The Alpha's Stolen Mate And Her Hidden Destiny

Ellery POV:

Everyone in the ballroom thought I was the luckiest woman alive.

I was engaged to Jagger Stone-the future Alpha of the Stone Pack, the man every she-wolf dreamed of standing beside.

In less than thirty minutes, I'd overhear a conversation that would prove our entire relationship had been nothing more than a carefully crafted lie.

I just didn't know it yet.

The champagne flute felt cold against my fingers as I stood beneath the glittering crystal chandeliers of the Stone Pack's annual charity gala. Around me, expensive gowns swirled across the ballroom while laughter and music filled the air. Every powerful Alpha and elegant she-wolf looked perfectly at home.

I was the only human in the room.

A wolfless woman surrounded by wolves.

"Ellery, darling, your necklace is simply divine."

I forced a smile for one of the pack elders. "Thank you, Beatrice." My fingers instinctively brushed the moonstone at my throat, the piece I had designed myself. Jagger had traveled across three territories to find the perfect moonstone for it, telling me nothing in the world was too precious if it belonged to me. Its cool surface had always reminded me of his promise.

I needed to find Jagger-my fiancé, the one person who had always encouraged my jewelry designs, who never failed to notice the smallest details everyone else overlooked. More than the man I loved, he had always been the person who made me believe my talent mattered. I couldn't wait to show him the latest revision of my new collection.

I couldn't find him inside the ballroom, so I headed toward the terrace, where I caught the familiar scent of cedar and juniper that always announced his presence before I saw him.

The terrace doors were open, letting in the cool night air. The music from the ballroom faded behind me.

Two figures stood by the marble balustrade, their silhouettes dark against the city lights. Jagger and his best friend, Pierce Montgomery. Smoke curled from their cigarettes.

I was about to step forward, a greeting on my lips.

Then I heard Jagger's voice, laced with a contempt so sharp it stopped my breath.

"I'm so sick of playing the perfect fiancé."

My feet froze. I shrank back, the heavy velvet curtain concealing me completely. My heart began a frantic, painful rhythm against my ribs.

Pierce sighed. "It's a family arrangement, man. To solidify the alliance with his father's side of the family."

A cold, humorless laugh from Jagger. "With a wolfless. She can't even smell my moods, Pierce. Being with her is like holding a cold stone."

A gasp caught in my throat. I pressed my hand hard against my mouth, my own breath hot and suffocating. The champagne flute trembled in my other hand.

"And she's so damn fake," Jagger continued, his voice dripping with disgust. "Everyone remembers what happened during that Rogue attack. Kaitlyn ended up with claw marks across her wrist while Ellery came back without so much as a scratch anyone could see. She claimed everything happened too fast, but I know what I saw."

He let out a contemptuous laugh. "If she hadn't panicked and run, Kaitlyn would never have been hurt by that Rogue."

Kaitlyn.

The name was a physical blow. My nails dug into the soft skin of my palm.

"You're still on that? I thought Kaitlyn was back in the picture," Pierce said.

"Of course she is," Jagger's voice softened, a tone I hadn't heard from him in years. "She's the one who should be by my side. A real she-wolf."

He crushed his cigarette out on the balustrade. "This engagement has to end. As soon as my father's project is finalized, I don't want to see Ellery Simon's face for another day."

The music, the laughter, the entire glittering party became a distant, mocking noise.

I didn't storm out. I didn't scream.

Like a ghost, I backed away, step by silent step, melting back into the ballroom's golden light.

My face was a perfect, placid mask.

"Ellery, there you are! That necklace is just stunning."

I smiled at the pack matriarch who had stopped me. "Thank you. It's an old design. I'll have a new collection out soon."

Then I saw them. Jagger and Pierce were walking back in from the terrace.

Jagger's eyes found mine. A flash of impatience crossed his face before it was replaced by a practiced, possessive smile. He started toward me.

He reached for my waist, his standard public display of affection.

I turned, just slightly, as if to accept a fresh glass of champagne from a passing waiter. His arm closed on empty air.

His brow furrowed in confusion.

I raised my new glass to him. My smile was brilliant. My eyes were frozen lakes.

"Jagger. I hope you enjoy the rest of your evening."

Without waiting for a reply, I turned and walked away, disappearing into a cluster of guests.

I could feel his irritated gaze on my back. A flicker of satisfaction moved through the ice in my veins. The feeling of control was gone, and he didn't like it.

The ride back to the penthouse we were supposed to share was silent and suffocating.

I walked straight into the master bathroom and stared at my reflection. The smile was gone. All that remained was a chilling, absolute clarity.

My fingers went to my neck.

I unclasped the moonstone necklace.

The moonstone Jagger had searched so hard to find gleamed softly in my palm. Once, I had believed it was proof of love. Now I knew it had only been another prop in his performance.

Without another moment of hesitation, I hurled the necklace onto the marble floor.

The moonstone shattered with a sharp crack, fragments scattering across the white stone like the remains of everything I had believed in.