Chapter 2

*Healing*

Elara's POV:

As I tried to immerse myself in chores, the news of Caitlin and Harden's imminent mating ceremony struck me. I was told that we had to clean in preparation for the ceremony.

Among my tasks, cleaning the usually unused West Wing of the mansion was assigned to me. While heading there, I spotted Caitlin and Alpha Harden approaching. I tried to prep talk myself.

 They were the ones who betrayed me.I shouldn't feel bothered right?.I shook off the feeling and prepared to push through this like everything was normal.  "Elara!" I instinctively turned around, with my feet glued to the ground. There she was with Harden, their hands intertwined together with huge smiles plastered on their faces as he listened attentively to what she was saying until they reached where I stood.

"Hi, Elara." Her face had a smile which I couldn't tell was genuine as she asked me my whereabouts, "Where did you go throughout the night? After the announcement, I searched the whole mansion for you. I wanted to show you around."

"Uhmm... I went home early, I had work." I said, knowing fully well that I spent the night unconscious in the woods.

As if that wasn't enough, she pulled him closer and kissed his lips. That was fast, I thought. Was she trying to make me jealous? The good news is that I'm already over Harden, and I do not care what he did and with whom he spent his lifetime. I noticed how he tried to move away from her but she was so clingy, had always been. Seeing them so close made my wolf grow in anger, but I didn't feel much bothered about it. If this is how he is going to treat us, fine! It just makes this easier for me to forget about him.

"Father wants everything to happen quickly because tomorrow is the night of the full moon, We're having the mating ceremony in the evening" she revealed. I already knew that.

"Aren't we meant for each other? He is the Alpha and I am the daughter of an Alpha, just like a fairytale dream come true. Everything about us just aligns." Caitlin said.

I hummed my response, "Yeah, you're perfect for each other."

Noticing I looked unaffected, Caitlin poked my shoulder, "Don't be bothered," she said in a sweet and innocent tone but I felt she wasn't that person.

I had come to understand the facade she puts on.

 "It's not like I'm going away, I'm moving in with Harden, and then we can see each other often. Maybe we can help you find your mate, I doubt it would be anyone of prominence, considering your family's position in the pack, but you can manage, right?" She jeered.

If the situation and my relationship with Caitlin were different, I would have been happy that she had finally found her mate, but it just had to be my boyfriend who turned out to be her mate. The moon goddess was playing with my emotions. Was this a test? I had so many thoughts running through my mind since the heartbreak, and this was one of them. I needed a sign to know that things would get better, but I wasn't getting any.

Overwhelmed by a surge of emotions, I hurriedly excused myself, desperate to escape before I'd lose my composure in front of them.

"I should leave now as I have a lot of work to do, catch you later," I said with a small wave, trying to escape. But Caitlin stopped me.

"You're leaving me?" She asked with a small frown on her face, "I was going to invite you to come to the boutique with me today. I want to pick my wedding dress,"

"..." I turned speechless, she moved to my side, shaking my arm and whining like a baby, "You're my best friend," were we still allowed to share that title?

"I need your assistance, Elara," Seeing I was yet to respond, she turned to Harden,

"Baby, help me beg her."

"Assist her," he barely uttered, but it sounded more like an order.

I had always known that Caitlin and I were not of the same league, she was beautiful, blonde, average height, and from a rich family anyone would want to associate with, compared to myself, with a shabby appearance. I spend my time working endlessly at the pack house and I have less time to care for myself. It's obvious why he would pick her over me, my only pain is that we used to be friends. I wish we were never this close, maybe then I'd only feel betrayed by one person.

"I'm sorry, I have so much to do here, the wedding is tomorrow and the preparations are not done yet."

"We can steal some time for ourselves, don't you think? I promise to return you before anyone notices." She whispered, clearly so all three of us could hear it.

"I'm sorry, Caitlin," I said this one last time, withdrawing myself, but she didn't want to let go, "Harden, you're the Alpha, give us your permission," she said, and I signaled Harden with my eyes to rescue me. He knew better than anyone why I didn't want to be with Caitlin unless he wanted to torture me further.

"Caitlin, let Elara be, I can assist you in picking your dress, you would want that, right?"

"Ahh...! Better," she jumped excitedly. She dragged him with her and then turned to leave with him. Once they were in front of the stairs, Caitlin turned back and winked at me. I had no idea what she meant.

Finally, alone, I began cleaning the West Wing. Minutes into it, I sensed someone's presence behind me. The familiar scent I had gotten used to filled the air.

Why did he come back? I thought to myself, I ignored him, hoping it would make him leave.

Struggling not to show his effect on me, I hummed a song to myself, and finally, he spoke.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled. That word stung me more than anything and made me want to smack his face.

"I couldn't keep my promise to you because I am a coward," his words echoed with finality. "I can't let you become my Luna, Elara," his rejection hurt deeply.

"I know," I replied shortly with a pause, finding my next words, but my head was numb,

"Whenever I'm with Caitlin, I feel some sort of spark, something I'd never felt before in my life, that's how I know I'm in the right direction. Forgive me."

I was glad to gain a strong hold on my emotions.I wasn’t about to let him see how he still affected me. "I accept," I said the words much to his dismay. "I, Elara Williams accept your rejection, Alpha Edmund," I said, calling him by his last name.

"And I hope we never see each other." Was my last word before storming out of his presence.

Once done with work, I returned to my home. My house was a small one downtown, a cottage that belonged to the previous Alpha, Harden's father. He let us live there since the time my father was demoted to the pack's Omega.

 Mother was home already and I found her rummaging through the wardrobe.

"Did you finish the work?" she asked and I responded with a nod.

"Find something decent to wear too, we are all attending the wedding."

Wedding?!

"I'm not sure I want to attend the wedding, Mom," I confessed, prompting her to grab me forcefully by my collar, "What did you say?! You don't want to go?" Her hand struck my face along with her question.

"I don't care if I have to drag you there, but you must attend the wedding!" Her voice thundered, echoing through the room. Her words felt more like a menacing decree than a request.

Ever since Caitlin's bouquet night, I've felt something different in me. It's like a part of me was disappearing into oblivion. My wolf barely spoke, my healing power weakened, and a small cut from the woods hadn't healed— it felt wrong.

Waking up today was different. My wolf, usually chatty in my head, was eerily silent. It felt like she just disappeared, leaving me alone. Her absence worried me; I missed her presence, her howls. Why had she stopped talking to me suddenly?

"Can you hear me, Snow?" I said inwardly, hoping to chat for a while before going to work. I had a good dream where I saw beautiful daisies and lilies, she must have probably seen them too, but we needed to find meanings together.

Not hearing a response, I spoke again, this time aloud. "Snow, this has to stop. Last night was awful. I don't know what happened, but I hope to find a solution."

Last night, as the moon rose, and the ceremony rituals began, I left the hall. My wolf felt congested and needed to take a run into the woods, perhaps to feel better.

 Snow instantly took over before I could decipher, and without my permission, my transformation started. There were a lot of changes accompanied by the transformation.