Chapter 2

Vera

My head snaps to the side before I even understand what happened. My cheek burns, throbbing from the slар.

I turn slowly… and see Zarah standing in front of me. If Alpha Aiden hates me, Zarah despises me.

To her, I was nothing more than another whore warming her brother’s bed. 

“Whore,” she spits, her eyes full of disgust. “I knew it. You’re nothing but a filthy thing crawling into my brother’s bed.”

Her words hit just as hard as the slap.

She walks past me like I’m nothing. Like I don’t even deserve to be seen.

My fingers curl at my sides, nails digging into my palms as I force myself to stay on my feet.

I won’t fall here.

Not in front of her.

I start to limp away, each step painful, my body weak and shaking.

**

By the next day, the whispers start again.

Another ‘mate choosing’ ceremony for the Alpha Aiden.

I shake my head slowly. I keep telling myself I don’t want this bond… so why does it feel like something is being torn out of me?

A tray rests in my hands as I walk into the grand hall. The room glows with chandeliers, filled with soft music and quiet laughter.

And then—I feel his gaze, before I even see him. 

It burns. No matter where I move, it follows me, everywhere. 

The ceremony begins. Then suddenly, the room goes quiet. My eyes lift toward the entrance.

A woman walks in.

She’s beautiful. Graceful. Everything a Luna should be. Her steps are calm and confident, her posture perfect.

I watch her, unable to look away.

And then something tightens painfully in my chest.

I turn slightly… and see him.

Aiden stands completely still, his eyes locked on her like nothing else exists.

My fingers curl tightly at my sides as I freeze in place.

Then I see his lips move.

“Mate.”

No… no… no.

I repeat it over and over in my head as I watch the way he looks at her.

My grip tightens around the tray in my hands. I already know what this means.

This is him choosing her.

I was right.

My eyes stay on her as she walks toward him, calm and sure, like she belongs there.

She reaches him in seconds—

And then he pulls her in and kisses her. It’s intense and possessive.

The tray in my hands trembles. Something inside my chest twists painfully, like it’s being pulled apart piece by piece.

She pulls back first.

“Alpha Aiden,” she says, bowing slightly, her voice full of respect. She carries herself with confidence and grace.

I recognize her now.

Eve. One of the noble daughters. She just returned from studying overseas.

He looks at her like he’s been waiting for her all his life.

Whispers spread through the hall as everyone watches in awe.

He lifts her hand, and the room bursts into applause. “Now, I present to you… my Luna.” The sound fills the hall, loud and overwhelming.

And still… I can feel the bond between us. It's faint, but there. It hums quietly, refusing to disappear.

Then our eyes meet. For a second, everything else fades.

Something sharp and electric passes between us. But it’s gone just as quickly.

He reaches out his hand. She takes it. And together, they walk out of the hall—like I was never there at all.

Mia, my friend , is just across the room. She’s seen everything and is making her way toward me. I don’t wait, I turn and run out of the hall. 

I should feel relieved that he finally has a Luna now, but why does he call her mate? 

My heart feels like it’s been ripped in two?

“Vera,” Mia calls, but I don’t look back.

Then a sharp pain erupts in my lower abdomen.

“Oh, Goddess,” I gasp, clutching myself as the pain flares again.

“Are you okay?” Mia’s voice is near me. The pain hits in waves, and I grit my teeth, trying to stop it.

“Oh, Goddess, Vera… he’s having sex with her.” 

“Maniac,” I curse under my breath as another wave of pain crashes through me. Mia helps me to my room.

I collapse onto the flat, bug-infested mattress on the floor. The pain keeps coming in intervals, each wave sharper than the last. Then, suddenly, it stops.

I sigh in relief, rising to my feet, determined to hurry back to work before anyone notices I’m gone.

“The Alpha wants you,” the guard’s voice stops me mid-step. 

Mia glances back at me, “That bastard.” She mutters under her breath, 

I shake my head slowly. There’s nothing Mia or I can do.

As usual, three maids appear, drag me away, and wash me.

Now, I stand at the entrance.

“Come in,” his smooth voice vibrates through me.

The moment I step inside, my legs tremble. I barely keep myself upright, clenching my thighs. I hate this bond, hate that it pulls me toward him even when I should be furious. I stare at the devil incarnate—he just had sex with Eve, and now he wants me.

And yet… my body betrays me. Heat pools low in my stomach, my pulse racing, my chest tightening as I fight the urge to run into his arms.

He stands shirtless, sweatpants low on his hips, the V-shaped lines of his body sharp and commanding. 

He steps closer, tilting my face up with both hands. His gaze drills into me, trying to strip me bare with nothing but his eyes. Sparks crawl down my spine, and my throat goes dry.

I swallow hard, trying to push him away, but before I can think, my body moves on its own. I rise onto my toes and crash my lips against his.

Anger and desire twist together inside me. I hate that I want this. I hate that I’m trembling. I hate that his scent, his heat, his strength make me forget everything I should feel.

And still, part of me melts against him, betraying every promise I’ve made to myself.

I devour him like a hungry beast. At first, he doesn’t push me away, but then I feel him snap out of some kind of trance and shove me back. He stares at me as if I’ve broken a rule—I shouldn’t have kissed him first.