The tension in the air was unmistakable, the biting smiles and glares exchanged between Erica and Kaelan's family.
Erica was stunning, her beauty rivaling the elegance of the night. But there was something sharp in her gaze that sent a chill down Elara's spine. She had never imagined things would come to this, and for a moment, Elara thought maybe it was just her nerves playing tricks on her. She couldn't have been prepared for what her sister would say next.
"You're no longer his mate or Luna," Erica sneered, her voice dripping with disdain. "I am. This lovely party that you prepared was my Luna introduction."
Elara's breath caught in her throat. Her eyes widened in disbelief. She had been so sure that things with Kaelan were stable, that he wouldn't do something like this to her.
"What?" Elara whispered, the world around her spinning.
Her voice sounded distant, like she couldn't quite grasp what Erica was telling her. She shook her head slowly, trying to convince herself that it wasn't true, but the words rang in her ears like a cruel echo.
"No, Kaelan wouldn't—" Elara started, but her confidence faltered. She could hear the lie in her own voice.
"You really think he wouldn't?" Lance interrupted, his tone sharp. "He was never yours. You were just a bridge, for Erica and Kaelen to meet. You gave them an opportunity. Where do you think he goes whenever he says he needs to go on business trips?"
Elara's heart hammered in her chest as the crowd seemed to close in around her. She wanted to run, to escape from the crushing weight of the truth that Lance was slowly unveiling.
"I tell a lot of things but never a lie," Lance, standing by Erica, added smoothly. His eyes glinted with a sense of satisfaction as he observed Elara's faltering resolve.
"You're fucking stupid," Erica cut in, her voice biting. "Why do you think he gave you a gold wedding band and never gave you the family heirloom ring instead?"
Elera's gaze landed on the ring that Erica was wearing. Her stomach twisted, her mind reeling. The facts Erica threw at her stung with brutal precision. The weight of those truths pressed heavily on her chest.
Erica, glowing with confidence, flashed the massive diamond ring on her left hand, clearly proud of what she had achieved. Her beauty seemed to shine brighter in that moment, but it was a cold, calculating glow.
"You really thought he was doing business on his business trips he told you?" Erica continued, a mocking laugh escaping her lips. "Do you know how many of your calls he ignored while he was deep inside me?"
Elara staggered back, her body trembling. The words hit her like a slap across the face, but the pain wasn't just physical, it was deep, cutting into the very core of who she was. Her wolf was thrashing inside her, writhing in agony as the truth twisted like a blade.
"Do you know how many times I made him climb heaven?" Erica's voice was like velvet, dripping with taunts. She leaned in closer, her lips curling into a smirk. "Does he fuck you as hard as he does me? Does he whisper how perfect you are when he takes you slowly? He tells me all the time how perfect and tight I am and that I'm better suited Luna than you, his fat mistake mate, his words."
Elara's knees buckled beneath her. The room spun as her wolf howled in pain, unable to process the betrayal. She could hear the whispers of the crowd, feel their eyes burning into her, but none of it mattered now. Not when everything she had known was shattering before her.
"Who do you think he introduced as his Luna in his overseas business trips? He said I made him proud and that he wished I were his mate and not you," Erica said, her voice a seductive whisper. "It is all me. I make him proud."
Elara's chest tightened as she fought to breathe, the pain unbearable. Her vision blurred, and she felt the sting of tears threatening to fall. It wasn't just the hurt of what Erica said; it was the realization that Kaelan had not just betrayed her, but had done so in front of everyone, and Erica was reveling in it.
"And that's what she should be. The rightful Luna of my brother's pack. Not a pig like you."
"Guin, honey," came a snarky voice from the edge of the crowd. Luna Liora's tone was mocking as she made her way into the center of the room, the crowd parting to make way for her. She sauntered past Elara, her eyes glinting with amusement. Following her was her mother, her real mother. She also has a smirk on her face. And she clearly enjoys it.
"People like you can only do so much, a pathetic, stupid and dumb as hell pig who is not welcomed in this family," Luna Liora said, which made everyone laugh.
"I told her multiple times to get in shape, Liora," her mother said, voice laced without discussion. "But she's too lazy to even do that or maybe she was just too stupid that her mate would still accept her even if her body was big as a whale."
Elara's breath caught in her throat, and the weight of Luna Liora and her mother's words crushed her further. Her own mother and sister insulted her, shaming her before everyone. Her worth had been reduced to nothing.
More crowd closed in, and Erica's smirk only deepened. She stepped closer to Elara, her movements deliberate, showing off the elegance and poise that Elara could never seem to achieve. The cruel words from Caitlin and the mockery from her and Kaelen's family made Elara feel smaller, insignificant.
"He's mine," Erica continued, her voice low and cold. "He chose me over you, and now you're nothing but a reminder of his past mistakes. You couldn't have expected any difference. You're nothing more than lowly trash from a pack that no one will remember."
Elara could feel her body trembling, the humiliation washing over her like an unstoppable tide. Kaelen stood in the distance, watching with a detached expression. He had abandoned her. And now, he wasn't even speaking out to defend her.
She turned to him, her heart breaking even further.
"Is it true?" she asked, her voice cracking. The words felt like a desperate plea.
Kaelan approached her, but his eyes were hard, his expression cold.
"Elara, just behave and don't cause a scene," he ordered.
The words were like a final death sentence. Don't cause a scene. He didn't care. He didn't care about her. He never had.
Elara stood there, numb and broken, her heart in pieces. The crowd watched her every move, whispering in hushed tones. She felt completely alone, abandoned by everyone, even Kaelen. The love she thought she shared with him was a lie, and Erica, her sister, was now his chosen one.
And in that moment, nothing mattered anymore. The truth was too painful to bear, and her world fell apart with it.