Chapter One: Emily's POV

The memories of last night were like a beautiful dream that I didn't want to wake up from. For eighteen years, I had waited to feel chosen, loved, and appreciated by my true mate, and now I finally felt that way.

As I relived the moments of joy and romance from the night before, I felt a warm tingling sensation in my heart. I knew that my connection with Daniel was something special, something I would never forget.

The moon goddess had brought us together, and I was so grateful for that. I sighed, my thoughts drifting back to the present moment. But no matter how I tried to distract myself, I couldn't stop thinking about Daniel.

My mind kept replaying the moments we shared, from the first time we met to our first kiss. It was as if my whole life had been leading up to this moment, and everything before had just been preparation for what was to come.

I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. I knew I needed to focus on the present.

As I stood in front of the bathroom mirror, washing my face, my mind was still full of thoughts about the night before. It was indeed a night I would cherish forever.

Looking at my reflection, I noticed that I looked different somehow, like I had been transformed by the events of the previous night.

Had I become more beautiful because I was now eighteen, or was it because of my connection with Daniel? Or did it happen because we completed the mate bond?

I tidied up the room where we had spent the night, taking in the evidence of our time together. The rumpled sheets, the empty wine glass, the rose petals scattered across the floor, and the faint scent of candle wax in the air.

It was as if a piece of my heart had been left behind in that room, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of longing as I cleaned up. I wished I could stay in that moment forever.

And as I walked down the hallway, I couldn't help but think about him. I longed to see his handsome face and feel his sweet kisses on my forehead.

But as I approached down the stairs, I heard him talking to someone inside.

"...I understand, Father," he was saying. "I am willing to get mated to whoever is best for the pack.”

I stopped in my tracks, my heart sinking. Did I hear that right? Was Daniel getting mated to someone else?

"Emma is a strong and bold she-wolf,” he continued. "Our pack will be stronger with her as my mate."

My mind was racing as I stood outside the door, trying to process what I had heard. Daniel was going to marry someone else? But I thought we had something special. I thought we had a connection that couldn't be broken. I thought we were mates.

How could he do this to me?

I felt tears welling up in my eyes, threatening to spill over. I couldn't believe that Daniel would betray me like this.

"Emily?" I heard Daniel say bringing me out of my reverie, his voice sounding surprised. "Father, I've told you a hundred times that Emily and I have nothing between us. She's not the right one for me. You expect me to be in love with someone like her?"

My heart sank as I heard these words, and my tears finally spilled over. I couldn't believe it. All this time, he had been lying to me. He had told me he loved me, that we were meant to be together and he was going to make me his Luna even though I didn’t come from a noble family.

But now it was clear that he never felt that way. All this time, I had been a fool, believing his lies.

I couldn’t bear to listen to Daniel’s conversation anymore, I had held my mouth from bursting into tears and was about to leave, to escape whatever that I was hearing when surprisingly, the door flew open.

"Emily?" he said blankly, his tone somewhat accusing. We stared at each other, my eyes wet with tears, his blue eyes looking so cold and searching mine. There was a moment of silence, the air thick with tension.

"I guess you've heard my conversation with my father," he said, his voice devoid of emotion. "There's no need for an explanation. Everything you heard is true, and I hope you can forget whatever feelings you might have for me. I made a mistake, getting involved with someone like you."

I stood there, frozen in shock. Someone like me, I couldn't believe what he was saying. I wanted to speak, to yell at him for fooling me.

But my tongue felt thick and heavy, and I couldn't force the words out so I turned and ran, feeling like a fool. I ran until my legs were aching and my breath was coming in gasps. I ran until I reached our hideout which wasn’t far from the pack house. Finally I stopped, my whole body shaking.

The tears were still falling, and my heart felt like it was breaking into a million pieces. I thought I had found someone who truly cared about me, who saw me for who I was.

But now I knew that it had all been a lie, that I had been nothing more than a passing fancy to Daniel.

I sank to the bed in the bedroom, my head in my hands, trying to make sense of what had happened. I felt like I had been betrayed, used and discarded.

I didn't know what to do or where to go. I felt lost, like I had lost my way in the darkness. I felt broken.

And then, I let out a scream. It was a scream of pain and betrayal, a scream of raw anguish that came from deep within my soul.

I poured out all my hurt and anger, my pain and sorrow. I screamed until my voice was hoarse and raw, until my voice rang with the sound of my anguish.

And then, I collapsed to the ground, exhausted and spent. I closed my eyes, and opened them what felt like hours later. I was beyond spent and weak.

I sat up, dazed and confused. And then I realized that I was still in the hideout, in the bedroom, back in the real world.

The events of today were not a dream, they had really happened. And the pain and hurt that I felt were still very much real.

I sat up in bed, my heart heavy. I knew that I had to face the reality of my situation. I had to accept that Daniel had betrayed me, and I had to find a way to move on. But I didn't know how to do that. And it was only going to be possible if I addressed this issue with Daniel.

I entered the pack's territory, my heart heavy with anger and hurt, determined to confront Daniel for what he had done. I marched through the crowded vicinity, I wondered why almost all the pack members were out here, lined in front of the castle, But as I walked, I heard whispers and murmurs all around me.

"The Alpha's son's mate is here," someone said, and I froze for the second time that day.

I couldn't believe it. He didn't even waste any time in bringing her? I felt like the ground had been ripped out from under me. I felt dizzy, like I was going to fall.

"I heard his mate is a vision of beauty, the daughter of another Alpha, from a pack just as esteemed as ours," another pack member added.

My heart sank. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Daniel had moved on so quickly, and with someone who was apparently his equal in every way.

It felt like a slap in the face, like I was being told that I wasn't good enough. I felt like I was being replaced, like I had been discarded like trash.

I wanted to scream, to yell at them all for saying these things. But instead, I just stood there, frozen in place. I knew I couldn't stay in this pack any longer.

Seeing Daniel with another woman would be too much to bear. I had to leave, to get away from all of this. I would find somewhere I could start over and forget about the pain and betrayal I felt.

I began to walk away, tears welling up in my eyes. I felt like I was leaving behind everything I had ever known, but I knew it was the only way to survive. I couldn't bear to stay and watch as Daniel and his new mate lived their perfect life together.

The life that was meant to be ours.