00:04my fated mate rejected me at our own mate claim ceremony in three days i'll be handed over to
00:10the wolf king's heir as his mate i cassian voss future alpha of blackline pack reject nyla as
00:16my fated mate maris was the daughter of mara my father's new luna mara had brought her into our
00:22pack maris had cried through the whole ceremony the law of silverfeld pack is plain a she-wolf
00:28who turns 18 without a mate bond cannot choose the council chooses for her maris had no fated mate
00:35hers had died before she ever came of age the half-formed bond had snapped with him losing a
00:42mate did not make her unable to bear pups it only left her unprotected nothing stood between her and
00:48the council's next decree she crossed the floor toward me her eyes were swollen red
00:56nyla don't blame him i have no bond to keep me safe the elders will hand me to the old
01:01alpha
01:01i won't survive it cassian tightened his grip on her hand he looked at me i'm only saving her
01:08she lost her mate the council could ship her off any day once she is safe i will claim you
01:14again
01:15you are still my luna you always were cassian had forgotten one thing i am older than maris in three
01:24days i turn 18 he had just rejected me before the whole pack the pain still pressed down on my
01:31chest
01:31something inside me felt torn loose in three days i would be the one sent away they would give me
01:38to
01:38the lycan king's air everyone whispered that he was dying around the hall the pack began to murmur
01:45goddess cassian rejected nila for maris what happens to nila now the council will marry her off
01:55i watched the looks changed on every face shock softened into pity
02:01maris stayed tucked against cassian's chest
02:06she was still crying something ugly flickered across cassian's face only now did he remember
02:12that law maris leaned into him her voice still trembled but when she glanced at me her mouth
02:19curved just slightly i looked at cassian all at once i had nothing left to ask he had already made
02:25his choice i lifted my chin i nila accept your rejection cassian boss
02:33my acceptance wiped the certainty off cassian's face he finally loosened his hold on maris
02:39but maris leaned right back into him the tears started again cassian lowered his voice
02:45nila you didn't have to accept
02:50i only used the ceremony to block the elders
02:54once maris is safe i will claim you again
02:59he raised a hand to touch me i stepped back his face went paler
03:06i looked at him
03:08you rejected me before the whole pack i accepted before the whole pack too
03:12this is not something you can take back
03:14around us the pack members went quiet they had not expected me to cut the tie
03:20maris grabbed at cassian's sleeve
03:23nila you already accepted the rejection
03:26why humiliate cassian on top of that
03:28my father has always shielded you most
03:31the elders will never truly punish you
03:33cassian stepped in front of her at once
03:35maris has begged you this far
03:36why can't you wait
03:41once she escapes this assignment i will come back for you
03:44the voices around us dropped lower
03:46her father is the alpha
03:48nila must still have a way out
03:50maris is a different story
03:52my father finally spoke
03:54cassian are you certain
03:56you chose maris not nila
03:58cassian did not answer
04:00his hand still held maris
04:03i understood
04:04that was his answer
04:05they all thought i still had a way out
04:08but a letter already waited in my father's study
04:11it carried the lichen royal seal
04:13mara came forward and studied maris
04:15stop crying
04:17you've suffered enough tonight
04:18she looked at me
04:20nila it is done
04:21don't shame silvercrest pack further
04:24at last i understood
04:25they wanted me to swallow the betrayal
04:27and step aside with a smile
04:30just then
04:31marisa's gaze dropped
04:32it landed on the moonstone at my collar time
04:35the necklace was my mother's last gift to me
04:38she wiped her tears
04:40nila could i borrow your moonstone necklace for one night
04:45i looked down at the moonstone necklace
04:47it rested against my collar roam
04:50my mother left it to me
04:51it was no ordinary jewel
04:53tonight the chosen luna wears a family heirloom
04:57it is a silvercrest tradition
04:59it proves both families bless the claiming
05:01i had meant to wear it for cassian's claim
05:04now cassian had chosen maris
05:07and maris had set her sights on it
05:09she reached out
05:11tears still on her face
05:12nila just one night
05:14i have nothing fit for ceremony
05:16cassian chose me
05:18i can't shame blackrush pack
05:19i did not move
05:20my father's hand pressed flat on the table
05:23maris that is her mother's keepsake
05:25i looked at mara
05:27to her i had never counted at all
05:29cassian frowned
05:31nila don't blow this up
05:32it's only a necklace
05:34i'll buy you a new one
05:36name your price
05:36he still did not understand
05:38he thought a gift could replace my mother's keepsake
05:41how absurd
05:42i looked at him
05:43you can't afford it
05:45maris lowered her head at once
05:47i knew it
05:49nila still hates me
05:50she won't even lend one necklace
05:52my father started to speak
05:55but cassian moved first
05:56he stared at the moonstone on my collarstone
05:59his voice turned hard
06:01nila
06:01give it to her
06:03i stepped back
06:07don't touch it
06:08my hand pressed over the necklace
06:10cassian's hand paused for a beat
06:13then it kept reaching for me
06:14he truly meant to take it
06:16in front of both packs
06:18he would seize my mother's keepsake
06:20the next second
06:22his hand closed on the chain
06:24the white gold pressed against my skin
06:27my fingers snapped tight
06:29he had no idea what he was about to break
06:33maris stared at my moonstone necklace
06:36i was done humoring her
06:40maris
06:41this one stays
06:44i'll have my father pick a new one for you
06:46her eyes reddened at once
06:48but it matches my gown vest
06:50one night is that too much
06:53cassian frowned
06:55nila it's only a necklace
06:56why push maris this hard
06:58i looked at maris
07:01you know it isn't yours
07:03so don't reach for it
07:04maris lowered her head
07:07i know you're upset
07:09but cassian chose me
07:10tonight i stand at his side
07:13without a proper necklace
07:15blackridge pack will think he chose wrong
07:17cassian's eyes turned cold
07:19enough
07:20choosing maris was my call
07:22blame me if you want
07:24give her the necklace
07:25i'll replace it with two better ones
07:27i shielded the necklace
07:28it was not a prop to dress up a new luna
07:31it was the last thing my mother left me
07:35even if the council sent me away
07:37it would go with me
07:38maris did not want the necklace
07:43she wanted the last thing i had left
07:46my mother left me this
07:48no one touches it
07:50cassian reached out and grabbed the chain
07:52my father stepped forward
07:54cassian stop this now
07:56he yanked it down anyway
07:59the chain broke
08:01the moonstone necklace fell at maris's feet
08:06maris shrewd and stumbled back
08:07her heel came down on the moonstone
08:09the stone split in two
08:11the white gold setting bent under her
08:13ceremony hall fell silent
08:15maris covered her mouth
08:17naya i'm sorry
08:18i really didn't mean to
08:19i crouched and gathered the broken chain and stone
08:22cassian finally spoke
08:25nila i'll pay for it
08:26i looked at him
08:28he can't afford it
08:29maris was still crying
08:31but she knew what she had crushed
08:33my fist around the broken chain
08:35this is a debt
08:36i will collect myself
08:40maris started to explain again
08:42i raised my hand and slapped her
08:44she froze
08:46a hand pressed to her cheek
08:48cassian moved to block her at once
08:50nila
08:50have you lost your mind
08:52i did not look at him
08:54maris you knew this was my mother's necklace
08:58you knew i'd refuse
09:00so you broke it on purpose
09:01maris's lips went white
09:03it wasn't like that
09:07i took a step closer
09:08dropped the act
09:09you never wanted the necklace
09:11you wanted me to lose to you in public
09:13nila she already apologized
09:15i finally turned to him
09:17so did you
09:17i said don't touch it
09:19and you grabbed it
09:20he opened his mouth
09:21i didn't know it was your mother's keepsake
09:23i closed the broken chain in my palm
09:28so what
09:29i explained
09:30you didn't listen
09:34understanding it now is too late
09:35cassian tried to say my name
09:37i cut him off
09:38don't call me nila anymore
09:41you rejected me in public
09:43and i accepted
09:44from now on
09:45we are nothing to each other
09:47my father stepped to my side
09:49his voice pressed down
09:51over the fall
09:51that's enough for tonight
09:53cassian
09:53take maris out of the silvertrow ceremony hall
09:57cassian looked at me
09:58this time
09:59i did not look back
10:00late that night
10:02i walked into my father's study
10:03a letter sat on the desk
10:05it bore the lichen royal seal
10:07the name was written plainly
10:09rowan veil
10:10the lichen king's heir
10:12the one rumored to be dying
10:13my father pressed his hand on the letter
10:16i can have another pack claim you tonight
10:20at least you'd avoid the lichen royal house
10:22i shook my head
10:23it's too late
10:25blackridge pack changed their choice in front of everyone
10:27silvercris pack has no way out now
10:29my father held the letter a long time
10:32i drew it out from under his hand
10:34i accept
10:35i'm going to meet rowan vey
10:37i'm going to meet rowan vey
10:43i'm going to meet rowan vey
