Chapter 2 Her Coronation

(Hilda)

It’s Cerelia’s Luna coronation ceremony today. 

It’s almost funny that only yesterday, I believed today would be my coronation day. I had imagined it. The flowers, the music, the happiness I would feel standing beside him. But now it is her flowers, her music, and her happiness. 

The pack gathers in the clearing, everyone dressed in their finest, smiles adorning their faces. The air is full of joy and celebration, the scent of flowers and the sound of laughter permeating the space. 

Everywhere I look, there are signs of festivity and happiness. It feels like a cruel joke. 

I walk slowly through the crowd, each step sending a jolt of pain through my body. The physical discomfort is nothing compared to the agony in my heart. 

I try to search for my old friends in the crowd but I don’t find them. The only thing I can see is Soren and Cerelia standing together, their hands intertwined, looking at each other with such love and adoration that it brings tears to my eyes. 

It is the same look he used to give me, the look that made me feel like the most important person in the world. 

Memories flood my mind. Soren and I grew up together, training side by side, sharing our dreams and ambitions. I am his mate, his Beta, his equal. We had fought together, bled together, and now he is making another woman his Luna. 

It is a betrayal of everything we had ever shared. 

A man’s voice brings me back to the present. “Well well well, if it isn’t the forgotten Beta,” he sneers. It is Alpha Damon, Cerelia’s brother. I know him from battle, a skilled warrior with a sharp tongue. 

He had always been insufferable, and now he still takes delight in my misery when we were no longer enemies.

“Must be really hard for you to watch this,” Damon continues, his tone dripping with mock sympathy. “Seeing your mate with my sister, knowing you’ve been replaced.” 

I clench my fists, trying to keep my emotions in check. The pain, the anger, the sense of betrayal - it all surges within me. Damon’s words are like salt in an open wound, and I can feel my control slipping. 

“What do you want, Damon?” I spit, my voice shaking with suppressed rage. 

He shrugs, a smirk playing on his lips. “Nothing, really. Just enjoying the show. You look so pathetic, standing here all alone. It’s quite the sight.” 

That is the last straw. All the hurt, all the frustration, everything I have been holding back comes to a head. I lunge at him, but I am stopped by a strong hand on my shoulder. I turn around angrily but my foul mood is almost cleared when I see the familiar face of my oldest friend, Alec.

“Alec! I am glad you are alive! Where is Becca?”

His sad eyes tell me everything. I sigh.

“Hilda, let’s not make a scene. Come with me.” He grabbed my arm and tried to lead me away.

I glare at him, my fists still clenched. “He was mocking me, rubbing salt in the wound, he said I have been replaced…” 

“You are.” Alec rubs his temples. “Hilda, you need to control your temper. This isn’t helping anyone. Alpha Damon is our biggest ally, you are not only sabotaging the delicate balance between the packs, but also hurting Soren himself with your inconsiderate outbursts. ” 

I am shocked that he is taking their side over mine. I guess a year is a rather long time to be asleep.

I laugh bitterly. “After everything he’s done, you expect me to just stand here and take it?” 

For a moment, it looks like he might say something, but then Soren and Cerelia appear, pushing through the crowd. Soren’s eyes are full with a mixture of anger and concern as he looks between the three of us. 

“What’s going on here?” Soren demands, his voice stern. 

“Your ex-mate just tried to attack me,” Damon says, pointing an accusing finger at me. “She’s gone mad.” 

Cerelia steps forward, her expression softening. “Hilda, please. We don’t want any more trouble. This is supposed to be a happy occasion.” 

“Happy for you, maybe,” the bitterness in my voice is evident. “But for me, it’s a nightmare.” 

Soren puts a hand on Cerelia’s shoulder, his eyes locking onto mine. “Hilda, I know this is hard. But we need to move forward. You need to move forward.” 

His words cut deep, but there is a part of me that knows he is right. Standing here, fighting with Damon, won’t change anything. It won’t bring back what I have lost.

Soren didn’t want me any more. My friends are all dead or unrecognizable. There is nothing here for me anymore. Maybe it is time to let go.

“Fine.” I say, my voice barely above a whisper.

With that, I turn and walk away, leaving the festive crowd behind. The pain in my heart is still there, but I am determined to find a way to survive. 

But Damon isn’t done. “Seize her!” He yells at his men.

His voice cuts through the murmur of the crowd, and a group of warriors move to surround me, their grips firm but not harsh as they take hold of my arms.

The humiliation of being publicly apprehended is almost too much to bear, but I won’t show weakness. Not here. Not now. 

“I’ll teach you a lesson on respect.” Damon sneers at me while signaling his men with a nod.