Chapter 2
Yosef had been with Lorelai again, absent from the pack for days.
Atlas, my packmate, told me they were now living together.
It was as if I didn’t exist as his mate.
In the past, whenever we argued, he would stare at me with that cold, unyielding expression, watching me crumble beneath him, tears streaming down my face.
He always thought he had me under his control.
But now that I’ve been given a second chance, I’m not about to waste it on something as fleeting as love.
I returned to the Silver Moon Pack, memories flooding back of the day Yosef brought me to Alpha Ernesto.
I had been terrified, afraid I wouldn’t be accepted into the pack, that I’d never rise above my rogue origins.
It was Yosef who reassured me, telling me Alpha Ernesto was a fair and understanding leader.
He understood my fears and accepted my flaws.
“Ariella, you’re one of us now,” he had said, his voice steady and comforting.
He took my hand and introduced me to the pack elders, guiding me through the ranks. He even helped me choose my first set of claws during training.
For the first time, I had a place where I belonged, a name that wasn’t tainted by my past.
When I pushed myself too hard during training and injured myself, Yosef snuck into the healing chambers to tend to my wounds. It was during those moments that I felt our bond grow stronger.
Under the moonlight, he gently brushed his fingers against my cheek.
“Ariella, will you be my mate? Will you stand by my side as my Luna?”
I hesitated, my heart pounding, but I couldn’t find the words to respond.
I wanted to say yes.
And so, under the moon’s watchful gaze, we completed the mark ceremony.
But if I had known then that his heart still belonged to Lorelai, I would have never agreed.
Not long after our marking, Yosef stopped coming home. It wasn’t until Lorelai was injured during a pack run and presumed dead that he finally showed me kindness again.
I thought I had finally won him over, that we could start anew.
But I was wrong. He was only using me as a replacement for her.
When we were together, he insisted I call him “Alpha” rather than his name. Even during our most intimate moments, he would cover my face with a veil, his tenderness always meant for Lorelai, not me.
It was all just my foolish hope.
As I walked through the pack’s main hall, I saw them under the oak tree.
Lorelai, dressed in white, leaned gently to smell the flowers. Yosef stood beside her, his presence as commanding as ever, plucking a blossom and tucking it into her hair.
They looked like the perfect pair, as if the Moon Goddess herself had blessed their union.
Yosef turned suddenly, his eyes meeting mine. He froze, caught off guard.
Lorelai adjusted the flower in her hair and walked toward me, her smile sweet but laced with mockery.
“Ariella, you’re here already? Alpha was just saying you’d come crawling back to him soon.”
Yosef let the petals in his hand fall to the ground as he approached me. His smile faded, replaced by a deep frown.
“What are you doing here? Don’t think an apology will make me return to you.”
The way he assumed I’d come begging made my stomach churn.
“Alpha Ernesto called for me.”
Yosef didn’t believe me, convinced I was only here for him.
“Fine,” he said, reaching for my hand.
“If you’re using Alpha Ernesto as an excuse, I suppose I have no choice but to return. Otherwise, he’ll have my head tomorrow.”
I yanked my hand away, wiping it with a handkerchief.
“Stop flattering yourself.”
I turned and continued toward Alpha Ernesto’s office, putting distance between us.
But before I could take another step, Yosef’s Alpha aura surged, and I stumbled, falling to the ground.
Old injuries flared, and I coughed up blood.
Yosef rushed to my side, pulling me into his arms.
“Ariella, I didn’t mean to hurt you. I just wanted to stop you.”
“Let’s go to the healing chambers. I’ll take care of you.”
The pain left me speechless, my body trembling as he lifted me into his arms.
But as he took a step, Lorelai let out a pained cry.
He set me down on the ground and turned to her.
“Lorelai, what’s wrong?”
She clutched her chest, her face pale.
“Alpha, it’s nothing. Just my old heart condition acting up again.”
Hearing this, Yosef immediately focused on her, his concern palpable.
“Are you alright?”
They stood there, wrapped in each other, as if I didn’t exist.
I knew then that Yosef wouldn’t come back for me.
He glanced at me briefly, as if weighing his options.
In that moment, he chose her.
He scooped Lorelai into his arms and hurried away, his voice carried back to me by the wind.
“Stay here, Ariella. I’ll come back for you once I’ve taken care of Lorelai.”
Clutching my chest, I pulled out my phone and called Atlas.
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