Chapter 5

Three days later, Ryan finished wrapping up his pack duties and showed up at our door with Gwen.

Since I moved in with Harris, Gwen had been coming to our house to visit me.

Gwen hugged me the moment she saw me.

“Our Grace will be holding her mating ceremony soon. I can’t wait to witness you and Harris bonding as mates.”

I asked out of the blue, “Are you honestly happy, Gwen?”

Startled at first, Gwen then ran her fingers down my hair with a smile. “I couldn’t be happier to see you together with the mate.”

She went to the kitchen. “I should check on Harris and see what he’s cooking up for us.”

In truth, Harris had a meeting with an important Alpha to talk business, but I heard him push the appointment back on the phone.

He claimed he had an important guest to host.

It was all for Gwen.

At the dinner table, Gwen sat far away from Harris. The latter said, “Grace told me that you were fond of salad, so I made you some. Try it.”

I listened intently.

Every word that came out of his mouth cut through me like a knife.

I had never made such a comment before.

Barely acknowledging Harris at all, Gwen turned around and served Ryan a meat patty.

The loneliness in Harris’ eyes didn’t escape my notice, but I couldn’t care less. My heart had gone numb, and I refused to get hurt again.

Everyone else except Ryan was occupied by their thoughts at the dinner table.

It was none of my concern.

That afternoon, Ryan took off.

Harris and Gwen went with me to my mating ceremony dress fitting.

I stared blankly at my reflection in the mirror.

Harris had sketched every detail of the gown himself. Back then, he'd presented it as the masterpiece of a lifetime. “Wherever you go, I’ll be right there beside you.”

At the time, I believed him.

It never occurred to me that in just a matter of months, everything would blow away like dust in the wind.

I was robbed of my parents when I was eight. Now I lost my sister and my mate.

The Moon Goddess must not favor me since she couldn’t hear the prayers I whispered in my mind.

Seeing that my mind was elsewhere, the consultant approached and said, “Mr. Light named this dress himself.”

I looked up. “What did he call it?”

The consultant replied, “Moonlit Gwen.”

I froze.

Even the name of the gown was a lie.

Harris told me that it was called “Moonlit Grace.”

Finding the whole thing absurd, I tore off the tiara, changed out of the dress, and gave it back to the consultant.

The consultant uttered, “Ms. Forrest, is there something wrong with the fit?”

I shook my head. “No. It fits well.”

Emerging from the fitting room, I saw Harris and Gwen.

They stood far apart like they were strangers.

Harris walked toward me. “That was fast. Aren’t you going to show us the dress?”

I smiled at him. “I’ll save it for the mating ceremony. It won’t be a surprise if you see the dress now.”

Harris ruffled my hair with a smile. Gwen wore the same grin, too.

The looks on their faces made me sick to my stomach.

According to pack tradition, Harris and I weren’t allowed to see each other the night before our mating ceremony. Going against tradition was disrespect to the Moon Goddess.

Harris went to stay at a hotel.

Before his departure, he hugged me tight. “You’ll be my mate tomorrow. No one can tear us apart.”

I curled my lips and nodded.

With Harris gone, I grabbed my packed suitcase and went to the airport.

At five in the morning, while waiting at the departure gate, I took out my phone. I sent the photos of the manor tucked deep in the forest to the group chat the three of us shared.

The mating ceremony would commence seven hours later, and Harris’ mate wouldn’t be there.