Chapter 1

It was late by the time I got back to the villa.

I'd barely made it to the second floor when I heard soft moans coming from Cedric's room.

"Mm... ah... it hurts..."

My hands curled into fists.

The bedroom door was ajar. Through the gap, I saw Elena sitting on the bed, wearing nothing but a man's shirt.

It hung loosely on her, giving me a glimpse of her chest.

Cedric knelt at her feet, carefully applying ointment to the scrape on her ankle.

Without a wolf, Elena was as fragile as any human. Even the smallest injury could leave her in pain.

Elena pouted. "Be gentle, Cedric!"

Then she lifted her foot and gave him a playful kick in the chest. "I don't have a wolf. I can't handle it when you're that rough!"

Cedric continued tending to her ankle, his eyes full of concern. "Elena, if you knew how easily you could get hurt, why did you burst into the bonding ceremony? You're wolfless. The place was full of Alphas and Betas. What if someone had hurt you?"

Elena sniffled and threw herself into Cedric's arms. "As long as you're with me, I'm not scared of anything."

They held each other until they finally noticed me standing in the doorway.

Only then did Cedric reluctantly pull away from her. "Cassandra, why didn't you knock before coming in?"

My bonding ceremony had ended in disaster, and the wound on the back of my neck was still bleeding.

Cedric had walked away without even looking back. I'd nearly collapsed, but luckily, someone caught me in time.

Elena quickly pulled her shirt closed when she saw me. "Cassandra, don't get the wrong idea. I don't have a wolf, so the other Alphas and Betas are always picking on me. Cedric is kind. He helps me out, that's all."

As if to prove just how innocent they were, she rested her head on Cedric's shoulder.

Gone was the bold girl who'd stormed into my bonding ceremony and ordered Cedric to leave me there. Now she looked weak and helpless.

Cedric wrapped an arm around her waist protectively. "Cassandra, stop picking on Elena every chance you get. I owe Elena those three wishes! I have to grant them today, or I'll be betraying the Moon Goddess."

Cedric clenched his fist, the veins in his arm standing out.

His other arm stayed firmly around Elena.

Cedric and I had known each other for years, yet he'd never been affectionate with me in public.

Even when we were alone, he always kept his distance.

He said it was because he respected me. He said it had nothing to do with how much he loved me.

Now I knew better. He simply loved Elena more.

"I haven't said a word. Why are you suddenly acting so helpless, Elena? You certainly weren't like this at the ceremony."

I shrugged.

I returned to my room. "Pack my things," I ordered my attendants. "I'm going back to my pack."

When the packing was halfway done, Elena rushed in and dropped to her knees in front of me. "Cassandra, please don't leave. Not yet. I acted impulsively and caused a scene at your bonding ceremony. If you leave now, every wolf out there will blame me."

She sobbed so hard she could barely breathe, her tears dripping onto my legs. The sight of her disgusted me.

I grabbed her by the wrist and threw her aside.

Elena hit the floor. Several buttons on her shirt popped open, exposing even more skin.

She burst into tears. Cedric looked heartbroken. "You're an Alpha. How could you bully a wolfless girl? Aren't you ashamed of yourself?"

I pointed at the wound on my neck. "She wrecked my bonding ceremony and stole my mate, and I'm supposed to feel sorry for her? I'm still bleeding, Cedric. Have you even noticed?"

Cedric's eyes finally landed on my wound, and his expression changed. "Cassandra, I was too distracted to notice. I'm sorry—"

Before he could finish, Elena started wailing again. "Cedric, I-I never meant to take you from her. I just love you so much. If you choose Cassandra, I won't blame you. I'll leave right now. If the other Alphas and Betas pick on me, I guess that's just my fate."

Cedric panicked again and rushed to Elena's side.

He crouched beside her, his voice softening.

As I watched them, the last shred of hope inside me died.

I took out my phone and sent a message to someone.

"Come get my things. In three days, we'll have a bonding ceremony too. Let's have it on the same day as Cedric and Elena's."