My gift is called 'Echoing Hearts.' It lets me hear the thoughts of anyone who feels a tainted or disingenuous love for me.

Because of this, I can distinguish truth from falsehood with perfect clarity.

It's helped me weed out deceitful wolves and gauge the true intentions of any suitor.

I can hear every thought, clear as day.

In my day-to-day life, I avoid eye contact with strangers to keep from being overwhelmed by the psychic chatter.

But the first time I met Jeremy Nathan, the entire world fell silent.

All I could hear were our two voices, crisp and clear.

"Hi, I'm Jeremy."

I didn't answer right away, waiting to hear his inner thoughts.

But there was nothing. A profound, beautiful silence.

When our eyes met, his mind was a closed book.

"Hello."

While he pursued me, my world remained beautifully simple, free from the noise.

He had to be the fated mate the Moon Goddess had granted me.

We fell in love, we dated, and we planned our bonding ceremony.

For two whole years, I never heard a single one of his thoughts.

But on the day before our bonding ceremony, his heart suddenly spoke to me.

'If she crashes the ceremony tomorrow, will my wolf lose control?'

'I have to be ready to take her away at a moment's notice.'

I don't tolerate tainted bonds, whether with friends or a mate.

So, the next day, I walked to the altar without a backward glance and performed the rite to sever our bond.

In the end, the bonding ceremony—with its absent bride and a groom rekindling things with his old flame at the altar—became the scandal of the werewolf world.

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1

Jeremy and I had been drowning in preparations for the bonding ceremony.

He was the heir to the Nathan Pack and had recently taken over most of its affairs from his father.

As the day drew closer, the sheer number of details became overwhelming.

For the past few months, we’d been so busy we’d barely had a moment alone together.

Today, we were finally having the last fitting for our ceremonial robes, and a thrill of excitement coursed through me.

When I arrived at the tailor's workshop, Jeremy was already there, inspecting the strength-enhancing runes on the robes.

He was discussing the details with the head tailor when a voice from his communication crystal interrupted.

He turned to answer, his voice hushed and soothing, as if gently calming the person on the other end.

I understood. He was busy.

Managing a powerful pack isn't easy.

Especially since, as the sole heir of the Nathan Pack, he had no brothers to share the burden.

After he ended the call, he turned back, his gaze meeting mine.

Just as a familiar warmth spread through me from our connection, I suddenly heard his thoughts.

'Katie insists on coming tomorrow. Her scent… it makes it hard to stay calm. I'd better prepare a shifting charm, just in case I have to drag her away.'

Katie? Drag her away? I froze. His lips hadn't moved.

The words weren't spoken, but they were his thoughts. My mind went blank.

A sudden chill washed over me.

It was the first time in two years I had heard his thoughts.

This could only mean one thing.

A crack had formed in our fated bond. His love for me was no longer pure. It was tainted—malicious, even.

I caught a glimpse of the tailor, who, following Jeremy's instructions, was tucking a small charm into a hidden pocket of his robe.

Jeremy saw me, gave me a hurried nod, and headed for the door.

I assumed it was our usual silent understanding—that urgent pack business called him away.

But what I had just heard was no figment of my imagination.

My gift had never failed me.

I instinctively followed him, calling out hesitantly, "Jeremy?"

I was desperate to catch more of his thoughts, to figure out what was really going on inside the head of the man I was supposed to bond with for life.

Why, of all times, would our mate bond crack the day before our bonding ceremony?

Hearing my voice, he froze with his hand on the car door.

He shot a brief, hurried explanation over his shoulder before ordering the driver to speed off.

"Sorry, there's an emergency at the pack border. I have to go right away."

He was lying.

His thoughts told a different story.

'Just from her voice on the crystal, I can tell Katie's about to lose it.'

'If I don't go calm her down tonight, she'll give me the silent treatment for weeks.'

I was never the type to wait around for answers.

So, I immediately arranged a private meeting with Jeremy's Beta.

And through his thoughts, I learned the whole story.

Her name was Katie Silverwood, Jeremy's first love.

She hailed from the exiled Silverwood Pack.

The Nathan Pack Elders had never acknowledged her.

Naturally, Jeremy's family would never allow her to become the pack's Luna.

Despite her humble bloodline, Katie had an unbending pride and couldn't stomach the humiliation. So, she chose to leave him, vanishing without a word.

And me? His so-called 'fated mate'?

I was chosen merely because my aura was a pale imitation of hers.

Now that the genuine article was back, he had no more use for me, the replacement.

She had returned right around the time Jeremy had become "too busy" to see me these last two months.

It all made sense now.

I couldn't help but shake my head, a bitter laugh escaping my lips.

Who would have thought I'd end up as the stand-in lover in such a cliché story?

Katie's return was not meant to be a quiet affair.

She had a grand plan.

She intended to crash my bonding ceremony, declare that Jeremy belonged to her, and then inform all the guests that I was merely keeping the Luna's seat warm for her.

Meanwhile, Jeremy saw this as the perfect chance to prove his undying loyalty, a grand gesture to win back his petulant sweetheart and force the entire pack to accept her.

As for me and our bonding ceremony?

We were just props, sacrifices in their meticulously orchestrated drama.

The absurdity of it all made me want to throw my head back, shift, and howl at the moon.

That night, the lights in my residence burned late.

While other she-wolves dreamt of their grand ceremonies, I was frantically packing my alchemical ingredients.

Two hours earlier, I had booked a one-way flight to Europe.

They wanted a spectacle? Fine. I'd give them one with a twist.

I would answer their farce by severing the mate bond myself.

My family had long been settled in Europe. To spare them a long journey, they hadn't been invited to the ceremony.

This saved me the trouble of navigating a messy fallout.

When my friend, Tessa Hathaway, found out, she took the box I was packing, her expression turning serious.

Her thoughts were a jumble I couldn't decipher, but her serious expression was clear enough. "Tessa," I asked, "are you trying to stop me?"

She rolled her eyes dramatically.

"Of course not. I'm having my father fetch you a special protective case. It'll be perfect for your alchemical ingredients."

On the day of the bonding ceremony, Jeremy and I stood side by side, greeting guests from various packs.

Today, his thoughts were a deafening roar I could barely tolerate.

'Has Katie arrived yet?'

'I can finally be with Katie.'

'Three years, three whole years. She's finally going to be the Luna of the Nathan Pack, my mate.'

'This will prove to her how much she means to me. More than anything.'

I shot Jeremy a look of pure disgust.

But he maintained his calm, powerful Alpha-to-be demeanor, even asking with feigned concern, "Clara, you seem a bit on edge."

"Why don't you go rest in the lounge? I'll handle the guests. Just come back before the ceremony starts."

That suited me perfectly.

Honestly, I was looking for an excuse to disappear.

Just as I was about to leave, I ran into Katie at the entrance.

Thanks to our similar auras and my gift, I recognized her instantly.

I quickly grabbed Tessa, who was rubbing her hands together in gleeful anticipation, and then feigned ignorance and greeted Katie warmly.

"You must be a friend of Jeremy's," I said with a smile. "Please, come in. The ceremony will begin shortly."

Katie's smile froze on her face.

She was clearly irked by my display of authority as the hostess, and her tone sharpened.

"Miss Riley, I'm sorry to say, but it seems we're wearing the same dress."

"Anyone who didn't know better might think I was the star of today's show."

Her arrogant thoughts rang in my head.

'Smile while you can. In three hours, your precious mate is going to dump you for me.'

'Let's see if you're still smiling then.'

I offered a nonchalant smile and gestured for an attendant to show her to her seat.

'You idiot,' her thoughts screamed. 'I've made it so obvious. Can't you see I'm here to crash this thing?'

As soon as she was out of earshot, Tessa couldn't help but vent.

"Did you see her attitude? Acting like she owns the place. I can't stand her."

I shrugged. "To her, I'm just a pitiful wretch right now."

"She thinks Jeremy is about to dump me for her at the altar."

"She's about to stage the perfect 'lovers reunited' drama, forcing the Alpha's family to accept her."

Before long, I arrived at the ancient altar. The ceremony hadn't started yet.

After I performed the rite to sever the bond, I sat quietly to the side, waiting for the main event to begin.

Suddenly, my crystal vibrated with a series of alerts.

Tessa was so excited her wolf's tail was probably wagging as she live-streamed a magical projection to me.

'Clara, it's starting! She's really doing it!'

'Gods, the nerve. It's a betrayal, but they're acting like some tragic, star-crossed couple. So shameless.'

As planned, Jeremy went up to the ceremonial platform first.

Just as the high priest was delivering a romantic speech about the Moon Goddess and fate, Katie made her move.

Dressed in a ceremonial robe nearly identical to mine, she strode onto the stage and snatched the amplifying crystal from the high priest's hands.

As she delivered her heartfelt declaration of love, a wave of murmurs rippled through the crowd.

Her voice trembled with emotion as she spoke of their years apart, her loyalty, and her dream of their reunion.

Jeremy's eyes glistened with tears.

"Jeremy, will you come with me?"

Gasps erupted from the audience.

Stealing the Alpha-to-be on his bonding day wasn't just a disruption; it was a brazen, full-blown scandal.

Worse, Jeremy didn't hesitate.

His expression softened as he walked toward her and took her hand.

"I will," he declared.

The crowd erupted in shock and furious whispers.

Katie basked in her victory, a triumphant smile blooming on her face.

She then turned toward the large sanctuary doors, ready to deliver her grand speech to me right before my scheduled entrance.

"I know you love him deeply," she said, her tone dripping with condescension.

"But the bond between Jeremy and me is one that not even the Moon Goddess can sever."

"So, please, find it in your heart to understand and let us be together."

In the projection, Jeremy was gazing at Katie adoringly, while the smug satisfaction on her face was impossible to hide.

I guessed Katie was eagerly awaiting my heartbroken reaction.

She had probably rehearsed a whole speech to "comfort" me.

"I hope you can support this beautiful love story between Jeremy and me."

"Miss Riley?" she called out, waiting for her dramatic confrontation.

A dead silence fell over the hall.

The atmosphere became palpably awkward.

After all, when the target of your grand performance fails to show up, your 'bold declaration of love' starts to look less like a romantic coup and more like a circus act.

"Miss Riley?"

"Clara!"

She called out several times, but there was no response.

Finally, an attendant stepped forward and opened the large doors.

There was no one behind them. No grieving bride, devastated by Katie's dramatic spectacle.

In its place lay a single moonstone bracelet—the symbol of a mate bond I had already severed—discarded carelessly on the floor.

The murmurs in the crowd swelled into a wave of shocked gasps.

An elder exclaimed, "She severed the mate bond herself!"