INICIAR SESIÓNDespite being the Alpha Damien's mate on paper for the last seven years, Astrid knew that she could never come close to Taylor, her step-sister, and fated mate. Sadly, Taylor had been sickly from birth despite the Beta blood that ran in her veins. In order to strengthen the power of the Beta family her father pressured her into an arranged marriage with Alpha Damien, acting as a replacement for her step sister. Nearly a decade passed and Astrid continue to show undying devotion and loyalty to Alpha Damian yet he continued to treat her coldly. Taylor's already poor health worsened and the only thing that could save her was an immediate kidney transplant. Damien got down on his knees, shedding tears for the first time since she met him and promised Astrid that he'd forget all about Taylor if Astrid donated one of her kidneys for the life saving surgery. Astrid agreed to this but Damian did not keep his own part of the bargain, rather he framed her for infidelity once Taylor had recovered, rejecting Astrid and making her an object of ridicule. She fakes her death and disappears then returns with a with the deadly Alpha King by her side, thirsty for revenge.
Ver másAstrid’s pov
"Finally, all set..." I said to myself with a pleased smile after lighting the last lavender scented candle on the dinning table, backing away to sweep my eyes, proudly admiring five hours of work. Today marks my seventh year mate union anniversary with Damien Greyson, Alpha of Greymoon pack. My engagement to him was a last ditch effort by my father Beta Graham to maintain his profitable relationship with the Alpha family. My sickly step sister, Taylor, was his fated mate and first love but on the day of their union she collapsed in the drop of a hat she was hastingly rushed over to the pack hospital. This was not a lone occurrence, Taylor had always been as fragile as a snowflake despite being older than me. "Astrid, there's no other choice... in order to protect our families honor you have to replace your sister," My heart had sunk to the floor, hesitation crippling my legs. Surely, what I was about to do will save the honor of my family while mine was thrown out the window. I wore a veil for the entire ceremony, sprayed with a scent that resembled Taylor's and then that night Damian took my first, marking me as his own. The blanket of the moonless night was stripped away as the morning rays poured into his bedroom. He went for my neck, his hand moving in a flash from his side. "Astrid? What the hell?Where is Taylor?!" With each questions his fingers sunk deeper, ironically blocking my voice and therefore his answers. I brushed my neck, returning to the present with a sigh. Damien had really done everything he could to get rid of me, but eventually gave in when his father said I had to be his chosen mate because I was stronger than my step-sister and would bear healthier pups. If only he knew that his son was feeding me contraceptives, shoving them down my throat after every intimate night. With a swipe, I grabbed my phone from the table the brightness spilling over my face as I checked the time time–7:14 pm... Damian should have arrived 14 minutes ago, he promised me he'd clear everything up for our anniversary dinner. My finger hovered over the call icon. He'd probably yell at me for being a nag if I called him now. But the food was getting cold, and he did promise he would be on time. Just as I was about to call him, a ding came from my phone and his name popped up followed with a text. I quickly tapped on it to read it, what I saw forced me to reach for the nearest chair and slump on it with a defeated sigh. It read; I'm sorry I can't make it tonight, I'm having an imprompt meeting with the Elder council. I raised the phone above my head, staring at the text... rereading its message over and over again until the phone felt as heavy as lead table, my attention drifted to the healing cuts and bruises on my fingers. I had endured them all with a smile, thinking we'd be seated across from each other, smiling as we ate. Maybe he would have gotten a little generous and given me a compliment. Did he even remember that today was our mate union anniversary? I covered my face with my palms, burying yet another sigh between them. It wasn't like I asked for this mate union, I was a merely a pawn in my father's game of pack politics. Over the years I had to try to tell Damian my side of the story, but he wouldn't care to listen to it in his eyes I was nothing more than a conniving seductress who jumped at the first chance to steal her step sister's mate. It was still a piece of juicy gossip that pack members always returned to no matter how much I wished it would go stale. Suddenly I heard another thing from my phone, my foolish hope had me waiting for it thinking that maybe Damian had canceled the meeting last minute and was rushing down to join me for dinner. Once again I was hit with a wave of disappointment, the notification was from the pack platform. I tapped on it without thinking and my screen was plastered with the smile of my step sister, but she wasn't the one I was focused on in the picture beside her was my mate wearing the biggest smile and behind them was an exclusive pack restaurant, even high ranking wolves had trouble reserving a table. There was no surprise he'd lied about the meeting, what hurt more was that I had been subtly hinting at this restaurant months ago, to think he'd bring Taylor to the very same place! I nearly crushed the device in my hand, but instead I took a generous gulp of air calming myself. Nothing good ever came from me getting worked up, Damien would spin it all around on me. But today was a harder battle than others. I thought he had stopped at just reserving a table but turns out he reserved the entirety of the Bluemoon just for her sake. As the food I spent hours preparing went cold more pictures of delicacies came at my screen. The captions was the most infuriating part. Taylor wrote; Every meal is precious when shared with that special someone #Bluemoon The comments came pouring in, supportive and gushy as always. [[They both look so good together, literally couple goals!]] [[I've been dying to come to Bluemoon but honestly seeing the two of you there I don't mind losing my table anymore]] [[Girl, I just realized my standards are on the floor, what can I do to have a man like yours?]] She replied coyly to that comment. [[Oh, no you have it all wrong. He's my brother in law and my best friend. Nothing more]] The tune of the comments split, with half of them charging at me, one made me shift on my chair. [[Oh yeah, isn't today the Alpha's mate union anniversary?]]Astrid felt it before she understood it.That quiet shift in the air.Like something had already been set in motion… and she was the last to know.The house was too still when she woke up.No movement.No sound.No Damien.That alone was unsettling.Astrid sat up slowly, her eyes scanning the room like something might be waiting for her.Nothing.Just silence.Her phone buzzed on the bedside table.Unknown number.She frowned.Hesitated.Then answered.“Hello?”A soft laugh came through the line.Smooth.Controlled.Familiar in a way that immediately made Astrid uneasy.“Good morning, Astrid.”Her grip tightened slightly on the phone.“Who is this?”A pause.Then—“Taylor.”The name landed like a warning.Astrid’s expression hardened instantly.“What do you want?”Straight to the point.No patience.Taylor seemed amused by that.“I like you,” she said lightly. “You don’t waste time pretending.”“I’m not interested in whatever this is.”“Oh, but you should be.”Astrid rolled her eyes s
Damien found Sebastian before sunset.Not by accident.Nothing about this felt accidental anymore.The message had been simple.We need to talk.No explanation.No greeting.Just an address.Sebastian almost ignored it.Almost.But something in him already knew—This wasn’t going to stop unless one of them faced the other directly.The rooftop bar was nearly empty.Quiet.Private.Wind cutting softly through the open space.Sebastian spotted Damien immediately.Standing near the railing.Hands in his pockets.Looking out over the city like he owned it.Like he owned everything.Including her.Sebastian’s jaw tightened as he approached.“You picked a dramatic location.”Damien didn’t turn right away.“You came.”“I’m here to make one thing clear.”That made Damien glance over.Cold eyes.Controlled expression.“Then we’re here for the same reason.”Sebastian stopped a few feet away.No handshake.No civility.Just tension.Heavy.Immediate.“You need to stop,” Sebastian said first.Dam
Astrid almost didn’t answer.Her phone rang once.Twice.Three times.Sebastian’s name glowed across the screen, steady and patient.She stared at it longer than she should have.Then finally—She answered.“Hello?”Silence for a second.Then his voice.Soft.Careful.“Astrid.”Something inside her loosened instantly.Not completely.But enough.“You called earlier,” she said quietly.“I know.”She closed her eyes briefly.“I was busy.”The lie felt weak.Sebastian didn’t call her out on it.Instead, he asked gently, “Can I see you?”Astrid hesitated.Her eyes drifted across the room—the unopened gifts, the flowers beginning to wilt slightly in the vase, the expensive things Damien kept leaving behind like proof that he was everywhere.“Yes,” she whispered.They met by the lake just outside town.Neutral ground.Away from the house.Away from Damien.The evening air was cool, the water still, reflecting the fading light.Sebastian was already there.And when he saw her—He didn’t smil
ASTRIDThe shift wasn’t subtle anymore.It was overwhelming.It started the next morning.A box sat at the edge of Astrid’s bed.Neatly wrapped.Too neatly.She frowned, walking closer like it might explode if she touched it wrong.“Damien?” she called.No answer.Her fingers hesitated before untying the ribbon.Inside—A dress.Soft, elegant, expensive.Exactly her taste.Her stomach tightened.Not because she didn’t like it.But because he knew she would.Behind her, his voice came quietly.“You used to like that color.”Astrid turned sharply.“I don’t remember telling you that.”“You didn’t.”That didn’t make it better.“Then how—”“I pay attention.”The words weren’t meant to sound heavy.But they did.Astrid closed the box slowly. “I don’t want gifts.”“You didn’t say that was a boundary.”Her jaw tightened. “I’m saying it now.”A pause.Then—“Noted.”Too easy.Too calm.That should’ve been the end of it.It wasn’t.By afternoon—Another box.Jewelry this time.Simple.Beautiful
Damien’s POVI didn’t think she meant it.Not at first.Astrid stood across from me in the study, posture straight despite the faint pallor that still clung to her skin. The afternoon light spilled through the tall windows, catching in her dark hair, painting her in gold and shadow—and yet she felt
Astrid’s POVI didn’t realize how far I’d walked until my legs started to ache.The city blurred around me—faces, sounds, movement—but none of it registered. My mind was still stuck in that café, frozen at the exact moment Sebastian looked at me like I was something fragile and wrong.Delusional.T
Astrid’s POV “You’re a match.” The pack doctor’s words landed softly this time. Not like thunder. Not like salvation. Just… words. My father and stepmother burst into tears, hugging me like I had just been returned from the dead. Their arms felt awkward around me—foreign. I stood still, accep
Astrid’s POVTaylor must have seen that comment too.Of course she did because within a few seconds of it appearing on the pack platform, she went live. I joined without thinking of course my old instincts were still twitching in my bones—curiosity brushing dangerously close to me. But the differe
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