I stepped aside from the doorway. “Alpha, please, come in and take a seat. I’ll get you some water.”

Eric nodded and walked into the cabin.

I poured him a cup of water, placed it in his hands, and sat down on the wooden stool across from him. For a moment, I didn’t know what to say, and the atmosphere grew quiet.

The silence held until Eric spoke, his voice low. “Were Kellen and Selah just here—causing problems?”

I nodded. Then I told him everything, holding nothing back.

I began with Selah luring me to the forest and the rogue she’d sent to attack me. I told him how Kellen had abandoned me there to leave with her, the outrageous demands he'd made afterward, and how Selah had shown up at my door today to lay down her absurd rules. Every detail. Nothing left out.

Given that Eric was Kellen’s uncle, I assumed he’d try to defend him.

I was wrong. After hearing me out, he brought his fist down hard on the table.

His face darkened, frighteningly so. “Unbelievable! Kellen is absolutely despicable! As your mate, he abandoned you at the moment of life and death! He blindly trusts some scheming woman and dares to make such outrageous demands—he’s not fit to be your mate! And Selah! She deliberately sent a rogue to attack a pack member, and then had the audacity to come here and humiliate you in your own home!”

His words, every single one of them, struck a chord deep within me.

Ever since my parents died in battle, I’d been utterly alone in the Silver Moon Pack.

Everyone thought I was lucky to have caught the attention of Kellen, a Beta. No one cared how much I’d suffered. No one ever stood by me or spoke a single word in my defense.

And Eric surprised me. He took my side without hesitation, defended me fiercely, and his anger burned not against me, but for me.

All the pain I’d held inside for so long finally broke free. Tears streamed down my face.

The moment Eric saw me cry, he panicked and scrambled to apologize. “Please don’t cry—I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to upset you. This is all my fault.”

“No,” I said, wiping my tears away and shaking my head. “It’s just... finally, someone is on my side. All these years, no one has ever defended me like this.”

Eric looked up at me, his eyes filled with sincerity and a flicker of nervousness. “So will you be my mate? I want to marry you—to spend my life with you.”

I was completely stunned. I stared at him blankly, certain I must have misheard. “Alpha, what... what did you say?”

“I want to marry you,” Eric repeated himself, his voice even firmer this time, eyes fixed on me without wavering. “Celia, I like you. From the very first moment I saw you, I knew my mate could only be you. Later, when you got together with Kellen, I could only hide these feelings in my heart. I never imagined Kellen would treat you like this. I never knew you’d suffered so much.”

He hesitated briefly, as if weighing his words. “Celia, I know this is sudden, but I’m serious. As Alpha, I have the power to keep you safe—to ensure no one ever dares mistreat you again.”

I looked into Eric’s eyes. They held nothing back—just pure, unwavering earnestness.

Without a moment’s hesitation, I nodded gently. “Okay. Let’s hold the ceremony in three days.”

It might have been rash to accept Eric’s proposal, but I never regretted it, not for one moment.

Three days later, I arrived at the place where the Silver Moon Pack holds its bonding ceremonies, ready to officially become Eric’s mate.

Eric hadn’t arrived yet. As I waited, a strong hand suddenly grabbed my arm.

A furious voice cut through. “Celia! What are you doing here?”

I turned to see Kellen.

“If you came to apologize to Selah—to own up to hitting her yesterday—this is the wrong moment!” Kellen’s fingers dug into my arm like iron. “And if you’re here to make trouble, to interfere with our ceremony, don’t you dare!”

Selah immediately slipped into her usual fragile act, her eyes reddening as she tugged at Kellen’s arm. Her voice was weak and pitiful. “Kellen, don’t be angry. Celia probably just can’t accept it. After all, you two were about to become mates.”

She paused, then lowered her head with a guilty expression. “I’ve always felt that bonding with you isn’t really right. I feel like a third wheel between you two. If it would make Celia truly happy, I could let her have you...”

Her act turned my stomach. It seemed her skills as an actress sharpened with each passing day.

And sure enough, Kellen was touched by her words. He took her hand in his, his voice firm. “That’s nonsense. I promised you we’d hold this bonding ceremony, and I won’t let anyone ruin it!”

Sick of their sickening display, I tore my arm from Kellen’s grip. “You two are here for your bonding ceremony, huh? When did you ever tell me about it? How was I supposed to know you’d be here today?”

My retort caught Kellen completely off guard. “Then why are you at the registration office?”

A smile curved at the corner of my lips. “This is where the Silver Moon Pack holds its bonding ceremonies. You’re here for one. So am I. What other reason could there be?”

Kellen’s pupils contracted sharply. “What are you talking about, Celia? Everyone in the Silver Moon Pack knows you’re my mate! Who else would perform a bonding ceremony with you besides me?”

Selah’s face also shifted. “Kellen, don’t listen to her! She’s just here to cause trouble! She’s completely alone in this pack—no one to turn to. Who would want her besides you? She’s just trying to get your attention and ruin our ceremony!”

They were so self-assured in their assumptions. I found it utterly ridiculous.

I lifted my gaze, looking past them. My eyes softened. “My future husband... he’s here.”