Bound by Betrayal , His regret

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te reach my eyes. "Thanks. You too." "Can you believe we're actually here?" Tomi says, eyes wide. "Like, this is the real deal. Alphas. Doctors. Investors. The Luna's supposed to be announced tonight!" "Maybe it's Selene," Mira whispers. "She's been seen with Leon a lot lately." My stomach turns. Leon. I haven't seen him yet. I've been trying not to look. But my eyes move anyway. And then I see him. Standing near the grand staircase, dressed in a black suit with gold trim. His posture is perfect. His jaw sharp. He looks like power. Like everything I'll never be. But his eyes... His eyes scan the room like he's looking for someone. And for one, impossible moment-he finds me. Our gazes lock across the ballroom. The noise fades. I forget how to breathe. His brow furrows slightly. Confused. Curious. Then, slowly, his head tilts. Like he sees something in me he didn't expect. Like maybe... maybe he remembers. My chest tightens. The glass in my hand trembles. Then someone touches his arm-a tall man in a suit. Leon turns away. The moment ends. I exhale shakily. My heart is racing. What was that? Did he feel it too? No. Don't be stupid, Lyra. He's the Alpha. You're just... The lights dim. A hush falls across the crowd. Spotlights shift toward the stage, where the Alpha's father-Alpha Dorian-steps into view. He looks every bit the ruler of a dynasty. Tall, gray-haired, and stern. His voice is deep, commanding, smooth like old whiskey. "Ladies and gentlemen," he says, spreading his arms. "Welcome to the Annual Crescent Medical Gala. Tonight, we celebrate progress, healing, and the unity of pack and purpose." Polite applause. "Tonight is also a night of legacy," he continues. "Of the old making way for the new. As such, I am proud to announce not only a new wing of the hospital-but a new chapter for our family." The crowd leans in. Whispers ripple through the room. Leon steps up beside his father. My breath catches. He stands straight, but something about him feels... tense. My palms sweat. I don't know why. Alpha Dorian continues. "It is my pleasure to present to you... the future Luna of Crescent Hill." A door opens at the back of the stage. And out walks- Selene. Wearing a shimmering gown that glows silver under the lights. Hair curled. Lips painted. Every camera in the room flashes. My wine glass slips from my fingers. It doesn't shatter-it bounces, the wine soaking into the velvet carpet. But I barely register it. Because something worse has just hit me. The scent. My scent. It floods the ballroom in waves-lavender, pine, bergamot-me. My signature blend. The one I mixed. The one no one else ever wore. And Selene is wrapped in it like it belongs to her. No. No, no, no- My wolf howls inside me. Violent. Betrayed. Violently betrayed. That's how I know. This isn't some coincidence. This isn't shared shampoo. This is a direct theft. She mimicked my scent. She stole it. And the bond flaring through my chest? That fire in my ribs-that was meant for me. The bond surges in my chest, a violent twist of heat and pain. It flares like fire licking through my veins. No. No, no, no- "That's..." My voice is barely a whisper. "That's my scent." Nobody hears me. Except Selene. She turns her head slowly. Meets my gaze across the room. And she smiles. Not kind. Not proud. Triumphant. My legs stumble forward before I can stop them. I press a hand to my chest. It burns. The bond burns-like it's trying to find him, reach him, scream at him But it doesn't. Because he doesn't look at me. Leon holds Selene close. Whispers something in her ear. Smiles for the cameras. And the whole room cheers. I'm still standing there-alone, shaking, invisible. As if I never existed. As if I didn't save lives in this very hospital. As if I wasn't the one he was supposed to choose. As if the mate bond doesn't matter anymore. As if I'm the ghost. Not her. I should leave. I should turn around, walk out, and pretend I didn't see any of this. But I can't move. The mate bond is a living thing in my chest-twisting, searing, scream