MARRIED TO MY MATE'S BROTHER

The Silver Crescent Pack had never looked more beautiful. Strings of lanterns glowed beneath towering pine trees, casting warm golden light across the sacred clearing where generations of wolves had found their fated mates. The scent of wildflowers mixed with the crisp night air, while laughter and music echoed through the gathering. Tonight was the Moon Claiming Ceremony. For Lyra Ashwood, it was supposed to be the beginning of forever. She smoothed the ivory gown her aunt had spent weeks sewing by hand and took a shaky breath. Her wolf stirred beneath her skin, restless and excited. "He's here," her wolf whispered. Lyra smiled despite the nervous knot in her stomach. "I know." Every unmated wolf over the age of eighteen stood around the sacred Moon Stone, waiting for the Moon Goddess to reveal the invisible thread that connected destined mates. Some would find love tonight. Others would leave disappointed. Lyra prayed she would be among the lucky ones. She wasn't the strongest she-wolf in the pack. She wasn't the richest or the most admired. But she believed in fate. She believed the Moon Goddess never made mistakes. The drums stopped. Silence swept through the clearing. Alpha Rowan stepped onto the stone platform. "Tonight," the ageing Alpha announced, "the Moon Goddess will reveal the bonds she has written. Honour them, for no wolf is greater than her will." Every head bowed. The full moon emerged from behind the clouds, bathing the clearing in silver light. A strange warmth spread through Lyra's chest. Her heart began to race. Her wolf whimpered. "He's close." The warmth became a burning pull. Without thinking, Lyra lifted her head. Her eyes locked onto a tall man standing across the clearing. Kael Blackwood. The Alpha's son. Future Alpha. Dark hair. Piercing grey eyes. Broad shoulders that made every warrior look small beside him. The instant their gazes met, the world disappeared. The bond snapped into place like lightning. "Mate." The word echoed through both of them. Lyra's breath caught. Tears filled her eyes. The Moon Goddess had chosen him. The future Alpha was her mate. A smile slowly spread across her face. Kael took one step forward. Then another. The crowd watched in anticipation. Someone whispered, "The future Alpha has found his mate." Lyra's heart soared. She imagined the life ahead of them, their first hunt together, their first home, the pups they would one day raise. She had dreamed of this moment since childhood. Kael stopped only a few feet away. His expression was unreadable. For a heartbeat, neither of them spoke. Then his jaw tightened. "I..." His voice was cold. Something inside Lyra cracked. Kael looked around at the hundreds of wolves watching. Disgust flickered across his face. "I reject you." Silence. No one breathed. Lyra blinked. "...What?" "I, Kael Blackwood, reject Lyra Ashwood as my fated mate." The words slammed into her like a blade. Pain exploded through the bond. Her knees buckled. Gasps erupted throughout the crowd. "No..." Her voice trembled. "You can't." "I can," Kael replied without emotion. "And I just did." Her wolf howled in agony. Lyra clutched her chest as tears streamed down her face. "Why?" Kael's eyes were icy. "A future Alpha needs a strong Luna." His gaze travelled over her plain dress and trembling body. "Not a weak omega." The words drew murmurs from the crowd. Lyra felt every stare. Every whisper. Every ounce of pity. "I've already chosen someone worthy of standing beside me." A woman stepped out from the crowd. Selene. The pack's most celebrated warrior. She slipped her arm through Kael's. A cruel smile curved her lips. "I suppose fate finally made a mistake," Selene said. Laughter rippled through parts of the crowd. Lyra couldn't breathe. She had lost everything in a single moment. Kael looked at her one last time. "Accept the rejection." Her wolf screamed. Every instinct begged her to refuse. But refusing would trap them both in endless pain. With tears blurring her vision, Lyra whispered the words she never imagined saying. "...I accept." The mate bond shattered. The pain was so fierce she collapsed onto the cold ground. Darkness crept into the edges of her vision. The crowd slowly dispersed, whispering as they left. "Poor thing." "She never deserved him." "What a disgrace." Lyra lay alone beneath the full moon, broken and humiliated. Then the sound of slow, deliberate footsteps echoed through the empty clearing. A tall figure emerged from the shadows. He was dressed entirely in black, his broad frame radiating quiet power. A scar ran across his jaw. His silver eyes glowed unnaturally in the moonlight. The air itself seemed to hold its breath. Lyra looked up through tear-filled eyes. She recognised him instantly. Lucien Blackwood. Kael's older brother. The legendary Alpha who had vanished years ago. He stared at the broken mate bond lingering in the air before shifting his gaze to Lyra. For the first time that night, someone looked at her without pity. Instead, there was something far more dangerous in his eyes. Recognition. As though he had just realised this night would change both of their lives forever.