001

(Lana POV)

“You look breathtaking,” Alpha Diego, my newly wedded husband, the love of my life and my fated mate,brushed his hand down my bare arm as he let me into the chamber. “You really do not know how ready I am for you tonight”He murmured, his voice low, smooth and familiar.

The words alone curled around my heart, soft and tender and I smiled, letting him guide me past the drapes into the room where candles floated in glass bowls of wine -red petals.

Today was a really beautiful and memorable day for me, listening to the pack celebrating the union of Alpha Diego and Luna Lana of Silvercrest. Our own union— was a bliss. I was finally getting attached by marriage to the man who made me feel lucky as an omega.

This was what I dreamed of. Peace, belonging, love and I was glad my father took that decision years back.

A decision to hand me over to this man right here even though he was skeptical because Diego was a man of no Royal hands.

“I can't believe we are finally married. The feeling….” I trailed off as my gown slid off my shoulders when he touched me.

And for once, I let all my worries disappear. I didn't care about the crown, the expectations, the politics of packs. I was his wife now and this was home!

“Let's have some wine,” Diego said, getting off as he poured us mine. He raised a glass toward me. “To forever,” he said.

I laughed softly. “To forever,” I echoed, clinking my glass to him.

We both sipped into wine and the sip was divine but the fourth sip strangely tasted bitter. I frowned.

“Diego,” I murmured, setting the glass gown as I turned my face toward him. “What's in…”

The words twisted into a choke and I suddenly started to feel hot down my throat. My fingers instinctively held at my neck, my lungs shrieking for air and the goblet in my hand slipped, shattering across the floor, splattering red wines like blood.

“D—Diego…” I wheezed but surprisingly he didn't rush forward, he didn't panic. He just stood there, watching my misery with a smile—a scornful smile.

A smile I had seen before, during training spars when he won, during debates when he cornered me, but never in this situation.

“It's working faster than I thought,” he said calmly,tilting his head like this has been the sweetest thing he just discovered. “Guess the poison doesn't like sentiment.”

I gasped, staring at him in disbelief. Poison?

My knees hit the floor and the gown around me felt suffocating as I clutched my stomach. “W-what….”

He crouched beside me, his voice lowering to a whisper meant for my ears alone. “Did you really think I ever wanted you?”

I froze, the sound of my pulse roaring in my ears. “What are you saying? Help me up, Diego. Let's….let's talk about things. Are you out of your mind?” I managed to say but his smile only grew wider, brushing my hair said with mock and tenderness.

“You, Lana, the little orphan omega born with a silver spoon that is now mine. Do you know what Elder's called you behind your back? ‘A pity Luna’ A charity case I turned into royalty.”

I suddenly couldn't breathe, not because of the poison anymore, but because everything inside me was collapsing. I wasn't sane anymore.

He continued, voice filled with venom and honey-sweet. “I married you for your pack's lands, your title, your wealth. Your father left everything in your name, didn't he? You were just the key to the Kingdom. Nothing more.”

I shook my head, the pain in my throat getting hotter — perhaps hotter than the poison.

“What are you saying, Diego? We just got married. I ….is this a joke? This is gettin…”

He rose, straightening his robe. “When the pack heard that you died during mating, because your weak little wolf couldn't handle the bond — do you know how it feels to me because they will believe it? Perfect! They always thought you were too fragile anyway.”

Tears started to gather in my eyes as I whimpered in pain. “You….you loved me”

He laughed. A scornful one. “No, Lana. I pitied you. Love? That was for her…”

Her?

A soft click echoed behind me and just like being summoned, a familiar scent drifted in, Rosewater and Jasmine.

The scent… that scent of my best friend.

Could it be? No. No.

I choose not to believe this!

A figure stepped into the candlelight in a beautiful nightgown, her golden curls tumbling over her shoulders.

“Hello, Lana,” Amethyst said.

I looked up to her, a grateful smile immediately appearing at the corner of my lips. “Thank Goodness you are here. Please help me. Diego has lost his mind.” I whispered, still not believing the fact that Diego would do this.

Amethyst. My maid of honour, my sister in all but blood and that woman who held my hand, guiding me through with his Diego was the one.

“Oh, you're a clown.” She chuckled mockingly. “Do you think I came here to save you?”

The smile on my face dropped into that of fear and disappointment. “Why? Why are you here?”

She smiled wider. “Because, my darling, it was always supposed to be me. Diego and I ….we were together long before you stumbled in. Two years before you came in and guess what? Today is our 6th anniversary. It was a plan. A well planned out one. And you failed to notice, even when we were doing it right in your face.”

“What!” I screamed out, my hand ruffling my hair in fear. “What are you all saying? What is going on? I do not understand! Two years? 6 years anniversary ? Make it make sense. Y….” I turned over to amethyst, my mouth trembling. “You told me to trust him. Y….”

“Well, you can't blame me. I played my part,” she interrupted, crossing her arms. “You really were easy, Lana. So desperate to be loved. So painfully naïve. It was a quick move.”

I could feel more tears finding it way out of my eyes, watching Diego chuckled from behind her, looping an arm around her waist. The sight of it alone made bile rude in my throat.

“See?” He whispered against her ear. “She still can't believe it. Even when dying. Such a pathetic fool.”

My world shattered right in front of me. Everything…. Everything felt surreal.

The thought of being used- taking for granted for being the good one? “You planned this,” I said, my voice trembling. “From the start. When you came up to me that night at the pack party, was it all a lie?”

Amethyst’s expression softened for a moment, almost pity. Then she smirked. “The Moon Goddess favors the strong, Lana. You were never strong. Just a title wrapped in weakness.”

I gasped in shock at the statement coming from someone I have always loved and cherished. “A…amethyst? You…you are my bestfriend….I…”

“No, I am not! I can't be best friends with a naive weakling like you.”

The room spun and I could taste blood in my mouth.

Blood was spilling!

I reached toward the balcony rail, dragging myself up with my legs trembling. “Please,” I whispered, though I didn't know to whom—Diego, the Goddess, or myself.

But Diego only sighed. “Don't make this harder than it needs to be.”

“I loved you,” I rasped. “I….I gave you everything, Diego. Decided that you would be the perfect man to rule the pack—my father's pack even when you were a man of no caliber and yet you take my love for granted? You take my love as desperation? I…”

“Oh, please. You were desperate! I am a man of caliber! No one wanted an omega and I fell in.” He smiled as if I were amusing. “And I'm taking everything back. Alongside with the love of my youth.”

The pain became unbearable and I fell to my knees. The world was fading right in my eyes— my vision was getting more blurry and blood was slowly slipping out of my mouth profusely.

But in all of these? I heard sounds, kissing sounds.

They were kissing right in front of my face.

I watched through my blurred vision as their silhouettes fused under the light, my husband and my bestfriend. The night of my wedding.

“You'll tell them…I died weak,” I gasped, a sob escaping my lips.

“Oh, they'll believe it,” Amethyst said sweetly. “We will mourn you beautifully.”

A weak laugh bubbled in my throat, a broken one. “The…the Moon Goddess sees….”

I forced my eyelids open as I watched him roll his eyes. “You think your goddess cares about one useless omega?”

I pressed a trembling hand against my chest, feeling the last flicker of my heartbeat as my eyelids finally gave way and refused to open. “Help me.” I cried out weakly.

Diego’s face blurred as he leaned down. “Goodbye, Luna.”