Chapter 4

I didn’t hear from him again, as expected.

I tried to forget him, I tried to put him behind me , but it was very difficult, my body still betrayed me, it still craved him, my skin still burned for his touch.

I think I might be going crazy.

One morning, while sipping coffee in my living room before heading out, I turned on my TV and there he was on my TV screen, Elliot and a beautiful elegant woman by his side.

Breaking news: The Crown Heir, Elliot Silvercrest, announces his engagement to Ariana Ravenna. The sacred union between two royal houses is set to heal generations of rivalry.

My hands shook so badly I nearly spilled my coffee. I tried to wave it off, pretend it didn’t matter, but inside it felt like the world had split open, used and dumped, that’s all I was to him. And now, he would stand proudly beside another, his true mate, or so the world believed.

A knock on the window snapped me out of my daze.

Sienna.

She was the only friend I had left. she's been away for business, she travels a lot buying and selling rare jewelry. We’d known each other back in school, and even though she was a Beta, she had never treated me differently, not once. Seeing her now felt like sunlight breaking through storm clouds.

We hugged tightly, and I canceled all my plans for the day. When Sienna was around, she always spoiled me, and I let her. We went shopping, laughing at silly things, pretending the world wasn’t so cruel.

Later, sitting in a café with milkshakes in hand, Sienna sighed happily. “I never thought I’d see the day. Silvermoon and Bloodmoon uniting. This marriage could end centuries of rivalry.” She swirled her straw, then added casually, “They say the Moon Goddess herself decreed it, a prophecy about the two packs joining forces against their common enemy.”

I must have looked too grim, because she suddenly stopped and reached across the table, taking my hand. “Li, what’s wrong?”

I hesitated, then whispered, “I’m just… confused.”

“About what?”

“You know that feeling you described when you first met Travis?” I glanced at her, my chest tight. “I think I’ve felt it too. Recently.”

Her eyes widened, and she squealed loud enough to turn heads. “Oh my goddess, finally! I knew this day would come. My Li, meeting her mate!”

But instead of smiling, I dropped my gaze, weighed down by exhaustion.

“Then why aren’t you happy?” she asked, her tone softening.

“Because… it can’t be right,” I said, forcing the words out. “He can’t be the one. He doesn’t want me. He already has someone—his fated mate.”

“That doesn’t make sense.” She shook her head firmly. “How can he not want you? Li, omega or not, you’re more beautiful than half the ranked women in this city. And I’ve never heard of someone having two fated mates. That’s not how it works.”

“It doesn’t matter,” I muttered. “All I know is, I can’t keep feeling this way. It’s tearing me apart. I need answers, Sienna. I need to know why this is happening to me.”

She sat back, thoughtful, tapping her straw against the glass. Then her eyes lit up. “I know who can help us.”

My heart skipped. “Who?”

“The mating expert. She’s not just some healer psychic palm reader, she used to be a priestess of the moon goddess, until she had to leave to take care of her mother. People go to her when their bonds are… complicated. If anyone can figure this out, she can.”

Hope and dread tangled inside me. Could someone really explain this torment? Or would it only confirm the one truth I was terrified to face?

I swallowed hard. “Then take me to her.”

---

Sienna and I drove out to the edge of town in my beat-up car, the roads growing quieter and lonelier the farther we went. Finally, we pulled up in front of a small, weathered house that stood alone, surrounded by fields of tall grass swaying in the wind.

“There,” Sienna said, unbuckling her seat belt. “That’s where you’ll get your answers. Omegas aren’t normally allowed access to the priestess, but Gina will see you. Just… pay her.”

She turned to me, her expression softening. “I have to head back to my now, I have some business to attend to.”

My chest tightened. “You’re not coming with me? Sienna, I can’t do this alone.”

She smiled sadly. “You don't need me for this, this is very personal, Li. Trust me.... you'd be fine.” She leaned in, kissed my cheek gently, then pulled the door open.

“I hope you find the answers you’re looking for,” she said as she stepped out. “Just… don’t stay out here too long. This part of town isn’t safe.”

Then she was gone.

For a long moment, I sat gripping the steering wheel, my heart pounding. Finally, I forced myself to breathe and stepped out of the car.

The air felt heavy as I walked up the path. When I knocked, the door creaked open to reveal an elderly woman with kind but weary eyes.

“Come in, child,” she said softly.

Inside, the house smelled faintly of herbs and smoke. It was simple, bare. The woman moved slowly, her limp noticeable, and she told me her daughter had gone to fetch firewood. She poured me tea with trembling hands, offering it with surprising warmth.

By the time the door opened again, I was nearly finished with the tea.

The daughter entered, younger than me by a few years, her dark eyes sharp and unsettling.

“I’m Liora,” I said quickly, standing. “I came to ask for your help… with something to do with my mate.”

She didn’t return my greeting. Instead, she gestured for me to sit. Her voice was calm, yet chilling. “I knew you would come. And I know you’re not alone.”

I blinked. “I… was with a friend, but she left already.”

“Not her,” she said quietly. “You are never truly alone.”

Confusion prickled at me, but I said nothing.

“Give me your hand.”

My fingers trembled slightly as I stretched my hand toward her. She held it, her grip cool and steady, her thumb pressing into my palm as though searching for something beneath the skin.

Her eyes closed, and she began to murmur, her breathing slow and deliberate. I felt a strange pull, like a current wrapping around me, tugging at something deep inside.

At first, her face was blank, but then her expression shifted, shock, confusion, even fear. She gripped my hand tighter, whispering words I couldn’t understand.

Then she fell into silence, eyes shut, as if caught in a trance.

When she opened them again, her gaze locked onto mine, sharp and knowing. She drew in a breath, lips parting to speak—

The door burst open.

Rough voices. Heavy boots.

Men stormed in, shadows filling the room. I scrambled to my feet, but one of them struck me across the head. My vision blurred. Hands grabbed me, yanking me backward. A cloth was shoved over my eyes.

I tried to fight, to shift, but pain exploded through my skull, and darkness swallowed me whole.