Cleopatra POV
The grand ballroom was a dazzling display of wealth and power, but it felt like a cage for me. The air was heavy with the scent of roses and the murmur of aristocratic chatter, but beneath the surface, there was a tension that I couldn't shake off. Despite growing up in this world of old money, I never truly felt like I belonged.
As I navigated the sea of elegant guests, their whispers cutting through the air like knives, I couldn't help but overhear their disdainful remarks about me.
"Everyone her age has gone through the transformation. How can our pack own such a weak luna."
My shoulders tensed under their scrutiny as they whispered behind their hands. They looked down at their shoes, pretending to study the floor while glancing back at me.
"Remember, Alexander has not claimed her yet. She is no Luna if the ritual is not completed."
Their words stung, each comment like a jab to my already bruised ego. I tried to tune them out, to focus on the music and the swirling dancers, but their voices followed me like a shadow.
Amidst it all, there was Alexander—my childhood friend, my supposed mate. But as I watched him move effortlessly on the dance floor, his attention reserved for anyone but me, I couldn't help but feel a pang of longing in my chest.
Since we were children, the elders had whispered of our destined bond, filling my heart with hope and expectation. But as the years passed and my wolf failed to emerge, their hopeful whispers turned into cruel taunts, mocking my perceived weakness.
Even Alexander had changed, his once warm demeanor replaced by indifference. No longer did he seek my company, his gaze sliding past me as if I were invisible.
Yet, despite it all, I couldn't deny the love I felt for him. It burned within me like a flame, refusing to be extinguished by doubt or ridicule. Therefore, I patiently waited all night for him to be alone to get it off my chest.
So when the moment came, and I found myself standing before him, the weight of unspoken words heavy on my tongue, I couldn't hold back any longer.
"Alexander," I spoke, my voice barely above a whisper, yet carrying the weight of a thousand unspoken confessions. "There is something I must tell you... I love you... I know-"
Suddenly, a chuckle left his lips. The laughter, once warm and comforting during our childhood, now felt like a taunt, a mockery of the vulnerability I had bared before him. The mirth in his eyes turned cold, a sneer curling his lips as he looked down at me with disdain.
"You? Love me?" he scoffed, his voice carrying a note of derision that struck me to the core. "You dare to confess your feelings to me? How foolish of you to think that I would ever feel anything for someone like you. You are weak! Worthless! I have no place for such a Luna!"
The words hit me like a physical blow, the sting of his contempt searing through my soul. The guests around us, once mere spectators to our private moment, now joined in his laughter, their voices mingling into a chorus of mockery.
I felt the color drain from my cheeks, the weight of humiliation settling upon me like a heavy cloak. The air around us grew suffocating, the scent of roses turning cloying as the realization of his rejection washed over me.
Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes, threatening to spill over and betray the facade of composure I struggled to maintain. But I refused to let him see my pain, to give him the satisfaction of breaking me in front of his disdainful audience.
"I knew he was too wise to settle for a weak Luna."
"And really so she thought herself worthy for him. How pitiful."
"What more can she be but pitiful? After twenty years, her wolf refuses to come out. What use does she have, it's best he rejects her. After all, he needs a powerful wolf by his side, not a curse like her."
These voices screamed in my head from all around, and I felt dizzy and hot, as though I was burning up from the inside. My vision blurred as the blood drained from my face, sending my insides churning with nausea and rage.
Inhaling sharply, I gathered what little control I possessed as I reached for my mate's arm.His eyes widened slightly when he realized my actions, and with such force, he pushed me in the chest screaming, "Get your filthy paws off me!"
The force, I couldn't feel my feet on the floor and realized that I was flying across the room. When I looked down and saw a glimpse of the stairs below me, I shut my eyes, thinking "There's no better fate than death for me... I gladly accept."
Along with the wind, I hit the tiles and heard a resounding thump as my skull made an impact on the stone staircase. All I heard was their annoying laughter. It was ripping apart every brain cell I had, tearing open my consciousness until nothing remained but darkness. I fought and took one last glance at the blood moon, then finally, the blissful blackness took me under and I welcomed it with open arms. I wanted nothing but peace.