A Broken Collar For A Severed Arm

At my Mating Ceremony, the pack's newly appointed Chief Forger ripped the sacred collar from my neck for all to see.

"Your bland scent is entirely unworthy of such an ancient artifact."

She gripped the metal shears, flashing me a provocative smirk.

"The Alpha gave me permission to follow my inspiration whenever it strikes. I cut it, but I’ll forge you a new one later. Consider it a mating gift."

Gasps rippled through the surrounding wolves. For a female, having her bare, unmarked neck exposed in public was the ultimate humiliation.

My mate, the Alpha of the Obsidian Pack, strode over. Instead of punishing her, he warned me, "She is a rare prodigy, highly sensitive to spiritual aura. Don't throw your weight around as the future Luna and be so petty."

Catching the blatant favoritism in his eyes, I let out a cold laugh.

Fine. Since she destroyed the priceless treasure hand-forged by the High Priestess, she would pay the price.

I stared dead into his eyes and announced on the spot, "The Mating Ceremony is canceled."

——

The cold metal shears bit together right against my skin.

The "Winter's Star"—a sacred collar hand-forged by High Priestess Celeste, symbolizing the absolute purity and divinity of a Luna—snapped in two and clattered to the floor.

Dead silence fell over the hall.

My most intimate, vulnerable neck was left completely unshielded, exposed to the stares of hundreds of wolves.

Suppressed whispers erupted through the crowd.

"Goddess, that's an artifact forged by the High Priestess..."

"Is she insane? Ripping off the future Luna's collar in public? That's blatant humiliation!"

"Lyra's neck is completely exposed... how embarrassing."

"Shh, the Alpha is coming. Let's see how he deals with this brat."

Sienna twirled the shears in her hand, rolling her eyes at the chatter.

"The Alpha gave me special privileges. I can modify any artifact whenever inspiration hits. Out with the old, in with the new. The worst that happens is I give you a new one. You should be thanking me for freeing you from such outdated traditions."

My gaze turned to ice.

Heavy combat boots approached. Fenrir, the formidable Alpha of the Obsidian Pack and the man I was about to mate, strode purposefully through the parted crowd.

He didn't even glance at the ruined sacred relic on the floor. His eyes immediately found Sienna.

"Do you know what occasion it is today? Fooling around again."

His tone held no reprimand; instead, it dripped with indulgence.

When he finally turned to me, his gaze turned instantly cold and hard, even leaking a trace of his oppressive Alpha aura.

"Lyra, Sienna just returned from her studies overseas. She's a rare prodigy. As the future Luna, you need to be more forgiving. Don't be so petty over a simple collar."

Sienna immediately shrank her shoulders, pouting in a pathetic display of fake innocence.

"I already said I'd replace it. How was I supposed to know she lacks even the slightest sense of a wolf's true freedom..."

A flicker of appreciation flashed in Fenrir's eyes.

He reached out and grabbed my wrist. His grip was brutal, laced with an undeniable, commanding force.

"Enough. The farce ends here. Stop making a fool of yourself."

I instinctively resisted his rough pull.

Frowning, he yanked harder.

My stiletto snapped, and I crashed heavily to the floor.

The cashmere shawl barely clinging to my shoulders completely slipped away. My unmarked, vulnerable neck was completely laid bare under the harsh, glaring lights.

Gasps erupted from the crowd.

Fenrir finally realized something was wrong. He froze for a second, then swiftly shrugged off his black wolf-fur coat—the ultimate symbol of absolute Alpha authority—and bent down to drape it over me.

Right at that moment, Sienna hugged herself, shivering exaggeratedly.

"Hiss... Alpha, the draft in the hall is so biting. It's chilling me to the bone."

Fenrir's hand, holding the coat out to me, stopped dead in mid-air.

Without a single second of hesitation.

He turned around and wrapped the heavy coat tightly around Sienna.

He even lowered his head, gently pulling the collar snug against her neck.

"Such a fragile little pup. Why didn't you say you were cold earlier?" he chided softly, his voice overflowing with tender concern.

I sat on the cold floor, watching this blindingly painful scene unfold.

So his supposed love for me was cheaper than a single coat.

Snuggled in his body heat, Sienna tilted her face up with a sickeningly sweet smile.

"Alpha, you said you'd introduce me to Master Orion tonight. Is that still true?"

Fenrir stroked her hair, his eyes brimming with doting affection.

"Of course. That old fossil is incredibly stubborn. If it weren't for the grandeur of our Mating Ceremony today, he'd never show his face."

I took a deep breath.

So that was it.

The sacred Mating Ceremony I had looked forward to with all my heart was, in his eyes, nothing more than a stepping stone to elevate his cousin's career.

Fenrir finally turned back to me, looking down at me from above, his patience completely drained.

"Hurry up and get off the floor and cover your neck. What do you look like sitting there? You're completely embarrassing me."

I ignored his scolding.

Pressing my palms against the floor, I slowly pushed myself up until I stood perfectly straight.

Then, I raised my hand. In front of every wolf present, I slowly slid the wolf-bone ring off my ring finger.

It was the same ring he had personally slipped onto my finger three years ago beneath the Blood Moon, swearing on his life to protect me.

I stared coldly into his stunned eyes and casually tossed the ring back into his palm.

"I, Lyra Vance."

"Hereby reject you as my mate."

"Fenrir, our Mating Ceremony ends here."