Chapter 3: The Night of Betrayal

Chapter 3: The Night of Betrayal

The moon hung high above Silverfang Pack's massive stone castle, its pale light filtering through the tall windows of the great hall. Inside, the atmosphere was electric, the air thick with excitement and the scent of anticipation. The pack members, all dressed in their finest, gathered in circles, whispering eagerly about the arrival of the Alpha King and his new Luna. The celebration was grand, as it should be for the pack's most powerful Alpha.

But for Selene, the night had turned to a nightmare.

She stood at the back of the hall, as far away from the center of attention as possible. Her eyes burned with unshed tears, but she refused to let them fall. She couldn’t. Not here, not in front of them. Not when she was already a broken shell of herself.

The Alpha King, Darius, stood beside Lilith, his arm wrapped possessively around her waist. Lilith beamed, a false aura of warmth radiating from her as she basked in the glory of her stolen position. She was everything an Alpha’s mate should be—beautiful, poised, and adored. And she had stolen Selene’s birthright.

The pain of the rejection still clawed at Selene’s heart, but it wasn’t just the bond that had been ripped away—it was the humiliation. She had watched the pack’s reaction with sinking horror. No one had questioned Darius's choice, no one had dared to glance at Selene as if she mattered. She was a forgotten shadow in her own pack.

Lilith laughed brightly, her voice high and melodic as she spoke with Darius. The sound of her laughter rang in Selene's ears like a cruel mockery.

"Selene," a voice called out, cutting through the din of conversation. Selene turned to find Lilith’s smug smile awaiting her, her blue eyes flashing with cruel delight.

Darius’s attention was drawn to Lilith, but Selene could feel his eyes flicker over to her once more, a brief moment of confusion in his gaze. He didn't know why it felt wrong, why something inside him screamed that he was making a mistake. He looked away too quickly, the bond still clouding his judgment.

"Why don't you come closer, Selene?" Lilith said, her tone dripping with condescension. "It’s such a pity that you weren’t invited to join us at the front of the hall. You must be lonely all the way back here, watching your Alpha mate with someone else."

The words stung like a thousand needles, but Selene didn't flinch. Instead, she lifted her chin, holding her ground. "I’m fine where I am," she replied, her voice cold but steady.

Lilith's smile widened, clearly enjoying the discomfort she was causing. "Oh, I’m sure you are. After all, a discarded Omega has little reason to concern herself with the affairs of the pack, does she?"

A wave of laughter rippled through the crowd at Lilith’s words, some of the pack members openly sneering in Selene’s direction. Their eyes were filled with judgment and pity—pity for the broken Omega who could never be the Alpha's mate.

But Selene wasn’t broken. Not yet.

A deep, dark part of her wanted to scream. To expose Lilith’s treachery for all to see, to claw her way to the front of the hall and demand Darius’s attention. But she knew it wouldn’t matter. Not now. Lilith had already sealed her place beside the Alpha King. And Selene? She was just an afterthought, a discarded pawn in a game she hadn’t even been invited to play.

"Please, don’t be shy," Lilith continued, her voice sweet as sugar. "Come closer. See what it’s like to stand next to the Alpha King. To be his Luna. To feel the power you’ll never have."

The humiliation burned in Selene’s chest, but she swallowed it down. She refused to let Lilith see how much her words had cut, how much her laughter had stung. Instead, she stood tall, even as the weight of her pack’s scorn pressed down on her like a thousand stones.

"You're pathetic," Lilith whispered harshly, just loud enough for Selene to hear. "I never even wanted you near him. But I took your place without a second thought. You’re nothing."

The venom in Lilith’s voice made Selene’s blood run cold. But there was something else in her words—something darker. Something that whispered of envy, of insecurity masked by cruelty.

"You think you’ve won?" Selene said softly, her words a deliberate challenge.

Lilith’s eyes narrowed, her smile faltering for a fraction of a second. "What are you talking about?" she scoffed, but her voice had lost its confidence.

"I’m not finished," Selene said, the words escaping before she could stop them. Her voice wasn’t loud, but it was firm. Determined.

For the first time in what felt like forever, Selene felt the faintest stir of something inside her. Not just pain, not just despair—but something far more dangerous: determination.

As Lilith turned away with a haughty laugh, Selene let the spark grow, pushing back the overwhelming sadness that had nearly drowned her in the days following her rejection. It wasn’t over. Not yet.

Darius didn’t know what he had lost. Not yet.

The realization was clear now—Lilith had stolen her scent, yes, but it was more than that. She had stolen her mate. Her future. But the Moon Goddess had not given up on her. The bond may have been clouded, but it wasn’t gone.

A quiet resolve settled in her chest, steadying her breath.

"Not yet," Selene repeated softly under her breath, her eyes hardening as she turned away from the festivities.

She would reclaim her power. She would return stronger than ever.

The night was far from over.

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