Chapter 11: The Ceremony
1440 Words
Ruby's POV
I stared at my reflection in the mirror, but the girl looking back at me felt like a stranger.
Her dark hair was styled into soft waves, cascading over her shoulders, glistening under the warm glow of the vanity lights. The pale blue dress she wore—handmade by the pack’s seamstress for the occasion—was elegant, delicate, flawless. A perfect Luna’s gown.
A perfect lie.
The bodice hugged my frame just right, the lace detailing intricate, the skirt flowing gracefully to the floor. It was the kind of dress every she-wolf dreamed of wearing on a night like this. A night meant to be special, magical. A night where mates bonded, where love and devotion solidified before the pack.
But the dress felt heavy. Suffocating. Like chains disguised as silk.
Riley shifted uneasily in my mind, her presence sharp, restless. We don’t belong here.
I swallowed hard, gripping the wooden edges of the vanity until my knuckles turned white. I know.
But what choice did I have?
The pack was already gathered outside, waiting. Waiting for their Beta-to-be and his soon-to-be mate to stand before them, to mark the beginning of a bond that should have meant everything. That should have been unbreakable, undeniable.
That should have felt like something.
But all I felt was numb.
I had told myself: over and over,that this was the right thing. That accepting the bond, even without love, was my duty. That I could learn to live with it. That maybe, in time, I’d feel something real.
But the moment I looked into my own eyes in the mirror, I knew I was lying to myself.
The girl staring back at me wasn’t the strong, confident she-wolf I had once been. She wasn’t the dreamer who had once believed in fate, in mates, in love so powerful it could burn through any darkness.
She was hollow. A reflection of what she was supposed to be.
A perfect Luna.
A perfect fraud.
A knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts.
I didn’t turn, didn’t speak.
I already knew who it was.
A second later, Evie's reflection appeared beside mine, her caramel-toned skin glowing in the candlelight, her wild curls pulled into a loose ponytail. Her amber eyes,always so alive,were clouded with frustration.
“You look like you’re about to walk into a funeral,” she muttered.
I forced a small smile. “Isn’t that what this is?”
Evie sighed, walking around me to lean against the vanity, arms crossed. “Ruby…”.
“I know what you’re going to say,” I interrupted, smoothing nonexistent wrinkles from my dress. “And I don’t want to hear it.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You don’t even know what I was going to say.”
I arched a brow.
She exhaled, tilting her head. “Fine. Maybe you do.”
I exhaled, shaking my head. “Evie—”
“Ruby,” she interrupted, stepping closer. “You don’t have to do this.”
I closed my eyes.
Because I wanted to believe that.
I wanted to let myself believe that there was still a way out.
But what was the alternative?
I let out a humorless laugh. “You think I don’t know that?”
Evie straightened, her expression shifting. “Then why are you doing it?”
I hesitated.
Because the answer was too complicated.
Because the truth was too painful.
I turned away, running my fingers along the smooth wood of the vanity. “Because it’s already done, Evie. There’s nothing left to fight for.”
Her expression hardened. “That’s bullshit.”
I flinched slightly.
Evie had always been blunt, but never with me.
She took a step closer. “I know you, Ruby. And I know that if you really wanted out of this, you would have found a way.”
I swallowed. “Maybe I’m tired of fighting.”
Evie's jaw tightened. “No. You’re tired of fighting alone.”
I clenched my fists. “It doesn’t matter.”
Evie let out a sharp breath. “Ruby—”
“Just stop, Evie,” I snapped, my voice breaking.
She went still.
I exhaled shakily, turning back to the mirror, to the girl I barely recognized. “Do you know what’s worse than this?” My voice was quieter now, hoarse. “Thinking that maybe, just maybe, Carter would stop it.”
Evie's gaze softened, but she didn’t speak.
I let out a hollow laugh. “But he didn’t.” I met her eyes in the reflection. “He hasn’t spoken to me in weeks. He won’t even look at me.”
Riley growled low in my mind, pacing. He abandoned us.
I inhaled shakily. “So no, Evie. I’m not running to Carter like some desperate fool, hoping for a miracle that isn’t coming.”
Evie's arms tightened across her chest. “You’re not desperate.”
I smiled bitterly. “Tell that to the girl still stupid enough to love someone who doesn’t love her back.”
A sharp silence filled the room.
Evie exhaled, rubbing her temples. “Ruby…”
I shook my head. “Don’t.”
She swallowed hard, her jaw clenched, frustration radiating off her. “If he could see you right now…”
I flinched. “He’d do nothing. Just like he’s been doing.”
Evie cursed under her breath, pushing off the vanity. “You’re right. Maybe he is an idiot.”
I let out a weak laugh. “Finally, something we can agree on.”
She sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. “Look. You know I’m not going to sit here and tell you what to do. That’s not me.”
I glanced at her. “Since when?”
A small, reluctant smile tugged at her lips. “Fair point.”
She hesitated, then stepped forward, placing a hand on my shoulder. “But I need you to do one thing for me.”
I swallowed. “What?”
Her amber eyes softened. “Don’t lose yourself in this, Ruby.”
Something inside me twisted.
Because I already felt like I was disappearing.
But I nodded. “I won’t.”
Evie studied me for a moment longer, then sighed. “You sure you don’t want me to punch him? Just once?”
I snorted. “That’s your answer to everything.”
She smirked. “And? It usually works.”
I shook my head, but my smile faded just as quickly as it had come.
Because even if she did, it wouldn’t change anything.
Because Carter had already made his choice.
And I was standing alone.
Evie's expression softened. “Ruby… I just don’t want you to wake up one day and realize you gave up something you didn’t have to.”
I inhaled shakily, her words cutting too deep.
Because I already felt like I was giving up.
Not just on love.
But on myself.
I turned away, forcing a small smile. “I’ll be fine, Evie.”
She didn’t look convinced.
But she sighed, stepping back. “If you change your mind, you know where to find me.”
I nodded.
Evie hesitated, then muttered, “You sure you don’t want me to cause a scene? I could ‘accidentally’ start a fire—”
I snorted. “Evie, no.”
She smirked, then sighed. “Alright. But don’t say I never tried.”
I smiled, and for the briefest second, the weight on my chest eased.
Then another knock came at the door.
Jake's voice, smooth and commanding, drifted through the wood. “Ruby? It’s time.”
Every muscle in my body locked.
Riley snarled. No.
Evie's eyes darkened. “You don’t have to—”
But I was already moving.
Already walking toward the door.
Already accepting my fate.
I forced a breath. In. Out. Keep control.
Then I opened the door.
Jake's gaze swept over me, his blue eyes dark with approval.
“Beautiful,” he murmured, stepping forward.
His fingers brushed over my wrist: too light, too deliberate.
Riley growled. He’s claiming us.
I forced myself to stand still.
Evie stood off to the side, watching every move Jake made.
I forced a small smile. “Let’s go.”
I met her gaze.
And for a split second, I almost said something.
I almost ran.
But then Jake took my hand, his grip firm, possessive.
“You’re going to make a perfect Luna,” he murmured.
My stomach twisted.
Because he wasn’t wrong.
Not his Luna.
But a Luna.
A leader.
Even if it meant losing everything else.
- Writer
