The Day After the Mistake Night
Michael's POV
The first sting of light pierced through the stone slats of me dragging unwillingly back to reality.
My head throbbed. My body ached with unfamiliar tension.
The last thing I remembered clearly was entering my private chamber after the Luna engagement ceremony, flushed with triumph and wine. My mind had been clouded—by the wine, the scent of silvermint, and the intoxicating anticipation of marking the woman who would rule beside me. Camilla.
Or so I had believed.
But as I opened my eyes and saw the woman lying beside me, everything inside me froze.
Caroline.
For a heartbeat, I thought I was still dreaming. But the mark on her neck was unmistakable—fresh, deep, still glowing from the night's ritual.
"No…" The word escaped my mouth, broken and hollow.
Caroline stirred, stretching with grace, a smile tugging at her lips. "Good morning, my Alpha," she purred.
I sat up, my stomach tightening with nausea, the haze of the night before refusing to fade.
"What just happened?"
She tilted her head, playing innocence. "You marked me as your Luna. It was beautiful."
"I thought you were Camilla…" I whispered, more to myself than her.
She didn't even flinch. "You said her name once. I let you believe what you wanted."
Rage flared in my chest. "You tricked me." I said.
Caroline sat up slowly, her smile vanishing. "I gave you what you wanted. Don't pretend you weren't looking at me all these months. You knew what you were doing."
"No," I growled. "I didn't. I never meant to touch you. I—Camilla is my true mate."
"Well, now she's not," she said, her voice cold. "You marked me, Michael. In front of the Moon Goddess. There's no reversing it."
I stumbled out of bed, barely able to breathe. My wolf inside me was howling, clawing against my chest with confusion. This wasn't what we wanted. This wasn't what we needed. The bond I now shared with Caroline felt... wrong, tainted and forced.
I paced the floor as she sat watching me, calm and composed like she'd already won.
"She would have betrayed you anyway," she said after a moment, her voice smooth like oil. "Camilla isn't as innocent as you think.
She's been meeting with a warrior from the southern packs. Father suspects she was planning to reject your offer after the ceremony."
"What are you talking about?"
Caroline shrugged. "She's clever, too clever. The kind of woman who'll smile at you while planning her own rise to power.
You think she truly wanted to be your Luna? No, Michael. She wanted the title and the influence. She never loved you."
My jaw clenched.
What she said made no sense. Camilla never gave me reason to doubt her. She was steady, grounded and very honest. The kind of wolf who earned respect without demanding it.
Her eyes always met mine without hesitation—no lies in them, no deception.
And yet…
Why did part of me hesitate?
Was it guilt over what I had done, or the beginnings of doubt Caroline had so expertly planted?
My hands trembled as I ran them through my hair. I needed answers, I needed to find Camilla.
To speak to her, to apologize and to fix everything I'd just broken.
Tonight, under the full moon, I was supposed to mark my Luna—the woman I had chosen, the one destined to stand beside me.
Instead, I had sealed a bond with the wrong twin.
And worse, the whole pack would find out.
The Great Hall was already buzzing with whispers when I arrived. Word spread fast in the Moonlight Pack.
Too fast. Wolves were sniffing out rumors the way blood draws out predators.
I hadn't seen Camilla all morning. Her chamber was empty, no trace of her scent lingered.
I told myself she needed space—that she would come to me when she was ready.
But deep down, I knew better.
She was gone.
The elder met me at the base of the ceremonial steps, his ancient eyes full with judgment.
"You've created chaos, Alpha," he said quietly.
"I was tricked," I replied through clenched teeth. "It wasn't my intention."
"Intent or not," he said, "the mark is made and the bond is sealed."
"She's not my mate."
"Yet she is now your Luna."
I turned away, fighting the fury building in my chest. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen. My wolf was still rejecting Caroline internally, refusing to fully accept her despite the bond.
It was like trying to wear someone else's skin—it didn't fit, it never would.
I made my way to the council room where my father once sat, years ago, when he ruled as Alpha. His words sounded in my memory.
"Choose your Luna with wisdom, son. The bond you forge won't just shape your rule—it will shape the soul of your pack."
I had failed.