Chapter 1

(Rietta’s POV)

On the day of the Moonbond ceremony rehearsal, I arrived at the ceremonial grounds and found my future mate, Alpha Fredrik Silverthorne, arguing with my best friend, Glyneth Ravenhurst, about the color of the moonstone carpet for the sacred hall.

Glyneth followed him through the hall, lightly hitting his arm a few times until he finally raised his hands in surrender.

"Fine, fine, dark silver it is. Whatever you want. Happy now, Lady?"

His pleading words, spoken in an indulgent tone, made even the attendants laugh.

"See? Our future Alpha and Luna are truly close."

Fredrik did not correct them, while Glyneth simply bit her lip as the tips of her ears turned slightly red.

No one noticed that I had arrived.

Not until one of the attendants spotted me and quickly explained, "You all have it wrong. This is the future Luna."

Hearing the voice, Glyneth turned around, saw me, and hurried over to hook her arm through mine.

"Oh, Rietta, do something about your future mate. He's always teasing me."

"You're my best friend. How could I not know what color you like? But he still wanted to argue with me about it."

Fredrik strolled over behind her and said lazily, "Who's teasing who? You've been hitting me this entire time."

"That's because you deserved it, Alpha."

I stood there quietly, watching the two of them exchange words, and a strange fog settled over my mind.

Scenes like this had been happening ever since our years at the royal academy. Countless times. They always decided everything for me while they bickered. My opinion never seemed important.

This Moonbond ceremony not only belonged to Fredrik, but to me as well.

Yet not a single person in that hall had asked whether I liked the dark silver carpet.

If my opinion was unnecessary from the beginning to the end of this ceremony, then perhaps I was unnecessary as the bride too.

***

While they continued arguing, Fredrik noticed the ceremonial bouquet the attendants had prepared and frowned.

"Replace those flowers."

A soft laugh escaped him as he glanced toward Glyneth.

"I clearly remember someone saying she disliked pure white flowers at Moonbond ceremonies. She said they looked like..."

"Like funeral flowers."

Glyneth stuck out her tongue at me, her eyes curving into a smile.

"Rietta, you're not angry, are you? I only mentioned it once. Who would have thought your future mate would remember something like that? I'd already forgotten."

The attendant glanced nervously at me.

I looked at the bouquet as well.

White moonbells.

My favorite flower.

The flower Fredrik had promised would be the only one decorating our ceremony. But now he probably did not remember making that promise either.

"Replace them."

Even if I objected, no one would listen.

Glyneth and Fredrik immediately moved on to discussing the enchanted table coverings, the silver chair charms, and even the main color theme of the sacred hall, changing everything one piece at a time.

The Moonbond Overseer stared at the venue that had become almost unrecognizable and finally lowered her voice.

"Lady Wildmoor, those were all choices you worked so hard to make. You even visited several Moon Kingdom artisans to arrange them."

"It's fine," I replied. "Let them change it."

Either way, I no longer intended to go through with this Moonbond ceremony.

When Glyneth said she wanted to try on my ceremonial gown, Fredrik had no objection at all.

"Rietta, Glyneth is the trendsetter in our pack. If anything looks wrong, she can give advice. Letting her try it isn't a bad idea."

I watched as Glyneth rushed into the changing chamber, and my words came out sharper.

"Since you care so much about her opinion, why not let her take my place for the entire rehearsal?"

I met Fredrik's slightly surprised gaze as the bitterness inside my chest grew heavier.

"That way, she can check whether the ceremony is perfect from beginning to end."

Perhaps he heard the edge in my voice. He frowned and looked ready to respond, but at that moment, the changing chamber door opened.

Glyneth stepped out wearing the gown.

She spun gracefully beneath the glow of moon crystals and smiled brightly at Fredrik.

"Well? How does it look?"

Fredrik’s gaze drifted from my face and settled on Glyneth. The open admiration in his eyes cut through me like a blade, sharp enough to make my chest ache.

It hurt.

"It looks beautiful."

The gown had been crafted using my measurements, so naturally it did not fit Glyneth properly. But Fredrik either forgot that fact or simply did not care.

Instead, he agreed to every adjustment she suggested, from the waistline to the overall fit.

Only after they finished discussing the alterations did Glyneth glance at me through the mirror.

"Rietta, don't be upset. I'm only helping you. When the ceremony comes and you look stunning, it reflects well on me too, doesn't it?"

Only then did Fredrik look back at me. He smiled casually.

"Just make the changes Glyneth suggested. She's a trendsetter. Her taste is better than yours."

I remained silent, said nothing at all.

Fredrik took my silence as agreement and immediately returned to discussing the gown with Glyneth.

I looked at the two of them standing close together with their backs facing me. Then I quietly turned around and left.

Since the gown had already been altered to fit her measurements, perhaps they should simply replace me with her at the ceremony as well.

I pushed open the door and walked out, taking only the bouquet of white moonbells with me.

After climbing into my carriage, I placed the flowers beside me and sat there in silence for a long moment.

When Fredrik had asked me to become his mate, he had given me white moonbells. When I confessed my feelings and we became a couple, I had given him the same flowers in return. To me, white moonbells had always carried a special meaning.

They truly did.

But looking at them now, I wondered if they had ever meant the same to Fredrik.

When I returned home and illuminated the moonstones inside the manor, the first thing I saw was the ceremonial portrait that I had never gotten around to hanging on the wall.

In the portrait, I stood between them, Fredrik on my left and Glyneth on my right. Her arm was linked through mine, her smile bright and carefree, while Fredrik rested a hand on my shoulder.

But his eyes were not on me. They were fixed on Glyneth.

I remembered how Glyneth had insisted on taking a best friend portrait with me before the Moonbond ceremony, only to end up arguing with Fredrik. In the end, we had taken the portrait together, the three of us standing side by side.

Looking at it now, I wondered how I had failed to see that something was wrong.

Maybe I had seen it.

Maybe I had simply refused to admit it.

Or perhaps I had been too afraid to believe what was right in front of me.

My communication crystal suddenly lit up. Fredrik's name appeared.

I answered.

But it was Glyneth's voice that greeted me.

"Hello? Rietta? Why did you leave so early? We've been searching everywhere for you."

I leaned against the couch.

"I wasn't feeling well, so I came home."

Fredrik's voice followed casually.

"I told you. She's fine. She's probably exhausted from handling pack business again."

Then Glyneth spoke once more, "Then get some rest. Alpha Fredrik is taking me home first. I helped with your ceremony all day, and my back is aching."

Fredrik interrupted with a laugh.

"I'll take you home and give you a massage too. I just learned a new healing technique from the Moon Healers."

The familiar sound of them laughing and roughhousing drifted through the crystal.

Then the connection ended.

The soft humming tone lingered in my ears for a long time before I finally lowered the crystal.

That night, I could not sleep at all. I opened my crystal feed, and the first thing I saw was Glyneth's newest post.

The first image showed her and Fredrik together, each holding a bottle of moonwine.

The second image showed a woman's hand beneath a man's. My Moonbond ring sat on that woman's finger.

The caption contained only two words: Fits perfectly.

I stared at the image for a long time.

Fredrik hated moonwine.

In the past, even a single sip of ale would make him sick.

But when Glyneth suffered her first heartbreak, he spent the entire night drinking moonwine with her until his stomach bled and he ended up in the Healing Hall.

The funny thing was that I was supposed to be Glyneth's closest friend. Yet I learned about her heartbreak from someone else.

I only discovered that my mate had spent the entire night drinking with her after receiving a message from the Healing Hall.

From that day onward, whenever Glyneth invited Fredrik to the tavern for moonwine, he never refused.

I pressed the crystal mark beneath her message, leaving a small sign that I had seen it. When I refreshed the crystal feed, the post had already vanished.

A moment later, a message from Fredrik appeared.

[You’re still awake this late?]

I stared at the words but did not answer. A faint sting gathered behind my eyes, but strangely, my heart remained calm.

Perhaps I had already cried enough.

Perhaps there was simply nothing left inside me that could hurt.

I activated another communication crystal and contacted a different person.

"Professor, some time ago you asked whether I wanted to travel to Celestdawn Crest and join your teaching project. Is there still a place available?"

A relieved laugh came from the other side.

"There is. I've been keeping one open for you. If you come, everything will be ready within a few days."

After ending the call, I contacted the Moonbond Overseer.

"Sorry for reaching out so late. It's just that I'd like to change the name of the bride for the ceremony."

"Change it to Glyneth Ravenhurst."