The Luna He Left Behind

Ezra returned like a storm. The doors of the ballroom opened, and the temperature dropped — or maybe that was just him. Dark suit. Darker eyes. And that signature smirk that once shattered my stupid teenage heart. He stood tall at the altar, like a king waiting for a queen he didn’t love. And I was the stand-in. I walked slowly down the aisle, every step echoing with whispers from the pack: "Why her?" "She’s not even ranked." "That’s Ezra Black’s fiancée?" I didn’t belong here. Not next to him. Not in this dress, with these trembling hands and this paper-thin contract that said I was worthy for show but not for keeps. When I reached the altar, he didn’t smile. Didn’t blink. “You look different,” he muttered, voice low and deep, like gravel soaked in whiskey. “You don’t,” I replied, keeping my chin high. What I wanted to say was: You look exactly like the boy who left me behind. But I didn’t. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. The Elder began to speak. Words I barely heard. A fake ceremony to bind two people who were never meant to stand side by side again. He was the Alpha now. I was just... a placeholder. A name to ease the Council’s pressure. But then he leaned closer, breath warm on my ear. “Just play along, Pearl,” he said, almost too soft for anyone else to hear. “It’s only for show.” I nodded slightly, face blank. I could pretend. I’d done it before. Then he did something he wasn’t supposed to. He kissed me. Not a soft press of lips. Not a fake kiss. A real one. Deep. Claiming. Possessive. My heart slammed into my ribs. My knees nearly gave out. The pack gasped. And somewhere, deep in my chest — where I’d buried her for years — my wolf stirred. Heat rolled through me like wildfire. No. No no no. This was fake. It had to be fake. But the moment his lips touched mine, my wolf remembered him. And that scared me more than anything.