Four

SAGE

The ceremony felt like a panic attack—one of those nightmares where you're running but never seem to escape. Everything about it was suffocating, the air was thick with tension, and I could barely breathe. Alpha Ethan stood tall and imposing beside me, his expression a cold mask and devoid of any emotion. I could feel his presence as a shadow looming over me, like an immovable force in this cruel reality I was being pushed into.

They made me wear a bridal gown that looked like it had been worn by at least ten people. There were stains and a pungent smell, and it was at least two sizes bigger than mine.

The Alpha of my pack and a handful of people gathered. Like I said before: it was more of a business transaction than a wedding. A lesser few of the Lunar Legion Pack were present.

The vows were spoken, though they felt empty to me. His voice was steady and detached, while mine trembled with fear and resignation. I couldn’t even look at him. Every time I glanced up, my heart raced in my chest, and my pulse quickened as if it were fighting to escape this prison I was now locked in.

I turned to my stepfather after the ceremony and my chest tightened with the bitterness. He stood there, arms crossed, a smirk of satisfaction on his face as if he’d just sealed the best deal of his life. The man who had raised me, who should have cared for me after my mother’s death, had thrown me to the wolves—literally.

“Goodbye, Marcus,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady, but there was a bitterness in my tone that I couldn’t hide.

“Don’t look at me like that, Sage. This is for the best,” he replied coldly, dismissing the pain in my eyes. “You’ll be fine. This is what you were meant for.”

I nodded, refusing to cry in front of him. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. Instead, I turned away, my heart breaking a little more with each step I took.

Lily, my only friend, waited for me by the door. Her eyes were already glistening with unshed tears, and the sight of her broke me. She ran toward me, pulling me into a tight embrace. I clung to her, burying my face in her shoulder, finally allowing the tears I’d held back to spill.

“I can’t believe this is happening,” I whispered, my voice shaking with the weight of everything.

“You’re stronger than this, Sage. You’ll survive,” she whispered fiercely, gripping me tighter. “No matter what happens, remember who you are. Don’t let them break you.”

I nodded, unable to speak, my throat too tight with emotion. She pulled away, her hands gripping my shoulders, and her gaze steady and strong. “Promise me you’ll keep fighting.”

“I promise,” I said, though the words felt weak.

Lily kissed my cheek, her own tears falling now. “I’ll miss you,” she said softly.

“I’ll miss you too.”

With one last hug, I pulled away from her warmth and comfort and walked toward the waiting car where Alpha Ethan stood, silent and imposing. He gave me a curt nod, gesturing for me to get in.

The car ride was suffocating. The silence between us felt like a wall, almost thick and impenetrable. Ethan stared straight ahead, his jaw tight and his eyes cold as ever. Not a single word was exchanged, not even a glance in my direction. It was as if I didn’t exist, just a shadow sitting beside him, trapped in this nightmare of a marriage.

I tried to calm myself, forcing my eyes to the passing scenery, but it didn’t help. The tension in the car was unbearable, and the reality of my situation started to weigh on me even more. I was now bound to this man—a man who didn’t care for me and someone didn’t want me. His indifference was worse than cruelty. It made me feel invisible.

And all along, I could not stop thinking about him—my cruel fated mate who rejected me. He did not even bother knowing my name, and discarded me like a rag doll. And yet my heart yearned for him.

When we finally arrived at the Lunar Legion Pack house, the structure loomed before me like a fortress. Massive, stone walls surrounded the compound, giving it an air of cold authority, just like their Alpha. We were met with a formal, short welcome from a few pack members, but the greeting lacked warmth or enthusiasm. It felt like protocol—nothing more.

“This is where you’ll be living,” Alpha Ethan declared, his voice flat, as if the words were rehearsed. “Whatever you need, you can contact my Beta, Asher. He’ll handle everything. Do not bother to disturb me as I will be busy with pack matters.”

His tone held no warmth, no sense of obligation beyond his duty to the pack. I nodded, feeling a sinking pit of despair in my stomach.

Alpha Ethan turned and exclaimed, “Ah, there you are, come here, Asher. Meet the Luna,” he said drily.

Then, from behind Ethan, I saw him—Asher, his Beta, stepping forward to introduce himself. I froze, my heart slamming against my chest as recognition hit me like a physical blow.

It was him. My mate.

Asher’s expression faltered, but only for a brief moment. His eyes darkened as they locked onto mine, and I could feel the tension building between us. My pulse raced, but this time it wasn’t from fear—it was from the overwhelming rush of realization. This was the man I had spent that one night with. The man who had left me and also rejected me.

And he was my husband’s Beta.

And now he was standing before me, his face tight with restraint, the same coldness I had seen in my husband’s reflected in his eyes. There was no acknowledgement of what had happened between us, no apology, nothing. Just silence.

Ethan turned to me, oblivious to the storm brewing in my chest. “Like I said, anything you need, contact Asher.”

I could barely nod, my throat too tight with emotion. My mind was spinning, my body frozen in place as the weight of what was happening settled in.

Asher didn’t say a word. His eyes never left mine, but they held nothing of the man I had met before. Whatever connection we had that night, whatever spark had existed, was gone. Replaced by a wall of cold indifference.

“I’ll be in my office,” Ethan said curtly, already turning away. “Get settled.”

With that, he walked off, leaving me standing there with Asher, the man who had rejected me without a second thought. I wanted to speak, to confront him, but I couldn’t. The words wouldn’t come. I was too overwhelmed, too broken.

Asher finally looked away, his expression unreadable. “Welcome to the Lunar Legion Pack,” he said, his voice stiff and formal.

I felt numb, unable to process the events unfolding around me. My husband was a man who didn’t care, my mate had rejected me, and now I was alone in a pack where I was nothing more than a pawn.

Whatever hope I had left, it felt like it was slipping through my fingers.