Chapter 2 1443 Words "You're here, Elaine. Please, take a seat," Alpha Efrein said, his voice calm but carrying the weight of authority that made the air feel heavier. "We have something to tell you." "Me too, Uncle. I have something to share to everyone." Elaine's voice carried an eager warmth, her words accompanied by a bright smile that naturally found its way to her lips. Her eyes, however, were drawn to Michael. For a moment, their gazes met. She expected him to smile back, to mirror her joy, but instead she caught something else flickering in his expression. His jaw tightened, and there was a shadow in his eyes-something like guilt, maybe even regret. Before she could be certain, he quickly looked away, leaving her with a faint sting of confusion. Still, her happiness would not be dimmed, not tonight. Elaine felt like she was glowing, every part of her radiating joy. The bond she discovered last night had filled her heart to the brim. Her fated mate was Michael, the future Alpha of the Silverblade Pack. The man she had known her entire life now tied to her by the Moon Goddess herself. The thought alone sent a shiver of pride and excitement through her. She wanted nothing more than to shout it to the world. She had awakened that morning with her heart lighter than ever before. Her wolf purred with satisfaction, their bond whispering promises of a future filled with strength, love, and unity. For the first time, she felt whole. Even though she had woken alone, Michael's absence in her bed did not trouble her. She understood his role carried countless responsibilities. Perhaps he was preparing for the changes their bond would bring. He had not marked her yet, but she brushed it aside with understanding. Surely, he was waiting for the right moment-waiting for their official mating ceremony. That was the kind of man Michael was-responsible, patient, and honorable. Or so she believed. As Elaine made her way through the pack house earlier that day, her heart had nearly burst with joy. Wolves she passed congratulated her warmly, smiles lighting their faces. Everyone had seen it the night before at the welcome-back celebration. How her wolf had leapt with recognition, how their bond had sparked in the air. It had been undeniable. "Congratulations, Elaine!" One pack sister had said, hugging her tightly. "You'll make a perfect Luna!" Another had whispered with admiration. Elaine had accepted each word with gratitude, her chest swelling with determination. Every blessing, every smile, every pat on her shoulder solidified the promise she had quietly made to herself: she would be the Luna this pack deserved. She would stand beside Michael, supporting him as Alpha, and serve Silverblade with all her strength. Now, sitting in the Alpha's office with her family and her destined mate, she was ready to share her joy officially. She could hardly wait for the words to leave her lips, to declare that the Moon Goddess had bound her fate to Michael's. The only thing dimming the moment was that strange look in his eyes, but she told herself it was nothing. Soon, he would smile. Soon, everything would fall perfectly into place. "Elaine," Alpha Efrein's voice was steady, but there was a heaviness to it, the kind that pressed against the walls of the room. His gaze lingered on her, almost apologetic. "We need to discuss what happened last night. We cannot approve your mating with Michael." Elaine blinked, her breath catching in her throat. For a moment, she thought she had misheard him. "What... what do you mean? Cannot approve?" Her voice cracked with disbelief, confusion spilling into every word. "He is my Goddess-given mate-my fated mate! Nothing has to be approved." Her eyes darted desperately to her parents, searching for comfort, for reassurance, for anything that would make sense of this nightmare. But her father's face was grim, her mother's gaze heavy with sorrow. They would not protect her. Panic began to crawl its way up her chest. She turned to her sister, then to Michael. Her mate, the man who was supposed to be hers. Neither of them could meet her eyes. Michael's jaw was tight, his shoulders stiff, while Kathy stared down at her lap, guilt radiating from her trembling hands. "What is going on?" Elaine whispered, her voice trembling as the weight of the room crushed her. It was Alpha Efrein who answered, his tone measured but unyielding. "Elaine, Kathy is pregnant with the future Alpha. She has been training for years to be the Luna of this pack. She and Michael chose each other long ago, as chosen mates." His words fell like stones, each one shattering Elaine's fragile hope. "You know our law. If the future Alpha does not find his fated mate before his thirtieth birthday, he is allowed to choose a Luna. Michael made his choice." Elaine's breath came fast, her chest heaving. "But... but he found me!" Her voice rose, sharp and broken. "I am his mate!" She stood, her hands clenching into fists as her wolf howled inside her chest. Her words were met with silence. No one moved. No one spoke. The truth hung in the air like a cruel noose. "No one knows that Kathy has been training to be Luna," Elaine pressed on, desperation tightening her throat. "No one in this pack thought Michael already had a chosen mate. You hid it. You kept it from me!" Efrein's face was grave. "We kept it a secret in case Michael found his fated mate. But Kathy is already with child. We cannot allow the next Alpha to be born illegitimate. This decision has already been made." It was her father who spoke next, his voice low but firm, each word another betrayal. "Elaine... this is the way it must be. The future of the pack cannot be compromised. Kathy will be Luna." Elaine's world cracked. Every face in the room blurred as her eyes burned with tears she refused to let fall. They had all chosen. Her parents. Her Alpha and Luna. Her sister. Even him. She was utterly, devastatingly alone. "Sister-" Kathy's voice was small, trembling as she tried to speak. But she stopped the moment she saw Elaine's face. The fury. The heartbreak. The silent demand: Do not speak to me. Elaine's head snapped toward Michael, her voice breaking with equal parts love and rage. "And what are your thoughts on this, mate?" Michael finally looked at her, his eyes hard though his voice softened with regret. "I know this is painful for you. But I cannot let my heir be born illegitimate. I have to think of the pack." Elaine's chest ached so fiercely she thought it might split. "You can claim your son or daughter as yours," she said, her voice trembling with desperation. "You don't have to do this. You don't have to throw me away." The words she wanted to say-reject me, end us-burned on her tongue, but she bit them back, terrified that once spoken, they would become irrevocable truth. Michael's jaw tightened. "Kathy has been preparing for this role for years. She's trained to be Luna, and-" "I can train!" Elaine cut him off sharply, her voice rising in a cry that cracked the silence. "I can learn, I can work harder than anyone. I can put in the hours, the sacrifice. Don't say I can't." But Michael's face only hardened with finality. He shook his head slowly. "I'm sorry, Elaine. I cannot abandon Kathy. She will be my Luna. It is the best choice for the pack." "The best," Elaine repeated, her voice hollow, breaking. Just this morning, she had woken with joy in her heart, dreaming of being the best-the best Luna, the best mate, the best support for Michael. She had pictured a future where she was loved and honored, standing at his side. But now, she realized, there was already someone else on that throne. Someone who had taken her place long before she even knew it. The room spun around her, the voices of her family nothing but distant echoes. Betrayal cut into her deeper than any blade could. Her whole world had collapsed.