Scars Of Betrayal: Watch Me Shine

Serena's POV:

Inside the grand hall of the Silver Moon Pack, the crystal chandeliers radiated a dazzling brilliance. Tonight was the eve of my mating ceremony, the day I was to forge a sacred bond with Caleb.

However, as I walked toward the head table, my footsteps faltered.

High Beta Wendy was sitting in my seat, the seat that symbolized the absolute authority of the Alpha's mate. She was leaning extremely close to Caleb, their shoulders almost touching.

They were looking down at a blueprint, secretly discussing something. "Rogue King forces are gathering, and the Royal Bureau is pressing us hard for a security audit. Caleb, we need to allocate more funds to my laboratory, and I need full access clearance."

I took a deep breath, stepped forward, and forced a polite smile. "Wendy, the herald is about to announce the ceremony preparations. You are sitting in my seat."

Wendy did not even spare me a glance. Suddenly, the air around us became thick and heavy. It was her Beta aura-a low, oppressive pressure meant to make lower-ranking wolves instinctively submit.

My knees went weak, and she took the opportunity to grab my wrist. "We are discussing the integrity of the pack's defenses, Serena."

Caleb looked up. His scent, usually a soothing aroma of a winter pine forest, was now sharp and piercing. He caught a glimpse of Wendy's nails digging into my wrist, but quickly averted his eyes.

"Do not interrupt us, Serena."

He gestured with his chin toward the other end of the hall. "Go sit with the other Omegas. You know nothing about royal audits."

My heart turned ice-cold. I looked around; dozens of high-ranking warriors were watching us, their eyes filled with cold, mocking disdain.

In their eyes, a powerless Omega like me was only fit for breeding and cleaning, even if I was the fated mate blessed by the Moon Goddess.

I swallowed the metallic taste of blood in my throat, turned around, pushed open the heavy oak doors, and walked out into the freezing night.

"Serena, where the hell did you go? The elders are about to speak." The moment I stepped outside, Caleb's impatient voice echoed in my mind through our mind link.

I closed my eyes and erected a mental wall, completely blocking him out.

This was the first time I had unilaterally severed our connection. Walking back to the penthouse apartment we shared, my heart grew as cold as the winter wind. Deep down, I made a silent promise to myself: Tomorrow, there will be no mating ceremony.

At eleven o'clock late that night, the penthouse door was finally pushed open. Caleb walked in, his expensive suit slightly wrinkled, lingering with Wendy's nauseating perfume.

His face was cold and stern. "You dared to throw a tantrum over a chair? And even block my mind link? An Omega blocking her Alpha is an act of rebellion! Your behavior just now made me look incredibly weak in front of everyone."

I sat on the sofa. "You let a Beta disrespect your mate in public."

"Wendy is a genius with the defense matrix. If the borders are breached, she is the only one who can ensure the pack's safety. You can't even shift, so you have no capacity to understand the pressure of protecting a territory, yet you made her lose face in front of the elders!"

I stood up, my hands trembling slightly, but my voice was unusually steady. "If I bring you so much humiliation, then cancel the ceremony."

Caleb froze, a flash of shock in his eyes. Before he could speak, the electronic lock on the apartment door beeped. Wendy walked in carrying a stack of glowing rune scrolls, using the highest-security passcode known only to the Alpha and the Luna.

"I hope I'm not interrupting you two."

Caleb immediately shifted his entire attention to her. "Giving you the passcode is more efficient. Let's go to the study and run the offline simulations." He did not even look at me as the two of them walked straight into the study.

The wooden door slammed shut and locked. A moment later, the door opened a crack, and Caleb poked his head out, issuing a cold command. "Go brew a bowl of Moon-grass spirit soup. Low heat, twenty minutes, not a second more."

His tone was like ordering around a newly hired servant. I stared at that door, wondering why I should ever bind my soul to someone who treated me like dirt.