04

"No, no, no," I cried out through my tears and ran out of the hall to the washroom. I turned on the tap and tried to wash the blood off the dress, but it didn’t work. It just kept spreading the more I tried to clean it.

"This can't happen. Oh, Mother!" I sobbed as I sank to the bathroom floor. I couldn’t stop crying, the pain too much to hold in—until Caleb’s words suddenly echoed in my mind.

"The garden. Right." I stood up and wiped my tears. I managed to clean the blood off my face and out of my hair. I stepped out of the bathroom and headed toward the garden, but then I saw Tanya and Ria coming toward me.

I froze in fear, unable to move from where I was standing.

Tanya and Ria giggled. "This is gonna be fun," they chorused.

"You're coming with us, fleabag," Ria said.

"I'm not going any....." I tried to speak, but Tanya's hand struck me across the face before I could finish. I fumbled and fell on my butt from the force of the slap.

"We didn’t come here so you could talk back to us, fleabag," Tanya said, grabbing a fistful of my hair.

"You are coming with us, get that?"

"Y... yes," I stuttered as pain shot through my scalp.

"Now then, shall we?" Ria said as Tanya finally let go of my hair.

I stood up and followed them, my steps heavy and reluctant. We walked in silence until we reached a room door. Tanya opened it and shoved me inside.

I stumbled and fell to the floor but quickly managed to stand only to freeze the moment my eyes landed on the bed.

Caleb and Vanessa were kissing… hungrily. Caleb’s hands were already tugging at Vanessa’s clothes. My heart stopped.

They both looked up when they noticed me standing there. Vanessa smirked, completely unbothered. Caleb's eyes widened in panic.

"Lyra, I can explain," he said, reaching for my hand.

But I took a shaky step back, the sting of betrayal slicing through my chest. Tears burned in my eyes. I couldn’t believe it. My boyfriend and my bully…

They were kissing. Touching.

My legs gave out and I dropped to my knees, the sobs breaking free from my throat. I could hear laughter outside the door. They planned this and I was the joke.

Oh, baby. You didn't have to give her false hopes. Does she know that you and I are together?" Vanessa said as she came off the bed and walked straight to Caleb.

"You guys are together?? Caleb, you promised me that you would never leave me. You said that if the moon goddess paired us together, you’d make me your Luna. Please tell me that wasn't a lie," I cried out.

"Yeah right, I think I’ve fed her delusions a little too much. She believes every word that comes out of my mouth," Caleb said, and everyone mocked me.

"Yeah, I lied about those things. I will never make you my Luna. You are below my standards, and you’re just a dumb omega who can’t even defend herself," Caleb said and sat on the bed.

"Caleb… why?" I asked, the tears still streaming down my face.

"Caleb? Did I just hear you say Caleb? Don’t you dare say that again. To you, it’s Alpha Caleb. You understand?" he yelled.

I shivered. This wasn’t the Caleb I had known. He was always kind, and caring, and loving toward me. How did he turn out like this?

Suddenly, a red string appeared on Caleb’s hand and it was tied to mine. The moon goddess had paired us together. Caleb growled, and Vanessa looked at me angrily.

"I can’t do this with you. I, Caleb Draven, the Future Alpha of Crescent Fang Pack, hereby reject you, Lyra Grey, as my mate."

Everyone laughed and sneered as Vanessa smirked proudly. I held my chest as pain shot through my entire body.

"Please… no," my wolf cried out in pain as the red thread broke and disappeared. I had been rejected by my mate so now, I had been cursed.

I stood up and ran out of the room, into the hall, past the crowd, but I bumped into someone and almost fell. He caught me and almost immediately, a red string appeared again. It tied both of our hands together.

The moon goddess had given me another chance.

But I couldn’t take it. I pushed him away and ran straight out the door, into the forest.

The man looked at my retreating figure.

"She’s my mate."