CHAPTER 1

Iona’s POV

It’s been a week since the heavy rain came to the Winterhide pack. However, the freezing night air could not break my determination to stand in front of the pack’s gate. I was worried about my soon to be mate–Vincent, who left with the hunting party two weeks ago.

“Iona, they will return before your mating ceremony. They are the strongest wolves of the Winterhide pack,” Luna Northgrey’s soft voice startled me. She draped a pelt on my shoulder.

“But it’s been days. I have a feeling that something is not right. Shouldn't we send a search party? There's still a possibility that Vincent might  be in danger,” I said to Luna.

“I've already discussed it with Alpha. We'll send a search party if they're not back by sunrise tomorrow. Let's go back to your cabin, you need to rest. You'll need lots of energy for your big day,” Luna took my hand. 

I stared at the gate for the last time, hoping Vincent would appear there with his hunting party. But the forest remained silent. I followed Luna with heavy steps.

When we arrived at my cabin, I was surprised to see a dress hanging there. “It's absolutely gorgeous,” I whispered in awe as I looked at the dress I would wear at my mating ceremony.

“Of course. We only give the best for our next Luna,” said Luna, standing beside me. "Would you like to try it?" Luna offered.

I looked at Luna with a beaming smile. "May I?”

Luna laughed. "Of course. Here, let me help you put it on.”

With a pounding heart, I put on the dress. It fit perfectly on my body and hugged my curves just right. Luna helped me tighten the corset straps, then braided my hair and put some ornaments on my head.

“You look stunning, “ Luna said.

I saw my reflection in the mirror. I must admit that I indeed looked stunning. I hardly believed that the girl in front of me was a reflection of myself.

"I'm sure Vincent will immediately fall on his knees when he sees you at the altar," said Luna.

I giggled. "You know we don't have that kind of relationship. We are as simple as friends who become partners." It never hurt my feelings that this was a political marriage of two packs.

Luna looked at me with a sad expression. “Your family should have arrived tonight, right?” She changed the topic.

I took off my wedding dress and put it back on the mannequin and nodded. “If there are no problems on their way, they should have arrived.” Thinking about it made me anxious. I had been living in the Winterhide pack as future Luna for six months. I was afraid that what I had done here did not meet my parent's expectations. I couldn't let them down.

Luna rubbed my back to calm me down. “You've done your best, much better than I did when I was young,” she said.

I smiled slightly. Luna's words calmed me down. “Thank you, Luna.”

The sound of a horn echoed throughout the Winterhide pack.

“That must be Vincent and the hunting party, “ Luna said.

I immediately excused myself to Luna and dashed towards the gate.

There were already a lot of people gathered in front of the gate, some screaming joyfully and rushing to greet their loved ones. It was indeed Vincent and his hunting party.

I pushed myself to run towards Vincent. There, I saw him. He was walking proudly topless, showing off his toned body. His brown hair was wet, and he was brushing it back.

“Vincent!” I shouted his name and was about to hug him.

“Stop right there Iona!” his voice sounded cold. He never spoke to me like that.

I stopped a few steps in front of him in confusion. My gaze shifted to something Vincent was carrying that was moving. An unfamiliar face appeared—it was a girl. The girl stared around her in confusion.

“Vincent, who is this girl?“ I asked. The people around us looked at us.

“She is my fated mate, Lottie Magrita. She will be the next Luna for the Winterhide pack,” Vincent exclaimed loudly.

Gasps and whispers were heard.

I looked back at the girl who was now staring at me. Her skin was as white as snow, and her hair was golden like moonlight. Her lips were as red as blood, and her nails were as sharp as a dagger. The lines of the prophecy I heard years ago before I was chosen to be Vincent's fiancée echoed in my head. The only thing that differentiated me from that girl was the color of our eyes. She had dark brown eyes, while I had golden brown eyes.

I turned to look at Vincent. But he avoided looking at me.

It can’t be happening. I was shaken by the realization and then blacked out.

When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was my mother's unpleasant expression. “Mom ...” I called her in a hoarse voice.

“How on earth could this be happening? Do you know how embarrassed your father and I were? We just arrived from the Black Manes Pack, and suddenly everyone murmured about Vincent's and your mating got cancelled?” my mother nagged at me, which made me dizzy.

I was silent and just stared at my mother with mixed feelings. “I'm sorry, Mother,” I said softly.

“Now you feel sorry? Can your sorry fix our family's dignity?“ My mother continued scolding me, though I hoped she would reassure me. But then I realized I was nothing to her except a tool to strengthen our pack.

I lowered my head. My tears were falling heavily.

“Look at you. You can only cry when a barbarian girl steals your man. It was my fault for giving birth to you. I should have gotten rid of you when I found out I was having a daughter. And here I am, blamed for my daughter's failure, “ my mother got up from her seat and walked out of the healer's cabin, slamming the door quite hard.

The words that came out of my mother's mouth cut me deeper than a knife. I cried uncontrollably. It wasn't my fault that Vincent found his fated mate. The fortune teller only described how she saw the future Luna of the Winterhide Pack. It could be anyone, just because I was born with white hair doesn't mean I'm the girl from the prophecy.

But here I was, chosen as Vincent's bride, the future Alpha from Winterhide Pack. I never wanted to be Luna. But they didn't even ask my opinion. They just drag me from my birth pack without any choice.