REJECTED BY MY MATE, CLAIMED BY HIS FATHER

Chapter One The Night Everything Changed Aria People say the Moon Goddess always blesses mating ceremonies. If that's true... Then she must have looked away from mine. The Mooncrest Pack had never looked more beautiful. Lanterns glowed beneath ancient oak trees, music drifted through the cool night air, and the scent of roasted meat and wildflowers mingled in the breeze. Everywhere I looked, pack members were smiling, laughing, celebrating. Tonight wasn't just another celebration. It was my mating ceremony. In less than an hour, I would stand before the Moon Goddess and complete the sacred bond with Ethan Blackwood—the future Alpha of Mooncrest Pack. A smile tugged at my lips. I'd imagined this night a thousand times. Not because I dreamed of becoming Luna. But because I loved him. "Stop smiling like that." I laughed as my mother adjusted the silver clasp on my pale blue dress. "You'll make people think you're already married." "I can't help it." "You've loved that boy since you were nineteen." "I still do." Her expression softened. "I just want him to deserve that love." I wrapped my arms around her. "He does." At least... I believed he did. She kissed my forehead before stepping back. "I'll see you at the ceremony." As she disappeared into the crowd, I took a slow breath to calm my racing heart. Maybe I should find Ethan before everything begins. He had been unusually quiet all day. Knowing him, he was probably hiding somewhere, trying to escape the elders' endless advice about becoming Alpha. I smiled to myself. Some things never changed. Leaving the celebration behind, I walked toward the Alpha residence. The farther I went, the quieter everything became. The cheerful music faded until all I could hear were my footsteps echoing through the hallway. Ethan's bedroom door stood slightly open. A warm light spilled into the corridor. I lifted my hand to knock— Then I heard a laugh. A woman's laugh. Soft. Playful. My hand froze. Maybe one of the servants was inside. Or one of his cousins. I started to turn away. Then Ethan spoke. "I've wanted this for so long." Every hair on my body stood on end. A strange knot formed in my stomach. The woman's voice answered with a teasing laugh. "So what about your mate?" There was a brief silence. Then Ethan chuckled. "She doesn't need to know." My blood ran cold. No... It couldn't be. I pushed the door open. The room blurred for a heartbeat. Ethan stood beside the bed, his shirt hanging open. A woman wrapped her arms around his neck. Long blonde hair. Red dress. My breath caught. "Lila..." My voice barely existed. She slowly turned toward me. Not startled. Not embarrassed. She smiled. "You weren't supposed to see this." The words hit harder than a slap. I looked at Ethan. I waited. For an explanation. For guilt. For anything. Instead, he sighed as though I'd interrupted something important. "You should've knocked." The tray in my hands slipped from my fingers. Porcelain shattered across the floor. The sharp sound echoed through the room. Still... Neither of them moved apart. My chest tightened until breathing became painful. "Lila..." I whispered, unable to tear my eyes away from her. "You're my sister." "Stepsister," she corrected with a shrug. The casual way she said it made something inside me crack. "Ethan..." I turned to the man I had loved for three years. "Tell me this isn't real." His jaw tightened. "It wasn't supposed to happen like this." Those words crushed the last piece of hope I had been clinging to. "So... it is real." Silence. That silence answered everything. A bitter laugh escaped me. "I spent weeks planning tonight." I looked around the room. "My mother sewed my dress by hand." I swallowed hard. "I believed... After tonight... we'd finally become a family." Neither of them spoke. Not one apology. Not one word of regret. Lila stepped closer to Ethan until their shoulders touched. Her victory was written all over her face. "You've always been too soft, Aria." I stared at her. "What did I ever do to you?" She tilted her head. "You existed." Before I could respond, loud ceremonial drums echoed across the pack grounds. The ceremony was beginning. The sound should have filled me with happiness. Instead... It sounded like the countdown to the end of my world. Ethan finally met my eyes. His expression was unreadable. "Come with me." My brows knitted together. "What?" "The ceremony is starting." I let out a broken laugh. "You expect me to stand beside you after this?" "I said..." His voice turned cold. "...come with me." For the first time since I met him... I saw not the man I loved. But the future Alpha giving an order. And something deep inside me whispered that the worst was still waiting. End of Chapter One .