Chapter 1

Amelia’s POV

Today was supposed to be my day, the day I'd finally become Damien's mate. But that wasn't the case when he said those words. Those eight cruel words that punched me in the gut, nearly knocking the breath out of me.

“I reject you Amelia Moon as my mate!” Damien's sharp tone cut through the air, plunging the room into silence. Gasps and snickers filled the room and my face burnt with shame.

“But Damien, you promised me…” My voice trembled as I approached him.

“Face it, Amelia,” Damien's grimace twisted into a sneer. “You're a slut and no one wants a used mate.”

My eyes stung as I looked at him pleadingly.

“Damien…” I had barely completed my sentence before the crowd erupted with laughter. Their jeering laughs intensified and I could no longer keep my tears at bay.

They rolled down my cheeks as I hung my head in shame. Just then, I heard a familiar voice.

“You're just a cheap slut, Amelia. You opened your legs for Damien, and now, you're paying the price.” I lifted my head and the figure turned out to be Freya, my half-sister. Damien pulled her close to his chest.

“Freya is my mate, Amelia.” Those venomous words consumed me and all I could do was scream in tears.

A few hours earlier,

“Damien, you love me, right?” I asked Damien as I pulled the bed sheets to cover my naked chest.

“You know I do, love.” His back was to me as he slipped on his shirt. I inched forward, wrapping my arms around his torso.

“But you haven't announced me as your mate and Luna. You said that last year and the year before. Now you've returned from the ear, isn't it time to make the announcement?” Damien turned around and cupped my face.

“I know I've been postponing this but not anymore. Tonight, I'll tell everyone.”

“At the mating ceremony?” My eyes went round. He smiled, leaning his face till we were nose to nose.

“Of course. It's killing two birds with one stone.”

“I love you.” I smacked my lips with his, dragging him back to bed.

As I lay entwined with him, spent and satisfied, I couldn't help but feel this overwhelming happiness. Tonight, Damien would announce to the entire BloodMoon pack that I was his.

The clock above my head chimed. It was noon and it was time for me to leave. I slipped from Damien's limp hold and put on my clothes. Afterwards, I gave him a kiss and left the room.

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The first thing I heard when I arrived home was a loud crash. They were at it again. The front door was pulled open before I would reach it.

“You can't even bake a simple pie! How will you cook for Damien when you both get married!” I heard Matilda, my step mother, say to someone in the kitchen.

The only person she scolded like that was Freya, her daughter.

“Ugh! I just got my nails done, mother. I can't touch things!” Freya whined.

“Enough! You will learn how to manage your household by force!” Matilda yelled again. I slipped past the kitchen, hoping none of them would see me.

“Amelia, there you are.” Freya called out. I cursed under my breath and turned to face her. She crossed the hall to meet me, clamping her batter-stained hand on my shoulder.

“You must help me with the pie.”

“Sure.” I agreed quickly.

“Good girl,” She slapped her hand on my face and wiped her hands on my gown. “Much better.”

“Get back here, Freya!” Aunt Matilda emerged from the kitchen. Her eyes fell on mine and her anger rose further. “You! Go clean up the mess in the kitchen!”

“Yes, ma'am.” I said with a humble nod and made my way to the kitchen.

I got to the kitchen and a horror stared back at me.

The floors were decorated with flour and the kitchen counter smeared with egg shells and broken bowls.

I put on some clean gloves and crouched to the floor to pick the items up. My eyes settled on a shimmering piece of ceramic and I picked it up. I stared at it and my eyes watered. This bowl belonged to my mother.

A blue dragon painted on a white ceramic bowl - that was the bowl my late mother made for me on my eleventh birthday right before she passed away. I clutched the broken piece tightly in my right hand and my eyes stung with tears. How could they treat my only memory of mom like it was nothing?

I heard the first door creak open and shut quietly.

“Amelia, my breakfast!” Father was home. I wiped my eyes with my sleeve and called back.

“I'll prepare it in just a few moments.” I heard his footsteps approach and rose to my feet. He got to the kitchen, his green eyes wide in alarm as they scanned the place.

Just then, Matilda appeared behind him and faked a gasp.

“Amelia, what has gotten in you?”  Freya came into view. “Good lord, what did you do to our kitchen?”

I expected them to lie. It wasn't the first time they had pinned their faults on me. I hung my head and apologized like I had always done.

“I'm sorry, father. Please forgive my clumsiness.”

“I don't know what to do with you!” Father said in frustration.

“Don't mind her, darling. Why don't we head down to Starlings for brunch?” Matilda suggested.

Father heaved a frustrated sigh.

“That would be nice.”

“Yay. Damien will be there.” Freya giggled to herself.

I clenched my fists. Freya would never have Damien. Not in her past life or the next.

The next second, I felt a loud thud on my shoulder and pain shot through my body from the impact.

“Make sure you tidy up your mess!” Matilda said with a hiss, then she dropped the wooden spatula to the floor.

“See you later, loser.” Freya stuck out her tongue at me when I lifted my face. I watched them walk out of the house and into the carriage. It was just me again.

When I was done cleaning up the kitchen and making breakfast, I stared out the window of my room in the attic. Pink and purple linens flew in the wind, announcing the mating ceremony that would take place tonight.

A smile crept up my lips and I turned away from the window to my wardrobe. The dress I would wear for tonight's ceremony – a peach coloured gown that shimmered at the hem and waist. I couldn't wait for the party. I couldn't wait to see the look on Freya and Matilda's face when Damien chooses me.

Night fell over the pack and it was time for the ceremony. I stared at the gown on my bed, my mind reeling with aching thoughts. I was going to become Damien's Luna but would the pack accept me? A hybrid?

The day before, my long lost aunt had visited and told me of my lost heritage - I was born of a witch and a werewolf and that it was my destiny to lead my mother's pack, the Red Moon pack.

When I had told Damien about this, he was furious and told me not to go with my aunt. Indeed, he was right.

My aunt hadn't shown up in my life when I lost mom but now, she wanted me to leave with her to the place of my birth, a place I had no clue exists, a place where the people know who I am. I had refuted her request and sent her and her husband away but her words kept crawling through my mind. Guilt instead of mirth was all I felt.

“Freya, hurry up. The ceremony is about to start. We're late.” Matilda called out in the hall. Freya called back.

“Don't rush me. I have to look good for Damien!”

Then I heard running footsteps in the hall. It was Freya.

“Let's go.” Father's impatient growl filled the hall and then it was all quiet again. They had left without me. Again. I stared down at my dress.

“You are going to become Damien's Luna. You belong to the BloodMoon pack and not the RedMoon pack. You've got this.”

With a sharp exhale, I grabbed the dress and headed to the bathroom. I rented a local carriage heading to the pack's main hall along with some omega wolves. As usual, they wouldn't shut up about Damien. I had to look out the window, hoping the nice scenery would keep my anger at bay and it successfully did.

We bounded out of the carriage and approached the hall where we scattered to our various destinations.

I stole a champagne flute and took a nice long sip, letting the chill run down my throat.

As I stood in my corner, scanning the beautiful hall and the equally beautifully dressed people, the horn blew hard. It was time for the ceremony to begin.

Silently, I watched many get chosen. It got to my turn and I waited for Damien to choose me. He did not.

I stared in horror as he rejected me, choosing Freya as his mate.

My knees wobbled and I sank to the floor.

Damien came close to me and whispered behind my ear.

“No one can save you, Amelia. Just as no one can save your precious little family.”

“What?” I asked in confusion as he pulled away.

“From this moment onward, the RedMoon pack will cease to exist.” He flashed me a grin.

“No.” I shook my head in disbelief.

“I hope you can keep up.”