The Forsaken Luna and Her Cursed Prince

Sera’s Pov I was born lucky. I had the perfect life. I lived in a magnificent castle, surrounded with lush gardens and a moat that shines like diamonds. My parents were the Alpha and Luna of our pack and they gave my sister and I a life of privilege — jewels, music, art, and horseback riding. I gazed out of the castle window, my eyes sparkling with content. I had it all. I paused when I sighted a familiar silhouette. My lips wrinkled into a smile and I leaned forward to bade him a wave. “Damon!” He stopped abruptly and turned around to face me. Then he waved with a winsome smile on his handsome face. His beta, Killian, draped his arm over his shoulder and they continued their conversation. Damon was my betrothed and soon, I would marry him — the love of my life, a kind and chivalrous Alpha who adored me. What more could I ask for? The sun dipped into the horizon and I moved away from the window. It was time. Tonight… Tonight was going to be the happiest night of my life. A light knock on my door announced the maid's presence and they trooped into the room in their numbers. As they bathed and clothed me, I couldn't help but daydream about our Bonding Ceremony. I had dreamt of this day since I was 10 years old. Tonight was going to be the night I would stand before my fated mate, Alpha Damon Blackwood, and be accepted as his Luna. My cheeks pinked at the thought. I couldn't wait. After the maids were done with my hair and makeup, I stood before the full-length golden mirror and smoothened my hands over my dress. It was a shimmering silver gown Alpha Damon had chosen specifically for me. I so wanted to be with him. And I would. As the carriage rode down the smooth path, I gazed out of the window. The moon was high, casting a silver glow ahead of us — the ceremonial grounds. The ceremony was about to begin. The carriage arrived at the venue just in time. The entire pack had gathered in the cave, their faces alighted with anticipation. I searched the crowd until my gaze found him — Damon, standing tall and strong, his dark eyes readable. Heat flushed my cheeks and I gave him a shy wave. He gave me a curt nod and turned away. Tonight, we were going to be together. The bond between us was undeniable, a tether that had existed long before we even met. It was clear we would end up together. I took a step forward, my legs carrying me across the subterranean cavern. The place was illuminated by an ethereal, luminescent fungus. It was like the cave's energy amplified our connection to the natural world. Damon Blackwood was mine to keep. I knew that much. I had known that from the very beginning I knew we were mates and didn't stop loving him. I had spent years carving a place for him inside my heart. Not when every stolen glance, every shared touch, every whispered promise had made me believe that maybe — just maybe — fate had been kind to me for once. Now, standing in the middle of the ceremonial grounds, surrounded by my pack, I realized how foolish I had been. Because standing in front of Damon, he wasn't looking at me like I was his mate. He was looking at me like I was a stranger. Like I was nothing. My blood ran ice-cold. My stomach twisted, the bike rose in my throat as Damon's jaw clenched. I had dreamt of this moment since the day my wolf recognized him as mine. I had never imagined it would feel like this. “Damon,” I said, my voice quieter than I meant it to be. I took a step forward, reaching for him, but something in his expression made my fingers curl back into my palm. He didn't move. Didn't even reach for me. He didn't even blink. “You need to end this, Damon.” A voice like silk-wrapped poison, murmured beside him. The owner of the voice sidestepped Damon. My eyes fell on her, feeling the weight of amusement pressing against her chest. She had always been a thorn in my side, lurking just close enough to remind me that she wanted what was mine. And now, she was taking it. Damon's throat bobbed. For a moment, just a moment, his gaze softened. But then he took a deep breath, squared his shoulders, and said the words that ripped me apart. “I reject you, Seraphina Valen.” My ears rang. The world cracked open beneath my feet, but I didn't fall. I couldn't move. Couldn't breathe. A rejection? No, no, no. This couldn't be. It couldn't be real. My lips parted but no words came. My mind scrambled for words, for anything, anything that would make sense of what was happening. Damon wouldn't do this. Couldn't. Not to me. Not after everything. “This… this must be a mistake.” I whispered. “You… come on, you don't need that.” His eyes were dark and cold. I had never seen him look at me like this. Like I was nothing. “You carry a cursed bloodline,” he said flatly. “I can't bond with you.” A sharp gasp rippled through the crowd. I couldn't react. Didn't. His words crashed into me, splintering bone, slicing flesh, tearing through every fragile piece of hope I had ever held onto. This wasn't real. This wasn't happening. “Damon,” I choked out. My vision blurred, my legs swaying beneath me. Lilith stepped closer, brushing her fingers down his arm. Like she had won. Like she had known all along how this would end. She leaned in, her gaze was locked on mine. With her lips inches from his ear, she spoke, loud enough for me to hear. “You made the right choice.” Damon didn't look at her or me either. He just turned and walked away. Just like that, I didn't matter. Just like that, I hadn't once told him that he was the only thing that felt like home. My chest cracked wide open, grief pouring through the seams, suffocating me with his weight. It hurt. It hurt so much I thought I might die from it. But no one rushed to my side. No one even stopped him. And when Lilith turned, flashing me one last victorious smile before disappearing into the night, I knew — I knew — I had lost him not just as my mate but as my everything. Because then I realized that Damon Blackwood was never mine to keep. I just hadn't realized he would be the one to break me first.