Chapter 3

I looked at the marks. Then I looked at Cain.

Cain took a step toward me.

"Elara, I dishonored Vivienne. I have to make it right. Let's postpone the Bonding Ceremony."

Postpone again.

From the day I turned fifteen to now, six years had passed. I didn't have that many years left to keep waiting for another delay.

Even if I wasn't going to Bond with him anymore, I still wanted an explanation. "Why?"

Cain frowned. "What do you mean?"

I looked him in the eyes. "I said, why do I have to postpone — again?"

Cain's eyes filled with blame.

"What is that supposed to mean? Vivienne's honor is gone. Don't you have any compassion at all? Elara, when did you become this cold?"

Vivienne waved from the side. "Cain, leave it. I honestly don't care. We're Pack family — something like this doesn't matter."

Cain was firm. "It matters. You lost your honor because of me. I'll make it right. After this next campaign, I'll give you a proper Bonding Ceremony."

Vivienne blinked. "And what about Elara?"

"First come, first served." Cain glanced at me. "She came first, so by right she'd be primary. You'd come second."

Vivienne nodded. "Fine. I don't care about the ranking anyway."

I felt something cold settle in my chest. "Are you out of your mind?"

Cain looked at me. "But in my heart it's different. Vivienne's my Pack sister. You're my Chosen Mate. In name, she's secondary, but you're the one who actually matters to me."

I listened to the two of them arrange this between themselves and suddenly almost laughed.

I didn't care anymore about being Cain's priority.

"I'm not postponing the Ceremony."

Cain's face went flat. "Elara, why do you have to be so difficult?"

I said, "Difficult or not, I'm walking into that Ceremony tomorrow."

Cain stared at me for a long time. Then he nodded.

"Fine."

"If you really can't find it in yourself to consider Vivienne, and you're so set on walking in as Sterling Luna..."

Cain paused. His voice went cold.

"Then don't say I didn't warn you."

The next morning, I stood in front of the mirror and put on the hairpiece.

I pinned the gemstone accessories in one by one. The Bonding dress was formal and rich red.

The ceremony hour arrived. My mother walked me toward the gates.

Whitmore Manor's main doors opened. I looked up to see the escort party — and saw Cain.

He was wearing plain dark clothes. The escort party behind him was embarrassingly small.

No formal carriage. No music. No ceremony banners.

Just a few Sterling Pack servants trailing behind him, and not even a single red ribbon between them.

Cain saw me and visibly relaxed. He'd clearly been waiting a while.

He walked up quickly, and when he saw me in the Bonding dress, the tension left his shoulders.

His voice carried some relief.

"Elara, I went back to Sterling Manor this morning and my mother told me our Bonding had been called off."

"On the way here, all I could think was that you might actually not go through with it. That thought made me anxious."

"But seeing you walk out in the dress — I knew you were still the reasonable one."

I looked at the escort party behind him. Then I looked at what he was wearing.

"Cain. Is this how the great Alpha of Sterling Pack brings home a mate?"

Cain's brow tightened.

"Elara, this is what you get for insisting on today. I can't let down my Pack sister, so I can only bring you in as a Secondary Mate for now."

I looked at him and felt nothing but disbelief. His mouth kept saying Vivienne was his Pack sister, but what kind of Pack sister gets brought in as the primary mate.

I looked at my Bonding dress.

"A Primary Mate wears white. I'm wearing red. I'm Elara Whitmore, and I don't come in as anyone's secondary."

Cain's frown deepened.

"I already told you last night — Vivienne needs this handled. First come, first served. She's primary, you're secondary. That's the proper order."

"You're the one who insisted on today, so I didn't have time to arrange things properly. Why does any of this matter to you?"

I almost laughed.

"Didn't have time? Cain, you claimed me as your Chosen Mate on the day I turned fifteen. If we're talking about who came first, who exactly is primary and who is secondary?"

Cain's face went dark.

"Elara, you're still hung up on this. Can't you just be reasonable? Vivienne's honor is gone. I have to give her something."

"You're coming home today. Everything that's supposed to be yours will be yours. Why do you have to fight over the ceremony details right now?"

Before I could answer, a sharp sound cut through the air.

Cain's instincts kicked in. He threw himself sideways, and a dart buried itself three inches into the ground where he'd been standing.