They say a mate is the one you're destined to spend the rest of your existence with, the bond between two souls, the most sacred and powerful connection a wolf can experience, a gift given by the Moon Goddess herself for her beloved children.
But what they don't tell you is that a mate can either be the light that saves you or the darkness that swallows you whole. That same bond has the power to make you feel complete, to awaken parts of you you didn't know existed. But it also has the power to shatter you, to take everything, just a cancer, slowly eating you and before you knew it, it was already too late. Painful and no amount of medicine would be able to help you until death decided to take you.
Kaelen had been that light for Elara. He had once been her everything, the hero of her miserable life, the rock she leaned on and the one who pushed her out of the water so she could breathe when she felt like drowning in a life full of pain and disappointment.
Since the moment they met, when the word mate erupted inside her like a thunderclap and her wolf surged forward, wild and frantic, she had known her hero had arrived, her knight in shining armor.
He was hers and she was his.
A mate was supposed to be the one person who truly saw you, who understood even the parts you tried to hide. With them, there was no need for pretense or endless explanations. You simply were, and it was enough. You gave them your fears, your flaws, your whole self and Elara had given all of herself to Kaelen without hesitation.
And when the time arrived for her Luna Proclamation which she prepared five months in advance, Elera was anxiously waiting for Kaelen to come and fetch her.
It had been over half an hour since he said he'd come and pick her up but there was no sign of him. The soft twilight had deepened, shadows settling between the trees as night crept in as she kept on glancing towards the parking lot, to check if Kaelen had arrived.
Elara started to pace and started to get worried. The Proclamation would start at just another at eight in the evening and it's already been past half an hour and Kaelan wasn't there yet. She tried calling his phone but it all went to voicemail.
Elara tried not to jump to conclusions. This event was important and unpredictable things happened but her gut twisted with unease.
As Luna, she couldn't afford to miss such a gathering. Her absence would spark questions and whispers she couldn't silence, especially not with Luna Liora in attendance, Kaelen's mother and the chief Luna of all Luna. She has been a pain in her neck, she couldn't count how many she criticised her just because she wasn't beautiful enough to be the Next chief Luna.
It wouldn't reflect well. She glanced at her reflection and tried to calm her nerves. Maybe Kaelen had forgotten. She had tried calling Xenon, his Beta but he was out of reach too.
What's going on? she asked herself.
Elara checked the clock, hesitated, then finally made the decision to leave. She left a message to Kaelen telling she'll go first. Her parents had arrived the day before, so they were likely already at the hall.
When she had shown Luna Liora the center stage and the venue, the woman had offered no praise—just a curt "It will have to do." Even though the pack members had been thrilled, those words had stuck with Elara all day like a thorn. She had tried her best… but maybe her best wasn't enough.
The cold wind kissed her skin as she made her way to the hall. The path to the event hall was clear, though she walked carefully, trying not to dirty her heels on the gravel. She still wasn't used to them; she was a simple woman. She was too simple, the thing Luna Liora would tell her, too simple to even pass the Luna position for her.
As Elara neared the grand hall, the distant sound of live music drifted through the trees, carried on the wind. The notes were soft, elegant, proof that something, at least, had gone right. She felt a flicker of pride and almost let herself sway to the rhythm.
Cars lined the drive, valets ushering guests with smooth precision. She hadn't anticipated just how many would come. Seeing it now, with all the sleek vehicles and high fashion, made her pulse quicken. This was real. This was big. She straightened her shoulders, took a breath, and headed toward the glowing entrance of the towering structure.
Kaelen was still nowhere in sight.
Inside, the hall was a vision: crystal chandeliers cascading light across silk-covered tables and finely dressed guests. Champagne flowed. Laughter echoed. The air was thick with conversation and polished charm.
Eyes turned as Elara stepped through the doorway. At first, just a few glances. Then more. Until it felt like every head had turned. She offered polite smiles, nodded to familiar Lunas and Alphas, and walked deeper into the room, hyper-aware of every step.
Her parents were en route, though her father was predictably running late, he always blamed her mother's elaborate preparation rituals. Elara tried to center herself in the moment, to focus on the evening rather than the knot of worry tightening inside her chest.
In the center of the grand space, she spotted Kaelen's parents. Luna Liora was radiant, as always, basking in the attention of her peers. Alpha Varek stood beside her, a commanding presence with sharp, regal features and piercing eyes. He was the elder image of Kaelen—handsome, towering, and every inch the Alpha. But to Elara, Kaelen had always been more. He wasn't just powerful. He was hers. Or… he had been.
Luna Liora glowed in an emerald gown that matched her eyes. But it wasn't them who made Elara stop in her tracks.
It was Erica. She furrowed her brows. What the hell was she doing here? She asked herself, watching her.
The woman stood like a star at the center of a constellation, impossibly poised, magnetic. Every eye in the room seemed drawn to her. She wore a floor-length gown of liquid gold, sequins catching the light like fireflies. The dress clung to her flawless figure, and Elara felt a quiet ache, jealousy, uninvited and sharp.
Erica was adopted by her father's brother, a powerful Alpha of the North. It was supposed to be her, but her father insisted on choosing Erica instead of me.
She has envied her since childhood. She was beautiful, a leader-type, bubbly, and everyone loved her. She was the golden child, the one who couldn't do wrong, even if she bullied me.
The diamond earrings glinted at her ears, but it was the massive ring on her left hand that stole Elara's attention. Whoever her mate was had spared no expense in marking his claim.
Under the chandeliers' glow, she looked ethereal, like the golden moon rising high in a velvet sky, unreachable and radiant. Every movement, every shimmer, only deepened the sense that she didn't quite belong to this world.
She was breathtaking.
And unsettlingly familiar.
Elara blinked. Her wolf shifted uneasily. The jawline was softer, the figure matured—but the eyes. It hit her all at once.
The last time she'd seen those eyes, they were mocking her as she engraved the words nobody would like her because she was ugly and too dumb.
Elara's breath caught.
The golden-haired goddess in the center of the room, elegant, powerful, radiant, was no stranger at all. The North pack was far from her pack. Why would her sister come to her Luna Proclamation?
Elara staggered slightly, grasping a table edge for balance as the realization crashed over her.
She hadn't seen her since she was adopted by her uncle five years ago. And why would she show herself now and at her party at all times? Maybe her parents invited her? But why? Erica couldn't care less about her boring life, a loser's life.
Erica stood proudly beneath the light… as if she belonged to someone else's world. Elara's heart thundered in her chest.
She didn't know how or why. She felt like something was going to happen with her evil sister around.