LOSING MY MIND

Olivia was already seated at the head of the table, her

posture regal and composed. She wore a sleek, emerald-green dress that hugged

her figure, the deep color accentuating the sharpness of her features. Her hair

was pinned up in an intricate style, with a few loose strands framing her face.

She looked every bit the future Luna; confident, poised, and in control.

But as Antonio's eyes met hers, he saw a flicker of

something else determination, yes, but also a hint of doubt, perhaps even fear.

It was gone in an instant, replaced by the cool, collected expression she had

perfected, but Antonio couldn't shake the feeling that Olivia, too, was

wrestling with her own demons.

"Antonio," Olivia greeted him with a smile that didn't quite

reach her eyes. "You look handsome, as always."

Antonio forced a smile, taking his seat opposite her at the

other end of the long table. The distance between them felt symbolic, a

physical representation of the emotional chasm that lay between them. "Thank

you," he replied, his voice polite but distant.

They began the meal in silence, the only sounds coming from

the soft clink of silverware against porcelain. The food was as exquisite as

always tender roast beef, seasoned vegetables, and a rich, velvety sauce, but

Antonio found no pleasure in it. Each bite felt like an obligation, another

duty to perform.

Finally, Olivia broke the silence. "The wedding is almost

here," she said, her tone carefully neutral. "Have you thought about the final

details? The seating arrangements, the vows, the reception?"

Antonio set down his fork, his appetite gone. He looked at

Olivia, searching her face for any sign of the woman he had once thought he

could care for, before everything had gone wrong. But all he saw was the

polished exterior of someone playing a role. "The details don't matter,

Olivia," he said quietly. "None of this feels right."

Olivia's expression hardened slightly, but she kept her

voice calm. "This wedding is what the pack needs, Antonio. It's what we need.

The pack is looking to us for stability, for leadership. We can't afford to let

them down."

Antonio leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his

chest. "But what about us, Olivia? What about what we want, or don't want? I'm

doing this because I have to, not because I want to. And I know you feel the

same."

Olivia's eyes flashed with a mix of anger and frustration.

"You're wrong, Antonio. I've come to terms with this. I'm ready to be your

Luna, to lead this pack by your side. But you…you're still holding on to

something that's gone. Rachel isn't coming back, if she ran at the slightest

hint of threat, then she isn't fit to be your wife, let alone the Luna of the

pack."

Antonio's jaw tightened, his hands clenching into fists

beneath the table. "You don't understand, Olivia. I can't just turn off my

feelings for Rachel. I love her, and I always will no matter what, I don't care

if she ran away or went into hiding. Marrying you doesn't change the fact that

my heart beats for her and her alone"

Olivia's expression softened slightly, a glimmer of

vulnerability breaking through her icy exterior. "You have a pack to be responsible

for and without a mate, the pack isn't strengthened. That's why it has to be me

and not Rachel. The pack need us, and we need to show them that we're united."

Antonio closed his eyes for a moment, the weight of her

words pressing down on him. He knew she was right, in a way. The pack did need

stability, especially now. But at what cost? Was it worth sacrificing his own

happiness, his own heart, for the sake of duty?

When he opened his eyes again, Olivia was watching him

closely, her gaze unwavering. "I'll do what's necessary," he finally said, his

voice low and resigned. "But don't expect me to be happy about it."

Olivia nodded, accepting his response with a slight incline

of her head. "I never expected you to be happy, Antonio. I just expect you to

do your duty."

The rest of the meal passed in strained silence, neither of

them willing to break the uneasy truce that had settled between them. Antonio

felt like a man trapped in a web of expectations and responsibilities, with no

way out. He had always known that being Alpha meant making difficult choices,

but he had never imagined it would lead him here, bound to a woman he didn't

love, haunted by the memory of the one he did.

How could the goddess be so cruel to me? I'm at the verge

of losing my mind.

As the meal came to an end, Olivia rose from her seat,

smoothing down the front of her dress. "We should finalize the guest list

tomorrow," she said, her tone brisk and businesslike. "There are still a few

decisions to make."

Antonio nodded absently, barely hearing her words. His mind

was elsewhere, lost in thoughts of Rachel, of what could have been, and of the

future that now seemed inevitable.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Olivia added, her voice softening

slightly. "Goodnight, Antonio."

"Goodnight, Olivia," Antonio replied, his voice hollow.

He watched as she left the dining room, her heels clicking

softly on the polished floor. When the door closed behind her, the silence in

the room was deafening. Antonio sat there for a long time, staring at the empty

chair where Olivia had been, the weight of his decision pressing down on him

like a physical force.

Finally, he rose from the table and made his way back to his

bedroom. The corridors were dark and quiet, the only light coming from the

occasional flickering candle. As he reached his room and closed the door behind

him, Antonio felt the walls closing in on him once more.

He

moved to the window and looked out at the night sky. The stars were bright,

twinkling in the vast darkness, but they offered no comfort. The world outside

seemed so distant, so unreachable, just like Rachel