|c.2|

Channary’s world began to blur, the vibrant colors and sounds of the festival swirling into a dizzying whirl around her. She blinked, clutching her forehead, but the haze only thickened, pressing in until she could barely tell up from down. Heart pounding, she fought to keep her eyes open, to stay steady. The strange, tingling sensation coursing through her wasn’t what she had been expecting from the Unity Cup. This was supposed to be an ancient, almost sacred experience, a rite of the Blood-Moon—so why did her mind feel like it was wrapped in fog?

Something was wrong. Her parents had described the mild effects of the Cup, a warmth, a sense of clarity—nothing like this strange disorientation that made her limbs feel both heavy and weightless. She stumbled, her body swaying with each step, a sour taste building in her mouth.

“This… isn’t right,” she managed to whisper, her voice weak and shaky, though her mind screamed the words. She could barely focus, struggling to push down the rising bile as she staggered forward, desperate to find a stream or something to drink, anything to clear her head.

“Not right?” a deep voice came from somewhere behind her, startling her out of her daze.

Channary froze, her blood turning to ice as she whipped around, instinct telling her to flee even as her body resisted, sluggish and uncooperative. She saw a blurred figure stepping out from the shadows of the trees, his voice calm yet laced with something darker that made her skin prickle. Even in her haze, she could tell he was tall, his shoulders broad, but the details of his face blurred each time she tried to focus. Her instincts flared to life, telling her to get away, yet she felt something strange—a pull, a flicker of warmth.

“Who are you?” Her voice sounded small, fragile, as she tried to keep herself steady.

“Relax, I’m not here to hurt you,” he said, his voice a soft rumble. “My wolf led me to you—your scent…” He trailed off, inhaling deeply, and his voice dipped into a rough, almost pained whisper. “Moon above, you smell… intoxicating.”

Channary shivered, her body reacting to his presence, the pull between them undeniable even through the fog. She stumbled again, and before she could fall, he closed the distance, his strong hands catching her. She wanted to shake him off, to snap back into her senses, but the gentle warmth of his hands on her arms sent a rush of comfort that softened her resistance. She let herself lean into him, if only for a moment, letting his strength ground her in this spinning world.

“My name is Channary,” she managed, voice barely more than a murmur, her head throbbing as she clung to his warmth. She felt his breath against her hair, the smell of earth and pine mixed with the wild scent of his wolf.

His hand traced soothing circles on her back, his fingers trailing down her arms as if calming her by instinct. “Channary,” he echoed, his voice a soft growl. “This isn’t how I imagined meeting my mate. I…” His voice thickened with something like regret, and his hands stilled, though he didn’t pull away. “I want you, but not like this. If it weren’t for that Cup…”

His words swam in her mind, and a sudden clarity cut through the haze: the Unity Cup. They’d said it was an aphrodisiac blend to heighten senses for the ceremony, but for her—the Moon-Kissed daughter of the Alpha—perhaps it was too potent, too intense. She blinked, realizing the pull between them was more than just instinct.

“I… I feel dizzy,” she mumbled, slumping against him, her head lolling against his chest. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears, the world spinning in endless circles.

“Keep your eyes closed,” he said gently, his voice laced with an almost unbearable restraint. “Just breathe. The dizziness will pass. It’s… it’s the Cup. I’ll hold you steady.”

He lifted her, and she felt herself drifting, held securely in his strong arms as the sounds of the festival faded. Her mind floated in and out of sleep, the warmth of his embrace calming her, his steady breathing in sync with hers, until finally, her world faded into darkness.

---

Bright sunlight cut through the trees, piercing her eyelids with a sharp, unforgiving glare. Channary groaned, her whole body aching, feeling as though she’d been pulled apart and pieced back together wrong. She opened her eyes slowly, blinking away the blur, and found herself alone. Her heart dropped as she sat up, clutching the rough blanket beneath her.

The place was empty, the only trace of him a faint imprint in the grass beside her. Her hand reached out instinctively, as if expecting him to be there, as if his warmth might somehow linger. But there was nothing—no scent, no mark. A pit formed in her stomach as she realized what this meant: he’d left her. He hadn’t marked her, hadn’t claimed her as his mate. He had walked away.

A tight, burning sensation knotted in her chest as she pulled her knees to her chest, a sob escaping her lips. “I wouldn’t even recognize him,” she whispered, her voice hoarse and raw. “Not even his scent…” The reality of it was like ice water washing over her, numbing her from the inside out.

What was she supposed to tell her parents? Her father would demand to meet her mate, to see the mark of their union. And she… she had nothing. Nothing but the lingering ache in her chest and the faintest memory of warmth. A wave of nausea rolled through her, not from the Unity Cup but from the fear of facing her father, the Alpha.

Shivering, she shifted into her wolf form, her ash-gray fur bristling as she whined, ears flat against her head. She sniffed the air, trying to catch his scent, some trace of him, but there was only the bitter tang of her own loneliness. Resigned, she began to run, her paws hitting the soft earth in a rhythmic beat that echoed the hollow ache in her chest.

By the time she reached home, the sun had risen high in the sky, casting the familiar surroundings in a harsh, unforgiving light. She crept in through the wolf-sized door her father had installed just for her, shifting back to her human form as she tiptoed through the house, her heart hammering at each creak of the floorboards. She slunk up the stairs and into her room, closing the door behind her and sliding down against it, the tension in her shoulders finally snapping as the sobs she’d been holding back wracked her body.

“Why?” she whispered into her knees, her tears flowing freely. “Why didn’t he stay?”

This night, the Blood-Moon, was supposed to be magical, a night she would remember forever. It was meant to be a blessing, the moment she met her true mate, her other half. But instead, she was left with nothing. Nothing but shame, pain, and an empty space in her heart where he was supposed to be.

She lay there, crumpled against the door, her sobs turning to silent tears as she heard her parents stirring downstairs. Her mother’s soft laughter and her father’s excited tone reached her, and her heart twisted. They were talking about her, their voices filled with pride, as they imagined meeting her mate and celebrating the unity.

“Channary?” Her mother’s voice floated up the stairs, tentative and warm, filled with love.

Channary’s breath hitched, and she pressed her hand to her mouth, stifling any sound, willing herself to remain hidden. She knew, sooner or later, she’d have to face them, to tell them the truth. But for now, she couldn’t bear it. She wanted nothing more than to disappear, to sink into her bed and let the world forget about her. She buried herself under her blankets, letting the silence consume her as she tried to ignore the pounding of her own heart.

---

In the dimness of her room, as daylight faded and the shadows grew long, Channary clutched her pillow, sinking deeper into her shame. The Moon had betrayed her, left her vulnerable, her mate unclaimed. She was the Alpha’s daughter, Moon-Kissed and blessed, yet here she was, abandoned and marked only by the emptiness of broken promises.