Chapter 139

• Maya’s Pov
• The grand hall glittered that night with silver chandeliers and the faint shimmer of moonlight pouring through the glass ceiling. The scent of lavender and wolfbane filled the air, intoxicating yet suffocating, as though the universe itself could feel the tension twisting through the evening.
• I stood a few feet away from the dais, my hand firmly intertwined with Mark’s, my new mate. Even now, the word mate felt foreign on my tongue. Mark was kind, strong, and understanding; everything a woman like me could ask for. The musicians played softly in the background, a melody meant to soothe, yet it only heightened the disarray in my chest. The crowd murmured, a wave of whispers rippling across the hall when the bond mark between Mark and I was revealed; glowing faintly under the moonlight. The murmurs grew louder, feeding off curiosity and the thrill of scandal.