04: Mating

SERA

The pack buzzed with an energy I’d never experienced before and despite every rational part of my brain screaming at me to hate this place, I found myself genuinely entertained by the chaos unfolding. Of course, I was trapped in a mating ceremony, yet I’d never felt more alive watching the web of lies and deception that held this pack together.

Today was our mating ceremony, and the entire pack grounds had been transformed into something that looked like a cross between a medieval festival and a modern wedding reception. Flowers that I’d never seen before bloomed under the full moon.

Pack members rushed around in their finest clothes, the women wearing flowing dresses in earth tones while the men donned what looked like a combination of formal suits and traditional ceremonial garments.

But honestly, I couldn’t bring myself to care about the elaborate preparations. The whole boring process felt like watching paint dry, except paint didn’t require me to pretend to be madly in love with someone who despised my very existence.

What I didn’t know about werewolf mating ceremonies could fill a library. Apparently, it was more than just exchanging vows, it was a sacred ritual that bound two souls together for eternity. The thought made me sick.

Eternity was a very long time to spend with someone who looked at me like I was something he’d scraped off his shoe.

Thinking about the whole process made me nauseous.

And him biting my neck and putting what might seem like a permanent mark to make us bond is useless.

I was in the preparation tent, surrounded by chattering she-wolves who were supposedly helping me get ready, when Damian stormed in. His face was twisted with an expression of pure hatred, and I could see the other women immediately sensing the tension.

“Leave us,” he commanded, his voice carrying the authority of someone who expected immediate obedience.

The she-wolves scattered, their previous excitement replaced by nervous energy as they hurried out of the tent. I remained seated, meeting his gaze in the mirror without flinching.

“This is just fake,” he snarled, moving closer and I immediately got up until he was standing directly in front of me. “Don’t let it get to your head. You are never my mate and you can never get my love!”

His hands suddenly gripped my waist with bruising force and I felt his other hand wrap around my neck like a vice.

“You worthless piece of trash,” he continued, his voice dripping with venom. “You think you can waltz in here and take what isn’t yours? You’re nothing but a pathetic human who got lucky with some convenient lies.”

Looking into his eyes l, I desperately searched for some hint of hoping his heart might contradict the cruelty spilling from his mouth. But his thoughts were even more savage than his words.

If I could kill her right now and make it look like an accident, I would.

“I will not see you as anything other than a mistake from the moon goddess,” he said, tightening his grip around my throat until black spots started dancing at the edges of my vision.

His fingers dug deeper into my neck, and I could feel my pulse hammering against his palm. “You’re going to smile, you’re going to play the perfect mate, and you’re going to remember that every breath you take is a privilege I’m allowing you to have.”

Finally, he released me, and I gasped for air, my hand immediately flying to my throat to soothe the burning sensation he’d left behind. He straightened his ceremonial jacket as if nothing had happened, but I could see the satisfaction in his eyes.

“Don’t ever test me,” he warned before walking out.

I sat there for several minutes, trying to process what had just happened. Damian was cruel, yes, but this level of violence was new. It was as if the approaching ceremony had pushed him over some invisible edge, transforming him from merely unpleasant to genuinely dangerous.

The worst part was that he acted like this entire situation was my fault, as if I’d somehow caused this charade for my benefit. He hated me as much as I hated him, if not more, but at least I wasn’t physically attacking him over circumstances neither of us could control.

When the she-wolves returned to finish preparing me, I could see the questions in their eyes, but they were too afraid to ask about the red marks on my neck. Instead, they worked in uncomfortable silence, applying makeup to cover the evidence of Damian’s outburst.

The ceremony started where hundreds of werewolves had gathered to witness our union. I wasn’t looking forward to seeing my parents, especially since Dad had specifically stated he would never set foot in this pack territory again. His absence would be glaring and I knew the pack members would interpret it as a sign of disapproval.

But the Omegas were by far the most annoying part of this entire ordeal. Their constant whispers and judgmental stares followed me wherever I went, and their thoughts were a continuous stream of petty jealousy and manufactured outrage.

Look at how she carries herself, like she’s better than us.

I heard she’s not even a real wolf.

Damian should reject her publicly, embarrass her, and choose someone worthy.

I was tired of their murmurs, tired of their fake smiles and poisonous thoughts. If they had half the information I possessed about their precious Damian, they’d realize how laughable their jealousy truly was.

The pack sang songs that sounded like a cross between hymns and war chants. Alpha Kael stood at the center of the courtyard, wearing elaborate ceremonial robes that somehow made him look even more imposing than usual. I found myself studying his face for any hint of his thoughts.

Still nothing. It was like looking at a beautiful statue—all surface with no access to the mind beneath.

The first part of the ceremony involved the public declaration of intent, where we were supposed to announce our commitment to each other and the pack.

When it was my turn, I summoned every acting skill I possessed and delivered my lines with what I hoped sounded like genuine emotion.

Next came the exchange of ceremonial gifts. Damian presented me with a silver necklace that bore the a bow symbol. It was beautiful. In return, I gave him a ceremonial dagger.

The irony of giving him a weapon when he’d just threatened to kill me wasn’t even funny. I hope he wouldn't even stab me with it

“It’s time for the male mate to mark his mate,” announced an Elder, one of the council members whose thoughts I’d learned to avoid reading. His mind was filled with disturbing images and inappropriate comments about the younger she-wolves in the pack.

My heart began to race as panic set in. The marking was permanent. Once Damian bit me, we would be bound for life, able to sense each other’s emotions and location at all times. I couldn’t be forever trapped in this loveless marriage or connected to someone who despised me so completely.

I looked at Damian and saw my reluctance mirrored in his expression. He was just as horrified by the prospect as I was, but we were both trapped by the expectations of hundreds of watching eyes.

“Hurry up,” an impatient Elder called out.

Damian approached me slowly, his movements forced. His hands landed on my waist with all the warmth of a dead fish, and I had to fight the urge to pull away as his mouth moved closer to my neck.

I closed my eyes, trying to accept my fate. “This is over for me,” I whispered to myself as his breath hit my skin. The warmth of it should have been comforting, but instead, it felt like a brand marking me as his property.

The thought of going through this momentous event without any family support made my throat tight with unshed tears.

But then, just as Damian’s teeth were about to close on my skin, a familiar voice cut through the ceremony.

“According to pack law, the marking can be postponed if either mate requests it.” A voice I couldn't mistake for anything boomed across the courtyard. “They can always complete the ritual at their free will.”

My pulse quickened as we both turned to look at our savior. There, standing at the edge of the crowd in his best formal wear, was Dad. I could see the surprise rippling through the assembled pack members.

Dad came. I couldn’t have been happier to see anyone in my entire life. His timing was perfect, stopping what felt like the beginning of my nightmare. But I knew I had to do something to make the crowd believe that Damian and I were truly in love, that this postponement was romantic rather than desperate.

Without hesitation, I pulled Damian’s face back to mine and pressed my lips against his in what I hoped looked like a passionate kiss. To my surprise, he played along, his arms wrapping around me as we continued the pretense for our audience.

The kiss lacked emotion. But still, I put on a show, running my fingers through his hair and making soft sounds that I hoped conveyed overwhelming love and desire.

“Love birds, you can continue that in your quarters,” Alpha Kael announced, his voice carrying a hint of amusement that made my cheeks burn with embarrassment.

I pulled away from Damian slowly, making sure to look appropriately flustered and romantic. The crowd was eating up our performance, their thoughts filled with romantic satisfaction at witnessing what they believed was true love.

We had successfully had our first kiss. And it would definitely be our last kiss. No miracle could make such a passionless experience worth repeating.

But something in the Alpha’s gaze made me think he wasn’t as fooled as everyone else seemed to be.