Stolen Mate

The morning of the ceremony arrived like a slow-creeping frost. I dressed mechanically, my fingers fumbling over the laces of my gray tunic—plain, unadorned, meant to blend into the shadows. My skin felt foreign, as if the potion had hollowed me out, leaving only a shell where warmth and scent once lived. When I lifted my wrist to my nose, I smelled nothing but stale herbs and regret. 

Lila's laughter echoed from the square, bright and unburdened. 

I lingered at the edge of the gathering, where the pack's excitement buzzed like wasps. Bonfires roared, their flames licking at the dawn-chilled air. Garlands of ivy and wolfsbane draped the Alpha's lodge, and the scent of roasted meat made my empty stomach twist. No one glanced my way. Without my lavender mark, I was invisible. 

Elder Taryn raised her gnarled hands, silencing the crowd. "The Moon Goddess smiles upon us today! Let the bond be forged!" 

Drums thrummed, low and primal. Kieran emerged from his lodge, clad in black furs, his storm-gray eyes scanning the pack. My breath caught. For a heartbeat, his gaze lingered near my hiding spot, and my wolf stirred, desperate and foolish. *He'll know*, she insisted. *He'll smell the lie.* 

But his eyes slid past me, unseeing. 

A hush fell as the eligible she-wolves stepped forward, lined up like jewels on a crown. Lila stood at the center, her auburn hair braided with crimson ribbons, her borrowed lavender scent swirling around her like a cloak. It hit me then—sharp, familiar, *mine*—and I swayed, gripping a post to stay upright. 

Kieran stiffened, his head snapping toward her. 

"Alpha," Lila purred, dipping into a flawless bow. "The Goddess's blessings upon you." 

He stepped closer, nostrils flaring, drawn to the stolen fragrance. His hand hovered near her cheek, then curled into a fist. "Your scent…" 

Lila smiled, all innocence. "A gift from the Moon, I'm told." 

The lie slithered through me, venomous. I opened my mouth to scream, to accuse, but no sound came. What proof did I have? Only the memory of bitter tea and colder betrayal. 

Kieran's shoulders relaxed. "It's… strong." 

"As fate intended," Elder Taryn intoned, her milky eyes narrowed at Lila. 

The drums quickened. Kieran circled the women, his steps heavy, but his gaze kept returning to Lila. To *my* scent. Each pass felt like a claw raking my ribs. 

*Stop him*, my wolf begged. *Run. Bite. Claim what's yours.* 

But I stood paralyzed, a ghost in my own skin. 

When Kieran halted before Lila, the world stopped. 

"You," he growled, low and final. 

Lila's breath hitched—a perfect mimic of surprise. "Alpha, I—" 

He seized her wrist, pulling her against him. "My mate." 

The pack erupted. Howls of joy shook the earth. Lila's triumphant glance sliced toward me as Kieran lifted her hand, their fingers entwined. Crimson ribbons fluttered like victory flags. 

I stumbled back, bile rising in my throat. The bonfire's heat vanished, replaced by a cold that gnawed bone-deep. My legs moved without command, carrying me away from the cheers, the drums, the *lie*. 

I didn't stop until I reached the forest's edge, where the trees swallowed the noise and my knees gave out. Dry heaves wracked me, though I'd eaten nothing. Above, the moon watched, silent and complicit. 

*Stupid. Naive. Weak.* 

Lila's words from the infirmary hissed in my skull. *You didn't even want him!* But I had—gods, I had—in secret, starved breaths and stolen glances. And now he was hers. 

A twig snapped behind me. 

"Elara?" 

Kieran's voice. 

I froze, pressing into the shadows. He stood at the tree line, backlit by distant firelight, Lila's scent still clinging to him. My wolf howled, a soundless ache. 

"Who's there?" he demanded. 

I held my breath. 

He inhaled deeply, then frowned. "No one." 

The word carved through me. *No one.* 

He turned, disappearing into the celebration. 

I crumpled, fingers digging into the soil. The earth didn't answer. The moon didn't care. My tears fell, scentless and unseen.