Betrayed By My Mate Saved By His Rival

---- Chapter 10 Ethan's POV The hall was packed. Everyone was waiting for this historic moment. I stood backstage, fixing my tie, my thoughts a warring chaos. "Alpha, it's time," my Beta reminded me. "Is my Luna ready?" The words were out before I could bite them back. My Beta paused. "You mean..." [realized what I'd said. My Luna. In my heart, that title only belonged to one person. "Lilith," I corrected myself, my voice stiff. "I mean Lilith." "She's ready. Waiting for you by the stage," he answered, then hesitated. "What about... Lady Seraphina?" My heart skipped a beat.

"What about her?" ---- "You ordered her to attend. To witness this..." Awitness. Right. I did say that. I needed her to watch. I needed her to see me give my name to another woman's son. To see me give her throne to someone else. I wanted to see the jealousy in her eyes. I wanted her to regret leaving. "Is she here?" I asked. My Beta shook his head. "No, Alpha. We sent men to the manor. She's not there." Not there? Where could she be? She promised she'd wait at the manor for me to bring her back. My face hardened. "Find her." The horns sounded, calling us to the stage. There was no time.

I had to go through with this. But with Sera gone, what was the goddamn point? I walked to the side of the stage where Lilith was waiting. ---- She wore her white gown and held a bouquet of white roses. She really did look beautiful. "Ethan," she whispered, her voice trembling as she took my arm. "I'm so nervous." I looked at her and felt... nothing. No love. No tenderness. Not even basic pity. "Don't be," my voice was flat, dead. "This will all be over soon." "Over?" She looked up at me, a flicker of fear in her eyes. "What do you mean?" "Nothing." I avoided her gaze. The music swelled.

It was time. I took Lilith's hand and walked slowly toward the main stage. Below us sat the most important members of the pack anda sea of media cameras. Flashes went off everywhere. Everyone was waiting for the big announcement. But my eyes scanned every corner of the crowd. ---- Searching for her. For a flash of silver hair. For a glimpse of those emerald eyes. For the perfect, graceful curve of her neck... "Ethan?" Lilith whispered. "Everyone's waiting." I snapped back to reality. Hundreds of pairs of eyes were on me. I was supposed to smile.

To act like an Alpha about to announce his new Luna. But I couldn't. My mind flashed back to the first time Seraphina appeared in public as my Luna. She was so nervous then, holding my hand so tight, her eyes filled with trust and love. And me? I was proud as a peacock, telling the world she was mine. "My fated mate, my Luna, the most precious gift of my life." That's what I'd said. And now? Now I was about to name another woman my Luna. ---- And the real one was... who knows where. Was she somewhere crying over this betrayal? Or worse, had she already forgotten me?

"Ethan..." Lilith prompted again, her voice urgent. I took a deep breath, forcing myself to focus. Fine. If she didn't come, she didn't come. Maybe it was for the best. It would save her the pain of seeing this. No. Why should I care if she was in pain? She betrayed me, didn't she? She had a bastard, didn't she? That look on her face last night in the silver cell... that look of finality, of relief... "Alpha?" The officiant's voice cut through my thoughts. " Shall we begin?" Inodded. He took the microphone and began the introductions. I stood there, waiting like a machine.

But inside, a storm was raging. ---- Sera, where are you? Don't you care? Or are you hiding somewhere, crying for me? Don't you know? Without you here, none of this means anything. It wasn't a display of power. It was a desperate plea. Come back to me. Fight for me. Show me you still care. But you didn't come. You left me. Again. Just like five years ago. You turned your back and walked away without a second thought. "And now, let's welcome Alpha Ethan to the stage!" The officiant's voice pulled me back. The microphone was in front of my face.

I opened my mouth, ready to say the lines I had prepared. But suddenly, I hesitated. Could I really do this? Announce another woman as my Luna without her here to see it? The microphone was inches from my lips. It was time to announce Lilith.