After I Cut My Bond with Alpha, He Regretted It

Ever since I was little, I knew my future mate would be one of two Alpha candidates: Mitchell or Jax.

Even with all their Alpha pride, I never once doubted that set future.

The pack elders always said it was natural for Alpha candidates to focus on getting stronger and controlling the pack. My mother, Lyra, even told me that every brutal fight they got into was so the winner could give me, their Luna, the ultimate honor.

That is, until I and Elara – this Omega stray they'd taken in – got ambushed and captured by our old enemies, the Nightshade pack.

Mitchell and Jax only had enough of the life-saving Moonpetal herb for one of us.

And they both chose to give it to Elara.

To save myself in that fire, I forced a shift. The power surge was too much. The heat twisted my cheekbone, and just like that, I was disfigured. After they dragged me out – like an afterthought – I watched those two future Alphas crying over Elara, who didn't have a scratch on her.

"Thank the Moon Goddess, Elara, you're alive."

"Once we sort out who's the new Alpha of Blackwood, whoever it is will give you the most honored spot right under the Luna, Elara. Don't you worry. We'll give you the best of everything our pack has, make sure you never suffer again."

"Elara, you're the real Luna in our hearts."

When I came to, I cut off that ridiculous mate bond for good.

Empty promises and a trampled destiny? I was done with it.

But after I left, they stayed by my cave every day, begging me to come back.

"Sera? Sera, you're awake? How are you feeling? The healer said... when you forced your Luna power to shift, it backfired. Your face... I'm afraid it's… it's ruined. But don't you worry, even if it takes everything we have, I'll beg the Head Elder to fix it for you!"

Tears in her eyes, Mom – Lyra – squeezed my hand tight.

I tried to give her a reassuring smile, but the movement seared through the burns on my face. A pained whimper caught in my throat.

Mom Lyra panicked, quickly pressing me down, stopping me from moving.

"I gave them the pack's sacred ward! How could those Nightshade scumbags still hurt you so easily? And why is Elara perfectly fine? What exactly happened during that ambush?"

Flames flickered before my eyes, but every word Mitchell and Jax had said burned hotter in my soul.

After a long silence, I gave up on telling her the disgusting truth.

"Mom, please don't ask anymore. It's... it's all in the past."

Mom Lyra wiped her tears, her voice choked.

"You're right. We won't talk about it. Not ever again. Mitchell and Jax have already taken a team to wipe out the rest of those Nightshades. Don't worry, this kind of shame won't happen again. Now, about your face... Your mating ceremony with the