'Vanessa!' Ryker shouts angrily. 'You attacked your Luna!' His tone is filled with fury.
Vanessa meets his gaze defiantly, crossing her arms. 'No, I am supposed to be the Luna!' she snaps back.
'Return to the pack house, and we will discuss your actions there. I need to see if Astrid is okay,' Ryker says, helping me to stand. His hand gently caresses my cheek. 'Are you okay, Astrid?' He asks with genuine concern.
'I'm a little dizzy, but it seems to be settling,' I assure him, leaning into his comforting presence. Vanessa, however, marches towards us, her fury unrelenting. 'Don't you walk away from me, Ryker!' she shouts.
'Go home, Vanessa!' Ryker warns her, his patience wearing thin.
Tears well up in Vanessa's eyes, but she remains resolute. 'No, I love you, Ryker, and I know you love me too! You know the arrangements for me to be your mate and Luna are only in two months!' she pleads.
I gasp in disbelief. My eyes lock with Ryker’s, seeking the truth in his gaze. 'Is this true, Ryker?' I ask him, a heavy feeling of betrayal settling in the pit of my stomach.
His shoulders slump, and he hesitates before confirming, 'Yes, it's true, but-'
Before he can finish his sentence, I slap him across the face, my anger and hurt exploding. 'You made me come here. You convinced me to give you a chance, and all along, you already had a mate and Luna,' I shout, my voice trembling with anger and betrayal.
Ryker touches the spot where I slapped him, his eyes filling with regret as he tries to explain, 'Astrid, you don't understand. I can explain all this. I was going to tell you tonight when we returned to the pack house. Astrid, you are my true mate. My fated mate, Vanessa, is a chosen mate. It's not the same! I didn't want-'
'Enough!' I interrupt him, my voice trembling with emotion. I glare at Vanessa, who's standing behind Ryker, smirking triumphantly. 'You can have him,' I tell her coldly, turning away from them both.
'Astrid, please hear me out. You don't understand!' Ryker pleads as he tries to reach for my hand, but I back away from him. 'You know I was accepting that this bond we had was something special, that maybe we were meant to be together until your wench arrived,' I say to him. My voice is filled with pain and anger.
Vanessa glares at me, but I flip her the bird before turning and running back towards the pack house, tears streaming down my face. Ryker attempts to chase after me, but Vanessa grabs his arm, trying to pull him back.
I glance over my shoulder to see Vanessa attempting to hug Ryker, but he pushes her away. The tension between them is obvious. As I disappear into the distance, the moonlight casting a silver glow on my tear-streaked face, I can't help but wonder if my brief taste of happiness with Ryker was nothing more than a cruel illusion.
As tears stream down my face, I sprint up the stairs, my rapid footsteps echoing through the packhouse. Behind me, Hayley and Mia chase after me, their concerned voices calling out, asking if I'm okay.
I stop abruptly and turn to face them, my chest heaving with emotion. Seth and Kane stand at the bottom of the stairs, their expressions filled with worry. The weight of my anger and betrayal boils over, and I can't contain it any longer. 'Why don't you all ask Vanessa, your Luna!' I snap at them, my voice dripping with sarcasm and bitterness.
With those words hanging in the air, I turn and continue my frantic retreat to my room. Slamming the door shut behind me, I lock it securely. My breathing is ragged as I collapse onto the couch. I hug my arms around myself, seeking comfort in the midst of this heartache that has suddenly engulfed my life.
The next morning, my room is invaded by the persistent knocking on the door. Each rap sends a shot of annoyance and pain through me, but I choose to ignore it.
'Astrid, I know you're in there,' Ryker pleads, his voice laced with desperation. I don't want to hear his voice; I don't want to face him. I silently move into the bathroom, trying to escape the sound, and run the bath. Its soothing embrace feels like the only sanctuary I have left, and I linger in the warm water as long as I can, attempting to wash away the turmoil I feel.
After finally drying myself off, I reluctantly put on a pair of jeans and the new shirt and hoodie. I pull the hood over my head, wrapping myself in it. For some inexplicable reason, it makes me feel invisible, as if I can hide from the world and find a fragment of comfort.
Once again, there's a persistent knocking at the door. The sound is unrelenting in the background of my thoughts. 'It's me, Astrid, it's just Mia,' her sweet voice calls out through the door. As much as I adore her bubbly personality, I crave solitude right now.
'I brought you some lunch. I'll just leave it at the door,' Mia hollers, her words tinged with concern. I don't have any appetite, and the mere thought of eating makes my stomach churn. Thoughts of how close I had become with Ryker make me feel sick. I can't comprehend why he would want me when he already had plans to be with Vanessa. Has he been genuine in everything he has said to me, or has he been deceiving me this entire time?
I decide to escape the confines of my room, slipping out through the double doors onto the balcony. I hide next to a large pot plant, hoping the cover of darkness will grant me a sense of invisibility. The sporadic knocking continues throughout the day, and I steadfastly ignore it, even though each rap on the door feels like a stab in my heart.
It hurts every time Ryker knocks on my door, and I hear the pain in his voice.