Rhiannon’s POVI let go of the breath I didn’t know I was holding.A long silence stretched between the three of us, thick with some emotions I didn’t dare name.He regretted it? After all this time? After I had spent nights drowning in the echoes of his rejection, after I had given up on the foolish hope that he would ever see me as anything more than a mistake? That saving me in that forest was nothing more but luck?I glanced away, my heart pounding in a way I hated. But just as I did, my eyes found Azriel. My husband’s face was tight. He has every right to be.He clenched his hand into a fist at his sides. My heart twisted. He had heard everything, even with the fact that I invited him. Of course, he had. He’s the Alpha.Azriel, who had taken every shattered piece of me and pieced me back together, was now forced to listen to the very man who had cast me aside, daring to say he regretted it.I turned back to Alexander, something sharp settling in my chest. “It’s too late for regre
Alexander’s POVSix months have passed ever since I rejected Rhiannon, but it felt just like yesterday.I thought rejecting a mate would only be painful at first. And yet...I still found myself tormented by the rejection of the mating bond even now, an ache in my chest that refused to fade. A thorn in my side that just grew sharper and sharper each day, stabbing me deeper.I peered through the trees; my brother and his wife are currently celebrating their first sixth monthsary.Half a year of being married together and they seemed so happy. Whereas I...I thought rejecting her will bring me happiness because it means I will not be connected to my half-brother in any way. And yet here I am...secretly watching them. Hoping I have what they currently have.It seemed my Alpha brother won no matter what parts of life.When we were a child, our father favored him. Now that he married my former mate, she favored him too.The night air was sharp against my skin, the chill seeping into my bone
The clinking of wine glasses and the soft hum of conversation behind instantly quieted as I stared at the darkness of the trees. Just a few moments ago, my mind was somewhere else. Or rather, with someone else.Alexander.I could have sworn I saw him standing by one of the trees—his piercing gaze cutting through me while I stood by the balcony. Had I imagined him? Was it just my mind playing cruel tricks on me?Squinting my eyes, I forced myself to look again closely despite the thick shadows surrounding the trees.I swear I saw him. I can’t be mistaken—‘Perhaps we’re just imagining things, like how we saw Alpha Azriel naked earlier,’ my wolf murmured. Maybe it’s the wine, or maybe not.I sighed and finished my glass of champagne. Just when I was about to grab for more, my hand was yanked away and pulled by none other than my new husband.We stood at the center of the hall. With a teaspoon, he clinked his glass repeatedly to draw attention. “It’s time for a honeymoon!” Azriel barked
The High Priestess cleared her throat, her lilting voice echoing in the stillness of the night. The wedding ceremony began, moon-blessed vows echoing through the courtyard as witnesses from the Moonbeam Pack and Moonborn Pack looked on. My father’s face beamed with satisfaction and triumph.“Do you, Alpha Azriel of the Moonborn Pack, take Rhiannon, daughter of Alpha Dorian of the Moonbeam Pack, as your wife and Luna?”“I do,” he breathed with a smile.I turned to him. I glanced at the High Priestess once. My breath became ragged as I stared at Alpha Azriel. “Do you, Rhiannon, daughter of Alpha Dorian of the Moonbeam Pack, take Alpha Azriel of the Moonborn Pack, as your Alpha and husband?” As the High Priestess spoke, sealing our hands in marriage, Azriel leaned closer and waited for my response. This is it—the very purpose my father raised me to be. This shall be my revenge to Beta Homer and to the mate who rejected me, Alexander the Rogue. Just a few days ago, I despised this arran
“Azriel...” I spoke his name as he drifted closer. I blinked. “What are you—”He was never naked at all. I sighed. What the fuck am I imagining?“Something’s wrong?” he purred, his grin almost reaching his ears.“I...” I shook my head as I lowered my gaze and bit my lip, my cheeks blushing. “What are you doing out here?”“The air is nice,” he chuckled. I clicked my tongue. “You’re just out here for me.”Even now, I could hear my former mate’s voice, cold and unyielding: I reject you, Rhiannon...Azriel’s face become serious when he noticed a tear escaped my eye. He slid his hands into his pockets as he stood beside me a few breaths away. “He’s always been like that. Alexander...”I let out a small “oh” and placed my hair behind my ears. “What will happen to me now?”He softly smiled at me, his eyes kinder than any I’ve seen. “The wedding will continue.”“When?” I bit my lip.“Soon. You’re free to pick the date until you and your wolf recovered.”“That’s—” I was about to say amazing,
I met my father’s gaze. There was a strange sense of power in the idea of making my own choice—of carving my own destiny rather than being handed off as a political pawn.But I know I’ve never been a pawn. And the way Alpha Azriel gave me the power to choose as if he sees me as his equal...“I'll consider it,” I said firmly, dragging my body to stand before everyone. My chair scraped the wooden floor.Azriel's smile widened, eyes triumphant. I ignored the fact that my life had just become far more complicated than it already was.Why? Because living with your mate and fiancé seemed fun and challenging. Not to mention that I can finally slap to Beta Homer’s face with the fact that I have two formidable contenders to my hand in marriage who found me just a few days after we broke up. I’m already smiling at the thought alone.But Alexander’s expression remained stoic, his eyes turning like molten gold. “No. I’m not going to let any of that happen.”***A tense silence fell over the dinin