NINE

VALERIE

I stand awkwardly and the whole crowd is silent. Everyone waiting what he is about to do next.

Finding your mate is hard. The last few decades more wolves reported that they have never met their mate. It is either they cannot wait for them, or they simply don't believe in a so-called mate bond. That is why it is common to have chosen mates. 

And that is also why so many chosen mates get their heart broken when the other finds their fated. In this case, I am that chosen.

'What is he going to do?' Liana asks, her worry creates a pang in my heart as I watch on.

'I don't know. But I believe in him. I have to.' I state, more to myself than her. Liana doesn't say anything and peer through the windows that are my eyes.

"Well, would you look at that?" I hear barked and the crowd splits to a lanky, older man with greying hair and an intimidating aura that puts me off. My eyes widen when I recognize his face. The Alpha of the Fire Breather Pack.

"It seems you got yourself an alliance." The lanky man says and holds out his hand to Evan. He looks down at it, but his eyes look conflicted.

The crowd erupts into murmurs while I watch as Evan looks from the Alpha to the woman, his fated mate. Her face turned from shock, fear, to happiness. My wolf growled and the woman's eyes snapped to me.

"What is the meaning of this?" she hissed and practically eyes me from head to toe. My wolf scoffs and her emotions are running wild. Sh*t. I have forgotten quickly that she has this weird ability to project her emotions through my facial expression, and I can't stop her. Right now, she is p*ssed. And it shows with whatever face I have on.

Evan's eyes widen slightly as he snaps his head in my direction, as if he just now noticed my presence which p*sses my wolf off even more.

He clears his throat and gestures for me to come closer. Liana screams hell no but I walk anyway, making my way over and fixing my face.

"I would like you to meet Valerie. She's my... chosen." he says in his little 'introduction'. I look at him expectantly but he turns his eyes to the blonde woman.

My body stiffens as I stare at Evan, but I could only see the side of his face as he stares at his fated. He has been since I stepped foot in here.

Chosen, he says. Not his wife, not his luna. His chosen.

The blonde woman narrows her eyes at me and I already knew what I needed to do.

"Please excuse me." I say, turning around I bumb into a hard chest.

I look up and see Alpha Alaric's concerned face.

"Luna, are you alright?" he asks, then looks at the pair behind me with what seemed like disapproval in his gaze. 

"I'm fine. I just. I have to go," I say, almost pleading. He has a look of understanding in his eyes as he steps aside and lets me go. 

I hear Evan's voice before the mind link opens up, but I block him out before he could get to me.

The pack members are giving me side glances, most looking at me with shock and pity while the others with content. One in particular, is Sedrick. Of course he would. He smirks as I brush past him and I hear the exact words he says under his breath.

"I hope she replaces you." 

I don't give him the attention he so craves and keep on running. Out into the hallway, to the other exit and into the woods. 

I strip myself down and rid myself of the dress since it was handmade especially for me by one of the maids. No matter how I feel, I wouldn't want to make her efforts go to waste.

Once naked, I sprint forward and shift mid-air. Liana takes us far away from the pack house. Far away from Evan and his perfect mate before Liana could rip her to shreds.

Although he has found his mate, it doesn't make my bond to him disappear as I feel his betrayal. I remember the way he looked at her and could clearly see interest and desire in those eyes. She had some resemblance to the Alpha of the Fire Breather pack. Plus I have never seen her in pack meetings before. She must be the Alpha's daughter, and I stop in a clearing when I realize what that means for us. For the pack.

'Liana, do you realize what this means?' I ask my wolf, and she whimpers. That shocks me more than her anger. I have never heard or felt her in so much pain. They say a bond through either chosen or fated mate affects the wolf more than we really know. And I immediately felt pity for her.

'If he mates with her, the packs would be united. They would be safe.' she says. It seems we were thinking the same thing.

'They?' I ask, confused.

'The pack. At least this ensures security between both packs.'

'What are you saying?' I press, knowing there is more that she is not telling me.

My wolf whimpers then looks up to the moon in the black sky. 

'I am tired. Tired pretending we are happy when for so long, we are not. We will never be happy with him. I tried, okay? I tried and where did it get us?' Liana says sadly and her words broke me.

She is right. All these years, everything we have ever done is to gain his approval and attention. Each time we do it's like we aren't even there. All these years I have failed in thawing his frozen heart. Turns out it wasn't frozen after all. It was just locked and it was waiting for the right person to open it.

A small smile crept to my lips, and I nodded.

'You're right. So what are we gonna do?' I ask, looking up at the bright moon where the goddess must be watching over us. 

'Go. We need to go away from here, Valerie.' Liana says, shocking me.

'Where will we go?' I ask, my heart breaking. This is my home. The only place I have ever known and leaving it would feel like leaving my soul with the pack.

'Anywhere is better than here.' she says in a whisper. 

I gulp and take my time thinking.

After some time with Liana looking up at the moonlit sky, I let out a sigh.

'Okay.' 

Liana's ears perk up and she huffs.

'Really?' she squeaks, jumping excitedly on the grass making me smile, although my heart is breaking.

'Of course. I will just have to finish the building projects and one more thing before we leave. Then we'll be all set - '

I stop just as an abrupt pain shoots from my stomach. I grunt and Liana whimpers in pain. My blood runs cold as I realize it is not ordinary stomach pain. It is the pain of betrayal. 

We whimper and Liana collapses on the ground, she is weak.

'He's f*cking her!' Liana whimpers and seethes as her anger surges.

I don't stop the tears now. I can't. All I can do is wait until it gets better or the pain dies down, then I will go back and finish this once and for all.