I Was Only the Alpha's Second Choice

Isaac squeezed my hand. "Linda, don't do this. There are a lot of people here."

I turned to him. "I'm the future Luna of this pack. Is this really all I'm worth to you?"

I held up the moonstone necklace. You could buy the exact same one at any mall.

Isaac blinked, then tried to explain. "No one in the pack is going to disrespect you over a necklace.

"And Chloe is your sister. She can handle the pendant's energy better.

"I'll make it up to you, okay?"

My eyes burned.

He was always like this. He hurt me, then tried to make it up to me.

After missing my qualifiers, he made it up to me by driving north through the night to catch a meteor shower. By the time we got there, he was so exhausted that he fell asleep with his head on my shoulder.

"We saw the Tears of Saint Lawrence. That means we get to be together forever, right?"

So I forgave him for not showing up.

One night, he left me burning with fever to comfort Chloe after she'd had a nightmare. When he finally came back, he wrapped his late father's rosary around my wrist—the one keepsake his father had left him.

So I forgave him for neglecting me.

This time, I didn't want to forgive him.

When he moved to fasten the necklace around my neck, I stopped him and said calmly, "Isaac, let's break up."

Everything around us went quiet.

Isaac froze, then lowered his voice. "You're upset? Can we please not do this in public?"

"I'm not making a scene."

Chloe took off the wolf's-head necklace and pushed it toward me.

"Linda, if you want it that badly, you can have it.

"The bonding ceremony is next Saturday.

"Isaac is so busy. As his future Luna, you should really try to be more understanding."

I was so angry I almost laughed.

For years, I'd given up the ballet I loved and poured everything I had into helping him run the pack.

And now my own little sister was teaching me how to be a proper Luna.

I shot Chloe a cold look.

She stiffened and hid behind Isaac. "Linda's scary."

Isaac patted her shoulder, then turned to me. "Linda, don't take it out on Chloe."

My chest felt tight.

A heavy lump lodged in my throat.

Isaac took my hand again, looking completely sincere. "I promise. Next time, I'll get you a new necklace."

I didn't say anything.

He stroked my hair and mistook my silence for forgiveness.

Then he walked ahead with Chloe, laughing and talking, his head tilted toward her. He looked patient and gentle.

It was the same patient, gentle look he'd once given me as I sat alone in a corner. "The Moon Goddess chose you," he'd said. "I choose you too, Linda."

I used to believe that side of him belonged to me alone.

I used to believe I was the only one for him.

But now I knew I wasn't.

"Isaac," I said, catching his arm. "We..."

Isaac cut me off and handed me an envelope. "Here's the schedule. Take a look. After the ceremony, there's a press interview—"

I blinked. "I thought it was going to be a private ceremony."

"It was a last-minute change." He rubbed his forehead. "Chloe's producers want to ride the wave of attention, and the pack thinks the publicity will make us look good."

I looked down at the pages in my hand.

After the bonding ceremony came a family dinner, followed by a press conference.

And the last event on the schedule was—Chloe's celebration dinner?

"What is this?" My voice was cold.

"Chloe's show broke its ratings record last week. She wants to throw a small party and use our venue." Isaac paused, then added, "If you're tired by then, just come with me and make an appearance."

My bonding day.

Chloe's party day?

Back then, whenever I was upset, Isaac would drive me up to the hilltop to look at the moon.

We'd park by the road and lie side by side on the hood of the car.

His eyes were only ever on me.

But then Chloe said she wanted to see the moon too, and the hilltop became a place for all three of us.

Chloe was everywhere!

I folded the pages, then hurried ahead.

Behind me, she asked softly, "Isaac, I'm wearing a champagne-colored dress to the party. Want me to find you a matching tie?"

"Sure," he said. "You pick."

With Chloe, he never hesitated.

With me, he had to weigh every word.

Explain himself, again and again.

Fix things, again and again.

So what was I?

Just his second choice whenever Chloe wasn't around?

I stopped, pulled out my phone, and tapped a familiar name.

It was Jess, my friend and a principal dancer in Berlin.

I sent her a message.

"Babe, any chance your company still has an opening for a ballet dancer?"

She called me back almost immediately, thrilled. "Linda! You finally made up your mind? But I heard your bonding ceremony is next week."

"I want to go back onstage," I said quietly. "If there's still a place for me—"

"There is!" she said at once. "I'll talk to the company right now. The moment I hear anything, I'll call you."