Betrayed

Chapter 5

Selene ~~

Laughter and music filled the grand hall of Silver moon pack, but to me, it sounded like the tolling of funeral bells.

Tonight was the marriage ceremony of Damian Blackwood and Lillith Vaughn.

My husband and his true mate.

The hall was extravagantly decorated—gold-trimmed velvet banners hung from the ceiling, symbolizing the strength of the Blackwood Pack. Flickering candlelight illuminated the carved stone walls, and a feast grand enough to feed the entire pack for days was laid out across the long banquet tables. Every noble, every elder, and every warrior who mattered was here, celebrating them.

I stood near the back of the hall, unnoticed, unimportant.

It should have been me standing beside Damian. I was the Luna. I was the one who had suffered for this pack, yet tonight, I was nothing more than a discarded wife forced to attend my husband's second wedding.

At the center of the room, Damian stood tall, regal, powerful.

He held Lillith close, one hand possessively on her waist, the other gently cradling the slight swell of her stomach. His deep, rumbling voice carried across the hall.

"To my mate, to the mother of my heir, to the woman who will stand beside me as the true Luna of this pack," Damian declared, lifting his glass in a toast.

The room erupted in cheers.

I felt my stomach tighten as I watched him lean down and kiss her temple, whispering something against her skin that made her giggle and press closer to him.

He never held me like that.

He never looked at me with such pride.

Lillith's green eyes shimmered with satisfaction as she turned to the guests, playing the role of a gracious Luna. "Thank you, everyone, for your support. I promise to honor this pack and—" she turned her gaze to me, the corner of her lips lifting ever so slightly "—to bring it the heir it deserves."

A few guests stole glances at me, some with pity, others with amusement.

I lifted my chin, refusing to shrink beneath their stares.

"Tonight is not only a celebration of our future," one of the elders called out, raising his goblet. "But a night to honor the past. Let us also toast to Selene—"

I sucked in a breath.

For a moment, I thought maybe—just maybe—someone wanted to acknowledge my sacrifices, to remind Damian of all I had endured for this pack.

"—for knowing when to step aside."

Laughter rippled through the room.

Heat rushed to my cheeks, shame clawing at my chest as the elder smirked and took a long sip from his goblet.

I gripped the edge of the table beside me, nails digging into the wood.

I forced myself to stand there, to endure it.

I had no other choice.

Leaving in the middle of the ceremony would raise suspicion. If I wanted to slip away unnoticed, I had to play my part until the moment was right.

So I did.

I straightened my shoulders and turned to Moriah, the only person I trusted in this wretched place. Her wise, aged eyes held concern as she glanced at me.

"Give her a cup of tea," I murmured softly.

Moriah stiffened.

"Selene—"

"Do it," I said, keeping my expression unreadable.

This was my final act as Damian's wife.

If I did nothing, whispers would spread. They would say I was bitter, that I left out of jealousy. But if I acted as though I accepted Lillith's position, if I made it seem as if I was stepping down gracefully, no one would question my absence once the celebrations began.

Moriah hesitated before nodding, taking the silver tray from a passing servant. With careful steps, she made her way toward the newly mated couple.

I watched as she bowed slightly, offering the tea with the utmost respect. "A token of goodwill from Lady Selene," she said.

Lillith's emerald eyes flickered with something unreadable, but a victorious smile curled on her lips as she accepted the cup.

She knew she had won.

I turned away before I could see more, my chest tightening.

I couldn't watch this anymore.

Placing a hand over my stomach, I feigned discomfort, leaning slightly against the nearest table. The perfect excuse.

One of the elders took notice. "Luna, are you unwell?"

Not Luna. Not anymore.

I forced a weak smile. "I think the excitement has taken a toll on me. I'll retire to my quarters."

No one stopped me.

No one cared.

Not even Damian, who didn't spare me a second glance.

I walked through the long corridors of the pack house, the festivities growing distant as I approached my room. Every step felt heavier, knowing this would be the last time I walked these halls.

I had planned everything carefully. While the pack was distracted with the ceremony, Moriah and I would slip away unnoticed. But before I could disappear forever, there was one thing I had to do.

I took a deep breath and placed a letter on the bedside table. A letter to my father.

I didn't tell him where I was going.

I didn't say goodbye.

Because I knew if I did, he would try to stop me.

He would tell me my duty was to endure. That I was the Beta's daughter, that I had responsibilities to the pack.

But I was done sacrificing myself for people who never saw me as anything more than a placeholder.

I hesitated.

Would he hate me for this?

Would he see me as a coward for running?

Tears burned my eyes, but I blinked them away. He wouldn't understand now, but someday, he would. I had to believe that.

I turned, inhaling deeply.

It was time.

Moriah was waiting for me near the servants' entrance. If I left now, I could be far away before sunrise.

I turned toward the door, my heart pounding with anticipation. Freedom was within reach.

But the moment my fingers wrapped around the handle—

The door burst open.

I barely had time to react before warriors stormed in, their eyes cold and merciless.

"W-what—?" My words caught in my throat as one of them seized my arm, yanking me back.

"You're under arrest, Selene Callista."

My blood ran cold.

"For what?" I hissed, struggling against their grip.

The lead warrior sneered. "For murdering the Alpha's heir."

My breath left me in a sharp gasp.

No.

No, this wasn't happening.

This was a trap.

A setup.

I turned my wide, desperate eyes to Moriah, who stood frozen near the servant's entrance. But before she could move, two warriors grabbed her, restraining her as well.

I thrashed in their grip. "This is a lie! You all saw—I never touched her!"

The warriors didn't care.

They wrenched my arms behind my back, binding my wrists in thick silver chains.

I bit back a cry of pain as the burning metal seared into my skin.

They dragged me through the corridors, back toward the grand hall.

The laughter and music had died down.

Everyone was waiting.

Damian stood at the center of the room, his face carved from stone, his icy blue eyes filled with disgust. Lillith was beside him, sobbing, her hands clutching her stomach as if she were mourning the loss of her child.

I could see it now—the perfect betrayal.

The perfect crime.

And I was the villain in their story.

Damian stepped forward, his voice like steel.

"You took my child," he said, his tone laced with venom. "Now, I'll take your life and everything you have ever hold dear."

A deafening silence filled the room.

And for the first time that night—

I let the tears fall.