Chapter 5
“Yes! A thousand times yes!” Martyna’s voice rang with triumph, her eyes shimmering with unshed
tears.
The photography pack erupted in cheers. “To the sacred bond!”
From my vehicle, I watched, the chill in my veins spreading like frost. Five years ago, Adeleke had knelt before me just as earnestly, dressed in his ceremonial Alpha garments, moon–blessed roses in his hands, a hand–crafted ring resting upon his palm.
He had even wept during his vow.
“Lilliana, you’re my only mate for eternity. No other she–wolf will ever claim my heart. I swear by the Moon Goddess herself–if I ever betray our bond, let the Goddess take my life.”
A bitter laugh clawed its way from my throat before dissolving into something more fragile. Everything had been a lie–the vows, the devotion, even his supposedly unchangeable heart.
Sarah’s voice was low beside me. “They’re leaving. Should we follow?”
I didn’t hesitate. “Yes.” I needed to see just how deep this betrayal ran.
An hour later, we arrived at Silver Moon Restaurant, the most prestigious establishment in the territory. Adeleke had chosen a secluded booth, hidden behind ancient oak panels, a place for
secrets.
I adjusted my disguise–a mature–cut coat, a wide–brimmed hat casting a shadow over my face. Sarah had already bribed our way into the adjacent booth, ensuring we had a vantage point.
Soon, an older couple joined Adeleke and Martyna. The woman bore Martyna’s sharp features. Pack elders. The formal meeting before an official mating ceremony.
Through the smallest gap in the panels, I captured it all–the smiles, the whispered conversations. Then, Adeleke withdrew a territory deed, sliding it across the table toward Martyna’s mother.
A traditional offering from an Alpha to the family of his future Luna.
Five years ago, he had done the same for my parents. They had refused, wanting only my happiness.
I felt something inside me suinter
Chapter 5
“Let’s go,” I whispered, unable to watch any more.
Outside, the winter wind bit into my skin, but it was nothing compared to the hollow cold settling
inside my chest.
Three mating ceremony came into my head without warning–Martyna nestled against Adeleke,
their passionate embrace, the proposal.
Then, a message.
“He proposed publicly today. Met my pack elders. Everything but the blood bond ceremony… Who
says sharing an Alpha is wrong? Obviously, he loves me more.”
I exhaled sharply, the betrayal slicing deeper than before. Adeleke must have given Martyna more
power, I was restricted from rejecting these messages sent through the mind link.
But it should not have occurred to him that this was just fodder to enrich the memorial ceremony.
Without hesitation, I forwarded everything to Maryia -the photos, the meeting, the messages. “Display all of this at the ceremony.”
Lost in my thoughts, I didn’t notice the black vehicle barreling toward me.
The moment of impact was a blur of pain and weightlessness before everything went dark.
When I awoke, the sterile scent of healing herbs filled my senses. The dim light of the pack’s medical
den cast elongated shadows across the room.
And Adeleke was there.
His eyes were red–rimmed, his expression drawn with worry. He hovered beside my bed, tension
coiled in every inch of his body.
“Are you in pain?” His voice was raw, almost desperate. “Should I call the pack healer?”
I stared at him, nausea twisting through me. The mating photos burned in my memory.
Which was the real Adeleke–the devoted mate or the betrayer?
He moved as if to summon the healer, but before he could, I caught his wrist.
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Lupa’s Game: She’s Driving the Alpha Who Dumped Her Crazy
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Chapter 5
My voice, rough and worn, cut through the silence.
“Why are you here?”
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