Betrayal at the Marking Ceremony

After the date of my departure was confirmed, I stood in the empty ceremonial hall, feeling nothing but a deep sadness.

All the guests had left, yet George and Frendo still had not returned.

For the first time, I truly felt how alone I was.

Actually, my biological parents found me three years ago.

However, because I could not bear to leave the Sliver Lake Pack, could not bear to leave Frendo and George, I refused their offer to bring me home.

I had firmly told my biological parents that I was not lonely in the Sliver Lake Pack.

I had Frendo and George, who had grown up with me.

When my mother learned I refused to come home, she cried and said, "Lena, I know you can't bear to leave them. It's okay, we'll wait for you. We'll love you forever. No matter if you choose to stay there or come back home, we will respect your choice. We just hope you'll always be happy. Our home will always be open for you."

Hearing her choked-up voice made my eyes brim with tears too.

Going back to my parents would have been a happy thing, but by then, I had already seen George, who grew up with me, as my real family, my real brother.

How could I abandon him and return to my home alone?

After knowing my choice, my parents—leaders of the Stormheim Pack—regretfully gave up on trying to bring me home.

To make up for the years they had not been there for me, and to show their gratitude for the way George and Frendo had cared for me, they secretly supported the Sliver Lake Pack.

I knew the Sliver Lake Pack's rapid rise in status and respect among all the werewolf packs must have had a lot to do with them.

Three years ago, I had naively believed that George, Frendo, and I would be a happy family. I had believed I would live out my life happily in the Sliver Lake Pack, just as my mother had wished.

I never thought my hopes would be crushed so quickly.

The family and mate I had chosen abandoned me when I needed them most.

Left alone at the ceremony, even though my heart was exhausted and breaking, I had no choice but to put on a strong front, facing the curious and concerned gazes of the guests.

Every second felt like sheer agony, yet George and Frendo still did not return. There was not even a text.

They had cut off the link, and I could not reach them.

"Why would Alpha Frendo and Beta George leave Lena at such an important moment? Did something serious happen?"

"For a werewolf, what could be more important than a Marking Ceremony? I bet Lena must've done something wrong to make Alpha Frendo angry, regretting the mate bond."

"Definitely! They've always been happy together. If Lena hadn't made a major mistake, George and Frendo would never have left her alone to face this embarrassing situation."

The rumors about the ceremony grew worse and more dramatic with each passing moment.

I had no choice but to suppress my sorrow and keep calling them, hoping they would come back and save me.

Finally, Frendo's phone was picked up, but it was Lily's voice that answered, "Lena, don't be mad, okay? I didn't mean to ruin your Marking Ceremony, but I was so scared all alone in the infirmary! I made you upset. I'm sorry, okay?"

Frendo then snatched the phone away and said coldly, "You don't need to apologize to her! The ceremony doesn't matter compared to your health!"

I stayed silent, only to hear Frendo's harsh, scolding voice, "Lena! Is this Marking Ceremony all you care about? We can always hold another ceremony!

"Lily was poisoned by Wolfsbane. Her condition worsened, and she came back here for treatment. Why can't you understand that?"

Just as I was about to explain, George grabbed the phone and said, "Lena, be reasonable! Lily isn't like you. Her parents are dead, and she's been on her own this whole time. She needs people who care about her, to stay by her side and look after her now.

"You understand, right? We'll cancel the ceremony and reschedule it later."

I quietly hung up.

Pretending not to care, I ignored the ugly rumors and the watching eyes and kept smiling as I saw off every guest.

From today on, I knew I would be the most pitiful Luna, the laughingstock of the entire pack, a she-wolf abandoned at her own wedding by both her brother and her mate.

Shortly after the last guest left, Lily posted a new photo on her Instagram.

In it, George and Frendo were hugging her.

The caption read. [No matter when, no matter where, you'll always come running to me. I'm so lucky to always have your care and love.]

The keepsake Frendo had prepared for my Marking Ceremony, and the gift George had chosen to celebrate my ceremony.

Both had become Lily's welcome gifts, proudly displayed on her Instagram.

At that moment, the tears I had held back all day finally fell like raindrops, and they fell without control.

I realized I no longer had any reason to persuade my utterly broken heart to stay in the Sliver Lake Pack.