Chapter 4

In the next three days that followed, Beamon and Eiro were affectionately inseparable.

The pack was busy preparing for the marking ceremony. It was grander than the one held for me back then.

Just before the ceremony began, Beamon came to me and gave me a firm hug. "Wait for me. Once these three days are over, I'll come back to you."

I nodded, but in reality, it was a way to reassure him before I left. I didn't want him to know I was leaving for good.

That night, their marking ceremony commenced.

To avoid being recognized, I dressed plainly, wearing just a cap and a mask, and sat in a dim corner of the hall.

On stage, Beamon and Eiro stood under the gaze of all werewolves for the marking ceremony.

"I love you, Eiro. I vow to be your mate and love you in good times and bad." Beamon kept his gentle gaze on her as he made his sincere vow.

"I love you, too. I'd give my life for you. I'll love you with all my heart in my final days," Eiro sobbed as she followed with another confession.

"Wow. Eiro did it. She actually bagged our Alpha."

"Of course. What's the point of Swan giving so much? She can't compare to Eiro, so it's no surprise she got dumped."

"You can tell Alpha Beamon truly loves Eiro. Otherwise, he wouldn't have dumped Swan like that."

"Exactly! This ceremony is way more extravagant than the one they held for Swan. Even the wedding gown and ring are one of a kind!"

Murmurs of envy came from a few she-wolves beside me.

Hearing that, Anja scoffed. "What a disgusting pair of lovebirds. Also, those parrots flapping their mouths deserve a slap."

I took her hand and silently shook my head, signaling her not to cause a scene with her words. After all, I was once Luna of the pack. Now that I was stripped of this title, I would be ridiculed if exposed.

Besides, I was leaving. There was no point in stirring trouble.

"Mark her! Mark her! Mark her!" The crowd erupted with chants.

Beamon lowered his head and, amid the expectant gazes, bit into Eiro's neck and marked her. An instant mate bond was formed between them.

I saw Beamon kneel and slip my wedding ring onto Eiro's finger. Then, they embraced tightly, beaming with happiness.

I laughed at myself.

They found bliss, and now, I was left in the cold. Not only did I fail to win his heart, but I'd also lost him entirely.

Still, I was relieved. The memory loss had dulled the agony, and my heart no longer bled quite as fiercely.

Across the crowd, Beamon suddenly shifted his gaze in my direction. He was surprised to see me and clearly hadn't expected me to be here.

I raised my glass to him and silently offered a toast before downing the drink in one go. "Cheers."

This glass announced the cutting off of all our ties.

After saying goodbye to Anja, I got up and left.

My lonely silhouette passed through the crowd and seemed to leave traces of my existence, but it also seemed like I'd never been here at all.

As my car sped through the night, I glanced out the window and saw Beamon standing at the hall's exit. He seemed to be frantically searching with a desperate look in his eyes.

Was he searching for me?

No, that couldn't be. I was just being foolish again.

There was still an hour until midnight. The pain in my head was growing sharper, and I knew that the last of my memories of Beamon would soon disappear.

Before boarding the plane, I received a video from Anja captioned, "Revenge delivered."

When I tapped on it, the massive screen in the hall played a clip of Beamon and Eiro locked in a passionate kiss in the parking lot.

Anja held a microphone and furiously reprimanded, "Beamon, you're the pack's Alpha, yet you were fooling around with another woman behind your Luna's back!

"You broke your vows and betrayed Swan's love. You don't deserve to be our Alpha!

"If you could abandon the Luna who fought by your side, what's stopping you from abandoning us like you did to Swan when enemies come knocking?"

At her words, the hall buzzed with debate.

Looks cast at Beamon shifted. Everyone hadn't seen it this way until Anja laid it bare and elevated his personal affairs to loyalty to the pack.

"You're spouting nonsense! Swan and I separated in peace. There were no lies between us, and Eiro isn't a third party!" Beamon shouted as his face paled.

Unfazed by his authority, Anja immediately shot back. "You marked Eiro just three days after leaving Swan! How do you expect anyone to believe there was no cheating before that?

"You want to have your cake and eat it too. You held a marking ceremony for your precious first love, yet you couldn't let go of your Luna and demanded that she wait for you. Do you know how much she's suffered these past few days?"

Beamon flatly replied, "None of your concern. I fed her a pill. She wouldn't have felt pain or remember any of this."

"Well, wrong move, Beamon. There's no antidote. Swan created that memory loss pill, and she'll completely forget you. She's never getting back with you!"

Beamon's eyes widened in shock. "No! That's impossible!" he bellowed in disbelief.

But Anja responded with a smug smile. "I'm not lying. Swan has already forgotten you."