2

I wiped away my tears with trembling hands and dragged myself back to my quarters to change out of my heavy mating ceremony attire.

As I peeled off the white dress, I noticed small crescents of blood on my palms where my claws had dug in while I struggled to maintain composure.

Unlike other wolves, these small wounds didn't immediately heal - my secret burden.

"Destined mates," I muttered bitterly to myself. "What a joke."

My phone buzzed with a notification. With a sense of dread, I checked the screen.

Victoria had posted a series of photos on WolfNet.

The first showed her in Derek's arms - him carrying her out of MY ceremony. The second showed them in what appeared to be the pack's most luxurious healing den - the one reserved for the Alpha family.

The caption read: "You'll always be my mate. Some bonds transcend time and circumstance. #TrueMates #AlwaysAndForever"

The comments section was already filling with supportive messages from pack members and neighboring wolves alike.

"Always knew you two belonged together!"

"The Evans and the Blackwoods - a perfect alliance!"

"So glad Derek came to his senses!"

For seven straight days after that, Derek stayed by Victoria's side.

He didn't come home, didn't help with pack duties, and showed no concern for me whatsoever. Not a call, not a text, not even a message through our supposedly sacred mate bond.

I holed up at home, feeling like an abandoned lone wolf living in the gutter. Every time I stepped out, curious pack members and rivals from other packs swarmed me with questions.

"How do you feel about the future Alpha publicly embracing another she-wolf?"

"Is your relationship on the rocks? Or is it true that you came between him and the Evans' daughter?"

"A lone wolf marrying the Alpha's heir? Rumors say you caused Victoria's silver poisoning. How did you manage that?"

Some didn't even bother with niceties. A burly male shoved his face close to mine, making me wince in pain as my personal space - already fragile for a wolf - was violated.

"Did you think you could just waltz in and take what belongs to a noble bloodline?" he growled.

And Derek? My supposed mate? He was busy tending to another female, completely neglecting his own mate.

The pack news channel had daily updates of his devotion to Victoria - how he fed her by hand, how he read to her, how he never left her side.

By the tenth day, I'd had enough. I needed to confront him, to understand his attitude towards me as his mate.

When he had learned of Victoria's supposed illness, he had immediately arranged a high-end recovery den for her, complete with the finest healing crystals and the pack's most skilled healers on constant call.

The normally imposing future Alpha even hunted personally for her, bringing back the choicest cuts just to make Victoria happy.

The memory stung particularly sharp when I remembered my own injury from fighting rogue wolves six months ago. I'd been burning up with fever for days.

All Derek did was have the servants pile thick furs on me, claiming sweating would help me recover faster. He'd visited once, complained about the smell of infection, and left.

It was his brother, Ethan, who had brought me healing crystals, who had sat by my bedside, slowly nursing me back to health while Derek attended "important pack business."

I made my way to Victoria's recovery den, determined to have it out once and for all. As I approached, I heard their laughter echoing down the corridor.

"Derek, who do you like more? Me or Emma?" Victoria's voice was sickeningly sweet, playful as if asking about a favorite dessert rather than his mate.

I held my breath, pressing against the wall just outside the door, waiting for his answer.

"Do you even need to ask? Of course it's you, Vicky..." His voice was tender in a way it had never been with me. "As for Emma, I've been tired of her for a long time."

I laughed bitterly, the sound escaping before I could stop it, alerting them to my presence. I stepped into the doorway, feeling like a fool.

During our intimate moments, Derek had always held me tight, whispering that I was his destiny and he'd be forever faithful.

Now I realized, words spoken in the heat of passion meant nothing.

Victoria's eyes widened with fake guilt when she saw me. "Emma... don't listen to Derek. It's my silver poisoning, I'm in so much pain. He was just trying to comfort me."

Her eyes brimmed with tears that never fell. "You're his mate, he definitely likes you more."

Derek stood up angrily, his face morphing from tender lover to furious Alpha in an instant. He grabbed my arm roughly, dragging me out of the den.

He berated me loudly enough for everyone nearby to hear, "You came to the recovery den to pick a fight? Silver poisoning is hard to treat. When she's upset, it flares up."

"I finally got her to calm down and cooperate with treatment. If you come and upset her, causing another flare-up, the mating ceremony will be delayed again. Don't blame me when that happens!"

I yanked my arm free, looking back at Victoria. She sat up in bed, perfectly composed, not a hair out of place. She hardly seemed silver-poisoned. She was clearly faking it.