Chapter 3

Within two days, Ethan and I stood at our mating ceremony. The pack members had thrown everything together with surprising efficiency.

Ethan's parents had died in a rogue attack years ago. As for my own family—I couldn't risk inviting them. Diana would kill me when she arrived, and I wasn't ready for that conversation. So the gathering consisted entirely of pack warriors and their mates, filling the pack house with their presence.

"I'm so jealous of Elara," Cynthia said out of nowhere. "She gets to marry Ethan. She's so lucky."

"Not like me..." She dropped her head and started sobbing, and the entire hall went dead silent.

I walked straight up to Ethan, stood on my toes, wrapped my arms around his neck, and kissed him hard.

When I pulled back, I shot Cynthia a smug look. "Yeah, I am lucky, aren't I? Ethan's got the career, the power, the body... Well, not every Omega can handle a top-tier Alpha like him. A weak little Omega probably couldn't even survive an Alpha's claiming bite." I slid my hand around Ethan's waist and pinched him hard, then flashed him a threatening smile. "Right, my dear mate?"

His ears turned red, but before he could answer, Cynthia's eyes welled up with tears.

"Ethan, Elara, please don't misunderstand. I'm genuinely happy for you both. If Elara doesn't like me being here, I'll leave right now. But..."

A tear rolled down her cheek. "Just remember to pick me up tomorrow. We've spent that day together every year for so long."

Ethan nodded. "I'll pick you up tomorrow."

My hand around his waist suddenly tightened, and I used a wolf combat move to flip the Alpha straight onto his back.

The pack fell dead silent, and everyone stared at me like they'd just seen a ghost. I let out a cold laugh. What a joke. They had the nerve to humiliate me at my own wedding, and now this bullshit about their "anniversary"?

In my past life, those two lovebirds had their sweet little getaway and came back without a single word of explanation to my sister. That one incident turned their marriage into a cold war that lasted a lifetime. But I'm not my sister—she could take it, but I sure as hell can't. He wants to go celebrate their precious anniversary? Fine. He can go, and I'll be right there ready to throw down, then pack my bags and get out of this godforsaken place.

id they really think girls from the Moonveil family were desperate to get married? If it weren't for the elders clinging to some outdated promise, I would've been free a long time ago.

"Ethan, are you okay? Does it hurt?"

"How could you do that to him? He's an Alpha, and you just—"

Cynthia's delicate face flushed bright red with anger, and her eyes filled with concern as she looked at Ethan. But Ethan quickly straightened up and studied me with an unreadable expression, then pressed his fist against his mouth and coughed twice. "I'm fine."

He walked over like nothing had happened and reached for my hand. "You're coming with me tomorrow."

I shot him a surprised look, and Cynthia's face twisted in disbelief. "Ethan, how can you do this to me? I never want to speak to you again!"

She covered her face and ran off crying. That's when I felt warm breath against my ear. "Let's finish the mating ceremony first. I'll explain everything later. Be good."

With no one around to interfere and me clearly off my game, the pack members didn't dare cause any trouble, so the wedding flew by. Before I knew it, I was sitting in the bedroom, and I slapped the mattress hard.

What was Ethan playing at? Was that little move earlier supposed to be some kind of honey trap? He was out of his mind if he thought that would work on me.

The door clicked open, and Ethan walked in. I immediately glared at him and let out a sharp huff. "Let me make something crystal clear—I can't stand Alphas who don't know where they stand. If you're gonna have a sister today and some other girl tomorrow, then let's just break this mark right now and save ourselves the trouble. I'll head back home and find another Alpha."

Ethan's brow furrowed at my words. "You're the mate my grandfather chose for me. I married you, so I'll take responsibility for you."

I scoffed. "Ethan, what century are you living in? If it works, it works. If it doesn't, we split. The engagement contract never said I'd be yours for life."

"You..." Ethan looked like I'd knocked the wind out of him, and he paced back and forth across the room. Finally, he sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed, reaching for my hand. "Elara, there was nothing between Cynthia and me before, and there won't be anything in the future. I genuinely want to build a life with you."

He ignored my attempts to pull away and gripped my hand tighter. "I'm not great with words, so if there's something you don't like, just tell me straight. I'll change whatever I can."

Under the soft light of the bedroom, this Alpha looked completely serious. My face suddenly felt hot as I looked at him, and I nodded, trying to act casual. "Fine. My temper's not great either, so as long as you can handle that, we're good."

I noticed the flicker of amusement in Ethan's eyes, and it annoyed me, so I leaned forward, wrapped my arms around his neck, and kissed him.

Our breathing quickly grew heavier, and Ethan—true to his reputation as an Alpha warrior—wasted no time taking control. His hand moved to the buttons on my shirt, and his gaze locked onto mine as his voice turned rough. "Can I, my mate?"

I pinched him in embarrassment. 'Why is he even asking at a time like this?' When he saw how red my face had gotten, Ethan let out a low laugh and buried his face against my neck. I could feel his canines gently grazing the spot where my gland was. "I was wrong..."

The heat against my neck made me slowly close my eyes.

"Ethan, we've got a problem! Cynthia left a note and she's gone!"