Deep down in her heart, there was a voice calling out to Safira. It was telling her to run. But Safira was trapped. This was the moment she had been waiting for. But things were not going as she had hoped.
When she saw Cassandra from the corner of her eyes, Safira barely had time to react. She reached out to grab hold of Markus' hand. She wanted to whisk him away so that they could talk. So that they could savor the moment.
But to her surprise, he slapped her hand away.
"Alpha Markus, what are you doing? Talking to this," Cassandra glanced over to Safira for a moment before looking back at Markus, "cursed pest."
Safira wanted to defend herself. She tried to take a step closer but Cassandra inserted herself between her and Markus, widening the distance between them.
"How dare you speak to Alpha Markus! You don't even deserve to breathe the same air as us, scram!" Cassandra yelled at her sternly.
Cassandra was the daughter of Alpha Bayzil, the leader of the Nightmoon Pack. She had always despised Safira, calling her 'cursed' or a 'pest'. Because Safira's mother died giving birth to her, everyone believed she cursed her own mother.
As 'punishment', she never got her wolf like the others.
Safira looked to Markus. He was her only hope. Now that they were confirmed to be fated mates, she knew he would protect her. She had seen what fated mates were like. They would do anything to keep each other safe.
"Leave now, scum. Don't soil my eyes," Markus said coldly while glaring at Safira.
Her heart ran cold. Cassandra grinned, barely able to stifle her laughter at the scene that was unfolding. Safira's heart shattered at that moment. She could not believe it. She refused to believe it.
"Markus, I-"
"It's Alpha Markus, pest," he said again, this time a little fiercer than before.
Safira refused to accept the situation.
"I'm a pest? I'm your mate!" Her voice was shaking with anger and pain. She clenched her fists.
The initial lively atmosphere of the Harvest Moon Festival was replaced with silence. All eyes were on Alpha Markus, Safira, and Cassandra. Greyson, who watched for the side, was shocked by how everything was unfolding.
He stepped forward, wanting to defend Safira but before he could get to her, a resounding slap echoed through the night. Safira crumbled to the ground, clutching her cheek that burned red.
Markus struck her across the face. The look he had in his eyes was unlike anything she had ever seen before. Were these his true colors?
He pointed at her as he spoke, "You? My mate? Lies!"
She noticed the change in the color of his eyes, flickering between the usual deep green to emerald. It was Grimm, his wolf. He was trying to fight for control. But ultimately, Markus won.
"No wonder the Moon Goddess took away your wolf," he scoffed, "You think by throwing yourself at me you would be able to change your own fate? Dream on!"
"Why would I lie about this?!" Safira defended herself as she got up to her feet.
Her vision was beginning to blur from tears that she refused to let fall.
"You can't deny it, Markus. You felt the mate bond!" She insisted.
Markus looked her dead in the eye, "You would have liked that, wouldn't you?"
It felt like she was being stabbed by a thousand knives through the heart. Safira stumbled a few steps back. Heartache consumed her. Markus was supposed to be her friend, her mate. Yet now he was denying it all.
How could he be so cruel?
Not wanting to stay any longer, Safira got up to her feet and ran off toward the woods. Her heart was torn into pieces, ripped apart by the one person she thought she would spend the rest of her life with.
"Moon Goddess Selene… how could you be so cruel?" She muttered to herself as she ran through the forest.
Safira no longer held back her tears. When she finally stopped, she crumbled onto the forest ground and cried her heart out. Despite all the cruel looks and jests the other wolves made of her, she never once showed them how it affected her.
Greyson taught her to steel her heart and never show anyone her weak spot. But now, she could no longer do so. She didn't know how long she had been there, crying her eyes out. It didn't matter either way.
"Crying? How pathetic."
Accompanied by those cruel words, was the intoxicating scent of lavenders and sweet honey. She was growing to hate it with each passing second. Safira turned to face Markus.
"Markus, I-"
The small flicker of hope that she held was snuffed out the moment he raised his hand at her. This time, she caught his hand before he could land the blow. Though she didn't have her wolf, she was still a trained warrior. Her instincts prevented her from getting hurt again.
But she wasn't strong enough. Markus removed his hand from her grasp with ease. The look in his eyes did not change. It was almost murderous.
"I can't believe the Moon Goddess would play such a cruel joke on me," Markus chuckled, "A wolfless mate? Pathetic."
"You said it didn't matter that I don't have my wolf," Safira said as she curled her fists, "Was that a lie?"
Markus looked at her, one eyebrow raised. He was amused.
"It didn't matter because you weren't my mate. I'm an Alpha, Safy," he called her by her nickname with disdain, "I can't have a weak and pathetic Luna. What would my pack say?"
Safira widened her eyes. She knew what his words insinuated. If he didn't want to recognize her as his fated mate, there was one thing he could do. He could break the bond. He could reject her.
She had long heard about the agonizing pain that followed. Both parties would suffer. Some even die from the pain of rejection. A cold shiver ran down her spine. Would she even be able to survive it?
But as she watched the smirk on Markus' face grow, her hatred for him grew too. Everything she knew about him was a lie. He saw her as nothing but a plaything. Something to be thrown away when he didn't need her anymore.
How foolish of her to think she could become his Luna.
Knowing he was about to reject her, Safira couldn't bring herself to give him that satisfaction. If anyone was to have the last laugh, it would be her. So, before Markus could declare it himself, Safira said it first.
"I, Safira of Nightmoon, reject you, Alpha Markus of Moonfang, as my fated mate. Break the bond. Break the heart."