He wanted her sister

Laura

Leslie slowly lowered her hand from my mouth. Nobody spoke. The ballroom remained eerily silent as hundreds of eyes shifted between the three of us. My heart pounded so violently I was certain everyone could hear it. The word still echoed inside my head.

Mate.

My mate.

The Moon Goddess had given me a mate. A powerful Alpha. A handsome Alpha. I was so focused on him that I barely noticed Leslie’s hand still resting against my face.

My wolf was practically dancing. ‘He is ours!”’she squealed. ‘Did you see him? Did you smell him? He’s perfect!’

I could barely breathe. This couldn’t be real.

All my life, I had dreamed of finding my mate. I had imagined this moment countless times, wondering what it would feel like to finally belong somewhere.

And now he was standing right in front of me. Warmth spread through every part of me.

Leslie finally let go of me. Without hesitation, she moved to Gerald’s side and slipped her arm through his as though it belonged there.

The sight sent an unexpected ache through my chest.

I stared at the hand looped around his arm, waiting for him to gently pull away. He didn’t.

My smile faltered for the briefest moment, but I quickly pushed the doubt aside. He was my mate. Whatever this was, there had to be an explanation.

Lifting my eyes, I searched his face, silently waiting for him to clear up the misunderstanding. He would gently remove Leslie’s hand from his arm, explain whatever this was, and everything would make sense again.

Warmth spread through me as I met his gaze. Unable to stop myself, I took a step toward him. He took one back. The movement was small, almost instinctive, as though he simply needed a moment to steady himself after everything that had happened.

Even so, it felt like he had put the distance there because of me.

He wasn't smiling. His brows were drawn together, his jaw tight, his eyes fixed on me with a look I couldn't understand. He looked stunned and confused. As though he were trying to make sense of something impossible.

To someone else, perhaps it would have looked like disbelief. To me, it looked exactly like rejection. My heart plummeted so fast I nearly doubled over.

The ballroom suddenly felt too hot, too bright and too crowded. The happiness that had filled me moments ago cracked apart.

No.

No, no, no. Not this. Please, not this.

Around us, whispers erupted throughout the hall but I could barely hear them over the roaring in my ears.

He continued staring at me without looking away. There was no warmth in his eyes, but there wasn't hatred either. Just a quiet intensity that made me feel as though he was searching for answers I couldn't give him.

My wolf slowly stopped celebrating. She didn't understand his silence. Neither did I.

The Alpha opened his mouth as though he wanted to say something but before he could speak, Father appeared at my side. A wide smile was stretched across his face.The smile he only wore when something benefited him.

“Alpha Gerald Crawford,” Father greeted smoothly.

So that was his name. Gerald. The name settled somewhere deep inside me.

Gerald’s jaw tightened, but his eyes never left mine. I couldn’t understand what he was searching for, and somehow that uncertainty hurt more than if he had simply looked away.

The whispers grew louder. Everyone could see it. Everyone could see that my mate wasn’t happy.

Leslie tightened her hold on Gerald’s arm and turned to our father.

“Father,” she said with a strained smile, “surely there has been some mistake.”

Father’s smile vanished and he leveled her with a dark scowl. I’ve never seen my father look at Leslie like that before. “Mind your words, Leslie.”

“But—”

“There are no mistakes where the Moon Goddess is concerned.” Father snapped.

Leslie’s face tightened and her grip on Gerald’s arm only grew stronger. He didn’t pull away.

Pain slammed into my chest. It started as a small ache before spreading through every part of me until I was struggling to breathe. My legs trembled in my heels, but I forced myself to stay upright.

I would not embarrass myself. At least, that was what I kept telling myself.

His lips parted as though he wanted to say something. Nothing came out. His jaw tightened instead.

“I would like a private discussion.”

His voice rolled through the ballroom like distant thunder. Deep, smooth and commanding. The sound settled beneath my skin, making everything hurt even more.

The ballroom fell silent. Every wolf understood what those words meant. Father understood too. I saw it in the way his eyes narrowed.

“I would advise caution, Alpha Gerald,” he replied evenly.

The temperature in the room seemed to drop. Father stepped closer.

“The laws regarding rejection are clear.”

Gerald’s expression darkened. “I am aware of the laws.”

“Good.” Father’s voice remained calm. “Then you are aware that rejecting a fated mate invites the Moon Goddess’s wrath.”

Silence swallowed the room.

“The consequences extend beyond the individuals involved,” Father continued. “Entire packs have suffered for such actions.”

I felt every eye shift between us. Between me and Gerald. His jaw clenched. A muscle ticked in his cheek. For the first time since entering the ballroom, he didn’t look powerful. He looked trapped.

Father glanced around the room before offering a diplomatic smile. “This discussion should not happen before an audience.”

The tension remained thick enough to choke on as he gestured toward one of the private conference rooms.

“Come.”

Mother immediately moved toward the hallway. Father followed. I hesitated before forcing my feet to move.

Gerald walked behind us, while Leslie remained glued to his side.

The sight made my chest ache.

Nobody spoke as we left the ballroom, yet I could feel hundreds of eyes following us. Hundreds of people waiting to hear what would happen next.

The private room door closed behind us with a heavy click. Nobody sat down. If anything, the tension felt worse now that we were alone. I stood near the corner of the room, wishing I could disappear.

Leslie was the first to break the silence. “This is ridiculous,” she snapped. “You can’t honestly expect us to accept this.”

My head jerked up.

Us.

Not him.

Us.

As though she had some claim over my mate.

Father’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “Careful, Leslie.”

“No, Father.” Her voice shook with frustration. “Everyone knows Gerald and I—”

She stopped abruptly and stomach tightened. Gerald and I… what? What did everyone know?

Leslie turned toward him desperately. “Say something.”

My pulse thundered so loudly I could barely hear anything else. Gerald remained silent for several seconds. Then he looked directly at my father. And the words that came out of his mouth shattered what remained of my heart.

“I cannot accept her as my Luna.”

The words shattered what remained of my heart. Beside him, Leslie smiled and for the first time since discovering my mate, I understood something terrible.

Gerald Crawford didn’t want me. He wanted my sister.