Chapter 4
Chapter 4
(Lily’s POV)
“I have chosen Celeste as my mate and future Queen of the realm.”
I clutched at my chest, trying to hold back the searing pain that burned within me. My breath hitched as everything blurred; the shining chandeliers, the expensive gowns, tuxedos, the sea of smiling faces.
All I could see clearly was Zion, standing tall beside Celeste, his hand resting on her waist as his lips curled in a smile that was meant for me.
My wolf and demon were broken, Ravena whimpered, curling up, while Vaelith seethed in cold silence.
The pain. It was unbearable. My mate the one I had just given my body and soul to, had betrayed me in the worst way possible.
Loud applause erupted around me. People cheered, celebrating Zion and Celeste
That should’ve been me. Us
Queen Eden smiled warmly, and King Eros nodded in approval. Zelda had an unreadable expression, but she didn’t object. No one did.
I swayed on my feet as the world tilted. My heart pounded painfully in my chest. I wanted to scream, to run, to tear down this entire ballroom everyone could feel even an ounce of what I was feeling, but before I could move, a gentle hand touched my arm
“Lily” Queen Eden’s soft voice cut through the noise. Her kind eyes searched my face, and for a moment, it was like I was a child again, safe in her warmth. “What’s wrong, dear? Are you feeling unwell!”
my mouth to speak when Zion quickly interrupted me, “It’s her mate,” he said coldly. “Lucien. He upset her
I opened my
A stunned silence fell over the room.
What?
I blinked in confusion. Lucien?
Lucien, who was standing beside Kade from across the ballroom and sipping his wine, choked and spat it out. His golden eyes widened in shock. “Excuse me?”
Zion didn’t flinch. His grip on Celeste tightened, but his gaze remained locked on me. “She found out that Lucien was her mate,” he continued smoothly. “And I guess it wasn’t what she expected.”
Gasps rippled through the crowd, and whispers began instantly.
I turned to Lucien in horror. His eyes flicked between Zion and me, then he exhaled sharply.
“Well,” he forced a chuckle, straightening his golden cuffs, “that’s certainly surprising.”
lis words were light, but I saw the flash of something dark in his eyes. He wasn’t a fool. He knew exactly what was happening.
And so did I
Zion had just pinned me to another man, his own friend. He was using Lucien as a shield to hide what we had done, to hide me.
My lungs burned, and my hands trembled at my sides
I couldn’t let this happen.
† parted my lips so deny it, to tell the truth, but Zion stepped even closer. His fingers brushed my wrist so lightly it could have been accidental.
voire was low and deadly. “Go with it. Lily,” he murmured, “or I’ll completely reject our bond”
A sharp blade sled through my
Rejection
the aras of people.
The word alone made my beasts recud in agony.
1/3
11:14 AM ₫ ɖ ·
Chapter 4
I imagined it; Zion standing before me to speak the words that would sever our bond forever. The idea was unbearable. I couldn’t handle the pain of rejection on top of this betrayal.
I swallowed hard with te
tears stinging my eyes.
Lucien was watching me, and I knew he was waiting for me to deny it, to call Zion out for the liar he was
But I couldn’t
With every ounce of strength I had left, I forced a smile. “It’s true.” I whispered, “Lucien, he’s my mate.
The room erupted into cheers once more.
Lucien stiffened. His jaw tightened slightly, but after a long moment, he exhaled and grinned “Well then,” he said, stepping forward and offering me his hand. “looks like I’m the luckiest man alive.”
I placed my shaking hand in his.
The applause roared around us, but I felt like I was standing in the middle of a battlefield, covered in wounds that no one could see.
Zion didn’t look at me again
The party continued, the music starting up once more. People swarmed around Zion and Celeste, offering their congratulations.
I stared numbly as Zion took Celeste’s hand and led her to the dance floor.
They danced.
Slow, and intimate. The way I had always imagined he would dance with me.
I was shattered, broken beyond repair.
I couldn’t stay here. So, I turned and slipped through the crowd, unnoticed and invisible. No one stopped me as I walked faster, then I broke into a
The rain began to pour down as soon as I stepped outside. The sky seemed to crack open in sympathy with my broken heart. My feet hit the cold, wet ground as I raced toward the palace grounds.
The storm raged around me, and a surge of power flooded my body. My limbs began to elongate as a strange heat coursed through my veins. The change was sudden, violent, as I hadn’t shifted in years.. sharp fangs stretched in my mouth, and the sensation of two small horns pressed out from my head.
My vision burned with red. I could feel the power radiating from me. Ravega and Vaclith, my wolf and demon had now become one. They were alive pained, and furious
As I whipped through the forest, the ground trembling with each of my step, every creature scampered away in fear. My aura was deadly and domineering-
I didn’t stop until I reached the small cabin I called home.
Shifting back into my human form, I stood there, trembling, my bare feet sinking into the cold grass.
The house was quiet. Aunt Lar i’s room was dark, she was asleep.
Good
I stepped inside, climbed the stairs, and entered my room. The ray of moonlight illuminated my reflection in the mirror across from
my
bed.
„Ma che girl with puffy red eyes and trembling lips. The girl who had given her heart away and had it shattered in return. The girl who had spent her
Cast, unwanted and undownd
Istared at her and clenched my
- a. No more waiting for a prince–i
Zion hud made his choice. And now, I would make mine.
