What Union Ceremony?
I looked up with emotionless expressions.
“What is it?” I asked.
Xander‘ s jaw tightened, his wolf‘ s agitation glowing in his silver eyes.
“Arden, we need to talk-” Before he could finish, his gaze clouded over. His mindlink activated, the faint shimmer of a telepathic connection rippling through the air. He closed his eyes briefly and spoke, his voice distant. “I’ve been summoned for a mission in the Shadowed Highlands. I won’t be back for a while.”
“You take care,” I replied casually, already planning to use his absence to say my goodbyes to the elders.
The next morning, I gathered offerings and made my way to the Hallowspring Council‘ s ancestral grounds. Elder
Florence, who had always been like a second mother to me, greeted me with a warm but concerned expression.
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“Arden, my dear, why the sudden visit? You seem troubled,” she said, brushing a stray silver strand behind her ear.
Elder Thain, on the other hand, banged his staff on the ground, his wolf growling faintly. “And where is Xander? Why is he not by your side? Has the Alpha mistreated you?”
I hesitated. The truth was too tangled and painful to explain. “No, nothing like that. I’ve just been away from my homeland for too long. It’s time I reconnect with my roots.”
Elder Florence‘ s warm smile faltered, her voice laced with concern. “Does Xander know you‘ re planning to leave?”
I nodded to keep the conversation short.
“Yes, he knows.”
Satisfied, they offered their blessings, though sadness lingered in their eyes. As I rose to leave, the great oaken gates creaked open. Xander stood there, his figure
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towering, and beside him was Cecilia, her expression serene and confident–as though she had already claimed her place among the Hallowspring wolves.
“Arden, what a surprise to see you here,” Cecilia said with a soft smile, her tone drenched in false sweetness. She stepped forward, her presence commanding the room as if she were already Luna.
I met her gaze evenly. “I don’t need to explain my reasons for being here to you.” Turning on my heel, I brushed past Xander and made for the exit.
Realizing I was leaving, Xander followed me, his voice tinged with urgency. “Arden, this isn’t what it looks like. Cecilia‘ s here because the Council is helping find a cure for her curse. She‘ s your friend too, isn’t she? You‘ re not angry, are you?”
I paused, memories flooding back. Xander‘ s promise under the moonlight, his words when we first bonded: “The
Moon Goddess destined us, Arden. I’ll
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stand by you for eternity.”
And now? He was introducing another woman to the Council under the pretense of duty, all while claiming he was on a
mission.
I met his expectant gaze with indifference. “Why would I care? I’ve never been the type to hold grudges.”
People who aren’t worth it don’t deserve
my concern.
Xander‘ s wolf, Bach, stirred, his frustration visible. “Arden, do you really feel nothing?”
It was ironic. When I had once voiced my discomfort with Cecilia‘ s closeness, he called me possessive. Now that I chose to let go, he seemed unsettled.
He leaned in, pressing a fleeting kiss to my forehead. “Be good and wait for me at home,” he murmured softly, before stepping back.
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The gesture left me feeling sick. Wiping my forehead as the heavy wooden doors closed behind me, I thought back to the night he
had avoided our anniversary with the excuse of “urgent pack business.”
That evening, my mindlink buzzed faintly with an incoming connection. Cecilia‘ s voice echoed in my head, trembling slightly. “Arden,” she began, her tone laced with mock sincerity, “I didn’t mean for you to find out like this.” Images began to filter through my thoughts, a celebration illuminated by the glow of the Moonlit Bonding Ceremony. And standing beneath the sacred lunar sigil were Xander and Cecilia.
Three moons ago, Cecilia had announced her terminal curse, declaring: “Before the darkness claims me, I want to bond with the one I love most.” I hadn’t thought much of it then, even responding through the mindlink to ask who her mysterious love was. Her reply echoed in my mind now: “You’ll know when the time
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comes.”
The truth cut deeper than any wound. My breath hitched as tears blurred my vision. I desperately tried to reach Xander through the mindlink, over and over, wanting an explanation. But he blocked me. That night, as he celebrated his bond with her, I
wept until exhaustion claimed me.
The following day, Cecilia reached out again. Her voice dripped with false sincerity. “Arden, I’m sorry you had to see that. I didn’t want things to come out. this way.”
I let out a bitter laugh but said nothing.
She hesitated, then continued, “The
elders were so kind to me. They even said they’d help me find a cure. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted.”
She paused, her voice lowering. “Arden, why couldn’t it have been me as
Xander‘ s mate? Why did the Moon Goddess choose you?”
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I clenched my fists, my wolf stirring with suppressed anger. “It could‘ ve been you if you had the strength to earn it.
Her silence was telling. “Well, let me wish you two a happy bond in advance,” I said coldly, before severing the mindlink.
After feeling so disappointed with rage boiling inside of me. I have decided to rest at my chamber first and called Elena, my closest ally.
As soon as she reached the chamber, she quickly asked, “You told me about your leaving. What happened?” She asked with
concern.
I didn’t hold back. “Cecilia happened. She’s stolen everything–my position, my mate. She does not think about our friendship.”
Elena growled, her anger crackling. “That snake! And Xander just… let it happen? Unbelievable. So, that’s why you‘ re leaving? He fooled you?”
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I hesitated for a moment before finally admitting it. “It’s not just about them. My union ceremony is about to happen, so why should I care about their celebration?‘
Elena‘ s expression shifted, surprise flickering across her face, but before she could respond, I felt it–a familiar presence behind me. I turned to see Xander standing in the doorway, his shoulders tense and his wolf barely contained. His silver eyes. burned with something between anger and confusion.
“Union ceremony?” he growled, his voice low and sharp. “What union ceremony?”
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