19 Times Postponed Mating Ceremony, the Alpha Lost His LunaChapter 1
On the day of my nineteenth Moonbinding Ceremony with Draven, future Alpha of the Blackspire Pack, my grandmother collapsed—struck down by a sudden heart failure during a surge of moon energy.
My mate's first moon mate—Myrielle, desperate to prove herself as the youngest Heartmender in the kingdom—slipped into the healing chamber without reporting to the Elders.
But the treatment failed. My grandmother didn’t wake up after that.
When my father knelt at the gates of the Moonspire healer-sanctum, begging the High Healers for justice, masked wolves dragged him into the shadows, shoved a hood over his head and beat him until both his legs shattered.
Anger overwhelmed me. I headed to the Moon Guard outpost to report Myrielle, but on the way, Draven’s wolf-drawn carriage hit me hard.
My ribs snapped. Bones splintered. I was rushed into the Main Healer chamber, half-conscious, icy moonlight flickering above me.
As the healers pushed my bed down the stone passageway, I heard one of Draven’s pack brothers murmur casually,
“First, the ceremonial den burns down. Now her grandmother’s ‘accident.’ Draven, how many excuses do you need to delay the Moonbinding again?”
A tremor ran through me. My blood turned to frost.
Then I heard Draven’s calm voice—the same Alpha who once swore under the full moon that he’d love me for eternity.
“There won’t be another delay.”
“Wait,” his friend lowered his voice, “you’re really going through with bonding yourself to her? What about your little first moon mate sweetheart?”
Draven’s tone softened—a softness that sliced me open like a claw.
“During the three darkest cycles of my life, Lunessa stayed by my side. I vowed to repay that loyalty.”
“But after returning to the Blackspire Pack and meeting Myrielle again… she’s the she-wolf I always thought would stand beside me. That kind of love doesn’t disappear.”
He exhaled. “Nineteen postponed ceremonies already… that was my selfishness. If Lunessa just behaves and lets the charges against Myrielle go, I’ll fulfill my promise to her.”
I couldn’t breathe.
So this was what lay beneath every delay.
I had once believed fate was simply cruel, that the Moon Goddess had tested us.
The first ceremony—canceled after Myrielle’s moon-beast attacked me, I was taken to the healing chamber.