Chapter 4: Jared New Mate

As I entered the main hall of the pack's headquarters, I sensed the burden of the crowd’s gaze upon me. The atmosphere was charged with tension, a heavy weight that pressed against my skin. The Moonrise Ceremony, during which pack leaders were officially introduced, was consistently a moment of great importance, a celebration of togetherness and power. Yet today, it seemed more like a memorial service.

I was not prepared. I was not ready for what was going to happen. My body acted on its own, my feet navigating the crowd of faces, while my mind drifted far away, caught up in memories of Jared and our discussion. He had silenced me and brushed off my worries as if they were merely the musings of an envious woman, but beneath it all, I understood the reality. Lila had arranged this. She had anticipated this moment—this exact ceremony—and I couldn't prevent it.

At the front of the room was Jared, towering and formidable in his black leather outfit, his gaze sweeping over the audience with a focus that sent butterflies through my stomach. The ceremonial flags waved behind him, a wave of silver and blue highlighting the event. His firm jaw maintained its typical stoic expression, yet there was something distinct about him today. His posture revealed tension, a rigidity unrelated to the ritual but entirely connected to the choice he had already taken.

Next to him, Lila was a picture of beauty in her graceful gown, her lengthy, cascading hair shimmering in the light. She embodied the essence of the Alpha female, self-assured and elegant, her smile a strategic fusion of charm and strength. It was a grin that didn’t fully touch her eyes.

I found it impossible to look away from them—especially him—standing there side by side, as though they were already one cohesive entity. As though this was the way it was intended to be.

And then that moment arrived.

Jared lifted his hand, signalling for quiet as he moved a step ahead. The room fell silent immediately, with all eyes focused on him. I experienced an abrupt constriction in my chest, my breath halted in my throat as if the very air was being snatched away from me. This was the right time. The declaration. I had anticipated what was about to happen, yet hearing those words felt like being hit by a bolt of lightning.

“Pack,” Jared’s voice reverberated through the corridor, loud and firm, “Today signifies a new chapter for everyone.” A section of power, togetherness, and development. "A fresh start for the future of our group."

My heart pounded against my ribs, every thump louder than the one before. I sensed the gaze of the pack upon me, yet I couldn't pull my eyes away from Jared. An unbearable pain made my chest feel constricted. This isn’t how it was meant to unfold.

Jared looked at Lila, his gaze becoming gentler as he mentioned her name. “It is with immense pride and joy that I proclaim Lila as my partner, my Luna, and the future leader of this pack.”

The words overwhelmed me like a powerful tide, crashing down, dragging me beneath. I was unable to breathe. I was unable to think. The space enveloping me appeared to distort, the features of my companions dissolving into a backdrop of inconsequential sound. It felt like the world had ceased to turn, leaving me trapped in a state of shock and disbelief. I wasn’t ready for this. I wasn't ready for the finality in his tone, the assurance in his gaze as he uttered those words.

Lila's grin widened as she moved nearer to Jared, linking her arm with his in a display of complete togetherness. The audience broke out in cheers, yet I hardly listened. My thoughts were overwhelmed by the tone of his voice, the phrases that had finalized everything—finalized me. The truth of it struck me forcefully, and I sensed my knees giving way beneath me. Yet I declined to shatter. Not in their presence.

I couldn’t pull my gaze from them—him—and it felt like everything within me was shattering, falling apart bit by bit. I believed there might be a possibility. I believed that, in some way, we could eventually return to one another. Yet standing here, observing him alongside her, I realized the truth now. The reality was that he had selected her. And that decision was conclusive. I no longer belonged here.

I sensed the prick of tears in my eyes but didn't allow them to drop. Not at the forefront of the pack. Not before him.

Lila tilted her head marginally, her eyes meeting mine, her smile laced with a hint of cruelty, something triumphant. It was a gaze I had witnessed previously—the gaze of a person who had triumphed, who had planned their success from the beginning. She had always been aware that she would be his partner. She had always understood that I was merely a transient spectre in his history.

Yet Jared—he gazed at me again, his eyes gentle yet remote. A flash of something emerged, resembling regret or possibly guilt, but it was soon overshadowed by a strong determination. He no longer gazed at me like he used to. He didn’t gaze at me as if I were the one he desired, the one he required.

“Claire,” Jared called, his voice rising above the clapping. My name seemed unfamiliar as it escaped his lips now, far away and icy. "This represents the future of the group." You have your part, just like we all do. "It's time to acknowledge that."

His words pierced me, more hurtful than any denial he had ever dealt. It wasn't merely that he selected her. It wasn't merely that he had progressed beyond me. It was the decisiveness in his voice, the unwavering conviction that I no longer had a place.

I felt the urge to scream, to yell, to seek answers. All I could do was remain there, observing him as he shifted back to Lila, his focus entirely on her.

A chilling, harsh laugh rose from deep inside me, yet I suppressed it, battling the temptation to react aggressively. I wasn’t about to provide them with the pleasure. Not at this moment.

I turned gradually, my body reacting instinctively, my mind a storm of turmoil and anger. I had to leave this place. I had to break free from this stifling space, the stifling existence.

As I moved away, I sensed every gaze fixated on me, the murmurs beginning to circulate in the atmosphere surrounding me. Everyone was aware. Everyone witnessed what was occurring. And none of them would truly grasp the pain I experienced in my heart, the ruin of everything I had previously held dear.

Yet, I had more to say. I wasn't able to be.

I would not agree to this. Not at this moment. Never.

I entered the corridor, my footsteps reverberating in the stillness. Then I heard it—his voice, summoning me.

"Claire, hold on."

I stood still, my heart pounding. I turned gradually, my breath halting in my throat.

Jared remained standing, only a short distance away. He stared at me, but this time, his face showed a different emotion. There was an immediacy in his gaze, something unsaid.

However, before I was able to respond, before I could question him about his actions, the undeniable sound of footsteps broke our conversation.

And then, just as swiftly as he had shown up, he vanished.

Lila.

I looked back, but Jared was already by her side, his arm encircling her waist. And in that moment, I realized—he would never belong to me again.

I started to walk away, sensing the world closing in on me when I felt a sudden pull on my sleeve. Spinning around, I noticed Rowan standing there, his gaze filled with an indiscernible emotion.

“Claire,” he spoke, his tone strained. "You must accompany me." At this moment.

"Why is that?" I insisted, but before he could respond, the clear sound of a howl resonated through the corridor.

It was a rallying cry.