Chapter 01

IRIS POV:

Elder Sylvaris stepped forward, the ceremonial blade resting in his hands. Camera lights flickered from every corner. The ceremony was being broadcast live on every station.

“Tonight, beneath the witness of the moon and the ancestors, two souls stand before us to be bound by fate, duty, and blood.”

I couldn’t look Nicholas in the eyes. It felt like the love wasn’t there anymore.

My wolf whimpered from the pain she felt after what we had seen a few hours ago.

The Elder raised the silver ceremonial blade.

“Do you, Nicholas, son of the Alpha bloodline, accept this union and the responsibilities it carries for your pack and your mate?”

“I accept,” Nicholas said boldly.

The Elder turned to me.

My heart slammed against my chest. It was my turn.

“Do you, Iris, accept this bond, to stand as Luna, guardian of the pack, and mate to the Alpha heir?”

“…I… I…” I stammered, glancing at my dad. His eyes were wide and warning. I turned back toward Nicholas. He couldn’t see my face because of the veil, he couldn't see the tears in my eyes.

“…I can’t.” My voice cracked. “I can’t.”

Nicholas’s brows furrowed.

Tears spilled over as I spun away from the altar and ran, my gown dragging across the glass tiles toward the huge golden doors of the mating hall.

“Iris!” My father’s voice echoed behind me, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t think straight. All I wanted was to get as far away as possible.

—·—·—·—·—·—·—

HOW IT STARTED:

I had a crush on Nicholas, my high school classmate and the Alpha heir of the Dark Moon Pack.

He came from one of the wealthiest royal families. His father was the Alpha, preparing to hand the title over to him.

But little did I know, fate had other plans.

Two years after graduation, I was unexpectedly mated to Nicholas.

It felt like all my dreams were finally coming true.

I was finally able to make my father proud because of the great business opportunities this union would bring to our family.

On the night of our mating ceremony, I stood outside the mansion, admiring the moonlit sky and imagining everything that would follow the ritual, the new faces I would meet, the new family I would belong to, the life I had convinced myself was finally beginning.

Then my phone buzzed with an email notification.

Frowning, I opened it, expecting nothing more than a reminder or a late message. Instead, a video file loaded on my screen.

The sender was anonymous.

At first, I didn’t understand what I was seeing. Then my breath caught.

It was Nicholas and Diane.

My hands began to shake as I watched them together, his dick was buried inside her mouth. What made it worse was the timestamp glowing at the corner of the screen.

Two days ago.

Then realization hit me. This wasn’t a mistake from the past. This was a choice he had made, knowing exactly who I was to him.

The moon above me blurred as tears burned in my eyes, and in that moment, everything I had dreamed of collapsed into ash.

I turned and ran toward the door, toward my mother, but I bumped into my dad as he was about to open the door.

He caught me before I could fall.

“What the…”

“What got into you, Iris? You shouldn’t run…” He stopped, looking confused.

“Is everything alright? What’s wrong?” he asked, pulling me back inside and motioning for me to sit.

“Daaad!” I cried.

I saw a hint of disgust in his eyes, and I understood why. He wasn’t a gentle man.

My father had a heavy beard that framed his sharp jaw, adding to his harsh, unforgiving appearance.

“Nic… Nicholas is cheating on me. He’s having an affair with Diane. I was sent the video just now…” I sobbed.

He raised an eyebrow.

“Nicholas? And that’s why you’re making a mess of yourself? I am shocked to see my daughter crying over a man. Get up,” he snapped.

I stood slowly. I expected a slap, like usual, but instead, he grabbed my shoulders.

“You’re a strong girl, Iris. Tonight is your big moment. Don’t let a stupid video ruin it,” he said. “Do you hear me?”

I nodded once.

“Now clean up,” he ordered. “You’ll be standing on the altar in two hours,” he stated.

“This will change your life and that of your family for ever, Iris. Make me proud.”

It was clear to me he only wanted me married to Nicholas for business reasons. My father never spoke softly. He growled or commanded.

Suddenly, his phone rang.

He pulled it from his pocket.

“Sorry, I have to take this,” he said, stepping outside and standing by the door as if shielding me from escaping.

“My daughter is going to be Luna soon, so I don’t care about your stupid arrangement. I have better things to do,” Dad’s deep voice echoed from outside.

After a moment, he returned, slipping his phone back into his suit pocket.

He stood there for a second before opening his arms and hugging me.

“Promise me you won’t do something foolish, Iris. You can do this,” he advised as he released me.

“I wish you all the best.” He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the tears from my eyes.

Dad gave me a nod before turning and leaving the room.

I stared at the huge clock on the wall. It was already 10:33 PM.

Suddenly, a knock sounded at the door.

“Iris, are you in there?” Julie’s voice called.

“Yes, Julie!” I answered.

Julie pushed the door open and rushed inside, a bright smile lighting her face.

“You look beautiful, big sis…” Her smile suddenly faded as she studied my face. “Did Dad do anything to you? You know you’re becoming Luna, so he has no right to…”

“No, he didn’t,” I interrupted gently. “In fact, he came to encourage me.”

“But your eyes are filled with tears.” She stated.

“These are tears of joy, Julie,” I said, forcing a small smile.