Chapter 2

Petunia didn't speak loudly, but her voice carried across the entire venue.

Selena lowered her head, feigning shyness as she said, "Please don't say that, Mrs. Talbot. Chloe has already lost this ceremony to me. Hearing you praise me like this will only make her feel worse."

She pretended to be concerned, though her tone was dripping with smugness.

Petunia snorted coldly, her gaze raking over me with undisguised disgust. "Feel worse? If she wants to be the Luna of the Shadowline pack but can't even handle a few words like these, how could she possibly assist Harrison in managing the entire pack?"

She patted the back of Selena's hand, her tone filled with blatant favoritism. "Selena, I've always held you in high regard. You have a generous nature and formidable combat strength, unlike Chloe, a good-for-nothing Omega who just fiddles around with a few pathetic herbs in her spare time.

"And she's so narrow-minded too! The slightest thing always sets her off, throwing the whole pack into chaos!"

A chorus of agreement rose from the crowd below.

Harrison stood where he was, his brows knitted tightly, yet he made no move to intervene. Seeing that everyone supported her, Petunia then fixed me with a cold, cruel stare.

"Since Harrison lost the bet, he must honor the terms. It's just a ceremony, isn't it? We can simply hold a make-up session for you on some random day next month. What's there to be so angry about?"

I straightened my posture, forcing myself to remain calm. "Are you sure that a ceremony of such significance can really just be rescheduled so casually?" I asked.

Petunia scoffed, completely indifferent.

"You should be grateful, Chloe. If Harrison didn't insist on following the Moon Goddess' will and staying with you, his fated mate, someone of your inferior bloodline would never even have a chance at becoming Luna! We all believe that Harrison would be far better off choosing Selena as his mate!"

The surroundings fell into an instant, heavy silence. Every face around me twisted into a malicious, mocking grin. They were waiting to see me make a fool of myself and break down in tears.

I clutched the hem of my pristine white gown, a chill spreading deep within me.

I had once believed that coming here from the Silvermoon pack would mean finding a warm, welcoming life within a new pack. But now, I realized how naive I'd been. They had absolutely no intention of ever accepting an outsider as one of their own.

Harrison grew visibly uneasy when he saw my face taking on a deathly pale color. He cut Petunia off sharply with a dark expression on his face.

"Mom, that's enough! Chloe is the mate I've chosen. You have no right to belittle her like this."

Everyone exchanged uneasy glances, falling into a tense silence.

Harrison then strode over and took my hand. His touch was as gentle as ever, his voice soft and coaxing.

"Don't be upset, Chloe. Mom just admires Selena a bit too much. That's why she said those harsh words to you. Don't take it to heart."

He gave my cheek a playful pinch and continued, "I've already had your favorite Moonstone sent to your room. I'll make it up to you tonight when we get back. How does that sound?"

He acted as if nothing were wrong, trying to be affectionate with me, but I gave him only a bitter, weary shake of my head.

Harrison had always been this way with his "love". He would first hit me with the stick before offering me a bit of a carrot afterward, but I was done with him.

Without a word, I pulled my hand away, my expression cold and detached.

Sensing my resistance, Harrison's eyes narrowed dangerously.

When Selena noticed it, she quickly stepped to his side and said, with a feigned, saccharine tone, "Oh, come on, Chloe. Don't be so hung up on this. You said it yourself; the ceremony belongs to me now, so let me just finish the rest of the proceedings in your place."

As she spoke, she couldn't suppress the triumphant curve of her lips. "Besides, you'll have another chance to hold a ceremony later. Don't be so greedy."

I stared fixedly at Selena, not wanting to waste a single word on her. So, I took out my phone under the gaze of everyone present.