2- Postpone the Mating Ceremony

ADIRA

I followed Delilah into the Alpha family's residence, keeping my expression as calm as possible despite the turmoil inside me.

The moment we stepped into the spacious living room, my eyes immediately landed on the man sitting on the sofa.

Brody Jackson.

He wore a dark shirt and black trousers, looking as handsome as I remembered. His neatly styled hair and charming smile had once been enough to make my heart flutter.

But not anymore.

The moment his eyes met mine, he immediately stood up.

"Adira!"

He walked toward me, his face showing what looked like relief.

"You're finally back. I've been waiting for you."

I simply looked at him.

"Good morning, Brody."

He frowned slightly at my rather indifferent greeting before reaching for my hand.

"I'm sorry about last night, babe."

I raised an eyebrow.

"What are you apologizing for?"

"I had to leave the hotel earlier than expected. My father suddenly called me back to our pack because of an urgent matter. I wanted to tell you, but you were already asleep, so I didn't want to disturb you."

He gave my hand a gentle squeeze.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there when you woke up."

I stared at him for a moment. So, that was the excuse he had prepared.

In my previous life, I believed him immediately. I felt sorry for him and even worried about whatever urgent matter his father had supposedly called him about.

But now, I know better.

He had no idea which room I had entered last night. He didn't know that his carefully arranged plan had gone wrong.

Perhaps he was simply relieved that I hadn't told anyone about what happened.

Or perhaps he was still waiting to see whether I would discover the truth.

"It's fine," I answered shortly.

Brody seemed surprised by my response.

Usually, I would have asked him whether everything was alright or if his father had given him a hard time. I would have even complained about how lonely I felt when he left without saying goodbye.

But I had no intention of doing any of those things anymore.

"Are you sure?" he asked, studying my face.

I nodded.

"Yes."

Before he could say anything else, Delilah suddenly approached us.

"Come on, you two! Stop standing there and sit down. We have so much to discuss!"

She grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the sofa.

I almost frowned at the way she casually touched me, but I managed to control myself.

Delilah sat beside me while Brody took the seat across from us. This is always our setup. Every time Brody and I were with Delilah, I never got the chance to sit beside him.

"Adira, are you excited about tonight?" she asked, practically beaming.

I glanced at her.

"Tonight?"

She giggled.

"Your mating ceremony, of course! How could you forget? You're finally going to be Brody's mate, officially!"

She clasped her hands together, looking as excited as I was.

I simply smiled faintly.

If only she knew. I had no intention of becoming Brody's mate.

Not anymore.

A few minutes later, approaching footsteps caught our attention.

"Adira, sweetheart!"

I immediately turned toward the entrance.

My mother, Luna Cora, was walking into the living room with my father, Alpha Walter. Mason was following closely behind them.

The moment I saw my parents, my chest tightened.

Mom.

Dad.

They were both alive.

They were standing right in front of me, looking perfectly healthy and unaware of the horrible fate that had once awaited them.

I suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to run toward them and embrace them.

I wanted to tell them how much I had missed them.

I wanted to warn them about everything that would happen if I allowed the same future to unfold.

But I couldn't.

Not yet.

"Adira!"

My mother approached and kissed my forehead.

"How was your trip, sweetheart? Did you enjoy yourself?"

I nodded, forcing a smile. It was the reason I gave her yesterday so she would let me leave the pack.

"Yes, Mom. I'm fine."

She gently touched my cheek.

"You look a little tired. Did you get enough sleep?"

"I'm alright."

My father chuckled as he sat down.

"Let her rest, Cora. She's probably just exhausted from all the preparations. After all, tonight is a very special occasion for our daughter."

He looked at Brody.

"Isn't that right, young man?"

Brody immediately smiled.

"Of course, Alpha Walter. Tonight is the day I've been looking forward to for a long time."

I lowered my gaze.

How disgusting.

The man who had murdered my parents in my previous life was now sitting comfortably in our living room, smiling at them as though he were already part of our family.

And my father had no idea.

"That's good to hear," my father replied. "You've been courting my daughter for quite some time. I hope you're ready to take responsibility for her."

"Of course, Alpha. I promise to take good care of Adira."

He turned toward me with a loving expression.

"I'll make sure she never regrets choosing me."

I almost laughed.

Choosing him?

If only I could turn back time and tell my previous self how foolish she had been.

"That's what I want to hear," my father said approvingly.

Beside him, Mason remained unusually quiet.

My gaze briefly shifted toward my adopted brother.

Mason Williams.

He was three years older than me and had grown up under the same roof. Although he had never wanted to use our family name, my parents had treated him like their own son.

I had always considered him my real brother.

In fact, I used to be closer to him than to some of our relatives.

But the memories of my previous life reminded me of what he had done.

He had stood beside Brody when they murdered our parents.

He had helped them destroy our family.

And he had betrayed the trust I had given him.

"What's wrong, Adira?"

Mason's voice brought me back to the present.

I looked at him.

"Nothing. Why?"

He shrugged.

"You've been quiet since you arrived."

"I'm just tired."

He nodded, then leaned back against the sofa.

"Then you should rest after we finish discussing tonight's preparations."

I didn't answer.

Instead, I lowered my gaze toward my hands.

I had to be careful with him, too.

"So, have all the preparations been completed?" my father asked.

Brody straightened his posture.

"Yes, Alpha Walter. The representatives from Moon Crescent Pack have already arrived. My father also sent his congratulations and apologies for not being able to attend personally because of his responsibilities."

"That's understandable. We have already coordinated with your Beta regarding the arrangements."

My father nodded.

"What about the ceremony grounds?"

"Everything is ready," Mason answered. "The decorations are being finalized, and the warriors have already secured the perimeter. We also have enough staff to accommodate all the guests."

"Good."

My mother smiled.

"I can't believe our little girl is finally going to have her mating ceremony."

She turned toward me, her eyes filled with affection.

"It feels like only yesterday when you were running around the garden with Mason. Now, you're already eighteen and about to have your own family."

I gave her a small smile.

"Mom..."

"What? It's true!" She laughed. "I still remember how you used to tell us that you wanted to marry a handsome Alpha someday."

Delilah giggled beside me.

"Well, her wish is finally coming true! And Brody is certainly handsome."

Brody chuckled.

"I hope I can live up to everyone's expectations."

"Of course, you can," Delilah replied immediately.

I watched them exchange smiles.

They were both so excited.

It was almost amusing how they couldn't hide their anticipation.

But as I listened to their conversation, another memory suddenly surfaced.

My previous life.

The same living room.

The same people.

The same discussion about my mating ceremony.

I remembered how Delilah had enthusiastically suggested organizing a special program for the celebration.

She had told us that she wanted to make the ceremony more memorable, especially since I was the daughter of the Alpha.

She had even offered to help coordinate the activities and prepare a few surprises for the guests.

At the time, I was delighted.

I trusted her completely and let her handle some of the arrangements.

I never suspected that she was already planning to humiliate me in front of the entire pack.

I remembered the program she had prepared.

The embarrassing incident that had made everyone laugh at me.

The way she had pretended to be concerned while secretly enjoying my humiliation.

And Brody...

He had done nothing to defend me.

Instead, he had acted as though I were the one who had ruined the celebration.

I slowly clenched my hands.

So that was another part of their plan.

They hadn't just wanted to deceive me into believing Brody was my fated mate. They had also wanted to make a fool of me in front of everyone.

Perhaps they wanted to weaken my reputation even before I became Luna.

My eyes shifted toward Delilah.

She was currently talking to my mother, looking excited as she described some of the activities she wanted to include in tonight's program.

"Adira, I was thinking of adding a special performance before the ceremony," she said, suddenly turning toward me. "Wouldn't that be wonderful? We could make tonight even more memorable!"

I stared at her.

A special performance?

I remembered exactly how that had gone before.

"No need," I answered.

Her smile faltered.

"Huh? Why?"

"I don't think we need too many activities. The ceremony itself is already special enough."

Delilah tilted her head.

"But I already have some ideas. Don't worry! I'll make sure everything goes perfectly."

"I'm sure you will," I replied.

I deliberately held her gaze.

"But I'd rather keep things simple."

For a moment, she seemed unsure how to respond.

Then she laughed awkwardly.

"Well, if that's what you want."

I looked away.

There was no reason to expose her plans just yet.

I needed more than memories to bring these people down. I needed evidence.

And most importantly, I needed to make sure my parents remained safe.

"Actually," my mother suddenly said, "we should also discuss the birthday celebration."

My attention immediately returned to her.

"Birthday celebration?"

She smiled.

"Yes, sweetheart. Your eighteenth birthday. We haven't forgotten about it. We were planning to hold a small celebration together with tonight's ceremony."

I froze.

My eighteenth birthday.

In my previous life, I had been the one who suggested canceling the birthday celebration so everyone could focus on my mating ceremony.

I had thought becoming Brody's mate was far more important.

I had even told my parents that I didn't need a separate birthday party because I wanted the entire pack to celebrate my new life with him.

How foolish I had been.

I had sacrificed something that should have been special to me just to accommodate the man who would eventually destroy me.

This time, I wouldn't make the same mistake.

"Actually, Mom..."

Everyone turned toward me.

I took a deep breath before speaking.

"I've been thinking about something."

Brody looked at me and smiled.

"What is it, babe?"

I glanced at him briefly before turning toward my parents.

"I want to postpone the mating ceremony."

Silence immediately filled the living room.

My mother blinked.

My father raised an eyebrow.

Delilah's mouth fell slightly open.

And Brody...

His smile disappeared.

"What?" he asked, as if he couldn't believe what he had just heard.

I calmly met his gaze.

"I said I want to postpone our mating ceremony."

"Adira, what are you talking about?" Brody asked, leaning forward. "Is something wrong?"

I shook my head.

"No. Nothing is wrong."

"Then why would you want to postpone it? We've already made all the preparations."

I looked at him for a moment before answering.

"I'm only eighteen, Brody. I think there's no need for us to rush into such a big decision."

My father looked thoughtful.

"Is that what you really want, sweetheart?"

I nodded.

"Yes, Dad. Instead of holding the mating ceremony tonight, I want us to celebrate my eighteenth birthday. I want to spend the day with my family and enjoy being eighteen before taking on the responsibilities of becoming someone's Luna."

My mother slowly smiled.

"That's actually a wonderful idea."

"Mom?" Brody immediately turned toward her.

She looked at him kindly.

"Well, she's still young. There's nothing wrong with giving her more time to prepare for such an important commitment."

I almost smiled.

For the first time, my mother had unknowingly said exactly what I needed to hear.

Mason, however, frowned.

"Adira, are you sure about this? You and Brody have been looking forward to tonight for months."

I turned toward him.

"Yes, Mason. I'm sure."

"But—"

"I've already made up my mind."

My voice remained gentle, but I made sure there was no room for argument.

Brody stared at me, his expression becoming increasingly tense.

"Adira, can we talk about this privately?"

I met his eyes.

There was a time when I would have followed him without hesitation.

A time when even the slightest disappointment on his face would have made me reconsider.

But that woman no longer existed.

I offered him a small smile.

"There's nothing to discuss, Brody. It's just a postponement. If we're truly meant to spend our lives together, waiting a little longer shouldn't be a problem, right?"

His jaw tightened.

For a brief moment, I saw something flicker in his eyes.

Frustration.

Confusion.

Perhaps even suspicion.

But I didn't care.

I had already made my decision.

Tonight, I wouldn't become his mate.

Tonight, I would celebrate my eighteenth birthday with the people I loved most.

And while everyone else might think I was simply asking for more time, I knew exactly what I was doing.

I was taking back the future they had stolen from me.

And if Brody Jackson thought he could still control my destiny, he was about to learn just how wrong he was.