Revelation

Selena.

Later that night, I took my time getting ready.

Not because I wanted to impress Christopher. That part of me was long dead. I did it because tonight required armor, and masking my pain was something I had learned to do well.

I bathed slowly, letting the warm water run over my skin as if it could wash away everything I was feeling. I scrubbed until my skin tingled, trying to erase the scent of fear and replace it with something I didn't know I had in me.

Boldness.

When I stepped out of the bathroom, I chose a black dress that hugged my curvy body without revealing too much. Elegant. The kind of dress that demanded attention without begging for it.

By the time I finished my makeup, I barely recognized myself in the mirror.

As a girl who had never wanted attention, my red lips and smoky eyeshadow told a different story. They announced my presence loudly to anyone who cared to look.

I looked different. Fiercely different.

For a moment, I studied my reflection. My posture was straighter. My expression was calmer than I felt. If I looked strong enough, maybe no one would notice how fragile I truly was.

I caught sight of a faint mark on my skin, and it immediately brought back the memory of last night. But I quickly pushed the thoughts aside and covered it carefully, as though hiding a memory made it non-existent.

I practiced my smile in the mirror and lowered it when I realized it looked too real, too hopeful.

Moments later, my mother and father walked into my room, their faces glowing with pride.

“Look at her,” my father said, his voice thick with admiration as my mother moved to my side. “She looks so beautiful.”

“Thank you, Dad,” I replied quietly.

“Tonight is the night you make all our dreams come true, Selena,” my mother said eagerly. "Just imagine how powerful and influential we are going to be after tonight.”

My heart ached for a moment. I wished they could see that I was not happy. I was terrified. 

But, why would they care? 

They only became my parents the moment Christopher announced me as his mate.

Before that, I had just been their other daughter, the one they were too embarrassed to talk about in public.

Still, I would not trade them for anything in the world. They were the only family I had, even if their love felt conditional.

“Make us proud tonight,” my mother added before she and my father left the room.

The door closed behind them, and the silence that followed felt heavier than their expectations.

For a moment, I allowed myself to breathe.

Then Christopher knocked.

He did not compliment me. He never did. His gaze swept over me with possession, not appreciation, as though I were something he owned and intended to display.

“Do not embarrass me tonight,” he said, offering his arm.

I took it.

His grip on my arm was firm, not comforting, and it reminded me that tonight was about control, not care.

We had barely made it down the stairs when I smelled her perfume before I saw her, sweet and seductive, and my stomach tightened instinctively.

Then she appeared out of nowhere.

Joyce.

She wore a red dress that clung to her body provocatively, her lips curved in a knowing smile.

Christopher’s reaction was immediate. I saw how his eyes softened when they landed on her. He almost let go of my hand, but the presence of guests nearby stopped him.

“You look amazing,” he said to her.

“And you look as handsome as ever,” Joyce replied. “Too bad you are walking into the hall tonight with Princess Fiona.” she teased, sparing me a side eye. 

“I wish it were otherwise,” Christopher said without hesitation.

“Do not worry,” Joyce purred. “I will be waiting for you after the ceremony to give you what truly befits an alpha.”

Her fingers traced his chest slowly before she walked away.

Christopher never looked at me to see if I was hurting, and somehow that stung more than I could ever admit.

The doors to the hall opened, and noise crashed into us like a wave.

Cheers. Applause. The roar of the pack celebrated their soon-to-be alpha and Luna.

The omegas were the happiest, it was like a dream come true for them. Never would they have imagined that one of them would be mated and accepted by an alpha. 

And the fact that I couldn't tell the truth, felt like I was quietly betraying them all. 

The loud cheering pressed in on me from all sides, and I forced myself to breathe slowly so I would not panic.

Christopher clasped my hand tighter and lifted it slightly as if to show me off.

I felt like a symbol instead of a person.

Wolves turned. Eyes followed. Some curious. Some jealous. Some calculating.

“Who would have thought Alpha Christopher would really marry the pack freak?” one woman whispered.

“I heard he does not love her,” another replied. “It is just a political move to secure his position as alpha and gain the omegas’ support.”

My anger flared briefly, then faded, buried beneath the need to survive the night.

“Poor thing. Imagine being mated to someone who only wants you for his selfish reasons.”

They laughed quietly.

The words burned, but I refused to let them show. I kept my head high even as Christopher stepped ahead to greet dignitaries, leaving me standing behind him like an afterthought.

I smiled because I had to. Humiliation was easier to endure when it was hidden.

We were just about to move toward our seats when something shifted in my chest before I understood why, like an unspoken warning.

The air grew heavy. Conversations slowed. A hush spread across the room.

I didn't need anyone to tell me that someone important had arrived.

I looked up as the doors opened again, and my breath caught painfully in my chest at the sight of the man who just walked into the hall.

It was the stranger from last night. 

"What the he..."

“My uncle is here, be on your best behavior,” Christopher whispered to me, his voice interrupting my thoughts.

For a moment, the world tilted. I wondered if my mind was betraying me.

Then his dark eyes slowly lifted and locked onto mine. The noise around me dulled, fading into a distant hum as his gaze held mine like a dare.

The same eyes I had woken up beside.

The same face I had memorized in the quiet morning light. The man I had shared a bed with last night.

The stranger from last night is my ex-mate’s uncle.