement ring because I used to have one. It’s engraved with the sigil of the Hound Pack’s. “No…” I stumble toward the other car, drawn by something more powerful than fear. Two paramedics kneel on the far side, desperately trying to pull a woman from the wreck. A golden-haired figure lies limp in their arms, pale against the red running down her temple. Her dress is torn, and one look at her, I can tell she is dead. My heart thumps hard in my chest as I stare at the ring on the road. One paramedic comes to me from behind. “Ma’am, we need to check you for internal bleeding—are you okay?” Am I okay? How can I be okay when I just killed the bride of an Alpha in the Hound Pack Territory, but who could it be?