The Beta’s Ugly Daughter

Chapter 28

I told myself I came to witness a ceremony. But really, I came to say goodbye to the man I loved, before he was bound to someone else forever.

The ceremony proceeded with the precision of a carefully choreographed dance, each ritual step moving us closer to the moment when Wyatt would be bound to Mira forever. I stayed seated at the back of the hall, my hands clenched so tightly in my lap that my knuckles had gone white. Every word of the ancient vows felt like a knife turning in my chest, but I couldn't look away. I couldn't stop watching as the man I loved prepared to pledge his life to someone else.

"Mira Turner," the officiant's voice carried clearly through the hushed hall, "do you take Wyatt Sullivan as your mate, to bond with him under the Moon Goddess's blessing, to stand beside him as Luna for all the days of your life?" The question hung in the air like a sword about to fall. My heart hammered against my ribs as I waited for the inevitable answer that would shatter what remained of my hope.

"I do," Mira said, her voice clear and steady.

The words hit me like a physical blow. Sharp pain exploded in my chest, radiating outward until I could barely breathe. The mate bond that had been growing stronger every day pulled tight, jealousy and grief and something burning hot mixing into a toxic cocktail that made my vision blur. This was it, this was the moment I lost him forever.

"And Wyatt Sullivan," the officiant continued, turning to face the man who held my heart, "do you take Mira Turner as your mate, to bond with her under the Moon Goddess's blessing, to stand beside her as Alpha for all the days of your life?" I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think past the roaring in my ears as I waited for him to say the words that would end everything.

That's when I caught it, a shift in the light streaming through the tall windows. The moon, which had been glowing pure white, was beginning to change. The edges took on a soft orange hue that I knew would deepen to crimson as the blood moon rose.

Panic flared in my chest. If the moon continued to change, if it reached its full blood moon phase while I was sitting here surrounded by hundreds of witnesses, I would transform right here in the ceremonial hall. My secret would be exposed in the most public way possible. I stood quietly, hoping to slip out through the back doors before anyone noticed. My legs felt unsteady, my hands shaking as I turned toward the aisle. But just as I took my first step toward escape, Wyatt's voice rang out across the silent hall.

"No."

The single word cracked like thunder in the stillness. I froze, one foot still raised, hardly daring to believe what I'd heard. The entire hall stilled, hundreds of people turned to stare at the Alpha's heir who had just rejected his intended bride at the altar. I could hear the collective intake of breath, the whispered gasps of shock and confusion.

"No," Wyatt repeated, his voice stronger now, carrying clearly to every corner of the room. "I cannot take these vows. Not when my heart belongs to someone else."

The officiant sputtered, clearly unprepared for this deviation from centuries of tradition. "Alpha Sullivan, perhaps you need a moment to-"

"I need no moment," Wyatt interrupted, his silver-blue eyes scanning the crowd until they found mine. "My mate is here. She's been here all along." My heart stopped, literally stopped beating for what felt like an eternity as he looked directly at me.

"Gail," he said, my name carrying across the hall like a prayer. "Gail Raymond ."

The world tilted sideways. I couldn't move, couldn't breathe, couldn't process what was happening as every eye in the hall turned to stare at me. The Beta's disappointing daughter, the family shame, the girl who'd spent her entire life being invisible, suddenly thrust into the spotlight in the most impossible way.

"I reject this alliance," Wyatt continued, his voice steady and sure despite the chaos he was creating. "I claim Gail Raymond as my mate, my Luna, my chosen one. I love her."

The words hit me like lightning. I love her, he said. In front of everyone, in front of the pack, the elders, the Alpha himself. He was already walking toward me, his long strides eating up the distance between the altar and the back of the hall.

People scrambled out of his way, their faces shocked, confused, some angry at this disruption to their carefully planned ceremony. But I could only see him, only hear the echo of his declaration bouncing around my skull. He stopped just in front of where I stood frozen, his hand extended toward me like an invitation, like a lifeline.

"Gail," he said, his voice gentle now, meant only for me. "Will you have me?"

I looked past him to the front of the hall where Mira still stood at the altar. Instead of anger or betrayal, I saw her smiling gently, stepping aside to make space for whatever was about to happen. She caught my eye and nodded, her expression peaceful, encouraging.

My gaze flicked to my parents, who were standing among the honored guests, their faces frozen in shock. Mom's mouth was hanging open, her usual composure shattered. Dad was staring at me like he'd never seen me before. For once in my life, they were speechless.

The officiant cleared his throat, clearly struggling to maintain some semblance of order. "Miss Raymond ," he said, his voice uncertain, "the... the question has been asked. What is your answer?" My hands were trembling so hard I could barely lift them, but somehow my voice came out clear and strong.

"Yes," I said, the word carrying all the hope and love and desperate longing I'd been holding inside for months. "Yes, I'll have you."

Wyatt's face broke into a smile so radiant it took my breath away. He closed the distance between us in two steps, his hands cupping my face as he leaned down to kiss me. The moment our lips touched, everything changed.

Light exploded around us, not the harsh glare of the ceremonial candles, but something warm and golden and alive. I felt my body beginning to shift, the familiar tingle of transformation spreading through my limbs. But this was different from the blood moon changes. This was deeper, more permanent.

A collective gasp swept through the crowd as my cursed form began to dissolve. My height increased, my frame filling out with curves and strength I'd only possessed under magical moonlight. My mousy brown hair brightened to the fiery red that had always been my true color, and my skin took on the healthy glow that marked me as more than human. But I didn't need the blood moon this time, the curse was breaking under something far more powerful than lunar magic: true love. Freely given, and publicly declared.

The mate bond in my chest, which had been pulling and aching for so long, finally settled into place with an almost audible click. The other half of my soul, the missing piece I'd been searching for without knowing it, slotted into the empty space in my heart.

When I opened my eyes, the hall was silent except for the sound of my own breathing. Hundreds of faces stared at me in wonder, seeing my true form for the first time. Seeing the woman I'd always been beneath the magical disguise.

For the first time in my life, I stood in my real body, surrounded by witnesses who couldn't look away. And Wyatt was still holding my hand, his grip steady and sure, anchoring me to this moment, this choice, this impossible dream that had somehow become reality.

"Hello, Red," he said softly, his eyes twinkling with love and mischief. "I've been waiting to meet the real you."

Through my tears of joy, I laughed. "You've known me all along."

"I know," he said, bringing my hand to his lips to press a gentle kiss to my knuckles. "I just had to be brave enough to see it."

Around us, the pack erupted into whispers and gasps and the kind of excited chatter that always followed truly unexpected events, but I barely heard them. All I could focus on was the man in front of me, the mate who'd chosen me not despite my curse, but because of who I was underneath it.

The girl who'd spent eighteen years believing she was unworthy of love had finally been chosen. And it was everything I'd ever dreamed it could be.