Fate has truly been cruel to me. "Dad," I forced a fake smile on my face.

"Dad?" Someone repeated and my head turned to Evander. He was staring at my father. One emotion was identified in his voice. Shock. "Yes, Evander this is my beautiful daughter, Rieka Knight, the girl that saved your life," he spoke proudly while grinned down at me. "It's lovely to see you again, Luna Iris," my father added and my eyes widened a little. "Luna?" I blurted out before I even realized it. The Luna is supposed to be his mate. "Well I am Evan's mate," she smiled proudly and pushed her hair off her shoulder revealing her mark.

She was marked.

He marked her.

It felt in slow motion as my heart shattered. It actually felt as if someone killed me. White howled out a cry before she whimpered her way to the back of my head until I couldn't feel her anymore. On the inside, I was screaming but in front of everyone, I masked my emotions behind my eyes and plastered a small fake smile. I came to the fact that everything is only getting worse. Fate hates me. The moon goddess hates me. The universe hates me. I only caught a glimpse of the mark because I didn't want to give anyone the satisfaction of seeing me staring at it but it was beautiful.

They even look good together.

Right now I desired to feel numb and I craved answers. My brain tricked me into having hope that there could be an us. Evander and I. Foolish little girl, right? Even though I was crumbling and hanging off the cliff from crying, I kept a fake straight face.

"How about you tell us about these bullets," Evander's voice spoke up and his brown eyes were locked on mine as he slipped his hand around the Luna's waist. I took a deep breath before grabbing the plate of silver bullets. I held one between my thumb and index finger as I inspected it again. This morning Ethan told me about the bullets after he inspected them and worked his magic. "They're filled with silver, gunpowder, and the primer but mostly silver. Even the exterior is silver which makes it able to cut through your tissues even when already trapped inside of your body. Our top scientist said that they weren't any trademarks but he knows for sure they were made at a professional industry and not by man, or in this case, rogues," I explained and dropped down back the bullet. "The exterior is silver also right?" Evander asked and I nodded. "So how could you hold it so easily without burning?" His eyes narrowed down at me. I hated how fixed his jawline was, he's beautiful.

Shit.

I looked up at my father and to Jayden. We all froze, neither of us knowing what to say. You got this. "I guess you aren't the only one that has developed that talent, Alpha Evander," I spoke tauntingly. If he was shocked he certainly didn't let it show. "That was close," my father's voice echoed through my head. He knew exactly how I could hold silver. There was a silver chain wrapped around my neck every day and I'm not phased. Not even a little.

"Is there anything else you want to know before I leave?" I asked him, staring him straight in his eyes. Was it even possible for him to break me without even knowing it? He is resisting the mate bond if that wasn't bad enough. "No," he answered. "What about the tests?" Jayden asked which was the main point I was here in the first place but right now I don't think I could be so close to him. "He seems fine," I mumbled before covering the doorknob with my hand and turning it to leave. That was intense on so many levels.

I let out my breath when I was finally out of that small room. Why would the moon goddess mate me with someone who already has a mate? They're perfect for each other and they clearly are in love. Does he even feel it? The call to be next to each other? Is his wolf scraping at the doors to be out with me as well? He already has a mate. If the moon goddess never made a mistake then this would be her first one.

"Rieka? Why are you crying?" Brandon appeared in front of me. I was staring into space, I didn't even realize I began to cry. My hands couldn't hold onto the edge much longer. "Nothing," I mumbled and quickly brushed my thumbs across my cheeks to hide the evidence. "You met Iris?" He whispered.

Luna Iris.

"Yeah, why?" I asked, nodding. My eyes shifted to Kira standing beside him. Brandon narrowed his eyes down at me and clenched his jaw. "You know that you can't like him right? He'll probably kill you before you can say you like him. I saw the way you were looking at him when you first walked in," Brandon stated defensively. My eyes widened at his assumption.

"Right, they're mates right?" I asked for reassurance. I just needed someone to say it again. "Yes, they're mates. What kind of question is that?" He answered and it felt like his words were daggers to my heart. "Baby," Kira whispered, rubbing his arm and he visibly calmed down.

Cute.

"Rieka, your wolf is out there waiting for you to find him and you're going to, Alpha Evander isn't someone who you should set your eyes on while you wait," Kira suggested and I nod and played along with their stupid assumption.

"Right, I have to go..." I pushed past them, already had enough of the conversation, and stormed off in the direction of the castle.

It was just a thought but it made perfect sense. When Evander woke up he said he was feeling tingles everywhere and the candles inside of the hospital room were the best thing he has ever smelt. There were no candles in there, at all.

The eye contact between both of them was insane and tense when they first saw each other. One could easily tell the tension in the room was foggy thick.

"Was Rieka fine last night? You mention that you stayed at the castle," I asked Brandon, no reason in particular but I heard him mention something about a hangover. "Uh, she was getting drunk and was acting like she was in pain. I'm not sure because it would only be for a couple of seconds," Brandon answered, knitting his eyebrows.

She went through the twenty-four-hour heat last night. Without her mate, that must have been terrible. I couldn't bear mine without Brandon.

"You shouldn't have lied and said Iris was his actual mate," I admitted to my mate, nibbling on my bottom lip.

"Why not?" He asked, furrowing his brows more. "Because she just found out that her mate already had a mate that he already marked and mated with," I sighed with a frown.

I feel so terrible for her.

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