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Chapter 8
The atmosphere grew awkward as Raymond disappeared after Giana. Everyone was staring at me, whispering among themselves. The humiliation burned through me like fire, making it hard to breathe. First Raymond had abandoned me at our engagement celebration, and now he’d publicly shoved me
aside to chase after his fated mate.
Just when I thought I’d have to endure their pitying glances a moment longer, Kane appeared, casually stepping between me and the curious onlookers.
“Alpha has urgent business with Raymond,” he announced smoothly, his voice carrying just the right
amount of authority. The crowd took the hint and quickly dispersed, returning to their conversations as
if nothing had happened.
Once they were gone, Kane arched a teasing brow at me. “You really know how to put on a show, don’t
you, future Luna?”
Heat rushed to my face as memories of our night together flashed through my mind. I immediately avoided his gaze, taking a step back.
“I don’t need your help,” I muttered, straightening my shoulders.
Kane leaned closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. “Really? Because it looked like you did back there.”
Before I could respond, my best friend Lily rushed toward me, her brother Ethan following close behind.
The concern in their eyes only deepened my embarrassment.
“Aurora! Are you okay?” Lily asked, grabbing my hands. “We saw what happened. Raymond is such a jerk!”
Ethan’s jaw clenched, his eyes darkening with anger. “I’m going to have a word with him. He can’t keep treating you like this.”
“No!” I said quickly, pulling away from Lily to grab Ethan’s arm. “Please, don’t confront him.”
“Why not?” Ethan demanded. “He publicly humiliated you, Aurora. First at your engagement party, and
now this?”
I shook my head, feeling suddenly tired. “I’m going to keep my distance from him from now on,” I said firmly. “I won’t be his shadow anymore.”
The determination in my voice must have surprised them, because both Lily and Ethan stared at me.
“So…” Lily hesitated, searching my face. “Are you still going to marry him?”
I lowered my gaze, thinking of my bedridden mother and my father’s threats. “For my mother’s sake, I have to,” I admitted quietly. “But I’ll learn to let him go.”
The weight of those words settled over us. For years, I’d been Raymond’s shadow, following him, loving
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him, dedicating myself to him. Now I had to learn to live differently.
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After a long day of classes and training, I did something I had never done before–I didn’t wait for Raymond. Instead, I went straight to the hospital to visit my mother.
The sterile smell of the hospital hit me as soon as I walked in. I made my way to her room, a small bouquet of wildflowers in my hand.
My mother’s face lit up when she saw me. Despite her illness, she was still beautiful, with the same auburn hair and gentle eyes I’d inherited.
“Aurora,” she said, her voice weak but happy. “What a lovely surprise. You’re usually here with Raymond.”
I forced a smile, placing the flowers in the vase by her bed. “I wanted to see you alone today.”
She patted the bed beside her. “Come sit, tell me how the engagement preparations are going.”
I had just settled beside her when the door opened, and Raymond walked in. My heart stuttered at the sight of him, but I quickly composed myself, keeping my expression neutral.
“Mrs. Bennett,” Raymond greeted my mother warmly, presenting her with a box of her favorite chocolates. “You’re looking better today.”
My mother beamed at him. “Raymond! Just in time. Aurora was about to tell me about the engagement.”
Raymond’s eyes met mine briefly before he smiled at my mother. “Everything is coming together beautifully,” he said, playing the part of devoted fiancé flawlessly.
I watched him, feeling as if I were seeing a stranger. This Raymond–charming, attentive, kind–was the Raymond I’d fallen in love with. But now I knew it was just a mask he wore for others.
My own responses were stilted, distant. I answered my mother’s questions about the wedding with vague replies, no longer able to fake the excitement I’d once felt genuinely.
My mother didn’t seem to notice, but Raymond did. His brow furrowed slightly whenever I responded to him with cold politeness.
After about an hour, my mother tired, and we left her to rest. As soon as we stepped into the hallway, Raymond turned to me.
“I need to talk to you,” he said, his voice low.
I crossed my arms, keeping my distance. “What about?”
“I want you to take care of Giana from now on,” he stated matter–of–factly.
I froze, staring at him in disbelief. “Excuse me?”
“You’re going to be Luna,” Raymond continued, as if this were a perfectly reasonable request. “If you’re
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close to Giana, it’ll help cover for us. That way, our parents won’t suspect anything.”
He spoke as if nothing had happened between us, as if he hadn’t just publicly humiliated me, as if we were still the same childhood friends we’d always been.
“You want me to babysit your fated mate,” I said flatly.
Raymond frowned. “I wouldn’t put it that way.”
“How would you put it, then?” I challenged. “Because it sounds like you want me to help you cheat on me
with her.”
His expression hardened. “This isn’t about cheating, Aurora. You know our engagement is just for show.”
The pain that lanced through me was so sharp I nearly gasped. “Right,” I said, my voice strained. “Just for
show.”
Raymond ran a hand through his hair, frustration clear on his face. “Look, I’m not asking much. Just be
friendly to her, include her in pack activities.”
I wanted to refuse, to tell him to handle his own problems. But even as the words formed on my tongue, I
thought of my mother, of my father’s threats.
“Fine,” I agreed, the word tasting bitter. “I’ll help you.
Relief washed over Raymond’s face. “Thank you, Aurora. I knew I could count on you.”
At that moment, Giana timidly appeared at the end of the hallway. Without hesitation, Raymond went to her, placing a hand on her back as they walked away together.
I stood there, watching them leave, feeling utterly drained. All those years I’d spent loving him, and this was what it had come to–watching him walk away with another woman, again and again.
As I turned the corner to leave, a tall figure leaning against the wall stopped me in my tracks.
Kane.
His arms were crossed over his chest, a smirk playing on his lips. From his position, it was clear he’d heard everything.
He tilted his head, eyes gleaming with amusement and something darker. “What exactly is your relationship with Raymond and Giana?” he asked, pushing off the wall to approach me.
I took a step back. “That’s none of your business.”
His smirk deepened, and he leaned closer. “That night, when you ended up in my bed–was it because Giana got in the way?”
My heart sank. The way Kane looked at me–calculating, knowing–made it clear he’d pieced everything
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together. The fake engagement, Raymond’s fated mate, my desperate attempt to maintain my dignity while being publicly rejected.
I was caught.
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