The silence after Jamie’s betrayal still clung to the air like smoke after fire. My body was frozen where I stood, my bouquet long forgotten on the polished floor, petals scattered beneath my feet like crushed dreams. But before I could even process the sharp, jagged pain tearing through my chest, another voice sliced through the tension.“Pathetic,” Sasha’s voice rang out like a whip, cold, cruel, and dripping with disdain.My gaze shot to her. Jamie’s sister. The Alpha’s beloved sister. Tall, regal, clothed in emerald silk that gleamed beneath the cathedral’s golden light, she stepped forward as though she’d been waiting for this moment her entire life. Her lips curled into a mocking smile as she looked at me over, her gaze settling on the frayed edges of my heart like a predator circling wounded prey.“Did you really think,” she began slowly, enunciating each word with venomous delight, “that you—the orphaned daughter of a disgraced Beta—could ever become the Luna of Silvercrest?”The crowd, still stunned from Jamie’s shocking rejection, seemed to stir awake at her words. Murmurs spread like wildfire. Sasha, sensing her power, stepped closer to the altar, her heels clicking against the stone floor with sharp authority.“You were nothing but a… distraction,” Sasha continued, her voice rising louder, feeding on the growing murmurs. “A pity project my brother entertained to soothe his boredom. Did you really believe your broken bloodline could ever lead this pack?”My throat tightened, my eyes burning as I took a shaky step back. “That’s not true,” I whispered, though my voice trembled. “Jamie and I, we—”“We?” Sasha laughed, the sound cruel, echoing across the sacred hall. She glanced at Jamie with mock amusement. “Did you hear that, brother? She actually thought there was a we.”Jamie said nothing. His silence was a knife that twisted deeper than Sasha’s taunts.The pack began to stir, voices rising in ugly agreement.“She was never worthy.”“An orphan, pretending to be Luna.”“She’s a disgrace even to the beta. A failure.”The words hit like stones. I staggered, clutching my chest, fighting for air. My wolf whimpered deep inside me, retreating, curling into a small ball of pain.“No,” I croaked, trying to steady my voice, trying to hold on to the little dignity I had left. “I gave everything to this pack. My father would have been here today if he didn't go on that mission with your father.”“Your father,” Sasha cut me off, her eyes flashing with cruel delight, “failed this pack. He died in disgrace, leaving you as nothing more than a useless burden. He couldn't even protect you and now you dare to stand here, in this sacred cathedral, thinking you could wear the crown of Luna? You? what a joke.”Gasps filled the air, some sharp with shock, others twisted into laughter. Wolves I had grown up with, warriors who once trained beside me, friends who once smiled at me in passing—now they turned their faces away or jeered openly.“She’s nothing!” one voice shouted from the crowd.“She should never have stood beside our Alpha!” another added.“Worthless!”The chant began low but quickly built in momentum. “Yes she's worthless.”Each syllable pounded against me like a drumbeat of rejection, like the earth itself was stripping away my identity.I shook my head, tears spilling freely now. “I am not worthless!” I screamed, my voice breaking. “I am—”“Enough!” Sasha snapped, raising her hand, silencing the crowd with the authority she wielded effortlessly. She turned back to me, her gaze glinting with triumph. “Look around you, Ember. Look at their faces. You are nothing to them. You are nothing to us. Even the Moon Goddess herself denied you. Do you not feel it? The bond snapping? You were never chosen. You were never meant to be here. You aren't even his mate. You are his betrothed.”Her words gutted me. My wolf howled inside, a sound so broken it felt as though the marrow of my bones was cracking. I clutched at my chest, feeling the sharp, invisible thread of the bond fray and splinter. The pain was unbearable, like claws tearing into my heart.“I loved him,” I whispered through sobs, barely able to breathe. “I loved this pack. I—”“And that is your greatest sin,” Sasha spat, stepping closer until her face was inches from mine. Her perfume was sharp, suffocating. “Because love does not make a Luna. Power does. Bloodline does. Worth does. And you, Ember, have none.”The pack erupted again, laughter and jeers swirling around me like vultures circling carrion. Some pointed at me, mocking the torn edges of my gown where I had stumbled. Others whispered loud enough for me to hear.“She thought she could be Luna.”“What a fool.”“She’s not even fit to scrub the floors of the Alpha’s house.”My body shook. My knees trembled so badly I thought I might collapse right there in front of them. But still, something in me fought to stand. My voice cracked, but I forced the words out.“I am not a fraud. My father gave his life for this pack. He raised me to love it, to serve it. You cannot take that from me.”Sasha tilted her head, mocking sympathy flashing across her face. “Oh, poor Ember. Still clinging to scraps of pride. Do you not see? They are laughing at you.”As if on cue, the pack broke into louder jeers. Some of the warriors clapped mockingly, others howled with cruel amusement. A young she-wolf I once called a friend sneered at me from the front row, her voice carrying:“Maybe she should be punished for trying to deceive us all.”“Yes!” another voice roared. “Strip her of the title she tried to steal.”“I never stole anything!” I cried, tears streaking down my face. “Jamie and I… he asked for this. He promised me. Jamie tell them that you love me.”Jamie finally looked at me then. His eyes were cold, a stranger’s eyes. “I was a fool,” he said simply. His voice cut through the air, silencing even the laughter. “And you are not fit to stand here. My mate is Lisa, chosen by the Moon Goddess herself. You were nothing more than a mistake.The crowd erupted again, this time in approval, their cheers sounded like nails hammered into my coffin.I staggered back, every breath sharp and painful. My wolf whined, begging me to run, to escape the crushing weight of their hatred.The priest, trembling, tried once more. “This is the Goddess’s house. Please. Let mercy guide—”But his words were drowned out, lost beneath the thunder of the pack’s voice as they roared their support for Jamie and Lisa.I could take no more. The walls of the cathedral closed in, suffocating me, the stained glass above blurring through my tears. With a choked sob, I turned and ran, my gown snagging against the pews, ripping at the seams. Gasps followed me, then laughter, then whispers that clung to me like shadows.“Coward.”“Disgrace.”“Worthless.”The heavy doors slammed shut behind me, the cold night air striking my tear-streaked face as I stumbled down the steps. My feet caught on the fabric of my torn gown, and I fell to my knees on the stone, scraping my palms raw.I sobbed into the night, the sound hollow, echoing into the empty streets. My wolf did not answer me. She was gone, retreating into silence.The cathedral’s doors opened behind me for a moment, laughter spilling out before they slammed shut again. My humiliation had become their celebration. And my pain, their entertainment.I dragged myself up from the cold stone, every movement heavy, my body shaking with grief. I tore at the hem of my gown so I could walk without tripping, the fabric ripping easily in my trembling hands.Step by step, I moved into the darkness, as the laughter and jeers faded behind me.And in that silence, in the cold bite of the night, I realized the truth.I was truly alone.