Chapter 3

I was finally released three days later.

A festive atmosphere filled the pack as everyone was busy getting ready for Darius and Ingrid's mating ceremony.

I leaned against the wall of my secluded stone hut, tracing the token I'd tucked into my clothes with the tips of my fingers.

The token was from a messenger from Solaris Pack. It was proof of their pledge that they would come to fetch me soon.

Today was the day of Darius and Ingrid's mating ceremony. It was also the day that I would travel to Solaris Pack for my arranged marriage alliance.

I had kept this a complete secret from everyone else. Other than the Council of Elders, nobody else in the pack knew about it.

Soon, footsteps sounded.

Ingrid approached me in her dazzling white wedding dress and said in a proud tone, "From today onward, I will be the Alpha's mate and the future Luna of the pack! Your chance is gone now!"

I briefly glanced at her and said calmly, "Congrats."

Ingrid scoffed, her usual pitiful demeanor completely gone. "Stop pretending like you don't care. I know you hate me to death for stealing away your Alpha. Well, isn't it too bad that he's only ever had eyes for me?"

I didn't reply to her and continued packing up my things in silence.

When Ingrid saw that I wasn't paying any attention to her, she scoffed again and said, "Go ahead and keep pretending. But without the Alpha protecting you, you won't even survive three days in the pack if I'm not happy with you."

With that, she turned on her heels and happily made her way to the altar.

I watched Ingrid's retreating figure without a hint of hatred or resentment in my eyes. Instead, I felt relieved.

She thought that I wouldn't be able to survive, but she didn't know that I'd already paved an alternate way out for my future.

A short while later, the Elder's voice drifted from the direction of the altar as he began making a solemn announcement, which meant that the mating ceremony had officially begun.

I got to my feet and kept a low profile as I hurried along the pre-marked path toward the western border of the pack's territory.

That was the place the convoy from Solaris Pack and I had agreed to meet when they came to pick me up.

The entire process was quiet, and none of the other Silvermoon Pack members even realized what was going on.

…

Third-Person POV

Darius was dressed in a tailor-made suit as he stood tall at the center of the altar. Meanwhile, Ingrid was standing bashfully to his side, waiting for him to brand his mark on her.

Darius' eyes swept across the crowd in a casual manner, but he didn't see Talia, and his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

He thought that she was hiding in a corner and secretly crying over him, grieving her loss. He firmly believed that she would reappear after the ceremony, crying and begging him to cast another glance in her direction.

He calmly withdrew his gaze and branded his mark on the back of Ingrid's neck, completing the marking process.

…

Talia's POV

Meanwhile, I had already reached the border of the pack territory by then.

Three figures were already waiting there for me. They were the messengers Solaris Pack had sent to take me back to them.

They nodded their heads respectfully as soon as they saw me and gestured for me to follow them.

I cast a final glance at the bustling altar in the distance, which was ablaze with celebratory lights as a testament to Darius and Ingrid's glorious moment.

And then, I took a step toward the messengers without hesitation, letting them escort me toward the direction of Solaris Pack.

From today onward, Darius and I no longer had anything to do with each other.