Chapter three:

Ariana’s POV

The air in the Gravens’ grand ballroom was thick with anticipation—a tangible hum of energy only heightened by the colossal, silver-white Flower Moon hanging low in the sky, ready to witness a monumental mate claim. Tonight was supposed to be my triumph, my official beginning with Noah. It was the moment I stopped being the "wolf-less Wilson" and became the Gamma's Luna.

The hall was a dazzling spectacle: gold chandeliers dripped light onto a sea of guests in their finest attire, the air heavy with the luxurious scents of expensive perfumes, champagne, and wolf musk.

I entered feeling like a different person. My blue emerald gown, shimmering with tiny, star-like stones, felt like armor. I held my head high, determined to bask in the glow of my promised future. I scanned the throng of wolves, my eyes searching for Noah, for his familiar, comforting presence. He should have been waiting, should have been impatient to see me.

“Noah, where are you?” I whispered to myself, weaving through clusters of gossiping wolves.

Just as a knot of worry tightened in my stomach, my phone vibrated. I snatched it from my purse. Noah's name flashed across the screen. Relief washed over me—he was just running late.

I swiped to answer, placing the phone to my ear, my voice bright with forced calm. “Noah, I’m here. Where are—”

His voice cut me off, deep and sharp, a strange, metallic edge to it. “This is Noah. You know what to do.”

A cold dread coiled in my belly. It wasn’t a greeting; it sounded like an order, a detached recording. Before I could process the strangeness, the line clicked dead.

Maybe he’s still preparing the surprise. Maybe he’s nervous. I told myself, clutching the phone. He’s finally claiming me. The thought—the hope—was a desperate anchor, forcing a smile back onto my face.

Suddenly, two figures flanked me—Ava and Kiara, Maya’s loyal shadows. Their smiles were not congratulatory; they were cruel and conspiratorial.

“What are you doing?” My voice wobbled as their hands clamped down on my shoulders, their grip surprisingly tight, their musk scents overpowering.

“Let go of me! You’ll face Noah’s wrath!” I snapped, trying to pull away, but they only burst into mocking laughter.

“Aren’t you looking for Noah?” Ava sneered, tugging me forward. “Come on, we’ll take you right to him.”

They dragged me, my elegant gown hindering my struggle, through a less crowded passage toward a dark, exclusive suite tucked away from the main celebration.

“Why did you bring me here?” I demanded, fear now spiking into full-blown panic.

“Go ahead, defect,” Kiara hissed, shoving me toward a closed door. “See how badly your mate wants you.”

My blood ran cold. Mate. They were mocking the promise. I stood rigid, my ears straining. From behind the door, I heard low, muffled sounds—a man’s grunt, a woman’s throaty whisper. And then, undeniably, a familiar, deep laugh. Noah’s laugh.

What was he doing in there? With whom? My chest tightened into a vice. The curiosity, laced with agonizing dread, became unbearable. I shoved the door open and stumbled inside, the luxurious, dark room snapping the breath from my lungs.

The scene was a tableau of betrayal.

There, on a silk chaise lounge, was Noah. And pressed against him, tangled in a passionate embrace, was Maya.

“I love you, baby,” Maya whispered, her voice husky and triumphant, just as Noah’s hand slid possessively up her exposed thigh. He captured her lips, rolling his tongue into hers in a deep, agonizingly passionate kiss.

The loud, sickening smack of their kiss made me freeze. It was like watching a slow-motion explosion. My mind went blank, my life force drained, replaced by a searing, white-hot fury.

“What the hell, Noah?!” I cried out.

He lifted his head, his face flushed, his pupils rolling to meet my gaze. His reaction wasn't shame, but irritation.

“What are you doing here?” he snapped, angry at the interruption.

“You’re cheating on me! With her? The one who humiliated me?” I choked out, tears instantly staining my face. “You were supposed to stick up for me! You were supposed to be with me! Your mate!”

He merely glanced at me, dismissing the agony in my voice, and thrust his fingers into Maya’s blonde hair. She responded instantly, moaning as she nibbled his earlobe.

A primal rage seized me. I launched myself at Maya, aiming to rip her smirk from her face, but she was faster. She caught my wrist mid-swing.

“Release my hand!” I screamed.

Instead, she shoved me with shocking force. I stumbled backward, the movement clumsy, my heel catching on the carpet. I crashed into a delicate antique table, sending flower vases flying. They shattered on the marble floor with a sound that echoed the breaking of my heart.

“Did you honestly think a Gamma would mate with you?” Maya snarled, stepping forward, Noah’s arm still draped over her shoulder.

“He is my mate! Take your filthy hands off him!” I spat, scrambling up.

“Your mate?” she drawled, eyeing my tear-stained face and my now-rumpled gown. “With your cheap little dress? And that wolf-less human stench? Oh, you’re even more delusional than I thought.”

“Noah, you promised! You said you would claim me tonight in front of everyone!” I sobbed, looking at him, begging him with my eyes to stop this horror.

Noah finally pushed Maya back slightly, stepping towards me. The crowd outside, drawn by the crash, was starting to press against the door.

“Oh, poor baby wolf-less,” Maya mocked, her voice carrying. “Making up pathetic little stories just to fit in. Why would Noah ever give up his Gamma title for a defect mutt?”

“Noah! Tell them! Please tell them you meant to claim me!” I pleaded, my voice raw.

He looked at me, not with lust, or anger, but with cold, calculating indifference.

“Arianna, I don't love you,” he stated, his voice flat. His words hit me like a physical blow. “Why would I throw my life away for you? I don't want you to be my mate, and I never did.”

My breath hitched. I cleaned my ears, desperately hoping the chaos had made me mishear.

“What are you saying?” I blurted out, a panicked frenzy rising in my voice.

“This was a bet from the guys: how long can you string along the virgin wolf-less?” he declared, his eyes cold and hard. “I got bored. I want a real mate now. I want Maya.”

“So it’s just a game to you? I meant nothing?” I swallowed hard, trying to keep the torrent of tears from blinding me.

He flared his nostrils in distaste. “I am the Alpha’s brother, the Gamma of the Crescent Moon pack. Why would I be with you? The unwanted, wolf-less girl? My father would disown me. The pack would banish me to the rogues!”

Before he could finish, I acted instinctively. My hand connected with his cheek with a stinging smack.

“You bastard! Maya doesn’t even like you! She’s obsessed with your Alpha brother! You are just a consolation prize!” I screamed, my lips quivering, my composure finally shattering.

Rage contorted Noah’s features. “How dare you slap a Gamma! You don't even know Liam. He won't even look twice at a pitiful mutt like you!” he roared. “You should have kept your mouth shut. Now, you asked for this.”

He took a deep breath, his voice swelling with his Gamma authority, echoing with crushing finality.

“In the name of the Moon Goddess, I, Noah Gravens, reject you as my mate!”

The words were a death sentence. A soaring, excruciating pain—far worse than the initial sting of Maya’s insult or the embarrassment—ripped through my chest, tearing at the phantom threads of the mate bond. I gasped, dropping to my knees, clutching my heart as the life drained out of me.

“That’s what you get for disrespecting a Gamma,” he spat, looking down at my broken form.

I looked at him, at the face I had loved for a decade. My one shot at a bond, ruined by the boy I loved.

Gathering every last shard of my shattered dignity, tasting blood on my lips, I forced the words out, firm and resolute.

“I, Ariana Wilson, accept your rejection.”

The finality hung heavy in the air. I pushed myself up, ignored Noah’s smug expression and Maya’s triumphant smirk, and stumbled out of that room, leaving the noise, the shame, and the crushing pain behind.