DARIUS' POV
My wolf was screaming.
Not howling. Not whimpering. Screaming like someone was ripping him apart from the inside.
I stood on stage with Marina's hand in mine, smiling at the crowd, announcing our engagement. But every word tasted like poison because I couldn't stop looking at her.
Sera.
She sat in the back, wearing a silver dress that made her look like moonlight. Her face was blank. Cold. Empty.
That emptiness terrified me more than anything.
*She doesn't care anymore,* my wolf whimpered. *We lost her. We lost our mate.*
"I'm the luckiest Alpha alive," I forced myself to say, squeezing Marina's hand. "Marina will make the perfect Luna for our pack."
The crowd cheered. I wanted to throw up.
Because six years ago, I'd said similar words about Sera. I'd claimed her as my mate in front of everyone. Promised to love her forever. Then three months later, I rejected her for politics.
*"You're not worthy enough, Sera."*
The words haunted me every single day.
I'd been young. Stupid. My father convinced me that love didn't matter—only power did. Sera was just a minor pack member with no family connections. Marina's father controlled three allied packs.
The choice seemed obvious.
So I rejected my true mate and chose political gain.
My wolf never forgave me.
And neither did my body.
Alpha power came from the mate bond. When I rejected Sera, I broke something inside myself. My strength started fading. My commands became weaker. Other Alphas challenged me more often.
I was dying slowly, and everyone knew it.
Marina didn't love me. She wanted the title. I didn't love her either. I loved—
Sera's champagne glass shattered in her hand.
I saw it happen even from the stage. Blood dripped onto her dress. She didn't even flinch.
*Go to her,* my wolf begged. *Our mate is hurt.*
But I couldn't. Not yet. Not until I broke this stupid engagement and won her back properly.
I'd been trying for months. Sending flowers. Writing letters. Showing up at her house to apologize. Begging for a second chance.
She never responded. Just stared at me with those cold violet eyes like I was a stranger.
The girl I rejected six years ago would've cried. Would've taken me back instantly.
This Sera? She looked at me like I was nothing.
It was terrifying. And somehow, that made me want her even more.
"Darius?" Marina whispered beside me. "You're gripping my hand too hard."
I loosened my hold, forcing another fake smile.
My brother Matthias stood near the stage, smirking at Sera. That smirk made my blood boil. He'd claimed her after I rejected her, pretended to love her, then used her for experiments on Omega blood.
When I found out, I nearly killed him.
But the damage was done. Sera had been hurt twice by my family.
Then Lucian Ashenfang got his claws into her. The enemy Alpha trained her, made her fall for him, then rejected her too.
Three rejections. My beautiful, strong mate had survived three rejections.
And somehow, she was still standing.
Still breathing.
Still the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen.
"You should leave," I heard someone whisper to Sera. "Everyone's staring."
My hands clenched into fists. Let them stare. Let them see what their Alpha threw away like trash.
I was going to fix this. Tonight. I'd planned everything.
After the engagement announcement, I'd call it off. Publicly. I'd tell everyone that Sera was my true mate and I'd been a fool. I'd beg her to take me back in front of the whole pack.
She'd have to say yes. The mate bond couldn't be denied forever.
Marina leaned in to kiss me—part of the show. I let her, but my eyes stayed on Sera.
Her face didn't change. Didn't show jealousy or pain or anything.
That's when fear really hit me.
What if I'd waited too long? What if she'd moved on completely?
*No,* my wolf snarled. *She's ours. We'll make her remember.*
The kiss ended. The crowd cheered louder.
Then Sera stood up.
Her chair scraped against the floor—a sharp, violent sound that cut through all the noise.
Everyone went silent.
Three hundred wolves turned to look at her.
My heart stopped.
No. What was she doing?
Sera walked toward the stage. Each step was confident, powerful. This wasn't the broken girl I'd rejected. This was someone new. Someone dangerous.
My wolf whimpered in fear and hope.
"Sera?" I said, breaking away from Marina. "What are you—"
"I have an announcement," she said. Her voice rang through the hall, clear and strong.
Dread filled my stomach like ice water.
Elder Raymond tried to stop her. "Miss Nightwillow, this isn't the time—"
"It's the perfect time," Sera interrupted, and the look in her eyes made my blood run cold. "You're all here. Witnesses matter for what I'm about to do."
No. No, no, no.
I stepped toward her, trying to look concerned instead of panicked. "Sera, please don't make a scene. I know this is hard for you, but—"
She turned those violet eyes on me, and I saw nothing but ice.
"Hard for me?" She laughed, and the sound was wild. Broken. Beautiful and terrible at the same time.
My wolf howled.
This was it.
This was the moment everything fell apart.
And I was completely powerless to stop it.