At the Ceremony, The Mafia King Left Me

Cassian Ashbournes neighbor, Odette Rowan, fainted in the middle of our betrothal feast.

Before I could even rise from my seat as the future Luna, Cassianthe packs Alphawas already moving. One moment he had been beside me beneath the silver moon lanterns, and the next he was kneeling at Odettes side, lifting her into his arms as though I were no longer there.

Without a word to me.

Without regard for the elders.

Without care for the humiliation.

He carried her straight to the healers den.

And I was left behind.

The drums fell silent. The pack members froze. Elders whispered behind raised goblets of wine, and the long banquet tables remained untouchedfood prepared for a celebration that ended before it truly began.

So I did what I had done too many times before.

I smiled.

I soothed the offended elders, dismissed the omegas, and oversaw the clearing of the feast hall myself. I stood beneath the moon lanterns until the last pack member left, until the last overturned goblet was cleared away, until nothing remained of the evening but the cold ache lodged in my chest.

By the time everything was settled, the night had grown deep and bitter. Frost clung to the stone courtyard, and the moon hung pale above the pack territory.

That was when Odettes voice slipped into the pack mindlink.

Weak. Breathless. Fragile.

Yet unmistakably clear.

No matter what happens, in Cassians heart, I will always come first.

For a moment, I said nothing. Then I lowered my eyes and let out a quiet laugh.

My reply slipped back just as softly.

Then I wish the two of you happiness together.

After that, I sealed my mindlink to her.

I thought that would be the end of it.

I was wrong.

Past midnight, the communication stone on my bedside table flared repeatedly, pulsing with Cassians summons until pale light filled the room. I had no desire to answer, but he was persistent.

At last, I picked it up.

The moment the connection opened, his anger struck like claws.

Elara Hale, what are you trying to do now? Why did you shut Odette out? She fainted again because of it. You know how weak she is. How many times have I told you not to upset her? She cannot bear it.

I did not answer at once.

Instead, I folded the last of my clothes and placed them into the traveling chest at the foot of my bed. Then I carried the stone with me onto the balcony.

The wind was sharp. Below, the pack territory lay silent beneath the moon.

Only then did I speak.

Did you call me only to say this?

There was a brief pause.

Or what? Cassian replied, his tone hard. Are you going to accuse me and Odette again? Ive told you countless timesshes like a sister to me. If your own sister collapsed, would you not worry?

Like a sister.

I had heard those words so often they no longer hurt.

Once, I argued.

Once, I cried.

Once, I asked why the woman he called a sister always came before the Luna he chose.

Now, I felt nothing.

My heart was no longer breaking.

It had simply gone numb.

You should worry, I said quietly.

Perhaps my calm unsettled him, because he fell silent again. When he spoke next, his voice had turned cold and commanding.

Open your mindlink to Odette again.

Then he severed the connection.

I looked down at the fading glow of the stone.

Naturally, I did no such thing.

Cassian and I had been together for eight years.

For nearly all of those years, Odettes presence followed us like a shadow. From the beginning, I heard of her constantly. She was gentle, obedient, sweet-natured, delicateeverything wolves found irresistible.

Always close to him.

Always needing him.

At first, I assumed she truly was his younger sister.

Later, I learned Cassian was an only child.

Then I wondered if she was a distant cousin.

She was neither.

After our coming-of-age ceremony, Cassian and I began handling pack duties together. Not long after, Odette moved into the central territory. Cassian explained her mother had entrusted her to him because she had been born weak and needed protection.

At first, I pitied her.

I truly did.

But pity slowly turned into humiliation.

Whenever Cassian and I trained together, Odette sent for him.

Whenever we shared a meal, Odette fell ill.

Whenever we stole one quiet night beneath the moon, Odette somehow needed him before dawn.

A dizzy spell.

A twisted ankle.

A fever.

A sleepless night.

The reasons changed. The ending never did.

The moment Odette called, Cassian went.

I lost count of how many times we argued.

Each time, he held me close and promised things would change after our mating ceremony. He said I was the Luna he chose. He said Odette was someone he could not ignore. He said I was thinking too much.

And because I loved him, I endured.

I endured every slight, every ruined night, every swallowed grievance.

Because I believed there was a future worth waiting for.

But after that night, I no longer wished to wait.

At dawn, Cassians parents arrived with several elders from his bloodline.

The omegas had just finished laying out breakfast when they entered. His mother glanced around and immediately asked, Has Cassian returned?

I smiled faintly.

He never came back last night.

Her face paled.

One of the elder aunts caught her sleeve. Stacey, call him back at once. This is unacceptable.

Then she turned to me, patting my hand awkwardly.

Elara, dont be angry. Have you eaten? Sit with us.

I looked at them quietly.

They were embarrassed. Ashamed for him. Sorry for me.

But none of that changed where he had spent the night.

I sat with them and ate breakfast as though it were an ordinary morning.

When Cassian finally answered his mothers mindlink, his voice was low and impatient. He said he could not leave yet. Odette had not awakened, and he needed to remain by her side.

The room fell silent.

One aunt lowered her cup. Another looked away. Staceys fingers tightened against the table.

Everyone looked at me.

I only smiled.

Im due at the Alpha Hall, I said as I rose. You may wait for him here.

I picked up my cloak and left.

The day passed in a blur of Luna dutiesreports, patrol records, disputes among pack members. I buried myself in work until sunset stretched long shadows across the hall.

Cassian never returned.

Strangely, I felt no anger.

No disappointment.

Only relief.

Because this was exactly what I had expected.

His family did not leave until close to midnight.

By then, the Ashbourne estate had gone quiet. The fire in the front salon had burned down to embers, casting a dull red glow across the marble hearth. The chandeliers had been dimmed, and only the wall sconces remained lit, throwing thin gold light over the dark wood panels and the portraits of dead men who had built the family empire with blood and gunpowder. The dinner prepared for Cassian sat untouched in the dining room, the steak cold, the wine breathing for no one.

His mother and aunts stayed far longer than they should have, as if lingering in the house might somehow cover the disgrace he had left behind.

But some things could not be covered.

Not when the heir to the Ashbourne name had failed to come home.

Before she left, Cassians mother took both my hands in hers. Her fingers were warm, but I felt the slight tremor in them. Vivienne Ashbourne had always treated me well. From the first night Cassian brought me to a family dinner, she had looked at me as though my place beside him was already settled, as though I belonged in this house, in this family, in this world.

Now there was shame in her eyes.

And something worse than shame.

Helplessness.

Dont carry this in your heart, child, she said softly. Ill speak to him.

I lowered my gaze and gave her a faint nod.

What else was there to do?

After they were gone, the silence in the mansion deepened.

A little while later, my phone lit up again. Vivienne. When I answered, her voice sounded older than it had a few hours earlier. Tired. Frayed. She told me I was the only woman she had ever recognized as Cassians future wife. She said he would come to his senses. She said he would apologize.

I listened without saying much.

Then I ended the call and set the phone aside.

I had no use for apologies that had not yet been given.

I sat alone in the front room after that, listening to the wind scrape softly against the tall windows. The estate felt strangely hollow. For years, I had built my life around Cassians presence. I used to know the exact rhythm of his footsteps in the corridor, the sound of him loosening his cuff links, the careless way he would drop into a chair and ask what I had saved for him to eat.

That night, I waited for none of it.

When dawn came, I was already awake.

I washed, dressed in silence, and pinned my hair back with steady hands. Then I went downstairs, told the kitchen staff not to fuss, and poured myself coffee I barely touched. My body moved on habit alone. My heart was no longer in any of it.

By the time the eastern sky began to lighten, I was already on my way to the family offices downtown.

The city was only just waking. Black sedans rolled through wet streets. Men from our night crews were changing shifts outside the clubs and warehouses. Delivery trucks backed into secured docks. Street vendors were setting up beneath the gray morning sky, unaware that half the citys underworld had spent the night whispering about the humiliation of the Ashbourne fiance.

Everything looked the same.

Only I had changed.

I buried myself in work as soon as I arrived. Security reports from the southern route. Inventory numbers from the port. Accounts waiting for approval. Signatures, ledgers, shipments, coded messages. I kept my hands busy so my thoughts would stay quiet.

For the most part, they did.

Then, just before noon, word came that the consigliere wanted to see me.

I knew why before I even stepped into his office.

The post in Drelantia had already been offered to me twice.

It was no punishment, no exile. It was one of the familys most difficult assignmentsoverseeing business and negotiations at the eastern border, where several syndicates crossed paths and every deal came wrapped in risk. Anyone who handled Drelantia well came back with influence, respect, and a seat much closer to power.

I had turned it down before.

Both times for the same reason.

My life was here.

And once, that had been true.

Cassian had already announced our engagement before the families. Once we were married, there would be joint responsibilities, formal appearances, a household of our own, maybe even children. I had imagined that future so many times that I never noticed how much of myself I was giving away to protect it.

The consigliere looked up when I entered.

Have you truly decided against Drelantia? he asked. This is the last time Ill put your name forward.

I said nothing at first.

Sunlight fell in long slants across his desk, over stacks of files, sealed envelopes, and one folder set apart from the rest.

Mine.

Inside were the transfer papers, already prepared.

Two years.

That was all.

Not long in the grand scheme of things.

But long enough to become someone else.

Cassian had never wanted me to leave the city. He said people in our world should stay close to the ones they loved. He said distance created weakness. Back then, I had mistaken those words for devotion.

Now I understood them for what they were.

He wanted me close only when it was convenient.

In that quiet office, I saw it all at once.

I had refused postings for him.

Turned down advancement for him.

Rearranged my schedule for him.

Gone home early to have dinner waiting for him, to be available when he wanted me, to make my life fit neatly around his.

I had bent everything around Cassian Ashbourne.

And in the end, none of it had been enough to make him choose me.

The thought brought no tears.

Only a deep, terrifying stillness.

Ill go, I said.

The consigliere studied me for a moment, then pushed the papers toward me.

Everythings ready, he said. You only need to sign.

I picked up the pen and wrote my name without hesitation.

You leave on the ninth of next month.

I counted the days in silence.

Less than twenty.

That was enough.

Enough time to put my affairs in order. Enough time to untangle the last threads tying me to Cassian Ashbourne. Enough time to walk away cleanly and never look back.

I would leave on the appointed day.

And on that same day, I would end everything between us.

By dusk, rain had started falling over the estate.

At first it was only a fine mist beyond the tall office windows, silver against the darkening courtyard. Then it thickened into a steady downpour, turning the stone drive black with rain and making the lanterns by the gates hiss in the damp.

I was sorting the last of the ledgers on my desk when my phone lit up with Cassians name.

I stared at it for a moment before answering.

The second I picked up, his voice came through low and impatient.

Youre done at the office, arent you? Come to the clinic and drive us home.

For a second, I thought I had heard him wrong.

Then I realized I had not.

He said it like it was the most natural thing in the world. As if I should go out into the rain and collect him and Odette like some obedient wife already trained not to ask questions. As if what he had done the night before had never happened. As if I were part of the household staff, waiting to be summoned.

I almost laughed.

Theres a dinner here tonight for the department heads, I said evenly. I dont know when it will end.

There was a short pause, like refusal had not crossed his mind.

Come get us first, he said. Then go back.

My grip tightened around the phone.

You can call one of the drivers.

Then I hung up.

I did not care whether he was angry.

That evening, I stayed.

The dinner was simple, held in one of the smaller reception rooms above the main offices, but it was warm in a way the Ashbourne house had not felt in a long time. The table was crowded with half-finished glasses, plates of roasted meat, bread, and bowls of hot stew. Someone told a story about one of the security captains slipping off the dock during a weapons shipment inspection, and laughter moved easily around the room.

For the first time in days, I smiled without forcing it.

No tension. No humiliation. No need to watch the door and wonder whether another woman would call and take him away.

By the time I got home, the rain had softened to a light drizzle. Water still clung to the hedges and ran in thin streams along the front steps.

It was late.

When I stepped inside, Cassian was sitting in the front room with one arm stretched along the back of the sofa, his posture rigid.

He looked up the moment he heard the door.

Why are you back so late?

I did not answer.

I set my bag down, slipped off my damp heels, and washed my hands at the sink near the entryway. My shoulders ached. My coat smelled faintly of rain and smoke. All I wanted was a shower and a locked door between us.

But when I turned toward the hallway, Cassian got to his feet and stepped in front of me.

Elara, he said, voice hardening. What exactly is this supposed to mean?

I lifted my eyes to his.

There had been a time when looking at him was enough to make something soften inside me. Once, a single glance from him could steady my whole day.

Now I felt nothing.

What do you mean? I asked.

His expression darkened. You refused to pick us up, then you come home at this hour. What are you trying to prove?

Before I could answer, a soft voice drifted in from the guest room.

Elara... have you been drinking? The smell is making me a little uncomfortable.

I turned.

Odette stood in the doorway, pale in the lamplight, one hand resting against the frame like she needed it to stay upright.

For a moment, I just looked at her.

I had assumed hed settled her in one of the familys other properties after taking her from the clinic.

I had not expected him to bring her here.

Into my house.

That was almost laughable.

I looked back at Cassian.

Would you like me to go to a hotel tonight? I asked calmly. Or would you rather take her to one yourselves?

Elara. His voice rose at once. How can you even think like that?

A laugh nearly slipped out this time.

Dont shout just because your conscience is dirty, I said coldly. Am I the one acting shamefully here?

Then I turned to Odette.

You said yesterday you nearly collapsed because I blocked you. Save that performance for someone who still believes it. I blocked him too. And if the smell of wine bothers you, close your door.

Her eyes reddened instantly.

Tears gathered so quickly it would have been impressive, if it had not been so familiar.

But instead of speaking to me, she looked at Cassian, voice trembling just enough.

Maybe I should leave. I dont want to upset Elara. I dont want the two of you fighting because of me.

Its late, Cassian said immediately, his tone softening for her in a way it never softened for me anymore. Where are you supposed to go in this weather? Its not safe. Go get some rest.

So he did know that.

He did know a woman should not be out alone at night in the rain.

A bitter smile touched my mouth.

Once, before I moved fully into this estate, I used to drive myself back from the office long after midnight. Rain, traffic, empty roadsit never mattered. One night I asked him to come get me.

He had laughed and said, This city is full of our men. What exactly are you afraid of?

He had been right.

What was there to fear?

Odette stood there another second, as though waiting for him to say something more. When he didnt, she lowered her head and slipped quietly back into the guest room.

I was too tired to keep going.

I brushed past Cassian, walked into my room, and shut the door behind me.

A moment later, he knocked.

Elara.

Then again, louder.

Elara, open the door.

I ignored him.

After a while, the knocking stopped. Through the wood, I could hear the low murmur of his voice, then Odette answering softly from the other room. Eventually, even that faded.

The house had two bedrooms on that floor.

I took the master suite.

Odette stayed in the guest room.

And Cassian Ashbourne, caught between the two women he had made enemies of each other, spent the night on the sofa.

The next morning, Cassian was already awake.

Or maybe he had never slept at all.

He was sitting on the sofa in yesterdays shirt and slacks, looking like a man who had spent the night simmering instead of resting. His hair was slightly messed, there were dark circles under his eyes, and the tight line of his jaw made it clear he was still annoyed.

The moment he saw me step out of my room, he straightened.

Youre up, he said. I had the jet prepared for Blightmoor. You said before that you wanted to go there, didnt you? Ill take you myself. Call the office and clear your schedule.

He said it so casually, as if nothing had happened the night before. As if bringing Odette into our house, arguing with me in the hallway, and leaving me to lock myself in my room had all been too small to matter.

Im not going, I said.

His brows drew together at once.

Youre still angry? His voice sharpened with impatience. Elara, were engaged. Were not teenagers playing at romance. Do you really have to act like this?

I said nothing.

I only looked at him.

And all at once, something became painfully clear.

When I argued, I was difficult.

When I stayed quiet, I was cold.

When I gave in, it was only what he expected.

When I resisted, I was unreasonable.

No matter what I did, I was always the one expected to bend first.

Maybe the problem had never been what I said.

Maybe the problem was that I loved him enough to keep excusing it.

He let out a breath, as if he were the one being generous.

Fine, he said. Then I was wrong. Is that what you want to hear?

I gave a small shake of my head.

You did nothing wrong, I said calmly. And Im not angry. So lets stop talking about it.

Then I walked past him and headed for the kitchen.

I set water to boil and reached for the coffee tin. The house was quiet except for the low hum of the espresso machine and the soft rain still dripping outside the windows. While I waited, I picked up my phone and opened Instagram without really thinking.

Odette had posted again.

This time, the photo showed her holding Cassians first racing trophy against her cheek, smiling softly at the camera as if she were cradling something precious. The gold caught the light from the bedside lamp behind her.

The caption read:

[Sleeping peacefully beside Cassians most treasured possession.]

It was not even the same account I had blocked the day before.

This was another one.

I stared at the screen for a few seconds, then clicked on the profile. We had never exchanged a message. I did not even remember when she had followed me, or when I had accepted it.

Slowly, I put the phone down on the counter.

There was no need to block her again.

I remembered that trophy very well.

Once, while cleaning his study, I had moved it slightly to wipe the dust from the shelf beneath. That was all. I had barely lifted it when Cassian walked in.

He had stopped in the doorway like I had committed some unforgivable offense.

Who told you to touch that? he had asked, his voice so sharp it stunned me.

I had apologized right away, explaining that I was only cleaning, but he had taken it from my hands with visible irritation and set it back himself, like even holding it was more than I should have done.

Back then, I blamed myself.

I thought I had crossed some line without realizing it.

Now I understood the truth.

The rule had never been that no one could touch it.

Only that I could not.

How pathetic.

I used to think love meant patience. Understanding. Endurance. I kept smoothing over every cut he gave me until I could pretend they no longer hurt.

But love and indifference were never the same thing.

I had simply been too blind to see it.

Elara, Cassian said from behind me.

I turned slightly. He was watching me now, his expression dark, clearly irritated by how calm I was.

I know I shouldnt have left like that, he said. But it was an emergency. It was life and death.

Life and death.

The words sounded almost laughable now.

I picked up my phone again, opened Odettes post, enlarged the photo, and turned the screen toward him.

Saving someone in an emergency is one thing, I said quietly. Then what is this?

His face changed, just slightly.

I held the phone steady and looked him right in the eye.

Cassian, I said, a faint edge of mockery slipping into my voice, do you remember the day you yelled at me for touching your first racing trophy?

I paused.

Do you remember what you said to me then?