Anger.

Alina

A bitter and pathetic laugh tore past my lips as I watched his familiar hand zip the tent’s door, and the action felt like a final nail, perfectly sealing my fate.

I was still on my knees, thank heavens. If I had been standing, I would have still found myself on the ground either way.

I didn’t trust my legs to hold my weight after watching my mate—my Alpha—walk into the mating tent with another woman.

For a few seconds, the world around me faded. I heard and felt nothing. I was still in shock, struggling to process everything, my reality.

It was unbelievable, wasn’t it? One second, I was so high, I could practically touch the skies, and in the next, I was on my knees, watching everything I had worked so hard for burn to ashes.

It bordered somewhere between reality and a nightmare.

A nightmare, actually.

And yet, the sight of the slightly visible silhouettes, highlighted through the semi-transparent glass tent, slapped my senses back.

They were undressing. I could see their figures moving, and the sight had my chest constricting so violently that a pained whimper tore past my lips.

A fresh wave of tears spilt from my eyes as I stubbornly kept looking.

And then, another bitter laugh—cold and chilling—escaped my lips when I saw his hand move to the curve of her breasts. It should have been mine he was touching.

But the roles were reversed.

For a full month, I had envisioned myself right there, doing everything that Alpha-born was doing, under the heated gaze of Asher. And now... more tears spilt as I nodded bitterly. I had been reduced to a mere spectator.

The moonlit night was freezing to the bone, and yet sweat—unrelated to the cold—clung to my skin, and that ridiculous red dress, the one I had spent two months’ paycheck on, stuck to my body like a second skin.

The night that was meant to be memorable.

I guess it still would be... memorable.

But this time, I would remember it as my most humiliating moment—the day I lost my dignity and my mate.

The night fate decided to be extra cruel to me. The day Asher tore me into shreds in front of the whole world.

"Alina?"

I was yanked from that embarrassing frenzy by Willow’s worried voice. Thank heavens. With so many eyes on me, I wouldn’t have mustered enough courage to stand up by myself. With her around, their attention wouldn’t be solely on me.

"Get up," she said, and I wordlessly took her outstretched hand.

I didn’t look at her. I couldn’t. I had already embarrassed myself enough for the night. Looking at my best friend’s face would probably have me breaking down again. I had done enough of that already.

My legs were numb from being bent for so long, and as I stood up, they threatened to give out on me just like Asher had, but I stubbornly bit my bottom lip as I forced myself up.

Around us, attention was divided.

There were those looking at me—the embarrassed, almost-Luna—and then there were those whose eyes were locked onto the tent, where the worthy Luna was being crowned with kisses, canines, and rites.

More tears threatened to spill when I imagined him pinning her on the temporary bed—something that had kept me up all night as I had once envisioned it—the feeling, the warmth of him over me.

I shouldn’t have looked. I already knew what was happening in that tent, and still I found myself looking. And when I did, I wished I hadn’t.

Imagining it was one thing, but seeing it, seeing it play out—was a different kind of hell altogether.

Through the translucent mating tent, I saw their outlines, their figures locked together, his muscular frame over hers.

And then, as if I wasn’t miserable enough, came the first moan, followed by a growl, his, and I instinctively covered my ears.

I expected a stream of tears, dramatic sobbing, but none of that came.

It was like everything within me had gone still. My heart wasn’t hurting, wasn’t beating, it just... stilled, as it had finally come to terms with reality.

Around me, deafening cheers filled the air, swallowing their moans, as the pack members jumped in celebration, cheering their Alpha for finally mating with his mate.

A while ago, they had stood with me in waiting. I hadn’t even been marked yet, and they had already started addressing me as their Luna.

And yet, the moment Asher showed up with another, they readily accepted her, while I was tossed aside—forgotten, pathetic.

Asher’s betrayal hurt.

But the pack members’ betrayal—the ones I had bled for, shed sweat and flesh protecting, didn’t just sting. It crushed whatever was left of my heart.

I couldn’t stay there anymore.

I took one final look at the rocking tent, wiped away my tears, flashed Willow a weak, forced smile, and turned away.

Curious and mocking stares followed me. My skin burned with humiliation, and more than once, my legs threatened to give out, but I kept moving.

At my side, my fingers clenched, nails digging into my flesh as I fought to keep myself from completely falling apart.

One more step, Alina.

I whispered it to myself, focusing on the distance, the safe space between me and the tent, the moans, the scent of pleasure—like a lifeline.

I didn’t know where I was going, but stopping wasn’t an option.

After pushing past countless pack members, I was finally away from that hell.

I could finally breathe.

But,

"Alina?"

The familiar voice had me freezing in place.

My foster mother stood there, breathing hard, her hair slightly dishevelled from rushing after me. She didn’t bother lowering her voice.

"My family took you in when no one else would." Her tone was calm, almost kind, but the words cut deep. "I tried to overlook where you came from. I even pushed for you and Asher."

She gave a small, pitying smile.

"But you turned out wolfless."

A pause. The cheering from the ceremony swelled behind us.

"Asher has finally found someone worthy of an Alpha. Someone strong. Someone with a wolf."

Her eyes flicked over my tear-streaked face and ridiculous red dress.

"Just step aside, Alina. Don’t make this any harder than it has to be."

The words landed like the final blow.

I stood there, numb, as another wave of humiliation washed over me. The pack’s cheers grew louder in the distance, celebrating the new Luna.

But for the first time that night, beneath all the pain, something small and sharp flickered in my chest,

Anger.