Chapter 2: The Cruel Deception

Chapter 2: The Cruel Deception

The Silverfang Pack's grand courtyard was alive with excitement. Torches burned brightly against the stone walls, their flickering light casting long shadows over the gathered wolves. The air buzzed with tension as warriors stood in stiff formation, their armor polished to perfection. High-ranking pack members whispered amongst themselves, exchanging hopeful glances.

Tonight was a night of destiny.

Selene stood at the far edge of the gathering, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. She had no rightful place among the elite, no reason to be at the center of attention. Yet, something deep inside her refused to move away. She couldn't shake the feeling that this night would change everything.

The moment the first tendrils of power swept over the pack grounds, silence fell.

It was unlike anything she had ever felt before—raw dominance, thick and suffocating, sending shivers down her spine. Every wolf instinctively bowed their heads, their bodies submitting to the overwhelming force of an Alpha unlike any other.

The Alpha King had arrived.

Selene’s breath hitched as she caught sight of him. Emerging from the darkness atop his massive black wolf, Darius radiated power. His beast was larger than any wolf she had ever seen, its thick fur shimmering under the moonlight like obsidian steel. But it was his eyes that captivated her—golden, sharp, filled with something ancient and untamed.

He shifted in a fluid motion, his human form just as commanding. Tall and broad-shouldered, his muscles rippled beneath the dark tunic that clung to him. A strong jawline, high cheekbones, and tousled raven-black hair only made him more devastatingly striking.

But what sent her pulse into chaos was the sudden, undeniable pull in her chest.

A scent—intoxicating, deep, familiar yet foreign—wrapped around her like a whisper of fate. Her heart pounded so hard she swore the wolves around her could hear it.

Mate.

Her wolf stirred violently inside her, howling in recognition.

Darius inhaled sharply, his sharp gaze sweeping across the gathered wolves. For a fleeting second, his golden eyes locked onto hers. The world around them blurred, fading into the background.

His pupils dilated. His fingers twitched.

He felt it too.

Selene took a trembling step forward, her entire being drawn toward him as if by an invisible force. This was it. The moment she had never dared to hope for. The Moon Goddess had chosen her—an Omega—as the mate of the most powerful Alpha in existence.

But just as she opened her mouth to speak, a presence sliced through the moment like a blade.

"Lilith," someone whispered.

Selene turned, confusion twisting in her gut.

Lilith was moving.

Dressed in a crimson gown that draped elegantly over her curves, she glided forward with calculated grace, her golden hair cascading over her shoulders like molten sunlight. There was something strange about her movement, something almost rehearsed.

Selene frowned, the hairs on the back of her neck rising.

Then, in a moment that shattered her world, Darius’s gaze snapped to Lilith—and everything changed.

His golden eyes darkened with raw possessiveness, his jaw tightening. The shift in his expression was subtle but unmistakable.

He inhaled again, his shoulders tensing, his entire body drawn toward her.

And then, in a voice that sealed Selene’s fate, he spoke.

"Mate."

The word was final. Absolute.

Selene’s vision swam.

No.

No, this wasn’t right.

A chorus of gasps erupted through the courtyard as the pack erupted in celebration. The Alpha King had found his Luna.

Selene’s breath hitched as she watched Lilith lower her gaze in perfect submission, tilting her head to expose her neck. It was an instinctive gesture—a wolf accepting the bond.

A cruel smile played at the edges of Lilith’s lips as Darius stepped forward, his fingers brushing over her jaw.

Selene swayed on her feet, a cold fist closing around her heart.

How?

She still felt the bond. Still felt the undeniable connection thrumming between herself and the Alpha King.

It should be her.

It was supposed to be her.

Then, like a strike of lightning, the realization hit her.

Lilith had done something.

Selene’s mind raced through every lesson, every ancient text she had studied in the infirmary. She had read about rare, forbidden potions—ones that could mask a wolf’s true scent and make another wolf believe they were mates. Such magic was dangerous, outlawed by the Elders long ago.

Lilith had stolen her scent.

The air around Selene grew suffocating, the first tendrils of rejection settling into her chest. A sharp, gut-wrenching pain tore through her ribs, as if an invisible blade was carving into her soul.

Her mate—her mate—had chosen another.

Darius’s gaze never once returned to her. His golden eyes were locked on Lilith, the bond pulling him in the wrong direction. A bond that should have been hers.

Selene’s fingers trembled at her sides. She felt sick.

Lilith turned slightly, just enough for her gaze to meet Selene’s.

And in those icy blue depths, Selene saw it—the truth.

Lilith knew exactly what she had done.

And she was reveling in it.

A slow, taunting smile curled on her lips, barely noticeable to anyone else. But Selene saw it. She felt it like a dagger buried deep in her chest.

Lilith had taken everything from her.

Selene’s wolf thrashed inside her, clawing at her ribs, desperate to correct the wrong, desperate to claim what was hers.

But it was too late.

Darius had made his choice—one he didn’t even realize wasn’t his to make.

The sound of cheers and applause blurred into nothing as Selene took a staggering step back, her vision tunneling. The pain was unbearable, but she refused to let them see her break.

Not here. Not now.

Lilith had won.

But as Selene turned and disappeared into the shadows, one thought burned in her mind.

This was not over.

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