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Forty six

Author: fortune
last update Last Updated: 2025-03-22 22:02:02

Sirella’s POV

The packhouse had been busy all day, preparing for the grand gathering. Alpha Donovan didn’t do anything small. The halls were decorated, the best wine was brought out, and the kitchen had been working nonstop. The guest list was full of high-ranking wolves, Alphas, Betas, and their daughters—women who were here for one reason.

To be chosen as Damien’s Luna.

I should’ve expected it. Donovan had made it clear that Damien needed a mate. But standing here, dressed in my plain servant’s uniform while the women arrived in expensive dresses, the reality of it settled in.

Damien would be picking a Luna tonight.

And I had to stand there and watch it happen.

Serving the Future Luna

I moved through the crowded room, holding a tray of drinks, my face blank. The other servants had been instructed to be invisible, and I followed orders well.

Damien was near the grand fireplace, surrounded by women. They laughed, touched his arm, whispered things I couldn’t hear. And Damien? He let th
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  • Mates Deception    Forty seven

    Sirella’s POVPeople talk. Especially the ones at the bottom. The ones who serve, who clean, who get ignored in a room full of powerful wolves. They hear things. They see things. And when they feel safe enough, they share what they know.That’s where I started.I didn’t need to stand in the middle of the packhouse and make a scene. I didn’t need to scream that Damien was weak, that he was nothing but a spoiled prince sitting in a chair too big for him. That would be stupid. It would get me thrown out, maybe even killed.But whispers? Whispers were dangerous.A whisper could slip through cracks, crawl into people’s ears, and make them think things they never thought before. A whisper could plant doubt.And doubt could grow into something bigger.The kitchens were always loud, filled with the clatter of plates, the bubbling of stew, the hiss of meat hitting hot pans. But even in all that noise, people listened.I crouched beside the sink, scrubbing at a pot, my fingers wrinkling under t

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  • Mates Deception    Forty eight

    Sirella’s POVSomething had changed.I felt it the second Damien started watching me. Not in the careless, dismissive way he usually did, but in a way that made my skin crawl. It was like he was searching for something, waiting for me to slip up.I kept my head down, doing my work as usual—cleaning, serving, blending into the background like I always had. But his eyes were still on me.And then he spoke."Sirella."My hands stilled on the tray I was holding. I turned, keeping my expression neutral. "Yes, Alpha?"Damien sat in one of the chairs in the dining hall, one arm resting on the table, the other draped over the back of his seat. His golden eyes were sharp, assessing."You were late coming in last night."My heart skipped, but I didn’t let my face betray anything."I wasn’t," I said. "I was here all night."Damien tilted his head slightly. "Is that so?"I nodded, forcing myself to continue wiping the table. "Yes, Alpha.""Hm." He leaned back. "Strange. Because I could’ve sworn I

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  • Mates Deception    Forty nine

    Sirella’s Pov The palace halls were quiet at this hour, but my mind wasn’t. I sat on the small cot in my servant’s room, my hands gripping the thin sheets as I stared at the candle flickering beside me. I had been here for weeks now, working, watching, waiting. And tonight, I had finally decided.I would test my loyalty to the Moonbane.My fingers curled into fists as I thought about Damien. His name no longer burned as much as it used to. Not because I had forgotten, but because I had numbed myself to the pain. His rejection had carved something deep inside me, something cold, something hollow. I had once loved him. I had once dreamed of being his Luna. But dreams were for fools, and I had long since accepted that I was no longer the naive girl who had fallen for him. I was something else now.Something dangerous.I breathed in, slow and steady, forcing myself to focus. If I was truly loyal to the Moonbane, then I had to prove it. I had to show that I wasn’t weak, that I wasn’t stil

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  • Mates Deception    Fifty

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  • Mates Deception    Fifty one

    Sirella’s POVThe air in Kieran’s hideout was thick with silence. I sat across from him, my hands resting on my lap, waiting for his approval. I had killed for the first time, and he had been pleased, but I knew it wasn’t enough. Killing a pawn meant nothing if the king was still standing.Kieran leaned back against the wall, his arms crossed. He studied me for a long time before he spoke. "If you really want to destroy Damien," he said, his voice calm but firm, "you have to make him obsessed with you again—then break him completely."I stiffened. My instinct was to reject the idea immediately. “No.”Kieran raised a brow, unimpressed by my defiance. "You don’t defeat a man like Damien with strength. You do it by making him weak."I hated that he was right. Damien was powerful, ruthless, and feared by many. A direct attack wouldn’t work. But I also knew his weakness—his pride, his ego, his desperate need to own what he thought belonged to him.Me.I exhaled slowly. "Fine," I said. "I'l

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  • Mates Deception    Fifty two

    Sirella’s POV The game had begun. Damien thought he was winning. He believed I had softened, that I still had feelings for him. He didn’t know that every smile, every hesitant touch, every lingering look was a carefully placed piece in the trap I was setting. Step one: weaken him. I started with small doses. Nothing strong enough to raise suspicion—just enough to make him feel off. It was tasteless, scentless, and dissolved easily into his wine. The first night, he didn’t even notice. The second, he frowned as he rubbed his temples. By the third, I saw the exhaustion creeping in, the slight hesitation in his steps, the flicker of confusion in his eyes. Good. But I couldn’t rush it. If he collapsed too quickly, they would investigate. I needed it to seem natural—like stress, like fatigue, like the weight of running a pack was finally getting to him. While the poison worked on his body, I planted doubt in his mind. It started subtly. A misplaced scroll, an altered report,

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  • Mates Deception    Fifty three

    Sirella’s POVI felt his eyes on me long before I turned to face him.Damien had been watching me more closely these days. I could sense it in the way his presence lingered, in the way his gaze burned into my back whenever I moved through the palace halls.At first, I thought it was suspicion. But it wasn’t. It was something else. Something hungrier.He didn’t understand it.He had rejected me—thrown me away like I was nothing. And yet, he was still drawn to me. I could see it in the way his fists clenched whenever I smiled at another man, in the way his eyes darkened when I walked past him without a word.He had expected me to crawl back. To beg for his love.But I was indifferent. And that unsettled him.One afternoon, as I carried a tray of wine through the grand hall, he stepped into my path. I stopped just in time, the silver goblets clinking softly against each other.He didn’t move.I lifted my gaze slowly, meeting his. “Alpha.”His jaw tensed at the title. “Sirella.”I said no

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  • Mates Deception    Fifty four

    Sirella’s POVThe palace gates opened at dawn.Carriages rolled in one after the other, their wheels crunching against the gravel. The banners of noble families fluttered in the morning breeze, their symbols stitched in gold and silver. Women stepped out, one by one, their dresses flowing like spilled ink against the stone paths.The Luna candidates had arrived.I stood at the entrance of the palace, head bowed, hands folded in front of me like the obedient servant I was supposed to be. My uniform was plain, designed to make me blend into the background.And yet, I felt their eyes on me.The women whispered among themselves, their voices like the rustling of silk. They were the daughters of powerful Alphas, chosen for their beauty, their bloodlines, their ability to strengthen Damien’s rule.I watched silently as he greeted them.Damien stood tall, his posture firm, his expression unreadable. He was every bit the powerful Alpha they expected him to be. He smiled at them, nodded at the

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Latest chapter

  • Mates Deception    111

    Sirella’s povThe days blurred together in Donovan's pack. Wake up. Eat. Work. Sleep. Repeat. It felt like I was being used in this place but what could I do except obey whatever order I was given.Every morning, I'd step outside to find maids "accidentally" passing by my door. Guards always seemed to be sharpening weapons nearby. Why they did it in front of my door and not elsewhere bothered me but I knew they didn’t trust me. I could see their eyes following me everywhere I would go. Today was no different. I walked toward the kitchen, the autumn wind biting through my thin shirt. Two warriors leaned against the hallway walls, pretending not to watch me. "Morning, traitor," one muttered as I passed. I kept walking as I ignored them. They were not worth my time.The warm kitchen smelled of bread and herbs. Cooks moved around each other in a practiced dance, but the rhythm broke when I entered. "Need more bandages for the soldiers in the next camp," I said to the head cook. “Wo

  • Mates Deception    110

    Sirella’s povI woke up, my heart pounding as I stared at the ceiling for a while. Sunlight streamed through the thin curtains of my room in Donovan’s packhouse. The sheets were tangled around my legs, damp with sweat.Why was Donovan asking so many questions yesterday? Or was he catching onto my plan with kieran?I sat up and ran my hand through my disheveled hair, the alpha’s sharp eagle eyes had been on me too much during our meeting in his throne room, each answer I gave had seemed to raise his suspicion higher. Before I could think even more, there was a knock on the door.The sound made me jump, and it took a deep breath to steady my racing heart before I got up to go and open the door. One of Donovan's guards stood stiffly to attention outside. "Prince Damien requires your presence in the courtyard," he said without looking me in the eye. Shall I tell him you’ll be arriving shortly?”“Yeah,” I smiled awkwardly as he nodded and walked off.I entered my room and grabbed my too

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    kieran’s POVI woke up to the sound of men and women shouting in the courtyard as I winced at the sun brimming in from the open curtains.“Fuck,” I muttered as I sat up and wondered what time it was. I had overslept. I needed to be out there and dealing with the way the alpha sees me. If he saw me as someone he could trust, this would make my job a whole lot easier.I got up and went to stand before the mirror as I removed my shirt and stood half naked. I smiled as I missed her touch and her kiss around my chest.Everything reminded me of her.The scars on my chest were familiar - the jagged one across my ribs from the Frost Valley battle, the claw marks on my shoulder from the bear attack last winter. But the eyes... those were different. Harder. Colder. No wonder I had scared her the first time we had met.Will it be easy to kill him?That I did not know.I flexed my hands, watching the muscles ripple in the mirror. Salvatore was an aging alpha, but still strong as a young alpha. I

  • Mates Deception    108

    Sirella’s Pov My assigned room was better than I expected. Thick rug, clean blanket and sheet, a vase and wild flowers. All lies as I knew that this place had been given to me so it would be easy to spy on me.I checked the window and found it locked.The door had no lock so it was easy for anyone to come in and find me here. I sat on the bed, counting shadows under the door. One… two… three in ten minutes.That was a new record.I waited for a while on the bed before deciding to go out and take a meal for myself, but before I could do that there was a knock on the door and a maid coming in with a tray in hand.“Lunch, miss.”She kept avoiding my eyes as she laid it out."Thank you,” I said in a sweet tone. I had not seen her before so I decided to ask about her. “What's your name?" She cringed. "M-Mira, miss." And then she scurries off without waiting for any other questions I might have for her.I raised the lid of the platter. Roast meat, fresh bread, spiced wine… all my favorit

  • Mates Deception    107

    Sirella's POVI tried to fold my shirt but all I could think about was him. How I missed Kieran’s and how the hut still smelled like bim I saw a towel in the corner and picked it up before I could stop myself.“One last sniff,” I thought as I let his scent fill my nose. “Fuck I miss him already.”I hated this weakness. Hated how my heart ached like a fresh wound.We did not have to make the decision. But to attain peace and stop my father we had to do this.With a sigh, I carried my box and headed for the door.The door creaked as I stepped outside. Dawn lit the sky with pinks and golds, too pretty for a day so ugly.Frost crunched beneath my boots as I crossed through our clearing.Where Kieran had pinned me during our first real fight.In the night sky where we had star gazed so many times after long training days. I shut my eyes tight. “Focus.” The pack lay to the southwest. It was going to take me a few hours to get there but I had all the time in the world to take.My fingers

  • Mates Deception    106

    Sirella’s POVThe ceiling was made of wood and had cracks across it and it was what I admired anytime I was in his room. Three long ones by the window, one which looked like a lightning above the bed. I counted them more for the hundredth time while Kieran's finger did circles in my bare shoulder. "You okay?" He asked with a voice of concern. I swallowed hard. As much as I wanted to pour out my heart and complain, I knew I had to stop myself from doing that. “Just thinking.”His chest vibrated with a quiet chuckle against my body. “Dangerous habit.”The fire had faded to coals and the room lay dim. A desolate owl's cry filled the night air, melodious and drawn-out. Kieran held me closer. “I'll miss this home.”My throat closed up as I knew what he meant and it hurt to think of the inevitable. “Don’t say that.”“I miss the poison training,” he said, like I hadn’t spoken. His breath warmed my neck. “Me screaming at you when you get the antidotes wrong.”It hurt to hear him say that a

  • Mates Deception    105

    Damien’s POVThe fire crackled in my father's study as we pored over the alliance scrolls. Names, territories, promises made—all written in ink that felt like blood on parchment. I didn’t like the way things were going. It looked too… too easy. Almost like my father was playing right into their traps but he was too blind to see it.As much as I believe he was powerful enough to defend himself… at least I wanted some sort of proof that this would not backfire on us. I hated the fact that I was feeling this way. If he got a whiff of this, he could lose his mind and call me a child for thinking this way.I looked at him as he pored through the books. He wasn’t one for wasting time especially when it came to his territory. "Goran of Greyfang," Father said, tapping one entry. "Hagar of Shadowpaw. These are the only alphas who have joined us against Salvatore. Little I know but powerful enough to show that I’m no pushover.” I nodded, rolling a dagger between my fingers. "The wolves we me

  • Mates Deception    104

    Authors POVDamien reached the packhouse as he blitzed in and skidded his horse to a stop in the courtyard. Behind his horse, frozen dirt flew into the air as he jumped down and saw a stable boy coming to him.“Fetch the war council,” he said. “Now.”The boy nodded and ran off as Damien made his way to the packhouse, his boots thudding against the wooden steps. Inside, the great hall was deserted minus a few servants cleaning up. The fire in the hearth had burned almost completely out leaving long shadows on the stone floor.Within moments council members began filing into the chamber. Elder James came first, weighed down by years and a walking stick. Next came Commander Vex, battle scars etched deep in his face. A dozen others took their seat at the long oak table before him."Well?" James rasped. "What news from the Greyfangs?"Damien remained standing at the head of the table. "Alpha Goran has agreed to join us. His warriors will march at dawn."A murmur ran through the council. V

  • Mates Deception    103

    Authors POVDamien sighed sitting back in his chair as the stacks of papers drew a shadow over him. He hated paperwork but since he was here now he could at least go ahead and do what he wanted to do.Just as he was about to get up from his desk, a knock came at his door.The sudden rapping at his door made Damien look up from the papers in front of him. He put them down, crossed to the door and pulled it open. His father's guard was standing there, straight backed with his fist over his chest. "Sir Damien," the guard said nodding his head, "Your father requests you meet him in the stables. Immediately."Damien frowned. "This late?" The guard didn't move, staring at a spot past Damien's left shoulder. "He said to wake you if you were sleeping as it is urgent."Damien sighed but nodded. “I’ll be there with him soon.”The guard bowed before leaving.Damien closed the door and looked into his room as he wondered what his father wanted him for. He grabbed his jacket and wore it as he

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