TO THE ONE I SHOULDN'T LOVE

SERA'S POV

"You have to come! What if your mate is there?" Mia said excitedly as she handed me a sparkling cloth filled with tiny diamond stones. It looked expensive— too expensive for someone like me. I smiled and handed it back to her gently.

"What’s wrong now?" she asked, her wide eyes filled with curiosity.

I sighed and looked away. "Mia, no one would ever want me. Not after what my family did to the pack. Going to the ceremony is just a waste of time."

Mia frowned and sat beside me. “That’s not true. No one even talks about it anymore. People have moved on, Sera.”

I breathed out deeply. Maybe the world had moved on, but my heart hadn’t. It had been two and a half years since my parents betrayed the Nox Pack. Two and a half years since they were banished for their crimes. And my brother… he ran away and never looked back. Since then, I’ve stayed quiet, kept my head low. I didn’t want attention— good or bad.

I looked back at Mia. “You say that, but deep down, you know the truth. No one has forgotten what happened. Especially not your family.”

Her face changed instantly. Her playful expression turned cold. “My family? You mean my brother, right? He’s the only one I have left.”

“Yes. Your brother,” I said quietly. “I don’t like the way he looks at me.”

And then, just like that, the cold look on Mia’s face vanished and she burst into laughter.

“Since when do you care about what my brother thinks of you?” she teased, pulling me down onto the bed.

“He’s the Alpha now, Mia,” I said, lying flat and staring at the ceiling. “He’s not just your brother anymore. He’s our Alpha. So yes, I should care.”

Mia giggled. “You know, I think he likes you. He told me once—”

“What?!” I sat up quickly.

She laughed even louder. “I’m just joking!” she said.

I let out a sigh of relief and stood up. “You better be. Don’t joke like that again.”

Before Mia could say another word, we heard a sharp knock on the door.

“I’ll get it,” I said, walking over.

As I opened the door, my heart stopped for a second. It was him. Victor Leon. The Alpha. Mia’s older brother.

“Good evening, Alpha,” I said softly, bowing my head.

“Is my sister in?” he asked, not even responding to my greeting.

“Yes, Mistress Mia is here,” I replied, making sure to show respect despite I and Mia are best of friends.

Victor stepped into the room, his presence making the air heavier.

“We’re leaving soon. Are you ready?” he asked Mia, sounding a little impatient.

“Almost. I’m trying to convince Sera to come,” Mia said as she applied makeup in the mirror.

“Sera?” Victor repeated my name like he didn’t recognize it.

“Sera! The beautiful lady standing behind you,” Mia teased.

I smiled quietly, hoping no one noticed.

Victor turned to glance at me briefly, then looked back at Mia. “Be at the parking lot in ten minutes,” he said before leaving the room.

“He doesn’t even know my name,” I mumbled after he left.

Mia chuckled. “Nah… don’t believe that.”

I wanted to ask her what she meant by that, but there wasn’t time. Ten minutes wasn’t long.

“Please come with me,” Mia said, holding my hand as I fixed her makeup.

“Fine. But I’m only doing this because you’re my best friend.”

As we walked toward the parking lot, I felt eyes on me. I used my wolf hearing and caught a comment from one of the betas.

“Wow… I always knew she had beauty in her.”

I blushed slightly, but kept walking. Then, my eyes met Victor’s. He was staring. Just like the others. But different. It felt like he was seeing something he hadn’t noticed before.

“Thanks for the outfit,” I whispered to Mia. The diamond-stone fabric shimmered under the little sunlight, making me feel like someone else for a moment.

“You took long,” Victor said to Mia as he ordered the drivers to start the journey.

Almost half of the pack was going to the ceremony. Many of us didn’t have mates yet. The Mate Ceremony was held outside the Nox Pack— an event where unmated wolves from all packs gathered under the full moon, hoping to find the one chosen by the Moon Goddess.

The journey took about an hour, and by the time we arrived, the moon was already glowing brightly in the sky. My heart was beating faster than usual. I could feel the wolf in me stirring.

I wasn’t the best at controlling myself during full moons. I was still learning. Still struggling. But I didn’t want to miss this moment.

The ceremony ground was large, glowing with candles and symbols drawn in silver dust. The priest stood at the center, arms raised to the sky.

“Let the bond begin!” he shouted.

Everyone stood still. The wind picked up slightly. And then, I felt something shift inside me. It was like my soul was being pulled by a string. My wolf growled softly inside me— calling a name I never expected to hear.

Victor Leon.

My heart skipped.

No. No, that couldn’t be right.

But I couldn’t stop it. My wolf kept calling him. My eyes scanned the crowd quickly, and then— they found him.

He was staring at me. Our eyes locked.

He looked surprised. Just as surprised as I felt.

And for the first time ever, the powerful, emotionless Alpha looked vulnerable.

My legs felt weak. Everything else faded— the sounds, the lights, even Mia’s presence beside me. All I could see was him.

Victor.

My mate.

The man I thought didn’t even know my name.

Now, under the moonlight, fate had tied us together. And nothing would ever be the same again.