Chapter 2

Red wine, bread, and cold cuts were already laid out on the long table.

I sat down in a corner and picked up a piece of candied fig. The sweetness melted on the tip of my tongue, but it was immediately followed by a bitter aftertaste.

Killian handed the gown over to Daisy. Two attendants led her backstage. When she came back out, the entire hall erupted into thunderous applause.

The gown was tailored to my exact measurements. Daisy was shorter and slighter than me, so the waist sagged and the hem dragged heavily across the marble floor.

The pack totem, meant to be centered perfectly over my heart, now sat crooked and comical on her chest.

But no one cared about any of that.

My mother gasped, her hand flying to her mouth.

Killian stood in front of Daisy and gazed at her for a long time.

"Daisy, you are so beautiful."

The relatives clapped even harder.

"She looks like a princess," my aunt said.

"No, like a true Luna," another person added.

"Will Freya be mad at me? This was meant to be her ceremony. I stole her place."

Killian smoothed a wrinkle on her shoulder. "No. She understands."

Then he turned slightly and announced in a calm voice laced with Alpha command, loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Freya willingly gave this ceremony to you. She even delivered this dress in person."

The eyes of the entire hall snapped toward me in unison.

Daisy covered her mouth, tears immediately welling up in her eyes.

"Freya, you really do not blame me?"

My mother strode over and snatched the fork from my hand. "This is Daisy's big night. Why do you have to look so miserable?"

"Since you are here, go over and help her adjust her hemline. Wish them happiness."

"Mother, today was supposed to be my bonding ceremony, have you forgotten?"

Her face stiffened, then darkened.

"You and Killian have been together for seven years. Are you really that desperate for one ceremony?"

"Do you know how deeply the wolfsbane has spread inside Daisy?"

"The Healer said she could collapse at any moment. You're healthy. You have a whole future ahead of you. Why couldn't you just give her this one night?"

My aunt also leaned in.

"Freya, we are not trying to wrong you. You have your own studio, you have talent, you have a future. You lack nothing."

"But all Daisy has left is the Alpha's protection."

"We're all family. Don't make things difficult. If you act a little more gracious, it will help Daisy feel better too."

Growing up, they always used high-sounding excuses to tell me the exact same thing.

Because Daisy loved crying more, I had to be the first to yield. Because Daisy got sick more easily, I had to give up anything she wanted.

And today, what she wanted was my Mate.

They wanted me to hand over my mate, my ceremony, and that gown I had designed piece by piece.

The reason never changed.

Because I was strong, and Daisy was weak. I would not die. But she might.

Killian walked over with heavy footsteps.

"Freya, what exactly is wrong with you today?"

He suppressed a warning in his voice. "You are usually never this unreasonable. Daisy is about to cry. Go over and tell her you are not mad."

I sat there coldly, entirely motionless.

He furrowed his brows.

"I am just asking you to go over and comfort her a little. I am not asking you to admit defeat."

He knew exactly what kind of seven years I had spent with him. He knew how many custom orders I had pushed aside for this ceremony.

I had even temporarily shelved the haute couture sketches my family had forced me to ghost-design for Daisy all these years.

He had watched me fall asleep exhausted over design drafts and wake up before dawn to rush the tailoring. He clearly knew that what I wanted most since childhood was simply a home that no one could take away.

But now, he wanted me to comfort my sister, the one who had taken my place.

I casually picked up a pair of tailoring scissors from a nearby display table.

Killian's expression changed drastically. His wolf let out a vicious growl as he moved instantly, shielding Daisy with his body.

Daisy clutched his sleeve tightly, her face turning pale with fear.

The entire hall instantly froze.

Several Pack guards flashed their claws and took a half-step forward. My father stepped behind Daisy. My mother stared fixedly at the scissors in my hand, as if I had already plunged the sharp blades into her precious daughter's throat.

But I had never laid a single finger on Daisy, not even once.

Yet in that moment, Killian was absolutely certain that I would.

He always said he knew me. He said I was sensible and that I could consider the bigger picture.

But his body, his instincts as a mate, had already made the most hurtful choice for him.

I let out a cold laugh, leaned over, and snipped a single stray thread from the hem of Daisy's gown.

"I wish you both happiness." I threw the scissors onto the table, turned around, and walked away.

Behind me came Daisy's timid, tearful voice.

"Killian, is she so angry she wants to kill me?"

"Should I not have worn this dress?"

Killian stroked her hair gently and answered, "Ignore her."

"She just has a stubborn temper. She will go back to normal on her own in a few days."