Betrayed by Blood, Claimed by the Alpha

Betrayed by Blood~

"It's time, Avery Jae."

I stared at my reflection in the mirror and let out a deep sigh. It's today, finally. I smoothed out the wrinkles in the dress that I wore, licking my chapped lips to moisten them. I could feel my heart beating harder than ever.

"You look beautiful, Avery Jae, you make a beautiful bride," Emma said, jolting me out of my thoughts. I turned to see her standing by the door, a small smile on her lips. She walked closer to me and draped her hand over my shoulder.

"Come on, you don't want to make Luna Darla mad," she said. I shuddered internally at the thought of my aunt being angry on today of all days. Not after what happened this morning. Jasmine had barged into my room at dawn with scissors and ripped the dress I was supposed to wear because I didn't polish her shoe. I remember sitting pathetically with my ripped fabric draped over my body. Aunt Darla came in and begged Jasmine to lend me her blue dress.

I flinched when I felt Emma's cold fingers on my skin. "Come on, Avery," she said again, and I nodded, standing up.

I'd always known I was meant to be mated to the future Alpha of the Blood Moon pack. Our bond had been fixed from birth, decided by my parents and his. I'd seen Lucian only five times, but each meeting was etched in my memory. The thought of being his mate was the only thing that had kept me going all these years, and today, I'll finally be his mate, his wife.

I smiled at the thought of it and hurried my pace, knowing he'd be there, waiting for me. Regardless of how the past few years have played out, I was okay with it if it meant I'll be Lucian's mate.

I heard Emma chuckle behind me and grinned. Emma's my only friend in the entire pack, even though she's a few years older than me, she's never treated me less, not even when Jasmine orders her to.