The Alpha's MistakeChapter 1: Lone Mating Ceremony
It was the night of the full moon, and my mating ceremony had finally arrived. My once simple dress now shimmered with the moon's glow, and my reflection in the mirror revealed eyes that gleamed with anticipation as I awaited my groom, Trent Ford. But he never came as the hours passed and the moon rose higher. I howled into the night, the unanswered calls echoing in the darkness.
I had waited so long, my heart pounding not just with excitement but with the primal energy coursing through my veins. By the time the sun began to rise, I had become a joke among the pack, my mother’s lifeless body a silent testament to the tragedy of the night. Her heart, already weakened, couldn’t bear the shame, and she passed away that very night.
As the pack whispered and the dawn’s light crept over the horizon, a post from Trent’s first love, Winona Lei, appeared. "You are always there for me when I'm down. It's so great to have you!" The image was intimate, their faces close, and their bodies touching. Trembling with rage, I took a screenshot and sent it to Trent. "Is this why you missed our wedding?"
But it wasn’t until my mother’s ashes were buried that he finally responded, his words dripping with cold indifference. "We can get married any day, but she can't live without me."
Instead of texting back, I left my last message through the mind-link. "Trent, let's take a break." With that, I blocked him, severing the last tie between us.
For seven years, I had chased him, loved him, and molded myself to his desires, my inner wolf growling in dissatisfaction. When he said he liked short hair, I sheared my wild mane without hesitation. When he complained about my size, I starved myself, denying my natural hunger even as my strength waned. When I needed him most, I faced the pain of transformation alone, fearing he’d find me weak or, worse, needy.
But Winona’s presence was a constant thorn in my side. No matter what I did, he would always be by her side, telling me, "You're strong, Niana. You don't need me like she does." My strength, once a source of pride, became the excuse he used to abandon me every time, over and over again.