Chapter 5

Two days later. The mating ceremony.

Nolan didn’t send his guards to drag me from the Forbidden Land until morning.

He wouldn’t even let me wash.

They just threw a few buckets of water over my head, a crude rinse to get the filth off.

Then they tossed it at my feet—the Luna ceremonial gown I used to dream of wearing.

I was an offering for the gods. A sacrifice.

They dragged me to the altar, my eyes completely dead.

Nolan stood across from me, his eyes holding no love, only a greedy hunger for power.

Skylar sat in the front row of the guest section, watching me with the triumphant, provocative smirk of a woman who had already won.

Magnus’s solemn voice rang out.

“The blood resonance will now begin!”

Guards presented an ancient stone box.

Inside, resting quietly, was a faintly pulsing, dark-red crystal—the Heart of the Pack.

Two guards held my arms, pinning me in place.

An elder drew a silver knife across my wrist.

Blood dripped.

The crystal erupted in a blinding red light.

I felt a violent, tearing sensation, as if the ritual were trying to shred the power from my very soul.

Ecstasy flashed in Nolan’s eyes.

But I closed my own. In my mind, I built a fortress of pure ice. On its walls, I carved the image of my parents' loving faces, twisting into their final, agonized screams. My hatred wasn't just a lock. I had forged it into an unbreakable vault.

I, Della, by the blood of the First, swear that I will never grant my power to my enemies.

The torrent of power slammed against the ice wall and died.

The crystal still shone brightly. Nolan felt a surge of immense energy. He felt the power, yes, but he was drinking from a poisoned chalice, utterly blind to the truth. He held a beautiful, empty shell.

The true control of the Dire Wolves was locked securely in the depths of my bloodline.

The red light faded. The Heart of the Pack grew calm, but its surface glowed even brighter than before.

“It was a success!” an elder cried out excitedly.

Nolan snatched the crystal from the elder’s hands.

He could feel the power thrumming within it, an illusion of absolute control.

“It’s mine now,” he whispered, his face a mask of sick obsession.

The ceremony wasn’t over.

Tradition dictated that we now exchange our mating vows.

I looked at him, my face pale, my voice weak. “Nolan, now we must—”

“Must what?” he cut me off brutally, not even bothering to look at me.

He took the Heart of the Pack and walked straight to Skylar.

He pulled her from her seat and, in front of the entire pack, gave her a deep, passionate kiss, as if they were the only two people in the world.

A wave of scandalized gasps and furious whispers ripped through the hall.

It was the ultimate humiliation. To me, and to the blood of the First Alpha.

He held Skylar and turned back to me with a cruel smile.

“Della, your job is done,” he said, his voice quiet but carrying to every corner of the room. “An empty shell, stripped of her power, is no longer worthy of being my Luna.”

“Now, get out of my sight.”

He took Skylar’s hand and strode through the stunned crowd, leaving the temple—and me—behind without a single backward glance.

The mating ceremony was over.

I was left alone on the cold, high platform, like a piece of trash thrown away.

Magnus gave me a cold look, his eyes full of a victor’s pride.

“You can go.”

The sound of cheering was deafening. The bonding was dead, but the celebration for their new Alpha had just begun.

I fled, feeling a thousand eyes on me. Some held pity, others mockery. All of them felt like daggers.

Only when the noise of the pack faded to nothing did I stop.

A shadow detached itself from the trees. It was him.

"Lady Della," he murmured, kneeling in the dirt. "Alpha Jaden awaits."

I looked over my shoulder.

My parents' home… their legacy… twisted into a liar’s throne.

I would tear it all down.

"Lead the way."

Get ready for my surprise, Nolan.

—

Nolan’s POV

Nolan held the Heart of the Pack high, basking in the cheers of the pack.

He felt like the master of the world.

He introduced Skylar to everyone, declaring her his one true love.

Just then, a piercing alarm shattered the celebratory peace.

A frantic messenger burst into the hall, his face pale with terror.

“Alpha King! Urgent report! The Black Moon Pack has launched an all-out assault! They’ve torn a hole in our eastern defenses!”

Nolan’s triumphant smirk vanished.

Magnus’s face grew grim.

“What’s the panic?” Nolan quickly composed himself. He raised the Heart of the Pack, his voice booming with confidence. “I possess the pack’s greatest power!”

He closed his eyes, trying to command the Dire Wolf legion through the crystal.

“Dire Wolves! To me! Go to the eastern front! Rip our enemies to shreds!”

He gave the order.

Silence.

The crystal in his hand was warm and bright, but nothing happened.

No response.

The entire legion might as well have vanished from the earth.

“What’s happening?” Sweat beaded on Nolan’s forehead.

He tried again, pouring all of his mental energy into the crystal.

It flickered once, then went quiet.

“Alpha King! The enemy has broken through the second line of defense! They… they have our defense layouts!” Another messenger burst in, his voice breaking.

The crowd began to panic. The festive mood was replaced by terror.

“Where are the Dire Wolves? Where are our strongest warriors?”

“They’re… gone.”

Nolan’s face went white.

“Impossible… the ceremony was a success… I felt the power…” he mumbled, unable to believe it.

Magnus rushed to him, snatched the crystal, his eyes wild with disbelief.

“How can this be?”

"Della," he finally hissed, realization dawning like a black sun. "It was her. Where is that treacherous bitch?"

He stormed off the platform and grabbed a serving girl.

“Tell me! Where did Della go?”

The girl trembled. “Lady Della… she left after the ceremony was cut short… I think… I think an emissary from the Black Moon Pack came for her…”

（卡）