The Pack

JACE

(THE PACK)

I watched her smile and I couldn't help but feel a rush of pride and happiness.

Today was the day…her day. My girlfriend, Alyssa, was turning eighteen, which meant two things: she'd finally get her wolf, and tonight, she'd meet her mate.

I couldn't contain the excitement buzzing in my chest. "I can't believe it's finally happening," I said, grinning as I pulled her closer, wrapping my arms around her waist.

"You're going to be my Luna soon."

Alyssa laughed softly, her eyes gleaming under the afternoon sun. "Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, Jace. I still need to get my wolf first."

"You will get your wolf," I said confidently, brushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "And when you do, everything will be perfect. You know that, right?"

She smiled at me, but there was something flickering behind her eyes….something she wasn’t saying.

She had always been calm even when I was the one bursting with enthusiasm.

But today, that calmness felt different. She seemed distracted.

"I love you," I whispered, holding her tighter.

Alyssa’s lips curved into a small smile, but she gently pulled away. "I have to go now, Jace. I need to prepare for the gathering tonight."

"Already?" I frowned, not wanting to let her go, not today. My fingers wrapped around her wrist, tugging her back toward me. "Just a little longer."

She let out a soft giggle as I dragged her closer, her body pressing against mine. "Jace, I really…."

Before she could finish her sentence, I tilted her chin up and kissed her, letting my lips linger on hers a little longer than usual.

Her body relaxed in my arms as her hand brushed through my hair and she kissed me back.

When we finally broke apart, I rested my forehead against hers. "I can't wait for tonight," I whispered. "I want the whole world to know you're mine."

Alyssa's smile faltered for a brief second, and then she stepped back. "I'll see you tonight, Jace," she said softly before turning to leave.

******

The pack gathered as we all waited for Alyssa’s moment, the sky darkening with the full moon hanging high above us.

Tonight, she would ask the Moon Goddess to grant her her wolf and reveal her true mate.

I stood near the front, my heart racing as I watched her step forward.

Her white dress shimmered under the moonlight, making her look heavenly, almost otherworldly.

I couldn't take my eyes off her.

This was it. The moment we had both been waiting for.

My chest swelled with pride, knowing that soon enough, she’d be mine, officially and forever.

She’d be my Luna, and I’d be her Alpha. Everything was falling into place.

Alyssa’s soft voice echoed through the silence as she knelt before the Moon Stone.

Her hands trembled slightly, and for the first time, I could see the nervousness in her eyes.

"Moon Goddess," she began.

"I ask you to bless me with my wolf tonight. Show me the way forward and guide me to my true mate."

I felt a knot tighten in my chest, excitement and nerves swirling together. This was it.

I was ready.

Everyone watched as Alyssa closed her eyes, the light of the moon bathing her in a soft glow.

The moment stretched on, the tension growing as we waited for the Goddess’s answer.

Suddenly, a rush of energy swept through, a gust of wind sending chills down my spine.

Alyssa’s body stiffened, and a soft glow enveloped her. I could feel it….. she was connecting with her wolf, and soon, she’d be mine.

But then, something shifted.

I saw it before anyone else….the change in her posture, the subtle widening of her eyes.

Alyssa slowly opened her eyes, and when she looked up, her gaze wasn’t on me.

No… she was looking at someone else.

My heart stopped.

I followed her gaze and felt like I’d been punched in the gut.

Alyssa wasn’t looking at me. She was staring at Ryder.

My best friend.

"No…" I whispered, my voice barely audible as the world spun around me.

The pack murmured in confusion, but I didn’t hear them. My mind was racing, my heart shattering as the realization hit me like a tidal wave.

The Moon Goddess had chosen Ryder.

Not me.

I clenched my fists, trying to steady myself, but the betrayal was too much to bear.

Alyssa, the girl I loved, the girl I thought would be my Luna, had been paired with my best friend.

I took a step forward, steadying my voice as much as I could. "Ryder, you need to reject her," I said, my words more a command than a plea.

"She’s supposed to be with me. You know that."

Ryder shifted his gaze away from Alyssa and looked at me.

For a split second, I saw the hesitation in his eyes, and hope flared in my chest.

He would do the right thing.

He would reject her.

But then, he shook his head. "I can't, Jace."

The words hit me harder than any punch. I stared at him, disbelief coursing through my veins. "What do you mean you can't?"

"I won’t reject her," Ryder said. "The Moon Goddess chose her for me.”

"And why is that, Ryder?"

"Jace, it's not what you think…"

Before he could finish, Alyssa stepped forward.

She took a shaky breath and glanced at Ryder, before turning back to me. "Jace... there's something you need to know."

"Don’t," I warned, my fists clenched, my heart thudding so loudly it drowned out the murmurs of the pack around us. "Don't say it."

But she did.

"I'm pregnant, Jace."

Pregnant.

Everything stopped. The world around me blurred as I stared at her, the girl I thought I would spend my life with.

Pregnant...I really wish I didn't hear her well.

The pack gasped.

I felt like I couldn’t breathe.

"You’re...pregnant?" I repeated, as if saying it aloud would somehow make it make sense.

Alyssa nodded. "Yes, Jace. I'm pregnant... with Ryder’s child."

My heart shattered into a million pieces. The betrayal, the weight of her words pressed down on me like a heavy stone.

This was supposed to be our night, our future. How could everything fall apart so quickly?

"I... I can't be with you, Jace," Alyssa continued, her voice shaking. "You know why. You’re... different. You have a defect wolf, and…."

"Don’t," I growled, cutting her off.

But she didn’t stop. "You have to wear gloves, Jace. You can’t even touch me without fearing you'll hurt me. I can't be with someone who has to live like that….who has to always be on guard, afraid of killing someone with his bare hands."

Her words stabbed deeper than any blade. I felt my vision blur as tears welled up in my eyes, but I fought them back. I couldn’t break here. Not in front of the pack.

"You’re leaving me… because I..I'm a defect?" I stammered

"It’s not just that," she whispered. "I love you, Jace, but… this is how it has to be. The Moon Goddess chose Ryder, and... and I’m carrying his child. We have to follow the path the Goddess set for us."

I couldn’t take it anymore. My heart was pounding so hard I thought it might explode.

Without another word, I turned, my legs moving on their own, carrying me away from the crowd, from Alyssa, from everything.

As I ran, the edges of my vision blurred, the tears I fought so hard to hold back now streaming down my face.

And then, as I reached the edge of the forest, I collapsed to the ground, my breath ragged, my chest heaving.

I couldn’t go back. Not after this.

I stared up at the moon, the same moon that had blessed Alyssa and Ryder with their bond, and for the first time in my life, I cursed the Moon Goddess.

Everything I had ever wanted was gone. Alyssa was gone.

And I was left with nothing.

But as the darkness closed in around me, a single thought lingered in the back of my mind.

This wasn’t over. Not yet.