From Cast Aside to Luna of the Blackwood Pack

My best friend, Lila, threw the bridal bouquet right into my arms.

All the werewolves turned their eyes to my boyfriend, Caleb, the Alpha of the Grayfang Pack.

Caleb! Go for it! Marry her!

Eight years, Alpha! What are you waiting for?

The crowd pushed Caleb toward me.

He was wearing a silver-gray groomsman suit, looking as handsome as the man I'd loved for eight years.

My heart raced as I gripped the ribbon of the bouquet.

But he just smiled, reached out, and pulled the bouquet from my hands.

Then he turned and handed it to Serena, an Omega standing nearby.

The little Omega blushed, her ears flushing pink. "Thank you, Alpha Caleb," she whispered.

"She caught it first. We shouldn't steal from a young girl," he said, rubbing my hair with his usual tenderness.

"Next time, I'll take you to the Silvermoon Forest and pick you a whole basket of fresh white roses. They're much prettier than this."

I looked at the joy and shyness in Serena's eyes and sneered inwardly.

Caleb didn't know there would be no next time.

My wedding was in exactly seven days.

Lila's face fell instantly, her wolf ears twitching in anger.

I grabbed her hand before she could slap him.

She turned to me, her eyes redder than mine, her voice shaking with rage.

"That bitch did it on purpose! I told all the bridesmaids that the bouquet was meant for you..."

"Lila," I interrupted gently, squeezing her wrist. "The wedding isn't over yet. Don't ruin the mood."

The crowd's attention had already shifted from Caleb and me.

Following the bouquet, everyone was staring at Serena's delicate face.

She held the flowers, looking up timidly, stealing a quick glance at Caleb before lowering her head.

Caleb had already retreated to the edge of the crowd, as if the public humiliation he had just dealt me was nothing but a trivial matter.

The priest, Elder Marcus of the Silvermoon Pack, was experienced.

With a few witty blessings, he got the crowd cheering again.

Lila gave a bitter glare, took her groom Ethan's arm, and finished the ceremony.

During the reception, I sat at the head table, enduring sympathetic and curious stares from all directions.

Caleb was at another table, laughing and drinking with his Grayfang Pack brothers.

Serena sat right next to him, her shoulder practically glued to his arm. That was way too close for a secretary.

She wasn't even supposed to be a bridesmaid.

Caleb had claimed they needed an extra bridesmaid at the last minute and put her in.

He often took her to pack events, saying she was a capable Omega who helped with pack business.

He even brought her to Lila's wedding.

When Lila and her groom came to our table to greet us, she hugged me tightly and whispered in my ear, "That Omega has been throwing herself at Caleb for six months. I had her investigatedshe plays dirty. Caleb is..."

"Lila," I patted her back, my fingers brushing the pearls on her wedding dress. "You're the most beautiful bride today. Don't let bad vibes ruin it."

She snorted but dropped it.

When the party ended and guests started to leave, Caleb walked over. "Ready to go?"

He naturally took my purse, his other hand reaching to drape over my shoulder in a comforting gesture.

I slipped away slightly, avoiding his touch.

"You've been drinking. I called a pack driver."

He didn't mind and nodded. "Fair enough."

The car drove into the night.

My face was blurred in the windowmakeup flawless, but unable to hide the deep exhaustion in my eyes.

"Serena reached for the bouquet first tonight. She's a young Omega, and it's her first time at a major pack wedding. It's normal she wanted some good luck," he said casually. "I was just returning it to the rightful person. Don't take it to heart."

I didn't reply, just watched the forest road lamps flash by.

After a moment, he looked up from his phone. "Are you mad?"

He leaned closer, his fingers running through my hair, gently rubbing the back of my neck like soothing a grumpy pup.

"Didn't we agree? Once we secure the northern mining territory, we'll have our wedding. I'll invite the entire pack to witness it, okay?"

A wave of bitterness washed over me.

It was always like this.

Using a gentle tone to make a vague promise of "next time."

And then expecting me to just let it go.

"Caleb," I said, looking at his reflection in the window.

"Yeah?"

"There's something I need to talk to you about."

"Lila and I made a vow when we were kids," I said seriously. "Whoever gets married first, the other must get married within seven days."

"We promised to wear the bridesmaid dresses we made for each other and be the first to witness each other's happiness."

The car fell silent.

His hand on my neck stopped.

"A childhood joke, and you took it seriously?" He laughed, his hand moving again in a dismissive rub. "Getting pack territory approvals and Elder Council clearance isn't that simple. It takes six months to a year of prep."

"We'll plan it properly. I promise you the perfect wedding. What's the rush?"

He didn't explain why he refused to publicly promise to marry me. He just skipped straight to "planning the perfect wedding."

I remembered a month ago when Lila excitedly dragged me to her workshop to try on the bridesmaid dress she made.

When I put it on, Lila's eyes lit up, but then she got emotional.

"Lyra, you look stunning in this. I made this just for you. When you get married, I'll design an even better wedding gown!"

Caleb was there too.

He had been looking down, replying to Snapchat messages from Serena. Hearing Lila, he looked up, smiled, and said, "It looks nice."

Then his eyes went right back to his screen, his fingers typing rapidly.

At that moment, besides feeling happy for my best friend, I felt a deep chill for my own eight-year, fruitless relationship.

The car pulled up to our villa in Grayfang Pack territory.

Caleb unbuckled his seatbelt.

Thinking our little chat had cleared the air, he leaned in for a possessive kiss.

I placed my hand against his shoulder, stopping him.

The Alpha's aura stiffened for a second.

"I'm tired, Caleb."

He stared at me, silent for a few seconds.

Finally, he patted my shoulder, his tone carrying his usual condescending patience. "Being a bridesmaid is exhausting. Get some rest."

"Serena said she couldn't call an Uber back to her pack. It's not safe for an Omega. I'm going back to give her a ride."

"Okay," I said flatly, not even looking at him.

He didn't leave immediately. He seemed to be waiting for me to say "drive safe" or complain about him going out so late.

But I just pushed the door open and got out.

The engine sound faded into the distance.

Locking the door, I collapsed onto the couch. It took me a long time before I dragged myself to the bedroom.

Passing the nursery, I paused.

We had planned this room when we bought the house four years ago. It was supposed to be for our future pups, but now it was filled with junk.

I walked in and pulled a dusty box out from the crib.

Inside were his handwritten love letters, pack festival tickets, polaroids from our hunting trips in the snowy woods...

At the very bottom was a photo from our college pack mixer. He was carrying me on his back under a cherry blossom tree, my arms wrapped around his neck.

On the back, he had written: I, Caleb, will carry you on my back for the rest of our lives. I promise.

The dim light of the hallway hit those words like a silent slap in the face.

Downstairs, I heard a car pull into the garage.

A moment later, the door opened softly. Caleb stood at the doorway, smelling strongly of Serena's sweet perfume. "Not asleep yet?"

I didn't turn around, still kneeling by the crib. "No."

"Why did you dig all this out?" he asked casually. "Feeling nostalgic?"

I didn't answer. I just asked quietly, "Did you drop her off safely?"

He paused, then explained, "Yeah. She lives near the pack border, Ubers don't really go out there."

"Oh." I lowered my head, carefully packing the photos away.

"It's late. Let's go to bed," he said, reaching out to pull me up.

I didn't take his hand. Instead, I pushed myself up, my legs numb and wobbly.

"Caleb."

"Yeah?" He stopped.

"Let's break up."

He froze for two seconds, then chuckled.

He loosened his tie, his tone carrying a hint of irritation. "Still thinking about that bouquet? Don't be petty."

It was that same condescending tone he used when I was "throwing a tantrum."

"Fine, I'll order you a bigger bouquet tomorrow, okay? Go wash up. I have an important pack meeting tomorrow morning."

He turned toward the bathroom.

"Within a week," I said to his back, my voice quiet but crystal clear. "I am getting married."

His hand froze on the bathroom doorknob.

A few seconds later, he turned around.

His mask of casual patience was gone.

"Lyra, stop playing games." He rubbed his temples, his Alpha pressure slipping out slightly. "Marriage is a big deal. You don't just do it out of spite."

"October 28th," I added. "The venue is booked. The dress is ready."

He let out a cold laugh. "Did Lila get in your head again today? Just because she rushed into a marriage doesn't mean the whole world should be reckless."

"Lyra, wake up. Don't let her influence you. We've been together for so many years..."

"Caleb," I interrupted, looking him dead in the eye, my gaze completely calm. "The invitations are being printed tomorrow."

A muscle in his jaw twitched.

"Lyra, do you think this is going to work? It just makes you look childish and unreasonable!"

"My career is peaking right now. Securing the mining territory will elevate the Grayfang Pack. Marriage right now would only distract me and ruin my plans."

"Are you really that desperate to get married?"

His words were heavy, designed to suffocate.

In the past, this tone would have made me panic, make me apologize and back down.

But now, there was only peace.

His attention was indeed expensive.

He had to give it to the mining project, and to his sweet Omega secretary. Late-night texts, birthday surprises, and weekend spa trips under the guise of "business trips"...

What was left for me, his girlfriend, was practically nothing.

I met his gaze and nodded. "Yes. My friends are all married. I want a husband too."

With that, I walked into the bedroom.

On the nightstand lay a bridal magazine from six months ago. The cover read: The Perfect 3-Month Wedding Prep Guide.

I had bought it excitedly back then, but after he said "no rush," I never opened it again.

In the dark, I stared at the ceiling.

My phone buzzed. It was Lila on Snapchat:

Ugh, can't sleep. I'm so mad thinking about that Omega. What is wrong with Caleb?

We agreed our weddings would be a week apart, remember?

Who knew your man would be such a blockhead. The bouquet was literally in your hands and he still didn't get the hint! You've been together eight years, not eight months!

Whatever. This is the one time I'll let you break our promise.

My fingers hovered over the keyboard.

I typed: When have I ever broken a promise to you?

Caleb moved out to his office penthouse.

Probably because my sudden wedding plans suffocated him, and he wanted some peace.

Good. It gave us both space.

I quietly handled everything.

I listed our villa on the pack real estate market.

The afternoon I handed the keys to the agent, I was packing up some leftover belongings.

I found a folder for the mining project tucked inside an old magazine. It was the one Caleb had been working on.

After a moment's hesitation, I decided to drop it off at his penthouse.

When I got there, the door was shut, but I could hear laughter inside. He wasn't alone.

I raised my hand to knock.

Then, a familiar, sweet voice echoed from inside, sounding helpless.

"Alpha Caleb, it's all my fault. It was my first time catching a bouquet, I didn't know."

"Now the pack forums are going crazy. A bunch of pack members asked me if we were... you know."

"You have to clarify it in the group chat, or I'll be too embarrassed to show my face."

My hand froze in midair.

Before Caleb could speak, one of his pack brothers laughed teasingly.

"Come on, Serena. Do you really want Caleb to clarify, or are you just trying to get him to say something else?"

A wave of suggestive laughter followed.

Serena whined "Oh, stop it," but there was no real anger in her voice.

"Alright, stop teasing her," Caleb's voice sounded warm and gentle. "Don't worry about it. People will forget in a few days."

People will forget in a few days...

Those words triggered a memory.

Years ago, I went to his office to help out. He forgot himself and casually put his arm around my shoulder.

An Elder walked in and saw us.

That afternoon, Caleb made a very dry clarification in the pack group chat, telling everyone not to misunderstand and to focus on work.

Back then, I understood. To avoid gossip, I stopped going to his office.

But now, my fingers trembled.

He didn't hate office romance.

He just hated it when I was the one seen with him.

Because I was just an ordinary werewolf with no background, of no help to his career.

Another friend asked, "But seriously, Caleb, what's going on with Lyra? I got her wedding invitation this morning. That came out of nowhere!"

A brief silence followed.

Caleb let out a cold, humorless chuckle. "Let her play her game."

"I usually indulge her on little things. But this time, she needs to learn that throwing tantrums won't get her what she wants."

"Whoa," someone joked. "So the groom is planning to stand her up?"

Caleb didn't deny it.

Then, another friend spoke up hesitantly. "Caleb, is this really smart? You and Lyra have been together forever. We've been waiting for this wedding..."

He paused, then joked half-seriously, "Unless... you actually have other plans? Like... our Serena here?"

Serena let out a soft, giggling laugh. "Don't tease me like that. Alpha Caleb... knows what he's doing."