Cestia’s POV

“WHERE IS JACQUES?”

The meal proceeded downstairs, its joyful hum of discussion and music providing a strong contrast to the turmoil that was developing within me. Jacques had vanished not long after Fayre's spectacular arrival, leaving me alone among the murmurs and curious looks of the crowd.

I faked a grin at others who approached me, like nothing was wrong. But as the minutes passed into an hour, his absence grew more difficult to ignore. My heart tightened with uneasiness.

“Excuse me,” I muttered to the Beta, Hale Roberts, who had been standing nearby.

“Is everything alright, Luna?” he asked, his tone laced with concern.

I nodded quickly, unwilling to show weakness. “I just need some air.”

Without waiting for an answer, I slipped out of the hall and headed towards the grand staircase.

My footsteps resonated in the silence as I ascended, leaving the joyous commotion behind. The more I proceeded, the darker and quieter it became, with the luxurious corridors now cloaked in shade.

“Jack? Where are you?” I called, my voice trembling slightly.

The silence that followed just added to the discomfort in my chest. My fingers brushed against the wall as I moved, the low light from the sconces forming flickering shadows.

I turned a corner and saw it: a little ajar door with gentle light flowing into the corridor. My pulse accelerated.

I paused, my senses telling me to turn back. But then I heard his voice: low and familiar.

“I don’t love her, Fayre. You are the one that I love.”

The words hit me like a physical blow, the air rushing from my lungs.

I stepped closer, unable to stop myself. My trembling hand pushed the door open a fraction more, allowing me to see inside.

“I am just keeping her as my Luna because she's my mate,” he said.

Standing there, Jacques leant towards Fayre with his towering body. Unquestionably intimate, her hands were on his chest as their lips locked in a passionate kiss.

The world seemed to have paused. Tears clouded my eyes, and it felt like the walls were closing in on me.

My dearest mate...

Here was the man who had vowed to keep me safe and to uphold our relationship—betraying me with another woman.

“I hate him...” I whispered.

I wanted to yell, to stand up to him, to ask him questions. But I couldn't get my body to move. With each second that went by, my heart broke and my legs felt like lead.

“I only did it to gain the elders’ trust,” Jacques continued, his voice dripping with conviction as he pulled away from Fayre slightly. “They needed to see stability, a Luna at my side. But she’s just a human, Fayre. I could never love her.”

I pressed a hand to my mouth to stifle the sob threatening to escape.

How could he? After everything, after asking me to make the pact, after standing beside me and introducing me as his Luna—how could it all have been a lie?

I backed away from the door, my movements careful and silent. The last thing I wanted was for them to know I’d overheard. My tears blurred my vision as I stumbled down the hallway, the once-beautiful estate now feeling like a prison.

When I reached the grand staircase, I paused, wiping my face. I needed to leave. Staying here, pretending this was my life, was no longer an option.

“This is over now,” I whispered to myself, my voice steady despite the chaos inside me.

I descended the staircase, ignoring the curious glances of the pack members who noticed my pale face and red-rimmed eyes. I didn’t care what they thought. I didn’t care about the banquet or the titles or the expectations.

Right now... I need a plan.

I just needed to escape this hell!

Cestia’s POV

I AM SUCH A BIG FOOL.

I made my way swiftly to my room in the strangely still royal hallways. A harsh reminder of the life I was leaving behind was the faint reverberation of the banquet's music and laughter. The realisation of what I was doing hit me suddenly, causing my hands to shake as I unlocked my room's door.

“Damn it! I wished I never trusted him!”

I reached for a suitcase and started tossing in my clothing while tears ran down my cheeks. I made an effort to concentrate, but my thoughts kept returning to the sight I had seen upstairs—the intense kiss, the confessions. I couldn't express how much it hurt.

I feel so betrayed...

I had secretly begun to think that Jacques had promised me this life. Deep down, I wish it was true. A life in which I was his Luna, valued and revered.

However, it was all a big fucking lie!

Why does it hurt so much?

I hesitated, holding one of the clothes that Jacques had given me. It was exquisitely designed for tonight's meal and was composed of the finest silk. I had proudly worn it, thinking it represented my position besides him. It felt like a nasty joke now.

After packing my luggage, I took a seat at the little writing desk in the room's corner. The words first resisted coming as my fingertips lingered over the page. What could I say?

After a long moment, I began to write.

Dearest Jacques,

Thank you for everything you’ve done for me. Being here has been an experience I will never forget. I hope I was enough as your Luna, even if only for a short time. I wish you happiness and peace in the life you choose.

Goodbye.

Your Luna,

Cestia

I didn’t tell him I knew. I didn’t accuse him of betrayal. That would have given him the power to explain, to twist the truth, to try and make me stay. I couldn’t bear to hear his voice again, not after what I’d seen.

Folding the note carefully, I placed it on the bed where he would see it.

Taking a deep breath, I wiped my tears and stepped out of the room. My next destination was the potion room. It was a place I had stumbled upon weeks ago while wandering the palace, filled with strange elixirs and vials glowing with unnatural light. I wasn’t sure if what I needed would be there, but it was my only hope of leaving undetected.

The room was tucked away in one of the older wings of the palace, its door creaking softly as I pushed it open.

The air inside was heavy with the scent of herbs and magic, the shelves lined with bottles in every size and color. My eyes scanned the labels, searching for the one I’d seen during my first visit.

And then I found it: a small vial filled with a shimmering, clear liquid.

The label read: Invisibility Potion – 3 Hours Only. Use with caution.

The immensity of what I was doing made me hesitate for a second. I couldn't go back if I left now. However, the recollection of Jacques and Fayre's treachery provided me with the necessary clarity. I was finished.

“I need to do this!” I said to myself.

I took a quick swallow of the potion after uncorking the container. It tasted metallic and harsh, like crushed leaves. My entire body started to tingle strangely almost instantly. I gazed down and marvelled at my hands and feet as they dwindled to nothing at all.

It worked!

I tucked the empty vial back onto the shelf and slipped out of the room, careful to avoid the creaky floorboards.

“I must leave now...” I whispered.

My heart raced as I moved through the hallways, my senses heightened by the adrenaline pumping through me. I passed a few servants and guards, their oblivious faces only solidifying my resolve.

Ahead was the palace's main entrance. Since the majority of the pack was still at the banquet, the big doors, which were typically guarded, were now unattended.

I felt the freezing night air as I slipped through the doors. I breathed easily for the first time in weeks.

I will be free...

I walked into the woods and the castle vanished behind me. In the moonlight, the branches of the tall trees stretched out like bony fingers. The forest seemed more cosy than the castle walls ever had, even though it was silent but for the odd rustle of leaves.

I didn’t have a concrete plan.

I didn’t know how far I would have to walk or how I would return to the human world, but I didn’t care. All I wanted was to leave this nightmare behind.

I felt lighter the farther I went, as if the bonds that held me here were gradually coming loose. By this point, my tears had dried up and been replaced by an odd resolve.

I stopped to gaze at the sky when I came to a clearing. The stars served as a constant reminder of the world's immense size.

“This is where I belong,” I whispered to myself.

I had thought I could be part of Jacques’s world, that I could find a place among the wolves. But I was wrong.

I'm a human, and the human world was where I was meant to be.

Clutching my bag tighter, I stepped forward, leaving behind the forest and the life I had once thought was mine. But suddenly, I heard a voice inside my head.

“D-Don't... We need our mate.”

I suddenly stopped walking. What is that voice? Where the hell it came from? I don't understand what's going on. This is insane!

But then, I responded to the voice.

“W-Who are you?”