Chapter 1 Betrayal

Shyla’s P.O.V. “Hurry up, we will be late!” Listening to this sentence on repeat from the morning, I couldn’t stop myself from imagining the anxious face of my groom, Alpha Raymond Vincenzo. He must be urging servants for the preparation of our mating rituals. After a year of court marriage, Ray had finally arranged a grand ceremony to mark me as his Luna, his love had filled my life with happiness. “You are the only one I love, Shyl,” his confession was the biggest event for me, binding our souls as one for eternity. In a world where omegas were treated as slaves, it was my luck that a mighty Alpha like Raymond selected me as his mate. This was indeed an example of true love. Amidst laughter and best wishes, I strolled on the red carpet towards the venue. The floor of entire pack house was covered with snow lilies and red roses. The floral arrangement and glittering lights had illuminated the fragrant atmosphere, these arrangements for my special day were proof of Ray’s undying love for a wolf-less omega like me. I paused for a moment and composed myself before the closed double doors of the pack hall, my heart was brimming with Ray's love. Without wasting any second, my maids opened the doors for my entry in the ceremony; however, the scene before my eyes shook the ground below my feet. My husband Raymond, clad in an expensive black suit, was standing tall on the stage in his Alpha glory. But a delicate girl standing by his side caught me off guard. Moreover, their blooded necks were hitting towards an unbelievable truth. What the hell was happening there? The priest stepped forward and announced, answering my queries, “I pronounce you as husband and wife. Congratulations on marking an eligible Luna for the Blood Moon Pack. Luna Ayleen will bring great fortune to our pack, Alpha Raymond Vincenzo.” Ayleen? How? Why? Ayleen was the daughter of Alpha of Mystic River pack, the only heir of his bloodline. She must be here on the behalf of her pack to congratulate us. But her neck? She was freshly marked. And Ray, his neck too... Oh my gosh! My brain lost all the ability to process this twisted situation, an involuntary scream escaped my mouth. “Stop it!” All eyes followed me as I rushed towards the stage, only my own racing heartbeat was audible in that pin-drop silence. “What’s going on here, Ray? I am your wife; then why did the priest make that stupid announcement?” I raised my hand to show a limited-edition diamond ring in my ring finger and tried to climb the stairs of the stage, but armed guards forbade me from moving. Ray was the most handsome man I had ever seen, but he was the most terrifying, too. With dark hair and gray eyes, a stiff muscular body, he was exuding energy, which was so raw and animalistic, one that screamed danger. A corner of his cupid shaped lips curled up in a mean smirk, he spoke icily. “You are indeed a brainless omega, Shyla. Now I have to explain the obvious to you.” He let out an annoying growl and scoffed, “You really thought that I, Alpha Raymond, would mark a wolf-less omega as my Luna? Where’s your logic, Shyla?” Raymond gently wrapped his arm around Ayleen’s zero size waist, puffing his chest with pride. “I have found an eligible Luna to rule by my side, Shyla. Ayleen is an Alpha and my soulmate. The Moon Goddess has finally blessed me with my mate.” “No!” The bouquet of white roses slipped from my hand as I gaped, his cruel words shattered something delicate in my chest. I winced in pain as its sharp pieces cut through my soul, clearing the haze of love from my eyes. The demeaning words like mutt, human, and trash were common for me during my stay in Blood Moon pack. But the slap of eligibility stung like hell when it was hurled on me by my beloved husband. My hand flew to my mouth to stifle my scream as I took two steps back, the mockery in Raymond’s eyes had added salt to my wounds. The tears streamed down my cheeks as the rivers of despair, some incoherent words rolled out of my tongue. “You can’t do this to me, Ray. We love each other.” Raymond rolled his eyes at me and turned towards his Luna, tucking some stray hair behind Ayleen’s ear. Those same eyes which were full of love for me were admiring her face, which was flushed at this public display of affection. He clicked his tongue and spoke without averting his gaze, “You have served me well, Shyla. So, I will forgive your offense of intruding in my mating ceremony. Now kneel and welcome your Luna!” As his Alpha command resonated in the hall, everyone knelt on the floor, baring their necks in submission. “Welcome, Luna Ayleen.” Unlike the crowd, I was staring at that fated couple in a catatonic stupor as if it was a nightmare, scaring me out of my wits. A whirlwind of emotions swirled in my body as Raymond pulled Ayleen closer and kissed her passionately, the audience howled to celebrate the union of their Alpha and Luna. This scene s*ck*d all the air from my lungs as my eyes burned, making it impossible to see the face of my backstabbing husband anymore. Why? What was my fault? Why was this happening to me? Soon, Raymond noticed that I wasn’t obeying his command, he thundered in fury. “Kneel, Shyla. Your Alpha is commanding you!” I was so lost in the tsunami of betrayal that I completely disregarded the enormity of the situation, even his Alpha command didn’t affect me. Even every shred of my existence was screaming in pain, I pretended to be strong, but my voice came out shakier than I intended it to be. “Ayleen is engaged to her lover, Alpha Raymond. And you are still married to me. This is wrong! What about your promise of rejecting your mate for me? How can you simply break your word?” Ayleen was the first one to respond to my query, she grasped Raymond’s arm and cried out. “Your servant is insulting me, Ray.” A look of great bitterness swept across Raymond’s face; his Luna’s tears were more important for him than our years of companionship. He lunged forward and grabbed my chin forcefully. “Who are you to question Heaven’s will, Shyla? As you’ll never be blessed with a mate; I took pity on you and allowed you to climb my bed. But you didn’t even give me a child to repay my favors, infertile omega!” He threw me on the floor and two guards pinned me down, using their strength to make me kneel before their Luna. That unnecessary force was just a wastage, as my head was already lowered in shame. The inability to get pregnant in twelve months of our marriage made me feel unworthy in my own eyes, I lost all the courage to fight for myself. Raymond shook his head and comforted his mate, who was shedding crocodile tears on her imaginary mortification. Visibly hurt by his Luna’s pain, he growled furiously. “You don’t deserve to live in the safety of a pack, omega Shyla Alford. Your fate is to be sold in the slave market.” Then he cleared his throat, and commanded, burning me with the fire of his hatred. “I, Alpha Raymond Vincenzo, banish you, Shyla Alford, from my Blood Moon Pack. You’ll never step on my land again.”