Chapter 9
Ryan was abruptly woken by the ringtone of his phone.
“Hurry up, the mating ceremony is about to start.”
“Why can’t I reach Tessa?” Olivia’s voice came through the line, tinged with urgency.
Ryan muttered a quick reply before hanging up. By then, Chloe had also been disturbed by the noise.
“Ryan, once Tessa becomes your Luna, will you still like me?”
Chloe’s eyes were watery as she gazed at him, her fingers poking at his arm incessantly.
Without a word, Ryan pulled her into his embrace.
“Of course, everything I’m doing is for you.” He gazed at Chloe with deep affection, pressing a passionate kiss onto her lips.
“Alright, babe, let’s get ready. We should head to the Moon Tree.”
Once Ryan was ready, he immediately dialed Tessa’s number.
He called once, then twice. By the third time, when the line went to voicemail, an ominous feeling settled in his chest.
His wolf also got agitated.
Had something happened to Tessa?
He grabbed his things, ready to rush to the pack house, ignoring any protests.
Just then, his phone rang with an unfamiliar number.
It was Tessa.
“It’s me. There’s something wrong with my phone, and it’s not functioning right, but don’t worry. I’m waiting for you under the Moon Tree.”
“I’ve prepared a surprise for you.‘
Hearing her voice, Ryan’s anxiety melted away.
He smiled and reassured those around him.
“Tessa just called. Don’t worry, she’s preparing a surprise for me. Just wait.”
His smile beamed with joy as he basked in the moment.
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He was about to replace his brother and become the true Alpha of the pack, a dream fulfilled.
It seemed even Tessa was trying to make this moment special for him.
Friends nearby chuckled and teased.
“You two are still so in love after all this time. Truly, you’re the picture of happiness.”
As the ceremony drew near, there was still no sign of Tessa.
Olivia leaned in to whisper in Ryan’s ear.
“Do you think she’s having second thoughts? It’s getting late, and we still haven’t seen her. If she tries to run, I won’t let her off easily.”
Ryan tugged at his mother’s sleeve.
“No, she loves me. There’s no way she’d run. Besides, she said she was preparing a surprise!”
He was still oblivious to the gravity of the situation.
But as the elders urged them to take the stage, panic began to seep in.
Ryan stood on the platform, trying to cover for Tessa’s absence.
“Please, everyone, just wait a moment. The ceremony will begin soon…”
Before he could finish, murmurs rippled through the crowd. People began checking their phones, all eyes now on Ryan.
Olivia, unable to stand it any longer, climbed onto the stage and pulled Ryan down, holding her phone in front of him.
“I, Tessa Carrington, reject Alpha Ryan of the Slivermoon Pack as my mate.”
The crowd gasped.
“Tessa posted on social media!”
“She rejected Alpha Ryan!”
Tessa, before meeting Ryan, had been a renowned designer–an icon of freedom and love for many members of the wolf packs. No one had expected someone as successful and beloved as her to be caught in such a deceit.
Ryan stood frozen, unable to process what he was seeing.
In his mind, Tessa had always been thoughtful, obedient, and understanding. She had always been
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good to him.
But now, it was clear—she had known about his relationship with Chloe all along and had hidden
the fact that she was aware of it.
How had she found out?
In that instant, he realized that everything happening today had been planned by Tessa.
The “surprise” she had promised him? This was it.
His mind went blank, and for a moment, he stood there, stunned.
A delivery man arrived at the scene, noticing the commotion.
“Is Chloe Carrington here?” The room fell silent as Chloe shyly stood up from the corner.
“I’m Chloe Carrington. What’s going on?”
The courier placed a package on the table in front of her.
“This is from Tessa Carrington.”
Chloe’s eyes widened as she recalled Tessa’s words–this was a gift from her.
The courier, per Tessa’s instructions, opened the package in front of Chloe and the other pack -members.
Inside, there was a snow–white wedding dress and a beautifully handcrafted bracelet.
“Tessa Carrington says, ‘Wishing you a happy marriage.”
The room erupted in whispers, with the crowd murmuring about Chloe and Ryan’s sordid affair.
A few of Tessa’s friends didn’t hold back, angrily voicing their opinions.
“How could you sleep with your sister’s mate behind her back? That’s disgusting!”
“A couple of liars. Don’t you ever get tired of pretending? Do you think we’re all fools?”
“Disgusting!”
Chloe’s eyes filled with tears as she heard the insults. Unable to take it anymore, she turned and ran out of the room.
Ryan, though, was no longer concerned about anything else.
All he wanted now was to find Tessa.
