6

Alex kept his arm tightly around Lily's waist as they slowly walked down from the ritual platform.

"Congratulations, Alpha Alex, on finding your true love! Miss Lily is truly a national beauty!"

"Miss Lily's aura is so elegant, she's like the Moon Goddess herself gracing us!"

"You two together are a match made in heaven!"

The fawning compliments just kept coming.

I watched this ridiculous, blinding scene, the loosening of the mate bond so painful I could barely breathe.

"Now, let us begin the sacred 'Moon Goddess's Blessing' ceremony!" the pack's High Priest, who was leading the festival, announced loudly. "Will the Luna, recognized by the Moon Goddess, please step forward to receive the blessing from our great Moon Goddess!"

I took a deep breath, pushing down the shame churning inside me, forcing myself to stand tall.

Alex suddenly stuck his arm out, blocking my way.

"You, step back," his voice was ice. "Tonight, only Lily deserves to receive the Moon Goddess's blessing."

"Alex..." I looked up at him, disbelieving, my voice trembling from the sheer humiliation.

How could he trample on my dignity like this, in front of all the pack members?!

"Go on, my darling." Alex didn't seem to see the pain in my eyes. He gently pulled Lily to his side, placed a loving kiss on her forehead. "Go receive your blessing, my Moon Goddess."

The High Priest looked a bit hesitant. He looked at Alex, trying to reason with him, "Alpha Alex, according to the traditions passed down for a thousand years..."

"Traditions can be changed," Alex said firmly, his tone allowing no argument. "Lily needs the Moon Goddess's protection more than anyone. She is the future I, Alex Blackwood, have chosen!"

Listening to his twisted words, I felt like even breathing was agony.

The festival continued in a weird, tense atmosphere, quickly moving on to the next part – the "Luna's Dance."

The High Priest once again announced loudly, "Now, let us invite our honored Luna to perform the traditional Moon Goddess dance for everyone present!"

Alex directly took Lily's hand and pushed her towards the empty space in the center of the platform.

"You dance, baby," he said softly to Lily, his voice full of encouragement. "Show everyone how beautiful you are."

But Lily pretended to be shy, shaking her head. "But, Alex, I... I don't know how to do those complicated traditional pack dances..."

Hearing this, Alex frowned slightly, then his gaze shifted to me, standing in the corner. A calculating glint flashed in his eyes. "Sophia," he said, his voice a command, "you go up there, teach Lily to dance, and, you will dance with her as her partner."

"This is an unheard-of humiliation!"

"Making the destined mate dance backup for an Omega mistress? Has Alpha Alex gone mad?!"

I stood there, stiff as a board, the wound on my head throbbing with every beat of my heart from the emotional rollercoaster.

But the pain in my heart was a thousand times worse.

"Hurry up and get up there!" Alex urged impatiently. "Are you going to make the entire pack wait for just you? Don't forget your place!"

I had no choice. I couldn't fight back.

I could only, under everyone's gaze, painfully make my way onto the platform.

Every move, every turn, was elegant and perfect. This was the dance I’d practiced since I could remember, a dance that was part of my very bones.

Lily clumsily tried to copy me.

But she clearly had zero dance training. Her movements were stiff and ridiculous, she kept messing up, completely ruining the feel of the dance.

What was worse, during one turn where we passed each other, she "accidentally" stuck her foot out, and the sharp heel of her high-heeled shoe stomped down hard on the top of my foot!

"Oh! I'm so sorry! So sorry, Sophia!" she immediately let out an exaggerated gasp, but there was a barely hidden, nasty smile on her face as she faked her apologies. "I'm just so clumsy, I can't keep up with you at all. I stepped on you again, are you okay?"

From below, Alex's doting laughter rang out. "It's okay, baby, you're dancing beautifully. In my eyes, you're always the most beautiful."

I bit back the searing pain from my foot.

Every spin made me dizzy, but I couldn't stop, I daredn't stop.

The long, agonizing dance finally ended.

The High Priest looked at Alex and announced loudly, "Now, will Alpha Alex and his Luna please exchange tokens of your love, so the Moon Goddess may witness your eternal bond!"

Everyone's eyes were on Alex.

But he just skipped right over that part, didn't even glance my way.

Just then, Lily suddenly pointed at the bracelet on my wrist, her voice bright and innocent, "Alex, that bracelet Sophia's wearing is so pretty! What's it made of?"

The High Priest, seeing this, quickly explained, "That is the Blackwood family's ancestral token – the Moonstone Bracelet. Only the truly recognized Luna of the Blackwood family is worthy of wearing it."

Lily looked down, "Then does that mean... does that mean I'll never be worthy of wearing such a beautiful bracelet... After all, I'm just an Omega with an ordinary bloodline..."

Alex immediately pulled her into a tight hug, comforting her softly, "My darling, how could you not be worthy? In my heart, you deserve all the best things in this world! You are my Moon Goddess!"

With that, he whipped his head around to stare at me, ordering, "Sophia, take that moonstone bracelet off your wrist, and give it to Lily to wear."

The High Priest and a few family elders tried to step forward and stop him. "Alpha Alex! You mustn't! This seriously violates ancestral traditions! The Moonstone Bracelet is a sacred heirloom of the family bloodline!"

"Rules are dead, people are alive!"

Alex rudely cut them off. "True feelings shouldn't be chained by these stuffy old customs!"

My hand trembled as I lifted my left wrist, looking at the moonstone bracelet that glowed with a soft, silver light.

My grandmother, who had passed away long ago, had put this on my wrist herself on my coming-of-age day.

"What are you waiting for?!" Alex, seeing I wasn't moving, impatiently snapped at me. "Are you going to make the entire pack wait here just for you?! Don't forget your father's company still needs the Blackwood family's protection!"

Despair washed over me.

I knew if I didn't hand over this bracelet today, with Alex's cold-heartedness, he really would do what he said and make me and my family pay a terrible price.

I clenched my jaw, and bit by bit, I undid the old, intricate clasp on the moonstone bracelet.

"This was my grandmother's…" I used all my strength to get out one last, weak plea.

"I know, it was your long-dead grandmother's. She put it on you herself. It's a memento." Alex cut me off coldly. "But Lily is just borrowing it for a bit. Why are you being so petty? So ungenerous?"

Just as Lily was about to touch the bracelet, a crash of thunder suddenly split the sky.

Rain poured down in sheets.

"Thank you, Sophia!" Lily, as if she hadn't noticed the weather change, excitedly snatched the moonstone bracelet from my hand and eagerly put it on her own slender wrist. "I knew you'd see the bigger picture and be the most understanding!"

The ceremony ended quickly.

Alex held Lily tightly, sheltering her, and strode off.

With the last of my strength, I called out to Lily's retreating back, "Lily, that moonstone bracelet is nearly a thousand years old. The moonstone on it is very fragile, it breaks easily. You have to be careful when you wear it..."

"So naggy!" Lily glanced back at me impatiently, waving her hand dismissively. "It's just some old bracelet, what's the big deal! If it breaks, I'll just buy another one!"

The thick bandages on my head were quickly soaked through by the rain, sticking uncomfortably to my unhealed wound.

Dragging my exhausted body, I walked step by painful step, through the pouring rain, back to the "home" that no longer felt like mine.

In the middle of the night, I started running a high fever. My temperature was terrifyingly hot. I was in a daze.

My dreams were full of Alex's cold eyes and Lily's triumphant, sneering laugh.

It was time. Time to completely let go.