Chapter 8

Kieran's POV.

On the day of the Moonlight Vow, the entire Wolfe family estate buzzed with activity. I stood before the mirror, my fingers stiff as I fastened the last button of my formal jacket.

The Moonlight Vow should have been a sacred ritual where Elise and I formed our bond under the Moon Goddess' witness. Yet, it had become nothing but a hollow show with Cecelia.

Nausea and resistance churned in my chest, but I had no choice.

"As soon as the ceremony is complete, I'll voluntarily request from the Elders' Council to let you take Elise and leave. You won't need to wait for me to give birth to our pup or stay for my recovery period."

Cecelia's words echoed in my mind like a curse. The promise was too tempting to refuse. Just thinking about truly being able to take Elise away after the ceremony made my heart tremble with excitement.

A knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts.

Then, I heard Brad say, "Alpha Kieran, the ceremony is about to begin."

I took a deep breath and forced myself to compose my expression. As I left the room, I kept telling myself that this was just a temporary measure, and everything was for Elise.

The altar was already crowded with werewolf guests wearing traditional attire, their eyes filled with respect for the ancient ritual.

Though this was merely a fake wedding, the Elders' Council had made it grand and solemn. Many outer pack members and allied families who did not know the truth treated it as a true Alpha bonding ritual, offering their congratulations one after another.

Those words stirred intense discomfort in my heart.

In this lifetime, I only wanted to complete the mate bond with Elise under the Moon Goddess' witness.

Before long, Cecelia slowly approached, escorted by her father, wearing an elaborate silver gown and a moonstone crown.

I knew I should step forward to greet my bride, but my legs felt heavy, and my gaze involuntarily turned toward our house.

I could not help but wonder where Elise was right now.

Was she looking through a window, watching this heartbreaking scene?

Just thinking that she might be heartbroken made me feel suffocated.

Soon, Lucian began chanting ancient blessings. Then, he lifted a stone plate holding two ancient obsidian daggers.

"The Alpha and his mate will swear in blood, nourishing the bond and uniting their honor!"

I looked down at the cold dagger and reached out, my fingertips trembling slightly. Just as my fingertips were about to touch the dagger, a violent burning pain from deep within my soul suddenly shot up from my heart.

It was the sensation of a destined mate bond being forcibly torn apart.

'Elise?!'

The sudden soul-deep agony made me jerk my hand back, and I seemed to hear Elise's desperate voice in my ears.

"Kieran, are you really going to take a blood oath with her? What about me? What do our vows mean?!"

The voice was distant, yet unbearably real. It was raw with the kind of agony that comes only on the edge of death.

"Kieran?"

"Alpha?"

Voices filled with laughter and confusion pulled me back to reality. I looked up to see Cecelia tilting her face up, waiting for me, while Lucian's eyes held unquestionable authority.

I shook my head and forced myself to calm down. I told myself, 'Elise is waiting for me in the mansion, and she won't go anywhere. Don't scare yourself.'

With that in mind, I took Cecelia's hand. The dagger's cold edge touched her warm fingertip, piercing it lightly. The moment blood flowed out, her well-maintained hand before my eyes strangely blurred and transformed into another pair of hands.

The fingertips bore subtle scars from years of contact with seawater and herbs, yet they were the hands that gave me the most peace.

They were Elise's hands.

My heart pounded wildly as my wolf roared within me.

I closed my eyes in pain, constantly comforting myself, 'This is a fake ceremony, and once it ends, Elise and I will be free. Then, we'll return to the Moon Goddess and form the mate bond for real, loving each other till the end of time.'

Cecelia picked up the other dagger and carefully made a small cut on my finger, letting my blood drip into the sacred chalice on the altar. Throughout the entire process, I was like a puppet.

"Now, the Alpha may kiss his mate to complete the final step of the vow."

Cheers and wolf howls suddenly erupted like a tidal wave. In the crest of the noise, I stiffly lowered my head, moving closer to Cecelia.

Cecelia's rich scent, a mixture of my pheromones and floral fragrance, forcefully invaded my nostrils, suffocating me. My hands clenched at my sides as I closed my eyes and briefly touched her soft lips, as if touching a branding iron.

In that brief contact, I felt no joy of connection, only endless emptiness and betrayal.

A scene flashed through my mind: that rainy night when Elise stood on her tiptoes and quickly planted a shy but brave kiss on my lips. Then, she ran away, blushing, leaving behind a faint scent of ocean and sunshine.

That had been our first kiss.

"The ceremony is complete! Congratulations to both of you for becoming mates under the Moon Goddess' witness. May your bloodline thrive!"

Beyond the grove, special fireworks shot into the sky, exploding in the shape of wolf heads.

The grand ceremony was finally over.

The next moment, my dead eyes suddenly blazed with terrifying light, like a trapped beast breaking free from all chains. I ignored Cecelia's bewildered cries, my parents' panicked attempts to stop me, the elders' angry rebukes, and the guests' confused murmurs.

After that, I violently tore off the gorgeous suit and burst forth with incredible speed, shooting out of the sacred ground at impossible speed. My body even began to shift in midair.

A massive silver-gray wolf, the very embodiment of Alpha power, let out a howl that tore through the night sky, filled with pain and rage. Then, it raced madly toward Elise's direction.

'Faster. Faster! Elise! Wait for me!'