He Said His Adopted Sister Was "Just a Child"

I agreed so quickly that a flash of shock crossed Felix's eyes.

"Nova, you..."

Before he could finish, Serena was already impatiently tugging at his shirt, pulling him toward the center of the altar.

Felix swallowed his questions, instinctively trying to comfort me.

"Nova, Serena grew up outside the pack and doesn't know the rules. Just play along with her."

"I'll explain everything to the Pack Council in a few days. I promise to give you the biggest bonding ceremony later. You're the only mate I acknowledge."

But I didn't want to be his Luna anymore.

My eyes burned as I watched them stand close together. I turned around and walked away.

As soon as I started my car, I called the pack Beta.

"Send out a notice. Cancel tonight's mating party immediately. Charge all the cancellation fees to my personal account."

After handling that, I opened my email and replied to the job offer I had planned to decline.

[The contract is signed. I'll arrive on time for the wildlife shoot in the Northern Uncharted Territory next week.]

Right after I switched screens, Serena posted an update on the pack feed.

[Sharing my first altar vow with Felix.]

The attached photo showed two mating tokens placed side by side in front of the Moon Goddess statue. The spot where my name should have been carved now belonged to Serena.

I gave a bitter smile and casually liked the post.

My phone blew up with messages from Maya at that exact moment. I picked a few to reply to while scrolling through her messages calling Felix a complete jerk.

She had also sent a stack of high-quality photos featuring Alphas she carefully selected.

Maya ran the most exclusive mate-matching service on the continent, boasting a roster of the top single Alphas in North America.

I used to joke with her that the day I dumped Felix, the very first thing I would do was pick the hottest guy from her list to spend the night with.

Now that the day had actually come, I couldn't muster up any interest.

But seeing how hard she was trying to distract me, I didn't refuse her kindness.

[Alright, send me the one with the best body.]

Maya happily agreed. Then she cautiously asked if I was still going to the elite pack party tonight.

I knew her concerns too well. For an inner-circle gathering of this level, she wouldn't even get past the door if I didn't show up.

Felix had prepared this party to celebrate the ceremony. Everyone attending was a powerful Alpha or a wealthy investor, making it the perfect hunting ground for Maya's business.

Maya wanted to use the opportunity to expand her Alpha database. I couldn't let her down, especially since I had paid for half of that party anyway.

[I'll be there.] I replied to her.

Perhaps Felix also vaguely realized he had gone too far today. Before the party, he had a rare moment of conscience and actually went out of his way to pick me up first.

It was also his first time leaving Serena outside the pack headquarters, making her stand in the cold wind for a full twenty minutes.

Serena was furious. She released a sour scent from the backseat during the entire drive to the party estate.

I had zero interest in getting involved in the weird tension between them. The moment the car parked, I pushed the door open to get out.

Felix grabbed my wrist right then, his tone helpless. "Nova, are you still throwing a fit?"

Just as I was about to say no, a muffled sob came from the backseat.

His warm grip on my wrist instantly vanished. In the time it took for the car door to open and close, Felix had already climbed into the back. He pulled Serena into his arms and whispered words of comfort.

I watched these two act like real mates through the rearview mirror. I couldn't help but scoff before slamming the car door shut.

It took a full ten minutes before they finally stepped out of the car.

Their fingers were tightly intertwined. My hands instinctively balled into fists.

My first instinct was to turn around and look for Maya, but then I remembered she had a last-minute VIP client and couldn't make it. I could only stiffly look down.

Felix noticed my gaze and immediately dropped Serena's hand. He had just opened his mouth to explain when a voice cut in first.

"Alpha, since you both stood at the altar today, shouldn't you share a kiss right here?"