Zira’s POV
A sharp look at the table full of make-up for my wedding made me uncomfortable. “We don’t have to use so much, right?” I asked Sandra softly.
She rolled her eyes dismissively. “From today onward, you will be the luna of our pack. You have to look like the luna.”
Killian and I had been together for so long that I didn’t see it necessary to go all out for my wedding. But Sandra was insistent. With her skills, though, it only took an hour.
Once she finished, I had to admit she had been right. Looking in the mirror made me want to squeal with delight. Before I could express my appreciation, though, there was a knock on the door.
“Father!” I said excitedly as he poked his head in, despite that our relationship was mediocre, at best; he was too obsessed with ensuring I became luna. But as his only child, I understood.
What made me excited to see him that day, though, was that he had promised me a surprise. I’d been trying to get him to tell me what it was all week, but he had been tight-lipped, insisting I would find out on my wedding day.
Sandra excused herself as Father entered the room. “Call me if you need anything else, Zira,” she said on her way out.
“How is it going?” Father asked.
“I’m ready,” I said, referring to both his surprise gift and my wedding.
He smiled. “Eager, aren’t you?”
I bobbed my head.
“Well, she’s right outside!” he said. In a louder voice, he called out, “Come in, Leah.”
She? Leah? This woman must be carrying something for me.
As I watched the door open with bated breath, and a young girl about a year or two older than me entered the room—empty-handed. I looked at Dad, confused.
“Zira, some time back, you said you wanted a sister. Since then, I’ve been looking for her.”
I peered at him with wide eyes.
“Leah is your sister; I had her before your mother and I got together.”
I held onto the arms of my chair for balance, unable to make out the rest of my father’s words.
Sister? How did I get a sister out of thin air?
Yes, I had always wanted a sister; I’d watched Sandra and her sisters bond and do things together. But…
“Sister, don’t you want me?” Her soft voice broke through my thoughts, and I looked at the pretty girl, who had Dad’s eyes. The more I looked at her, the more she resembled him.
She stood with an arm stretched out, and I finally stretched mine out as well. “No, no... I was just a little surprised,” I said hurriedly, afraid I had made her uncomfortable. I stood and pulled her into a side hug. “I’m Zira; it’s nice to meet you... I hope we get to bond after my wedding.”
She smiled. “I agree! We should totally bond. Father said I could have your room since you are going to be moving into your husband’s home,” she said with excitement.
I felt a little uncomfortable with her taking my room, but I pushed the thought away. Who knew what kind of life she had been living previously? If having a room could make her so happy, then I was more than okay with letting her have it.
“It’s such a relief to see you two get along,” my father said. He addressed Leah. “Remember, I told you your younger sister is one of the sweetest girls you would meet.”
I looked away slightly. Despite trying to handle the situation with grace, I couldn’t help but remain surprised. My dad had a child before he met my mom? And he searched for her for me? To give her to me as a wedding gift?
I was already a little nervous about the wedding and the luna crowning process, and a newfound sister just added to it all.
“Sorry to interrupt, but the pack members are starting to wonder where Zira is,” Sandra said with urgency as she raced into the room, changing the room’s atmosphere. She rushed to touch up my make-up and add my hair brooch.
As I pondered how I would eventually accept Leah as my sister, my dad and Sandra walked me out of the side room toward the main hall. Leah trailed behind us.
“Chin up; let everyone see that the future luna doesn’t cower,” Sandra whispered to me as we walked into the main hall entrance where all the guests were waiting. I chuckled and then did as she said.
“Zira, why don’t you let Leah be one of your bridesmaids?” Dad suggested. “That way, you get to bond.”
“W–what?” I asked, stunned and unsure if I had heard right.
“I think your sister being your bridesmaid would make it perfect,” father said. “Your family walking with you on one of the most important days of your life.”
Sandra looked at me, her gaze full of questions.
I didn’t think having a surprise sister would make things perfect, but what choice did I have at that point? So as the main doors opened for me to enter, Leah fell in place on my right side while dad stood on my left, arms linked with mine at the elbows.
My heartbeat sped up as I spotted Killian standing at the end of the hall in his black tux. Seeing him was like an echo of the first time I fell in love. He turned as the music changed, his gaze locking with mine.
However, for a split second, his gaze shifted to my right, and he looked still. Then he made his way to me in a rush, not something we had rehearsed. But I was used to him being spontaneous and aggressive at love. So I removed myself from my father and Leah and hastened forward, wanting to meet him on the way.
With his long strides, Killian reached me in mere seconds. But he didn’t stop. Instead, he hastily brushed past me, slamming into me hard enough that I lost my balance and tumbled to the floor, breaking my heel.
What the hell?
After I recovered, I turned just in time to watch Killian pull Leah into his embrace. I tried to process what I was seeing. Did Killian mistake me for my half-sister? Impossible. Leah had a different build—some two feet shorter, with a lot more flesh.
“Killian?” My voice cracked as I spoke.
He embraced her, and she reciprocated without hesitation. But it didn’t end there. In the time it took me to absorb their embrace, they had started kissing. Passionately.
I stood, staring. Dumbfounded. Barely able to believe my eyes.
Dad rushed to help me stand, and I kicked the stilettos Sandra had made me wear off my feet.
“Mate,” Killian growled, loud enough for everyone in the dead-silent hall to hear.
The world fell apart around me. Fated mates? Fated mates were rare enough, but they had to have found themselves at a wedding. At my wedding?
The hall erupted, with everyone exchanging loud whispers.
Killian finally pulled away from Leah and addressed everyone. “The moon goddess has blessed me with a fated mate; she will be my bride and Luna of the Blood Moon Pack.” He took Leah into his arms again, embracing her lovingly. Then they walked out of the hall hand in hand.
After eight years of dating and promising to spend forever together, everything had shattered in a matter of moments—on the day we were supposed to tie the knot forever. Just like that!
“Wait here, let me make sure your sister is all right,” my father said in a rush, releasing his hold on me and racing after Leah and Killian.
Everyone turned their gaze to me, and shame flooded my bones as I stood there alone and jilted.
Zira’s POVI rubbed my temples as I tried to push back on the headache I felt coming. The past two days had passed in a blur of activity. Not only had I been ditched on my wedding day, but I had also gone from being the bride to the alpha to having to help his new bride get ready for their wedding.I should have been hurt, angry, and somewhere away from the pack where I could get my emotions straight. Instead, father and Killian had tasked me with watching over their little, fragile Leah as she got used to living in our pack.But deep down, I felt a bit of relief. Both families had carefully monitored the past eight years of my relationship with Killian, and although I had gotten used to loving him, the way he left me in a moment had been an eye-opener.There was no way I could claim I knew a man that had not hesitated to push me aside just to rush toward his mate on our wedding day. More than that, since that day, Killian had treated me like air and had insisted on getting married to
Zira’s POVI didn’t need to turn to know who was behind me. Years of meeting her at almost every event I had, either close to home or in the capital, made Scarlett’s voice stick in my mind.I reluctantly turned and saw her, glamorously dressed. With our packs right beside each other, Scarlett had been obsessed with Killian and had pursued him for the past few years.And as his “betrothed,” I had encountered far too many of Scarlett’s dirty dealings and other aspects to believe her appearance was any reflection of who she was.“If it isn’t Blood Moon’s future Luna,” Scarlett said with a mocking smile, and I squared my shoulders, determined to let her see only my strong side.“Oops! I forgot, Ex-Luna,” she added hurriedly and then shot me a wink that had me thanking the moon goddess I had an empty stomach.I smiled sweetly and said vaguely, “Like usual, Scar, you never seem to think things through,” and only went on when I could tell she was getting impatient.“I was never Luna. I just
Zira’s POVThe scent of the man whose arms were wrapped around me was the most wonderful in the world. Just being in his embrace made me feel so at home I didn’t want to fight the need to remain there. Every part of me kept chanting that he was my mate, that he belonged to me….So when he finally released me from his tight hold, I didn’t react, but simply stared at him.Killian had always been the most handsome man I’d ever encountered. Not only did I think he was attractive, but so did Scarlett and the females of the other packs. He was widely regarded as the hottest alpha in the area.But the man in front of me made me feel like all of us had been blind all these years. Atop a build that made me feel like he was looking down at me from his eyes, his face was perfectly sculpted like a painting.It wasn’t easy to accept that this man, who appeared to be a reincarnation of the Greek mythology gods we had read about, was actually my mate. I shook my head twice and then told my mind to c
Zira’s POVAlpha king of Eliza? “When did you get the right to bully my people? I called you here to lead the Luna of the Blood Moon packs to her hotel room,” Ronan’s voice rang out with a lot more command than when he had talked to us just now. The guard lowered his head a bit more while cupping his hands, “forgive me, your high…,” Before he could complete his words, Scarlett, who was standing next to Leah, fell to the floor with a loud thump that interrupted his speech.Her group immediately scattered as they watched her limp figure on the floor. The guards were faster instead, and two of them rushed out from the group of six and carried her away. As I watched her go, I remembered that she had boasted not too long about being selected to be a bride for the newly selected King. That was Ronan, right?!Leah looks just as shocked and keeps looking at Ronan with a dazed look; before I can even let myself process the news about his identity, I feel my wolf whining in me with fierce
Zira’s POVThe moment our lips met, it feltlike fireworks exploded within me. I had read it so many times. And felt it hadto be a lie. My first kiss with Killian had been okay. And yet, the real world was nothing closeto what the novelsmade it outto be. But with Ronan? It was my fairytalecoming awake,and I didn’t hesitate to grant him entrance into my mouth. He tasted like everything onecould call perfect!There was a splashof tequila and a minty-sweet flavor combination. There was also some third tastethat I couldn’t figure out as the loud chiming of a bell blared through everybuilding and broke the moment withhow loud it was. It was either just outside this door or high up somewhere toget to the palace. Ronan pulled away, and his handsmoved down to my arms as he tried to catch his breath. I was no better off. But withhim holding me, at the very least, my legs that felt like jelly didn’t win thebattle of having me flat on the floor. “I...I have to go. That bell s
Zira’s POVI had no idea what image my brain had conjured up when Ronan told me his Beta, Miles, was coming to pick me. But I was certain that image couldn’t resonate with you if you had been here with me. Miles was twice as huge as Ronan and just a little shorter, giving him a pretty intimidating look that had been backing me away the moment I pulled the door open for him. With a sly grin, he lifted his hands and said, “I don’t bite.” With a nod or perhaps a more emphatic shaking of the head, I gaze at his face and nod.A little bit of my fear evaporated as I realized that while his body and presence were overwhelming at first sight, his face didn’t seem that daunting and even made me feel like I could relax a little around him. “Ronan asked me to bring you over to the hall. Are you ready?” He asks and stretches his hands out. I nod but don’t raise my hand to him. Miles shrugs and chuckles at my refusal but still leads the way. With him leading the way, I realized that Ronan was r
“If I…” his words are broken by a familiar voice calling his name, and I looked behind him at the same time that Killian turned back to see Leah’s voluptuous figure walk up to us in her bright red dress.I had never been this happy to see Leah. And that had to be something.“Leah! Thank the goddess that you are saved!” I exclaim out of excitement and rush forward, planning to hug her, but I’m pushed back by Killian, who pulls her into a tight hug.“My sweet mate. I was almost scared that something had happened to you,” he crooned, then ran his hands on her back in circles.Memories of me being the girl in Killian’s arms flashed through my mind. But this time, they didn’t hurt.I had my mate now.“K...Killian… do... do you know how scary it was without you? I was all alone and got lost so many times,” Leah cried out, and I shot her a cynical look.She looked every bit fine with not a crease on her dress. It was hard to imagine that she had really been lost.Besides, she was right here
Zira’s POV I had never been one to likebeing touchy or anything of that sort. Despite how much Killian had wanted usto go all the way in our relationship, I had constantly refused. But somehow,around Ronan, I always seemed to lose any bit of restraint. “You should change,” I told him as I tried to step back. Henods and then starts to loosen all his buttons carefully. A part of me still felt guiltythat I had allowed his coronation to end with him having to jump in a pool tosave me, but I was grateful that he haddone that. I watch, entranced, as he pulls off the regalia, leaving a black shirt that wasglued to his body from all the dampness and heat. Earlier, when we met, he had been a lot more casual,but seeing him now with all his body outlines, it was easy to see that he wasone of those men that would look a lot slimmer when dressed. It was hard to look away fromit. Like every part of me seemed to want to reach out to him, I eventually pulled my gaze away. There was a