Chapter 1
Chapter 1
ADELINE
I always thought my mating ceremony would be the start of my happily ever after. The start of a life filed with love and power by Devon’s side.
My mate.
The man I loved with every fiber of my being but as I stood at the altar, all I could think of now was the sentence that had just to my world apart.
“I am pregnant, and Devon is the father of my child.”
My twin sister’s voice rang in my ears, louder than the pounding of my heart. My mind reeled, the air in the room thickening until it felt like I was drowning in disbelief.
I stared at her, feeling the edges of my vision blur as if my world was shrinking into that single devastating moment
“Rose, stop this,” Devon growled beside me, his voice laced with anger but it wasn’t the fury in his tone that caught my attention–it was the fear.
The guilt.
My eyes snapped to his, and there it was. The confirmation I didn’t want but already know deep down. The man I had trusted with everything–my heart, my future had been sleeping with my sister. My own blood. The person who was supposed to be my other hall
“Get her out of here.” Devon’s voice cut through the fog in my mind, sharp and commanding. His angry growl reverberated through the hall as the guards moved to grab Rose, but before I could even process my next thought, words spilled out of my mouth.
“Stop. Don’t touch her.”
I barely recognized my own voice–steady, cold. Not at all the broken, sobbing mess I should have been. I was supposed to be devastated. I was supposed to be in places.
All felt was numb.
Slowly, I wiped the stray tear that had slipped down my cheek, my hand trembling as I took a step down from the altar. The entire hall had fallen into a deathly silence, the weight of Rose’s announcement sucking all the air out of the room.
My voice, though soft, carried easily through the silence, “How long?”
Rose stood, staring at me with coldness in her eyes. She didn’t lock apologetic. If anything, there was a glint of triumph as she shrugged.
“The baby, one month. Our relationship, four months.”
Four months?
My heart lurched in my chest. I blinked rapidly, trying to process her words. Four months of betrayal. Four months of lies. My gaze flickered to Devon, who was looking anywhere but at me.
Four months.
couldn’t comprehend it. He’d been the constant in my life for the past year since we discovered we were mates and I had fallen to the point I would
actually die for him.
are you doing this on the day of my mating ceremony?!” I whispered, my voice barely audible, but in the s
“Why are y
silence of the hall, it felt like a scream.
Rose shrugged again, as if this entive situation were an inconvenience. “He forced my hand,” she said nonchalantly. “I told him about the baby, but he refused to acknowledge me or the child. Said he was hopelessly in love with you.” Her lips curled into a mocking smile, the words a crueljab.
Chapter 1
Istared at her, unblinking, the tears falling freely now. I knew there had always been cracks in our relationship, it didn’t matter that we were toppose be best friends because we were twins but I never thought she would do this to me.
And worse of all? She stared at me like I was at fault. Like I was the error in this situation.
Behind me, Devon started to speak, his voice trembling. “Addy,
“Don’t you dare say my name.” My voice was sharper than I intended, and I forced myself to take a deep breath, pushing down the anger alongside my inside me that was clawing to get out, to rip her apart.
Blood or not.
I squared my shoulders, standing tall despite the trembling in my limbs. “Go ahead”
Rose’s expression faltered, her smug confidence slipping for a moment. “Go ahead?”
I tilted my head slightly, my voice steady as I repeated, “You just announced to half the state that you’ve been sleeping with my mate. That you’re pregnant with his child. So, go ahead. Finish what you started. Or was that it?”
For a moment, I saw the flicker of confusion in her eyes. She hadn’t expected this. She expected me to break down. To fall apart.
Thad always been the twin with the softer heart. The one who cried at the drop of a hat, and I honestly did not know why I wasn’t on my k my heart in pain because that’s what I wanted to do.
knees clenching
And I would but not now.
I glanced toward my parents, hoping–praying–they would be looking at me. That I would see something, some sign of disbelief but they weren’t looking at me.
My mother was crying, yes, but her eyes weren’t filled with confusion. They were filled with fear. Fear and guilt.
The realization hit me like a tidal wave. They know.
A bitter smile tugged at my lips as I turned back to Devon, who had his mouth open as if to say something. “We could have been happy,” I said, my soft but cutting. “I would have loved you until the end of time. We would have been powerful. I would have been the perfect Luna for you.”
voice
As I spoke, I began to remove the jewelry that had been placed on me that morning The bracelet, the necklace, the earrings. Each piece heavier than the last as I tossed them to the ground, one by one,
“Addy, please,” Devon begged, his voice filled with desperation. “Please, don’t do this, it was just sex. It meant nothing”
My Laughter f
filled the room, bitter and hollow. “Just sex?” I repeated, disbelief thick in my voice. For months? Just sex? And she’s pregnant.”
but I held up a hand, stopping him in his tracks. “I’m done talking to you.”
He tried to step forward, to touch me,
I turned back to Rose, the tears finally drying on my cheeks. “You didn’t expect this, did you?” I whispered softly. “You expected me to break down, to
cry
I paused, the weight of my words heavy in the silence. “Well wipe that shocked expression from your face because that’s not happening.”
With a painful breath, I looked at the ring on my finger. The one Devon had just slipped on minutes ago. It felt like a tie now. Like a symbol of something that had never been real.
Slowly, I pulled it off and extended my hand toward Rose, “You’re carrying his child. Go ahead. Marry him.”
I heard someone gasp behind her, and I realized it was my mother. She called my name, her voice filled with panic, but I couldn’t even look at her. I shook my head, my vision blurring again as I started descending the steps from the altar.
“Addy, wait!” Devon’s voice was desperate now
21:45 Wed, 11 Jun 30
Chapter 1
I kept going, pausing for a moment, though, when I caught sight of someone sitting at the far end of the hall. Aman. His eyes were cold, his expression unreadable, but the slight twitch of his lips caught my attention. It was almost like he was holding back a smile. The intensity of his gaze was so strong so sharp, that for a second, I couldn’t look away but then I did, shaking my head to clear my thoughts.
I took a deep breath, turning back to the crowd, to the people who had just witnessed my life being torn apart. “If any of you knew about this, I began, pointing between an ashamed Devon and a shocked Rose, “and didn’t think to tell me, then f**k. You.”
The gasp that rippled through the room was almost satisfying, and my eyes instinctively darted back to the man in the corner.
This time, he was smiling, but there was
ΠΟ warmth in it.
It was almost… damning
With my head held high, I turned on my heel and strode out of the
of the hall, th
the hall that was supposed to mark the beginning of my forever
The hall that now marked the end.
My heart felt like it was being torn in two as I told myself over and over:
Just make it out, Addy. Just make it out.
As I reached the door, I stopped suddenly, the weight of everything crashing down on me all at once. My wolf growled inside me, urging me not to do what I was about to. It was too late now
I turned back to face them all, feeling a thousand eyes burning into my skin.
“One more thing.” I said, my voice louder now.“, Adeline Smith”
“Addy, please don’t-“Devon’s voice was pleading and I continued, ignoring him.
-reject you, Devon King, as my mate.”
And with that, I turned and walked out, slamming the door behind me .
