####Sincerely

The day of the Luna Selection Ceremony had finally arrived.

Ironically, I had been looking forward to it. Not because I believed I would find my mate. Not because I suddenly hoped my wolf would awaken after three long years of silence. But because, for one precious afternoon, the house would be empty.

No insults.

No watching eyes.

No constant reminders of how disgusting and embarrassing I was.

Just quiet.

I swept the front porch slowly, letting myself imagine it: a cup of tea without someone sneering at me, a few minutes sitting under Mother's old oak tree, maybe even a full breath that didn't feel stolen.

Three cheerful voices shattered the fragile daydream.

"Oh, Bianca! We're here!"

Bianca's friends-Lillian, Naomi, and Ava swept into the house in elegant dresses, laughing and chattering. They barely glanced at me. Their wolves had awakened months ago, and they couldn't stop talking about possible mates.

I kept sweeping, head down.

An hour later, the upstairs had become a whirlwind of excitement. Dress bags rustled. Hairdryers hummed. Bursts of laughter spilled down the staircase. I stayed on my knees in the kitchen, scrubbing the floor until my knuckles bled.

It wasn't my celebration. It never would be.

"Sincerely!"

Miranda's voice cracked through the house like a whip.

"Upstairs. Now!"

My heart slammed against my ribs. I dropped the rag and hurried up the stairs, nearly tripping in my haste. When Miranda said now, she meant it.

I knocked once and slipped into Bianca's bedroom.

The room looked like something out of a dream. silk gowns draped across the bed, jewelry glittering on the vanity, perfume thick in the air. Bianca sat in front of the mirror in a satin robe while her friends curled her hair and debated earrings.

No one acknowledged me.

Miranda turned sharply. "There you are. Get dressed."

I blinked. "Ma'am?"

She pointed to an old garment bag slumped in the corner like discarded trash. "You're going with Bianca."

The words landed heavily. "I'm... what?"

"Don't make me repeat myself."

"I don't want to go," I said quietly.

The room fell silent. Even Bianca's friends stopped talking.

Miranda stared at me like I had spat on the floor. "You don't?"

"I thought... since you and Father are going to the neighboring pack's banquet... I could stay and finish the chores."

A slow, unpleasant smile spread across her face. "Oh. So that's your plan."

Confusion mixed with dread in my chest. "My plan?"

"The second this house is empty, you'll gorge yourself on everything in the pantry. Or maybe you'll finally steal some of my jewelry."

My mouth fell open. "I would never-"

"No?" She folded her arms. "Prove it."

"I've never stolen anything from you. I've never given you a reason not to trust me."

Miranda laughed, cold and sharp. "You've given me every reason not to trust the food around you."

Bianca burst into giggles. "So true."

Heat flooded my face. I looked desperately toward Father, who stood adjusting his cufflinks in the corner. He didn't meet my eyes.

Bianca stood, smoothing the front of her glittering silver gown. She walked over and placed her sparkling handbag in my hands.

"Actually, Mother... I do need her." She leaned close, voice low enough that only I could hear. "Someone has to carry my train. And if my feet start hurting, you'll carry my shoes too." Her smile widened.

Her friends erupted in laughter.

Miranda tossed another bundle at my chest. An old gray dress one of her old cleaning uniforms landed heavily against me.

"Wear that."

I looked down at the faded, shapeless fabric. "This is all I get?"

"It's more than you deserve." She waved a dismissive hand. "Hurry up. The ceremony won't wait for you."

%*%

The carriage ride was quiet in all the worst ways.

Father and Miranda had already left for the neighboring pack's banquet. Bianca rode comfortably inside the carriage while I sat opposite her, clutching the long train of her silver gown so it wouldn't wrinkle. Her three friends filled the remaining seats, their excitement bubbling over like champagne.

"I heard more than three hundred unmated wolves are attending this year," Lillian said.

"My cousin met her mate at last year's selection," Naomi added.

"I hope mine is tall."

"I hope mine is an Alpha."

I hope I find mine, I whispered silently in my head, the words too fragile and humiliating to say out loud.

The carriage erupted in laughter again.

Bianca admired her reflection in a small hand mirror, smiling confidently. "I don't really care if he's an Alpha," she lied smoothly. "As long as he's handsome."

"Oh please," Ava teased. "You'll faint if Alpha Roland turns out to be your mate."

Bianca giggled, cheeks turning pink. "I wouldn't faint."

"You absolutely would."

"And if he rejects you?" Lillian joked.

Bianca tossed her hair. "He won't. Have you seen me?"

More laughter.

I stared out the window as the roads grew busier. Carriages lined the streets. Families in their finest clothes walked toward the Moonlight Pavilion, faces glowing with hope and anticipation.

Everyone looked like they belonged.

Everyone except me.

The carriage finally slowed to a stop and my stomach twisted into a painful knot.

"We're here!" Naomi squealed.

####Sincerely

The coachman opened the door.

One by one, Bianca and her friends stepped down, smoothing their shimmering gowns and linking arms like they belonged in a painting. I climbed out last, the rough gray fabric of my dress clinging uncomfortably to my skin, already damp with nervous sweat.

The Moonlight Pavilion stretched before me, breathtaking under the full moon. Towering white pillars wrapped in silver vines reached toward the sky. Thousands of glowing lanterns drifted above the gardens like captured stars. White roses lined the stone pathways, their sweet scent heavy in the cool night air. Music floated through the grounds while elegantly dressed wolves filled every corner-laughing, chatting, embracing old friends.

For one treacherous moment, I forgot the ache in my stomach and the sting of my too-tight dress.

"So beautiful," I whispered.

"It is," Bianca said, glancing back at me. Her voice dropped. "But don't get any stupid ideas."

She snatched her train from my hands, then immediately shoved it back at me. "Carry it properly."

As we walked toward the entrance, the lively conversations around us slowly faded into whispers.

"Isn't that Bianca? She looks stunning."

"I heard she awakened her wolf just yesterday."

"She has a real chance at becoming Luna."

Then the whispers shifted, sharp as claws.

"Who's the girl behind her?"

"The fat one?"

"I think that's her stepsister."

"Really? They don't look related at all. Poor thing."

"No... poor whoever ends up mated to her."

Soft laughter rippled through the crowd like a wave I couldn't escape. I lowered my head and fixed my eyes on the stone path, forcing one foot in front of the other. The insults no longer surprised me, but they still carved fresh grooves into my chest with every step.

Just keep walking. Don't look up. Don't let them see you flinch. I told myself.

An elderly wolf in ceremonial robes struck the drum with a silver staff. The music faded. Hundreds of wolves turned toward the raised platform at the center of the pavilion.

"The Luna Selection Ceremony," the elder announced, his voice carrying across the entire gathering, "is about to begin."

An electric wave of anticipation swept through the crowd. Beside me, Bianca dumped her sparkling purse into my hands without a word. I took it obediently, arms already aching from carrying her things.

For reasons I couldn't explain, my gaze drifted across the sea of wolves. A strange warmth bloomed beneath my ribs, faint, almost imaginary. I froze. My hand flew to my chest.

For twenty-one years there had been nothing. No wolf. No bond. Only silence and disappointment.

But just now... something had stirred.

Silence settled heavily over the pavilion. Hundreds of wolves stood shoulder to shoulder beneath the full moon as the elder lifted his silver staff toward the sky.

"On this blessed night, under the watchful eyes of the Moon Goddess, may every unmated wolf find the soul destined for them."

Cheers erupted. My heart remained strangely heavy.

I wasn't here for hope. I was here because Miranda didn't trust me alone in the house.

"Smile," Bianca hissed through clenched teeth. "You look like you're attending a funeral."

I tried. It felt like a lie on my face.

The elder continued. "As tradition demands, those who awakened their wolves this year will step forward first."

One by one, young wolves entered the sacred circle. Families watched with shining eyes. Friends squeezed each other's hands. The air buzzed with nervous excitement.

Then the first bond snapped into place.

A young woman gasped, her eyes locking onto a man across the crowd. They rushed toward each other, voices overlapping in a breathless "Mate..." The pavilion exploded into applause as they embraced, laughing and crying.

Another pair found each other. Then another. Every successful bond fed the growing hope in the air.

I smiled despite the knot in my throat. Maybe the Moon Goddess really did have a plan for everyone.

Everyone except me.

That was when the warmth in my chest flared again, stronger this time. It spread through my veins like liquid moonlight. My breath caught.

Something inside me stirred. Not my heartbeat. Not my imagination.

A soft, hesitant voice echoed through the emptiness I had carried for so long.

"I've found him..."

My eyes widened. Tears blurred my vision instantly.

My wolf?

After twenty-one years of silence, she was there all along?

The warmth intensified into a pull I couldn't ignore. Then the scent hit me-rich cedar, rain-soaked earth, and sharp winter pine. It crashed over me with breathtaking force.

Every instinct screamed the same word.

My head snapped up. Without thinking, I took a step forward, then another, still clutching Bianca's train and purse like a fool.

The scent grew stronger, pulling me through the crowd.

"Excuse me... Sorry... I need to get through..."

Someone grabbed my arm.

"Sincerely!" Bianca's voice was sharp with embarrassment. "What are you doing?"

"I... I have to go," I whispered, gently pulling free.

"Go where?"

I couldn't explain it. I just shoved her things into her hands and ran.

The scent wrapped around me like a rope, guiding me through the sea of bodies until I reached the very front of the gathering.

There, standing on the raised platform surrounded by elders and ranked warriors, was Alpha Roland.

Tall. Broad-shouldered. Dark hair neatly brushed back from a striking face. His piercing gray eyes scanned the crowd with quiet, commanding authority. Even standing still, power radiated from him. Wolves instinctively kept their distance.

My wolf purred with absolute certainty.

"Mine."

The word echoed through every part of me.

At that exact moment, Alpha Roland's head snapped in my direction. Our eyes locked.

Shock flashed across his face. The color drained from it completely.

The entire world seemed to vanish. There was only him. Only us. Only the invisible bond the Moon Goddess had woven.

My lips parted, as tears of desperate joy spilling down my cheeks.

"Mate..." I breathed.