Giving Up My Mate

Avery’s POV

I staggered into my room like a ghost, my feet numb and my hands trembling. The door slammed behind me, and the silence that followed was deafening. It pressed against my skull, loud and suffocating. I stood still for a moment, my eyes wide, gazing at the familiar space that no longer felt like mine.

My knees buckled suddenly.

I sank into my bed, the softness mocking the devastation within me. A scream crawled up my throat but never came out. My lips quivered, and silent sobs shook me. Tears streamed down my cheeks uncontrollably. It was not just about betrayal. It was the way they stared at me as if I were nothing. As if I were dirt beneath their feet.

I pressed my hand to my chest and gasped as if I could not breathe, which I couldn't. It was as if someone had broken my ribs open and scooped out every ounce of joy, hope, and love I had stored inside. I felt hollow, like a broken shell, devoid of meaning.

I clutched the edge of my blanket and tightened it around my body, attempting to keep myself together, but the shaking would not stop. My throat hurt from the effort of not screaming. I bit down hard on my lower lip, hoping that tasting blood would help me feel more connected to reality.

My mind replayed the scene over and over: Selene's smirk, Thorne's cold eyes, their bodies entangled as if I did not exist at all. I had hoped for a future with him. I had believed in fate. What a joke.

A sharp knock on the door startled me.

I quickly wiped my face, but my vision was still blurry from tears.

A voice called out, "Your Highness." It was a guard. "Your father, Lord Walter, has requested your presence in the main hall."

His tone was curt and emotionless. He did not wait for a response. I heard the footsteps retreating down the corridor.

I stared at the door, motionless.

Minutes, perhaps even longer, passed. I could not tell. Time blurred behind the tears that streamed down my cheeks. But eventually, I stood up.

I dragged myself to the door, each step heavier than the previous, as if sorrow had wrapped itself around my ankles. I walked through the quiet halls, which were lined with silver sconces and golden tapestries. My reflection appeared on every polished surface, eyes swollen, cheeks blotched, lips trembling.

The grand doors of the council hall loomed ahead. Two guards bowed before pushing them open. When I stepped inside, the scent of sandalwood and politics stung my nose.

And there he was.

Alpha Ray Walter, my father, sat on the great throne of our pack. It stood tall, carved from dark obsidian stone and veined with gold like lightning in a storm. The Walter Moonridge Pack's crest was etched into the back, with silver wolf heads curled at each armrest. He wore a long midnight cloak, his shoulders straight, and his expression unreadable.

His cold eyes pinned me as I stepped forward.

"You look a mess, Avery," he said with a flat voice. "Why are your eyes red?"

I stood in front of him, spine straight, but my voice cracked as I spoke. "Thorne betrayed me. I saw him and Selene. Inside his room. On his bed.” I took a hard swallow. "They were together."

He blinked once. "I see."

I looked at his face for sympathy, concern, or anger, but I saw none.

"You see?" I repeated, bitterness seeping into my tone. "That is all you got to say?"

He then stood, descending the three steps to the throne. "Avery, you need to let go of this foolish attachment. Thorne was not meant for you. Clearly, the bond did not hold, otherwise he would not have chosen Selene."

I let out a sharp gasp. "You knew?"

"I suspected," he replied simply. "But I let you find out for yourself. I thought it would help you grow."

"Grow?" I choked. "Is that what this means to you? A lesson?"

"Avery," he said abruptly, "not everything is meant to be yours. Accept that."

I clenched my fists and raised my voice. "Did you know? All this time? Did you know they were together behind my back?"

He remained motionless. “I did.”

My lungs were drained of air. "You did not say anything?"

"There was no need. It would have ended regardless."

I stared at him in disbelief. "Are you really my father?"

"Yes," he answered calmly and unequivocally.

"Then, why?" My voice quivered. "Why do I always have to give things up for Selene? You told me to give her everything, including my toys, clothes, and even my seat next to you at feasts! And now, my mate?”

His lips form a thin line. "Because she is meant to rule alongside the king. You are not.”

I took a step back, my heart pounding painfully against my ribcage. "So that is it, right? I am nothing to you?"

"You are my daughter," he said coldly, "but not the daughter who was meant to lead."

The words cut more deeply than any blade could. I bit back a sob, my pride the only thing that kept me standing.

He turned and returned to his throne, sitting with the confidence of someone who had never doubted their own worth.

He said, "Accept it, Avery. And move on."

Silence fell like a heavy curtain after his last words.

He sat there motionless, unaffected, while I stood frozen in place, my heart breaking wide open.

I wiped my face slowly, the skin around my eyes stinging from all the tears I would shed today. My voice, when it came, was quieter than a whisper but full of something I could not identify.

"Fine."

A single word. That was all I could muster. But it was enough to inform him that I had heard him. That I understood.

"I have already arranged a marriage for you," he said, adjusting the cuffs of his royal robe as if he was talking about trade routes rather than my future. "You will be married to Prince Sebastian of the Starlit Pack"

My head jerked upward. "What?"

He avoided repeating himself.

"You cannot do this to me!" I yelled, a new burst of energy rising within me. "He is disabled! He cannot even stand on his own. Everyone talks about him like he is broken and has no future.

"So are you," he said coldly. "That makes you the perfect match."

The words hit me harder than I anticipated. I took a step back.

"It is for your good," he said. "Sebastian comes from a powerful family and pack. The union will help our pack."

"I will not marry him," I said, chest heaving. "You cannot force me!"

"You do not have a choice," he said, turning toward the guards stationed near the door. "Take her to her chambers." She is grounded until she agrees."

"Wait…please! Father, do not do this to me!" I rushed forward, dropping to my knees in front of him. "Please. Allow me to make a decision for myself just once; this is my future we are talking about."

He did not even look at me.

The guards approached, each grabbing an arm. I struggled, cried, and screamed, but they would not let go. The doors opened and I was dragged out like a criminal.

I had no idea how many days had passed after that. I curled up beneath my blankets, my stomach empty and my soul even more empty.

The maids came. I ignored them. The food remained untouched. I finally stopped crying. I simply stared at the wall, wishing I were someone else.

Then one morning, I sat up.

"I will do it," I said quietly, to no one.

The next time the maid came, I instructed her to notify my father.

Soon after, I was summoned. This time, I walked steadily to the throne room, even though my insides felt like ashes.

As I walked in, my father gave me a positive look.

"So you have come to your senses?"

I said nothing. I did not need to. My silence signified my surrender.

A rare smile curled his lips. "Good. Before the next full moon, you will wed Prince Sebastian from Starlit Pack."

I bowed my head in response and then left.