I was standing in front of the mirror. My hands trembled as I adjusted the delicate lace of my wedding veil. Today was supposed to be the happiest day of my life. I was finally going to marry my mate, Ryker, the man I had loved for as long as I could remember.

As I took a deep breath to calm my nerves, I smelt a familiar smell coming from outside the room. I turned to my best friend and maid of honor, Lena, who was busy arranging the flowers.

"Lena, Is Ryker here?" I asked in a concerned voice. I wondered why he didn't tell me he was coming to see me in the banquet hall.

Lena looked up at me before saying in a worried voice,"Are you smelling his scent? But, why would he be here? Shouldn't he be getting ready for the wedding in the Pack House?"

My heart began to sink as I felt a pang of unease. Something didn't feel right. I pushed open the door and stepped out into the hallway. I began walking while following his scent. My face turned pale as I stood before the room and heard weird voices coming from inside.

I held my breath as I pushed open the door. That's when I saw them. Ryker was lying half naked on the bed. Under him was a woman, trembling in pleasure.

The sound of the door being pushed open caused them startle. Ryker raised his head while shouting, “Who the hell is here?”

That's when I saw the face of the woman lying under him. It was Layla, daughter of our Pack's beta, the renowned beauty of the pack. My eyes widened in horror as I realized what was happening. Ryker's eyes met mine, and for a moment, we just stared at each other. I felt like I had been punched in the gut, my breath knocked out of me. Layla, on the other hand, looked smug and satisfied, like she had just won some kind of twisted game.

"Ryker, what's going on?" I yelled, my voice shaking with anger and hurt.

Ryker got up from the bed. He shook his head and rubbed his eyes before saying, "Clara, A-Are you here?," he stammered, “What are you doing in Layla’s home?”

He looked drunk.

“It's not Layla's home but the banquet hall of our wedding,” My voice trembled with anger as I added, “ D-Do you even remember that we were going to get married today?”

He rubbed his forehead while saying in a hoarse voice, “Clara, I… I can explain.”

But I didn't want to hear it. I didn't want to hear his excuses or his justifications. I just wanted him to know that I knew, that I saw him for what he truly was.

"Break it," I spat in a cold voice. "Break the bond, Ryker. I don't want to be tied to you anymore."

Ryker's eyes widened in shock. He seemed to gain his consciousness as he laughed in a mockery, asking, “Do you really want to break the bond with me, Ryker Kant, the Alpha of your pack. That's because you caught me fooling around with the Beta's daughter?”

I stared at him in a disgust as I asked, “Do you have no shame in accepting your infelidity?”

He smirked at me before saying with a pair of dark eyes, “What infelidity? I’m the Alpha of the pack. I can have a few night stands with the she-wolves of my pack. Besides, it was my bachelor night,”

“Do you have any idea what you are talking about?” I asked in annoyance. He sighed before muttering, “Yes, I know. You are making a big deal out of nothing. It's common in Alpha blood. You don't get it because you are just a lower rank she-wolf.”

I clenched my fists in anger. It was pointless to argue with him anymore. I shot a glance at Layla who was lying leisurely on the bed, listening to our arguments. I then turned to look up at Ryker and spat, “I, Clara, an ordinary omega of Blue Moon Pack breaks the bond with my mate, Ryker Kant, the Alpha of the same pack. From now on there will be no ties between us that can bind us together.”

Ryker was stunned to the point of frozen at his place, only staring at me in a daze. He didn't expect me to be bold enough to break our bond on his face. His voice echoed from behind when I turned to leave, “Do you know the consequences of rejecting me, Clara?”

“No, I don't,” I said without turning back, “But, I don't care.”

***

As I walked out of the banquet hall, still trying to recover from the shock of Ryker's betrayal, I overheard Layla talking to someone on the phone. Her voice was mixed with pride as she reported, "I have successfully broken their bond, Alpha Kaid. You can now implement your next moves."

My eyes widened in horror as I realized who she was talking to. Alpha Kaid? Wasn't he the Alpha of the Crimson Pack, our rival pack from generations? Why would he want Layla to break my bond with Ryker? A chill ran down my spine. But, Before I could come to any conclusion, someone hit my head with an iron rod. I felt my world spinning around me. I tried to cry out, but my voice was silenced as I fell to the ground, losing consciousness.

I thought I had lost everything when Ryker broke our bond, but now it seemed like I was losing myself. The last thought that crossed my mind before I blacked out was, What have I done to deserve this?

While being unconscious, it felt like I was sent back to the past. Memories of past days started running in my head. I had always been an omega, the lowest rank in our pack's hierarchy. As a child, I had been constantly bullied and belittled by the werewolves of higher ranks. They would mock my weakness, my lack of strength and speed.

But Ryker had always been different. Even as a young alpha, he had always protected me. He always stood up for me when the others tried to hurt me. I remembered the first time he had defended me. I must have been only eight or nine years old at the time. A group of older werewolves had been teasing me, calling me names and pushing me around. Ryker had appeared out of nowhere, his eyes turned fury red with anger as he stood up to the bullies.

"Leave her alone," he had growled, his aura was deep and cold. The others immediately backed off, being afraid of Ryker's alpha position in the pack. From that day on, Ryker had always been there for me, always protecting me from harm.

As I grew older, my feelings for Ryker had evolved from gratitude to something more. I had fallen deeply in love with him, and I had thought that he felt the same way. But, I dared not confessing my feelings to him regarding my lower rank in the Pack. That's why, even after realizing he was my mate on my eighteenth birthday, I remained still. I didn't raise my hope. It was he who made me feel I was important. He was the one who proposed me and called me his mate before everyone. He told me that he would always protect me and marry me since I was his mate.

But, I was a fool to not understand his true meaning behind his words. He never said he loved me. He only said he would marry me and protect me because I was his mate. I now wonder had he been the same with me if I was not his mate?

I slowly came to my consciousness, my head still throbbing with pain. As I opened my eyes I found myself curled in the corner of a dark dungeon, muttering Ryker’s name for help. I smiled ironically for still calling him in my bad days. Some habits never go away. Someone lit a candle and I came to see Layla standing over me with a smirk on her face.

"Well, well, well," she said, her voice dripping with malice. "Look what we have here. The poor little omega who got rejected by her own mate."

I tried to sit up, but a wave of dizziness washed over me, forcing me to lie back down. Layla laughed, the sound sending a chill down my spine.

"You're so pathetic," she spat. "Ryker never loved you. He only used you for his own convenience. And now that he's broken your bond, you're nothing but a discarded toy."

I felt a stinging sensation in my eyes as tears began to form. Layla's words cut deep, and I couldn't help but wonder if she was right. Had Ryker ever truly loved me?

Layla's smirk grew wider as she saw the tears in my eyes. "You're so weak," she sneered. "You'll never be worthy of an alpha like Ryker."

I felt a surge of anger at her words. I raised my head and looked straight into her eyes before asking, “Are you?”

“What?” She looked down at me with agitated eyes. I continued, “You said Ryker doesn't love me. Does he love you then? No, he doesn't love anyone, Layla. Not even you.”

“Besides, let me clear your misunderstandings. I was the one who rejected our bond, not Ryker.” I added, my voice laced with pride.

However, my words infuriated her. She threw a hard slap on my face, causing me to bleed.

“Ryker, help me…” I couldn't help calling Ryker. Just then a deep male voice sounded from behind, “What is going on here?”

While being unconscious, it felt like I was sent back to the past. Memories of past days started running in my head. I had always been an omega, the lowest rank in our pack's hierarchy. As a child, I had been constantly bullied and belittled by the werewolves of higher ranks. They would mock my weakness, my lack of strength and speed.

But Ryker had always been different. Even as a young alpha, he had always protected me. He always stood up for me when the others tried to hurt me. I remembered the first time he had defended me. I must have been only eight or nine years old at the time. A group of older werewolves had been teasing me, calling me names and pushing me around. Ryker had appeared out of nowhere, his eyes turned fury red with anger as he stood up to the bullies.

"Leave her alone," he had growled, his aura was deep and cold. The others immediately backed off, being afraid of Ryker's alpha position in the pack. From that day on, Ryker had always been there for me, always protecting me from harm.

As I grew older, my feelings for Ryker had evolved from gratitude to something more. I had fallen deeply in love with him, and I had thought that he felt the same way. But, I dared not confessing my feelings to him regarding my lower rank in the Pack. That's why, even after realizing he was my mate on my eighteenth birthday, I remained still. I didn't raise my hope. It was he who made me feel I was important. He was the one who proposed me and called me his mate before everyone. He told me that he would always protect me and marry me since I was his mate.

But, I was a fool to not understand his true meaning behind his words. He never said he loved me. He only said he would marry me and protect me because I was his mate. I now wonder had he been the same with me if I was not his mate?

I slowly came to my consciousness, my head still throbbing with pain. As I opened my eyes I found myself curled in the corner of a dark dungeon, muttering Ryker’s name for help. I smiled ironically for still calling him in my bad days. Some habits never go away. Someone lit a candle and I came to see Layla standing over me with a smirk on her face.

"Well, well, well," she said, her voice dripping with malice. "Look what we have here. The poor little omega who got rejected by her own mate."

I tried to sit up, but a wave of dizziness washed over me, forcing me to lie back down. Layla laughed, the sound sending a chill down my spine.

"You're so pathetic," she spat. "Ryker never loved you. He only used you for his own convenience. And now that he's broken your bond, you're nothing but a discarded toy."

I felt a stinging sensation in my eyes as tears began to form. Layla's words cut deep, and I couldn't help but wonder if she was right. Had Ryker ever truly loved me?

Layla's smirk grew wider as she saw the tears in my eyes. "You're so weak," she sneered. "You'll never be worthy of an alpha like Ryker."

I felt a surge of anger at her words. I raised my head and looked straight into her eyes before asking, “Are you?”

“What?” She looked down at me with agitated eyes. I continued, “You said Ryker doesn't love me. Does he love you then? No, he doesn't love anyone, Layla. Not even you.”

“Besides, let me clear your misunderstandings. I was the one who rejected our bond, not Ryker.” I added, my voice laced with pride.

However, my words infuriated her. She threw a hard slap on my face, causing me to bleed.

“Ryker, help me…” I couldn't help calling Ryker. Just then a deep male voice sounded from behind, “What is going on here?”

(Sorry for the repetition of chapter. I was facing technical issues.)