CHAPTER THREE

SKYE'S POV

The pain intensified until I thought I might pass out. I grabbed onto the doorframe to keep myself upright and made a choking sound before I could help myself.

They froze. Rhory's head snapped toward me and his eyes went wide. Medora sat up, clutching the sheet to her chest and her face was flushed.

"Skye?" she said. "What are you doing? You can't just walk in here without knocking."

I could not speak. The lavender scent was everywhere choking me and Astrid, my wolf was screaming in my head. Tears were streaming from my eyes and I had to bite my lips to stop myself from outwardly screaming.

Rhory climbed off the bed and pulled on his pants. He would not look at me. He kept his eyes on the floor as he moved and I realized he knew. He knew the moment I walked in. He’d felt the bond snap into place just like I had.

"Say something," Medora demanded. She was angry now. "You're my best friend Skye but I'm still the Alpha's daughter. You can't just barge into my room. You need to respect boundaries."

I opened my mouth but nothing came out. The pain was too much. It swallowed everything.

Rhory finally looked at me and what I saw in his eyes broke something inside me. There was no joy. There was just anger. He didn't want me. I saw it instantly.

"You're my mate," I managed to whisper. "The Moon Goddess chose us."

Medora went still. She looked between me and Rhory. "Oh."

That was all she said. Just oh.

Rhory crossed his arms over his chest. "This doesn't change anything."

"What?" The word came out strangled.

"You're a servant Skye. I'm the Beta's son. We don't belong together." His voice was matter of fact. "The mate bond is just biology. It doesn't mean we have to act on it."

I stared at him. This could not be real. This could not be happening. The Moon Goddess had chosen us. Fate had brought us together. He was supposed to want me. He was supposed to choose me.

"I, Rhory Shadowpeak, reject you, Skye Ragewulf as my mate."

I wheezed as the bond between us snapped and it was worse than any pain I had ever known. Astrid screamed and thrashed, I collapsed to my knees unable to hold myself up anymore.

"Rhory," Medora said softly. She looked uncomfortable now.

"It's better this way," he said to her, not to me, to her. "She's not part of our world. This would have been a disaster."

I forced myself to look up at them. Medora threw her eyes away, I saw the pity in them. Rhory just looked relieved.

"You're making a mistake," I choked out. "The Moon Goddess doesn't make mistakes."

"The Moon Goddess doesn't care about people like you." Rhory's voice was cruel now. "You're nothing Skye. You have nothing to offer me. Did you really think I'd throw away my future for someone like you?"

Medora reached out and touched his arm. "Don't be mean."

"I'm being honest." He looked at me again and his eyes were cold. "Accept the rejection and move on."

I wanted to scream at him. I wanted to tell him that he was wrong, that I was worth more than he thought, but the words would not come.

But maybe he was right, I was nothing, this was all I deserved.

“I accept the rejection.” I mumbled under my breath.

I stumbled to my feet and backed toward the door. Neither of them tried to stop me.

"Skye, wait," Medora said but she did not move from the bed. "Let me explain."

"Explain what?" My voice broke. "That you're sleeping with my mate? That you've been lying to me?"

"I didn't know he was your mate." She looked genuinely distressed now. "If I had known I never would have—"

"Yes,you would have." I laughed and it came out bitter. "You said it yourself. What's the point of finding your mate if you're just going to be sold to the Lycan King? So you decided to take mine instead."

"That's not fair."

"None of this is fair." I wiped at my eyes and straightened my spine. "I hope you're happy together. I hope it was worth it."

I left before either of them could respond. I stumbled down the hallway, down the stairs and out into the night. The tears came hard and fast now and I let them.

What was the point? What was the point of hoping everything would be better when hope only led to pain?

The masquerade ball was still going. I could hear the music drifting through the trees as I walked. People were still dancing. I decided to join them. I would dance this pain away, I didn't care about Naila.

I found myself back at the ballroom. I stood at the entrance looking in at all the beautiful people in their beautiful costumes living their beautiful lives.

I walked inside and headed straight for the refreshment table. There were bottles of wine lined up and I grabbed one without asking.

I drank directly from the bottle and the wine burned going down. I took another drink and another until the pain in my chest started to dull. Astrid's howling started to become background noise.

The music became slow and sensual. I watched as people paired into twos and danced slowly on the dance floor.

Someone stepped up beside me. I felt his presence before I saw him. "Dance with me."

His voice was sensual, my stomach churned involuntarily. I turned to look at him and found myself staring at a mask. He had a sculpted jaw, and his full lips curved in a small smile. His eyes through the mask were dark and intense and locked on mine.

He held out his hand and I took it. The moment our skin touched, something sparked between us.

He led me onto the dance floor and pulled me close. His hand settled on my lower back and his other hand held mine. We moved smoothly together.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Does it matter?"

"I suppose not." His thumb traced circles on my back through the thin fabric of my dress. A shudder ran down my spine and I edged closer to him, wanting more of his touch.

When the song ended, he did not let go. Instead he leaned down and his breath was warm against my ear.

"Come with me."

I knew what he wanted, I should have said no. But the pain was still there and I wanted to forget, maybe with him, I could forget. "Yes."

He led me away from the ballroom and through the gardens to a small cottage at the edge of the property.

Inside, he pushed me against the wall and kissed me. It was not gentle, just as I wanted. I kissed him back with everything I had. His hands moved over my body, and so did mine. He had a firm and broad body that was sculpted under my palms. I didn't know when we both started removing our clothes. We never took off our masks.

We stumbled to the bed and he laid me down and looked at me.

"Are you sure?" he asked, softly.

I pulled him down to me. "I'm sure."

What happened next was too beautiful to put in words. He touched me like I mattered, like I was worth something. I felt seen and I felt safe.

Afterward we lay tangled together in the sheets. His fingers traced patterns on my shoulder and I felt myself drifting.

"Thank you," I whispered.

"For what?"

"For making me forget."

He was quiet for a long moment. Then he pressed a kiss to my shoulder right where his fingers had been. The wine and the emotional devastation of the night caught up with me all at once. I didn't know when sleep pulled me under.

When I woke up, he was gone.

Sunlight streamed through the window and I sat up slowly. My head pounded and for a moment I could not remember where I was.

Then it all came rushing back. Rhory. The rejection. The masked stranger.

Something blunted at the corner of my eye.

On my shoulder blade where the stranger had kissed me was a mark. A crescent moon burned into my skin. I recognised it for what it was. It was the matebond mark of an Alpha. I sat up quickly. The masked stranger was an Alpha. He marked me.

I stood up and searched the cottage. He was nowhere to be seen, and his scent had faded. He was truly gone.

I dressed quickly and slipped out of the cottage. The pack house was already awake and bustling with activity. Today was the day. The day the Lycan King would come to claim his bride.

The day everything would change.

I hurried to my room and changed into my servant's clothes. The mark on my shoulder was hidden beneath my dress but I could still feel it. I could still feel the strange power thrumming under my skin.

I had to get to the Alpha's house. I was supposed to be there. Medora would need me even if she had betrayed me. I was her servant and I had to serve her. That's all I was worth.

As I made my way through the pack house, I tried not to think about Rhory.

But it was impossible. The pain was still there, afresh.

I slipped in through the servants' entrance and made my way upstairs. Medora's door was open and I could see her sitting at her vanity while her mother fussed over her hair.

"You look beautiful darling," Naila was saying. "The Lycan King will be pleased."

Medora caught sight of me in the mirror. Our eyes met and I saw guilt flash across her face before she looked away.

I turned and left before either of them could say anything. I couldn't do this. I couldn't pretend everything was fine.

Outside a commotion rose from the front of the house. Voices were shouting and cars were approaching.

He was here.

The Lycan King had arrived.