003

Shattered and Sold

MEIRA

I folded my clothes slowly, my hands trembling so badly the fabric slipped through my fingers. The fairy tale I had built in my heart was crumbling right in front of me. I had pictured us growing old together, our hair turning silver as our pups’ laughter echoed through the halls.

I thought we would be unshakable, untouchable. But just four years in, Kaelan had taken that dream in his hands and shattered it, leaving me standing in the ruins with nothing but the pieces of a love I could never put back together.

History was repeating itself in the cruelest way. Isabella’s mother had once stolen my father from the woman who loved him… And now Isabella had done the same to me, ripping Kaelan right out of my arms.

My own father hated me; I was certain he would laugh in my face and remind me of his words, how he had warned me I would never be worthy of the Luna's place. And he was right. Women like me were never truly loved… at least, not the way we deserved.

A sharp, impatient knock jolted through the room, the kind that made your chest tighten. Before I could summon the strength to say, "Come in," the door flew open.

Isabella filled the doorway like she owned it, her lips curling into a smug, feline smile. Her eyes glittered with triumph, she was more than satisfied; she was gloating.

“What made you think Kaelan would ever choose a worthless omega over me?” She purred, winding a glossy strand of hair around her finger as if she had all the time in the world to savor my humiliation.

I kept my gaze fixed on my suitcase, refusing to give her the reaction she wanted. Silence was my shield.

Her laugh rang out, cold and sharp, echoing off the walls a sound meant to break me. “You’re such a loser.”

My fingers clenched around the clothes I was folding, the fabric twisting in my grip. “Please, Isabella,” I said, my voice flat, brittle. “I’m not in the mood for this.”

She stepped further into the room, the faint scent of her perfume curling around me like smoke.

I kept packing. One shirt. One dress. One pair of shoes. Anything to keep my eyes from meeting hers… Because if they did, I wasn’t sure whether I’d cry, scream, or rip that smug smile off her face.

“You’re so much worse,” Isabella sneered, her eyes glittering with cruel satisfaction. “You’ll always be a loser… just like your mother.”

Her words shattered something inside me—rage ignited like a wildfire I could no longer contain.

“Don’t you dare bring my mother into this,” I warned, my voice low and trembling but edged with steel.

“Oh? And what will you do? Beat up the Luna?” She mocked with a giggle that dripped poison.

Suddenly, footsteps thundered closer. Isabella collapsed to the floor, screaming as if her world was ending.

Kaelan appeared; his face was twisted with rage. His eyes locked onto his ‘beloved’ on the floor. “What did you do to her?” he barked at me, pure hatred burning in his gaze.

Without hesitation, he reached down and scooped Isabella into his arms, cradling her like a fragile treasure. His hand slid over her stomach, his touch gentle but his words cruel.

“I hope my baby is fine,” he said, voice thick with mockery.

The bitterness in his tone was unmistakable.

“She pushed me,” Isabella lied. Looking at me with victory in her eyes.

“How dare you push your Luna!” He roared at me, fury shattering the room.

“Actually,” Kaelan snarled, “you’ll be leaving without any pack guidance.” He threw my luggage out into the hallway with a harsh shove.

“You’re just jealous,” he spat. “Jealous because you couldn’t give the pack an heir. Your sister did, and now you’re offended?”

I tried to block out their poisonous words, even though each one hammered at my heart like a relentless storm. Carrying my burdens, the weight of my luggage, and the ache in my body and soul, every step toward my father’s house felt like wading through a swamp of pain.

The ride home was short, though part of me wished it would never end. It was the last place I wanted to be, a prison disguised as familiarity.

When I finally crossed the threshold, I was met not by comfort, but by the face of my worst nightmare, the source of every scar etched into my childhood.

Elizabeth, Isabella’s mother.

Her eyes locked onto me the moment I stepped into the living room, sharp and unforgiving.

“Well, look who finally found her way back home,” she said, her voice dripping with venom.

Her gaze cut through me like a blade.

“Good…” Before I could finish, she snapped, “Hold your worthless greetings for your worthless omega self.”

My heart sank as she added coldly, “Your father just stepped out. Stand here until he gets back.”

“I just want to drop my luggage,” I said quietly, trying to keep my voice steady.

Her laugh was sharp and cruel. “And who do you think would let you stay here? Do you honestly believe we’d allow you to infect this house with your cursed presence?” Her voice cut through me like ice, harsh, unyielding, just like every word she’d ever thrown my way.

The harshness of our conversation was shattered by the clearing of my father’s throat.

Seeing his face after four long years made my heart drop like a stone. The same look of disgust, sharp and unforgiving, was etched into every line of his expression, a bitter reminder that some things never change.

“Didn’t I tell you?” His voice was cold, slicing through the air. “You’d be discarded when the time came.”

He was moving past me, indifferent as ever.

I should have grown used to this, the rejection, the hatred but every time, it was like diving into a fresh wound. The ache settled deep inside my broken heart, sharp and relentless, refusing to dull no matter how many years passed.

Just as my lips parted to speak, he cut me off coldly.

“Hold your greetings to yourself. I don’t have time for you.”

His eyes flicked toward the clock. “The elders’ meeting is in an hour. I think the Alpha wants to announce my princess as the new Luna—already carrying his heir.”

It was no surprise that my own father preferred Isabella, some other woman’s daughter, over me.

His blood

He took a step closer, voice hard and final.

“I’ll give you the grace to stay tonight. Just tonight. There’s the Beta ceremony. Go find a mate, or else,” he sneered, “I’ll pair you with whoever’s willing to take a worthless omega as their mate.”

“But Father—” I began, my voice trembling.

He didn’t even let me finish, cutting me off as he always did.

“I’m serious, Meira. I will sell you off to whoever is willing.”

The cold certainty in his tone told me he wasn’t bluffing. And even if he were, I knew I would be the last person he’d ever joke with.

Later that night, I adorned myself with jewelry, each piece a fragile armor against the cruelty of the day. As I fastened the last clasp, hot tears slipped down my cheeks. I wiped them away quickly—I had to be strong for my twins.

Deep down, I knew it was an impossible mission. But I had to try.

I walked into the ceremony, my heart pounding wildly against my ribs. Each breath felt heavier than the last. Was I really supposed to approach a stranger and ask him to be my chosen mate? The thought twisted in my chest like a blade.

Then it hit me—a faintly familiar cologne, warm and intoxicating, weaving through the air toward me.

A deep, commanding voice followed, slicing clean through the hum of the crowd.

“Luna Meira…”