Chapter Four. the beginning

'Asher, where are you? I can't find you everywhere, and I'm afraid that the elders will soon call for us.' I ask through our personal mind link after he connected with me.

'Don't worry babe, I'm still preparing my surprise for you. I know you will love it.' Something in the way he said it tugs at the string in my heart.

'Okay, but please be here on time. If the surprise isn't ready, you can always give it to me tomorrow.'

'No, the gift will lose its worth after today. I will be back soon.'

'Alright, see you soon.' I close the mind link and inhale deeply.

"He's out to get his present for me." My cheeks redden at the teasing look on her face. "Oh, stop it. It's only a gift."

"I know that, or did I refute that?" She wiggles her eyebrows with her mouth slightly open.

Henley laughs at us. I blush harder. I don't have anything to say but when Miranda mentions that she will give me a present tomorrow, I nod at the two before going to sit on my seat.

Soon Elder Adam asks for Asher and me, and I start to wonder the kind of present that he's planning for me.

"Luna, have you seen the Alpha yet?" Gamma Alex calls out to me, and I shake my head.

"I am here," a voice which I can recognize at any time, and I turn to see him walking towards me with a smile. Did I say Beta Joshua looks like a Duke? Well, Asher actually looks like a model on a TV show.

"It's about time. Come over here Alpha, let me bless your marriage with Luna Claire." Elder Adam gestures with his hands.

Asher shakes his head and says the words that pierce through my heart. "Actually, I found my fated mate, and I'd like the ceremony to be for her instead."

He avoids my eyes and instead calls out to his fated mate, "Aurora over here." My legs nearly give away the pain that I'm feeling. Is this the present he claimed to have been preparing all this while? Who would have thought that my own husband would bring his fated mate to me on our anniversary as his present?

The hall is suddenly noisy as a beautiful woman approaches us. When she's standing close to us, I gasp because the woman whom Asher is claiming to be his Luna has a striking resemblance to me.

It suddenly feels hot and my body starts to burn. Instinctively, I clutch a hand to my tummy and bite hard on my lower lip.

'No, he's not going to reject us right?' Ice utters in my head, shaking over in panic.

I have no answer to her so I don't say anything back. Instead, I stand still while waiting for the man who is the right person to answer this question because obviously, it's him who seems to be spoiling our relationship with someone who is faking to be me.

"Alpha," Gamma Alex begins, but a stern look from Asher silences him. He casts a sympathetic glance towards me, and I offer a sad smile in response.

"What do you mean by that, Alpha?" Elder Adam's tone is lace with concern.

Asher extends his hand to the impostor posing as me, who obediently takes it and steps beside him. "This is my fated mate," he proclaims, his gaze steady on her. "I'm sure many of you know that Claire was chosen as my mate before I had found my true fated one." His tone is firm, stirring murmurs among the crowd. Sensing their eyes on me, I dare not meet their gaze, fearing the pity I might encounter from those I've served for three years.

I'm hurt, angry, and confused. I can't believe that after all this time, Asher still manages to hurt me this badly.

"Wow, that calls for a celebration," Elder Adam exclaims with excitement, prompting me to glance at him. "An Alpha grows stronger upon finding their fated mate and bonding with them. This will undoubtedly enhance our pack's already formidable strength." His words pierce through me like a sharp blade, leaving me struggling to conceal the turmoil within.

The words hit me like a ton of bricks. After all this time, all the service I have provided to the pack, this is how he repays me.

I shift my attention back on Asher, while shoving the urge to hit him hard across the face at the back of my mind. "When were you going to tell me?" It's so much that he thinks that this fake thing is I… but her being his fated, why won't he want to make her his Luna?

He finally faces me and his mouth lifts in a sneer, "This is my present to you, Claire. Happy anniversary but I'm sorry, our marriage will be over soon." My mouth dries, and I just stare at him because at the moment - I'm speechless. "And as for how long I've known she's my mate, I found her a week ago."

I pull my lower lip in my mouth and laughs - because isn't the situation I find myself in funny? Asher frowns as he watches me but I don't give a fuck and just laugh. When I've gotten a strong hold to myself, I say in the best icy tone I can make of, "You found your mate a week ago but you chose to keep it a secret. Why—" I close the space between us, not sparing the imposter a glance when she reaches out to block me from touching Asher. "Because you wanted to make a mockery of me, and make me a laughing stock for the whole pack to see." I poke my pinky finger in his chest, my jaw tightening, as I struggle to control myself.

I can feel Ice trying to take over me… but I push her back… because I know what damage she can do, especially to her.

"Claire… don't be like this please. We talked about this, didn't we? I told you once I found Aurora that I'd be making her my Luna back, no? You know all this so why make such a scene?" His growls in annoyance.

Making a scene? Am I wrong in acting out on my anger when my husband suddenly brings a woman whom he claims to be his fated mate after keeping her a secret for a week? I want to ask all these but I'm scared that I will start crying and once I do… I'm going to break down in front of everyone.

I poke his chest harder, not caring the angry vibes he's emitting. "You could have done this in a much better way but no, you just wanted to disgrace me." I say, trying to keep the emotion out of my voice.

"Have you ever considered my feelings during our marriage? Or if you had felt this way towards me, why then did you have to sleep with me?"

I finally break down in tears because I know I have lost him, but knowing I'm pregnant with his child saddens me the most. Who will want a woman who has not only been touched by a man but is also pregnant for him? Werewolves consider every woman who is rejected as used goods, and my shoulders sag because I know that's what's going to be my fate.

He already announced her as his new Luna.

There will be no place for me here again.

With these thoughts, I turn around and run— not knowing where my legs are taking me. All I want to do is to escape the moment… to find a place to process all that happened here.