THE BETRAYAL

The hall was alive with celebration, glowing in golden light and echoing with the sound of laughter, clinking glasses, and a symphony playing softly in the background. I stood near the corner of the room, clutching a glass of champagne that I hadn’t taken a sip from, my pulse pounding in my ears.

This wasn’t where I wanted to be. It never had been.

“Smile, Sienna,” my mother had said earlier, her voice clipped but quiet enough so the other guests wouldn’t hear. “Don’t embarrass us.”

Embarrass them. That’s all I ever was to them—an inconvenience. A child taken in out of obligation, raised only to serve as a contrast to Celine’s perfection. The perfect daughter. The perfect sister.

And now, apparently, the perfect fiancée.

I didn’t realize how tightly I was gripping the stem of my glass until my fingers began to ache. From my vantage point near the back of the hall, I could see Celine laughing, her golden hair shining under the soft chandeliers. She stood on the small stage with her hand wrapped possessively around the arm of a tall man.

I knew him.

I knew him before I ever saw his face in that hall. I knew him from the dreams. From the pull in my chest. From the unshakable knowledge that fate had tied him to me.

Theo.

My destined mate.

I swallowed hard as my stomach churned, and I looked away, but it was too late. The bond between us thrummed painfully, an invisible thread tying me to him even as he stood beside her. He had to feel it too—there was no way he couldn’t. That’s how bonds worked. They were undeniable. Unshakable.

Unbreakable.

Yet there he was, standing next to her as if I didn’t exist.

“As many of you know, tonight is a special night,” Celine’s voice rang out, cutting through the murmur of the crowd. It was sharp, clear, and filled with the confidence I had always envied. She looked radiant in her fitted red dress, and the adoration in Theo’s eyes sent a fresh stab of pain through my chest.

My sister smiled, her gaze sweeping across the room until it landed on me. Her smile widened, and I froze. I had seen that smile before—it wasn’t one of joy. It was one of triumph.

“I’d like to introduce you to my fiancé, Theo,” she announced, her voice lilting.

The crowd erupted into applause, but I barely heard it. All I could hear was the blood rushing in my ears. All I could feel was the weight of betrayal settling on my chest like a boulder.

Theo’s golden eyes flicked to mine, just for a moment, and in that brief second, I saw something there—guilt. He knew. He knew what we were. But he didn’t care. He had chosen her.

“Poor Sienna,” Celine’s voice cooed, but only I could hear it. She had left the stage and was standing beside me now, her nails digging into my arm as she leaned in, her lips brushing my ear. “Did you really think he’d choose you over me? Don’t be ridiculous.”

I wanted to say something, anything, but the words caught in my throat.

“You’re nothing but an accident,” she hissed, her smile still perfect for the crowd. “Mom and Dad only kept you because they needed someone to keep my reputation intact. Did you really think you mattered?”

Something inside me snapped.

The glass in my hand shattered, the champagne spilling over my trembling fingers. I didn’t wait to see if anyone noticed. I didn’t care. I dropped the broken stem onto the marble floor and turned, walking as fast as I could toward the exit.

The cold night air hit me like a slap, but it wasn’t enough to calm the storm brewing inside me. I didn’t know where I was going. I didn’t care. I just needed to get away—from them, from him, from everything.

I wandered aimlessly, my heels clicking against the uneven cobblestones until I found myself in a dark alley. A small neon sign flickered above a door that looked like it hadn’t been opened in years. A bar.

Perfect.

The inside smelled like cheap beer and desperation, but I welcomed the dim lighting and the quiet hum of conversation. I slid onto a stool at the bar and ordered the strongest drink they had, ignoring the curious stares of the few patrons scattered around the room.

The first sip burned, but I welcomed the distraction. Anything to dull the ache in my chest.

I was halfway through my second drink when I felt it—a prickle on the back of my neck. Someone was watching me.

I turned, my gaze colliding with a pair of dark, piercing eyes. The man was seated in the shadows, his broad shoulders leaning casually against the back of the chair. There was an air of danger about him, something untamed and wild. His presence filled the room, even though he hadn’t moved.

I looked away quickly, my pulse quickening.

“Hey there, sweetheart,” a voice slurred beside me. I glanced up to see a man who reeked of alcohol and bad intentions leaning against the bar. “What’s a pretty thing like you doing here all alone?”

“I’m not interested,” I said flatly, turning back to my drink.

But he didn’t take the hint. His hand landed on my arm, squeezing tightly.

“I think you are,” he said, his grin widening.

Before I could react, a shadow loomed over us. The man was yanked back, and I heard a low growl—a sound so primal it made the hair on my arms stand on end.

I turned and found myself face-to-face with the man from the shadows. Up close, he was even more intimidating, his presence almost suffocating. His dark eyes flicked to me, then back to the man he had just tossed aside like a rag doll.

“She said no,” he said, his voice low and deadly.

The drunk stumbled away, muttering under his breath, and the stranger turned his attention back to me.

“Are you alright?” he asked, his tone softer now.

I nodded, but my heart was pounding. There was something about him that felt... different.

Then, before I could stop myself, I reached out and touched his arm. It was instinctive, like I was searching for something. My nails grazed his skin, and a sudden jolt of warmth shot through me.

A soft glow lit up where my hand touched his arm, and I gasped, pulling back in shock.

“What did you just do?” he asked, his voice sharp and filled with something I couldn’t quite place.

“I… I don’t know,” I stammered.

But deep down, I knew. Something had changed. Something irreversible.

And I had no idea what I’d just gotten myself into.