Celeste's POV

Every werewolf is unique, but my twin sister and I were an exception. Cassidy and I didn’t just share the same looks—we shared the same scent, a rarity among our kind. Our mother often reminisced about her pregnancy, how everyone believed she was carrying just one pup, only to be shocked when we both arrived. It was only then that the mystery of our singular scent made sense.

What was once seen as a blessing quickly turned into a curse. When our parents broke their bond, we were torn apart. I stayed with our father in the Ironcrest Hounds Pack, while Cassidy went with our mother to the Nightfall Shadows Pack. Years passed, and though the bond of sisterhood was strained, it was never truly broken.

Yesterday, Cassidy invited me to her Ceremony of the Blue. Today, I stood at the entrance of the grand hall, anticipation bubbling within me. My phone buzzed, and her familiar voice greeted me.

"Celeste, are you here? Did you wear the red dress? I want everything to be perfect today! I’ve missed you so much!" Cassidy’s voice was sugary sweet, yet something about it felt off.

I couldn’t deny that I missed her too. The years apart hadn’t erased our connection. To show my love, I had brought a priceless diamond necklace, eager to see it shine around her neck. I had also reached out to my mate, Damien Baros, Alpha of the Deadbite Growlers Pack, to ensure that the celebration was nothing short of extraordinary. He happily obliged, promising to join us later to offer his congratulations.

As Cassidy's twin, I wanted her day to be perfect—a day she would never forget.

"Yes, I'm here. Where are you? I’ve got a surprise for you," I said, a smile tugging at my lips.

"I'm still getting my makeup done, but you'll see me soon. Go ahead to the hall; I’ve reserved a seat for you at the main table. I love you the most!" Cassidy’s voice was laced with affection, but a shiver ran down my spine.

I shook off the unease and made my way into the hall, imagining our reunion. But as soon as I stepped inside, a wave of malice hit me like a brick wall. Before I could react, a vicious hand yanked my hair, pulling me back with such force that I nearly lost my balance.

"Cassidy, you traitorous bitch! You dare show your face after what you've done? You reek of that wolf’s scent! You disgust me!" A deep, enraged voice growled in my ear, and I recognized the speaker—Memphis Cullen, Cassidy's mate. But why was he attacking me?

Before I could gather my thoughts, Memphis dragged me onto the stage, his eyes glowing with fury. My scalp burned from where he gripped my hair, and tears welled in my eyes. My body was slammed to the floor, pain radiating through me, but I was too stunned to fight back.

"Today, I’ll show everyone who you really are! You brought this on yourself, Cassidy!" he roared, his voice echoing through the hall.

The room was filled with murmurs of confusion, guests whispering among themselves.

"What's happening? Why is Memphis attacking Cassidy on their big day?"

"I’ve never seen anything like this—a couple fighting at their own ceremony!"

I wanted to scream, to tell them all that I wasn’t Cassidy, but the words caught in my throat. I was pregnant, vulnerable, and utterly confused. Memphis didn’t give me a chance to speak before he slashed my face, his claws leaving a burning trail of pain.

"You filthy liar! How dare you act innocent?" he snarled, his fury unrelenting.

Trembling, I covered my wounded cheek. "You've got it wrong!" I pleaded, but my voice was barely a whisper against the storm of his rage.

"Wrong? I'll show you wrong!" Memphis growled. "Play the video!"

As the screens lit up, my heart pounded in my chest. The room fell silent as footage of Cassidy in a compromising position with another wolf played out for all to see. Gasps of shock rippled through the crowd, but all I could think was, This isn’t me. This isn’t my life.

But in this moment, none of that mattered. Memphis’s wrath was directed at me, and there was no escape from his twisted sense of justice.

Celeste's POV

Gasps filled the room as wolves hurriedly shielded their pups' eyes from the shocking display on the screen. My heart pounded in my chest, my mind struggling to process the scene before me. There, in full view of everyone, was Cassidy—completely exposed and entangled with another wolf. But the wolf wasn’t Memphis.

The realization hit me like a punch to the gut. Cassidy, my own twin, had betrayed her mate in the worst way possible. It was unthinkable. We hadn’t seen each other in years, yet I never imagined she would sink to such depths.

As the video played, the crowd's murmurs turned into venomous curses.

"Disgusting! On the day of her ceremony, no less!"

"He should reject her right now! She’s a disgrace to the pack!"

"How dare she spit in the face of the Moon Goddess like this? Her mate is lucky to have found out before she ruined his life."

"She doesn’t deserve mercy. A she-wolf like that should be punished severely!"

The voices around me grew louder, each word a blade slicing through my composure. My scalp prickled with fear as I realized that every angry gaze, every scornful word, was directed at me. They thought I was Cassidy. And the scent of another wolf they accused her of carrying—it was Damien’s scent they mistook for someone else’s!

Desperation clawed at me. "You've got it wrong! I'm not Cassidy! I'm her twin sister, Celeste Finley, the Luna of Deadbite Growlers!" I shouted, my voice trembling but firm.

I hoped—prayed—that my words would break through the haze of rage. But instead of recognition, I was met with more fury. Memphis’s eyes blazed with unrelenting anger as he slashed my cheek again, the sting of his claws igniting a burning pain across my face.

"You lying bitch! Do you really think I don’t know who you are? I know every inch of your body! I’ve shown you the proof, and yet you still dare to deny it? You even have the audacity to claim you’re a Luna? Who do you think you’re fooling?" Memphis snarled, his voice dripping with venom.

He dragged me toward the giant screen, forcing my face mere inches from the image of Cassidy in the video. "Look at her! Look at this whore! Do you still dare to deny it?!" he roared, his voice booming over the stunned crowd.

The room fell into an eerie silence as the wolves compared the face on the screen with mine. They were identical, down to the last detail. Growing up, Cassidy and I were inseparable, often mistaken for one another. Even our wolves were indistinguishable. The only thing that set us apart was a butterfly-shaped birthmark on my back, something no one could see now.

The video continued to play, showing the man in the recording carelessly tossing an expensive bag onto Cassidy after their encounter. "Didn’t you want this bag? I got it for you," he said, his voice devoid of any emotion.

My eyes widened in horror. That bag—it was the same one I was carrying today. The very sight of it sent a chill down my spine. My mind raced, trying to piece together the twisted reality of the situation.

Why was this happening? Why did it have to be me?

As my heart pounded in my chest, a dark suspicion began to take root. Was this all a setup? Had Cassidy planned this, knowing full well that our identical appearance would lead to this very moment? Had she invited me here to take the fall for her sins?

My thoughts were a chaotic whirlwind, and all I could do was hope—hope that Damien would arrive soon and save me from this nightmare. But deep down, my wolf and I both knew the truth. Cassidy had betrayed me in more ways than one.

Celeste's POV

Memphis seized my bag with a vicious grin, holding it high for everyone to see. His eyes blazed with unbridled fury, and veins pulsed angrily along his neck.

"Look at this, everyone!" he bellowed, his voice echoing off the ornate walls. "This is the same bag that mongrel gifted you yesterday, isn't it? And you had the audacity to flaunt it here today, on our ceremony! How shameless can you be?"

With a swift, vicious motion, Memphis's sharp claws tore through the expensive leather, shredding the bag into worthless scraps that fluttered to the ground like fallen leaves. The sight made my heart clench—not because of the bag's value, but because of the sheer injustice and misunderstanding unfolding before me.

With my fangs elongating instinctively as anger and frustration surged through me, I snapped back, "What the hell are you doing? That was mine! You had no right—!"

But he cut me off with a sneer, his lips curling back to reveal his own sharp canines. "Finally showing your true colors, are you? Well, let’s see how long you can keep up this pathetic act of yours."

The heat of my anger evaporated in an instant, replaced by a cold, creeping fear. His gaze had shifted from wild fury to something far more dangerous—murderous intent. I scrambled backward, instinctively wrapping my arms around my belly to protect the small life growing inside me.

"What do you want from me?" I asked, my voice trembling as fear tightened its grip on me. My wolf screamed at me to fight back, but I couldn’t risk it. Not with my pup.

"I’m not Cassidy!" I cried out desperately, my voice rising in panic. "I have a birthmark on my back! Check if you want, I’m telling the truth!"

But my words fell on deaf ears. Memphis’s gaze had locked onto the diamond necklace that had tumbled out of my bag during the scuffle. His expression twisted into one of pure rage. His eyes narrowed, and a new wave of rage overtook him.

"Where did you get this, huh? Did you spread your legs for another wolf because I couldn't afford your lavish tastes?" he growled, snatching the necklace and crushing it in his fist. The precious gems scattered across the floor, catching the light as they rolled away—symbols of my love and goodwill now reduced to meaningless shards.

"This? This costs a hundred thousand. You think I’m too poor to afford this, so you had another wolf buy it for you? You’re an infuriating piece of work," he snarled, his fangs glistening under the lights.

Then, in a blur of movement, Memphis shifted into his wolf. His massive form lunged at me, claws extended, fangs bared. I barely had time to react, curling up in a desperate attempt to shield my unborn pup. But his claws raked across my back, the searing pain tearing through me.

I screamed, the pain ripping through me, but it didn’t stop there. As I crumpled to the ground, two more wolves—large and imposing—emerged from the crowd, their eyes mirroring Memphis's wrath. His parents. Without hesitation, they joined the fray, clawing at me with a ferocity that spoke of wounded pride and blind vengeance.

"You don't deserve our son, you filthy whore!" his mother’s voice echoed in my ears before her claws slashed across my back, deepening the wounds.

I lay there, crouched in agony, my dress in tatters, my body exposed and covered in blood. Around me, the wolves of the pack watched in cruel silence, some even muttering their disgust.

"She brought this on herself."

"Serves her right. She’s nothing but a greedy bitch."

"She deserves to die for what she’s done."

The hatred in their words stung as deeply as the wounds on my back. My body ached, not only from the attack but from the overwhelming realization that no one cared—no one would help me. I was utterly alone in this moment of hell.

At last, the brutal assault ended. Memphis and his parents stepped away, leaving me barely conscious, my skin raw and bleeding, the floor around me soaked in my own blood. The once-elegant dress I wore hung in rags, my body trembling not from shame but from the unbearable pain.

The pack healer’s words echoed in my mind as I struggled to breathe. 'Luna, your body is more fragile now that you’re pregnant. Your healing will be slower, and your strength will diminish. This may be your only chance to carry a pup.'

The truth of her warning was now painfully clear. My wounds barely healed, blood continued to ooze from the gashes on my back, and I could feel the life inside me weakening. I was losing strength—fast.

But through the haze of pain and rage, I found my voice. Weak but defiant, I forced out the words. "You’d better pray my mate doesn’t arrive in time. Because when he does..." I paused, my breath shaky. "He will make sure every last one of you pays."

I lifted my head, meeting their hateful gazes with all the strength I could muster, the taste of blood filling my mouth. I could only hope Damien would come soon, before it was too late for both me and our pup.