CASEY'S POV
"Addison is my mate and Luna," Derek said, making me widen my eyes in disbelief.
How can this be? How can he do this to me? I thought as tears welled up in my eyes immediately, and I kept staring at the scene in front of me.
"Come here, Addison," I heard Derek call to her while she walked towards him with a smile plastered on her face, making me continue watching them as I blinked back my tears.
Was I daydreaming? This question popped into my head as I hit myself, hoping I would wake up from this nightmare.
I really couldn't believe my mate was having another lady announced as Luna when I was just here waiting and hoping to be the one.
How can Derek do something like this to me? I had been looking forward to this day for a long time now, and we had already got it all planned out, but now this has happened.
I thought as my tears finally flowed down my cheeks, but I was quick to wipe them away.
"He can't just betray me this way; there must be an explanation," I murmured to myself as I stared at Derek, who wasn't looking my way but was rather busy with what he was doing.
The coronation began as she was crowned Luna, making me feel as if I had reached my limit and couldn't bear it anymore.
I made my way back to my house, buried my head in misery, and replayed all I had witnessed in my mind, as I couldn't help it anymore.
"This is so sad," I cried, holding onto my chest, which was hurting so much.
"How could he do something this wicked to me after how long we have been together?" I said, as more tears poured down my cheeks.
"How was I supposed to leave now?" I said, as I slowly felt overwhelmed by everything.
I was still dwelling in my thoughts when a knock interrupted me. "Who's there?" I managed to say as I slowly wiped my tears.
Just then, the door flipped open, revealing Derek, making me frown immediately as I remembered all I had just witnessed.
"Derek, how could you hurt me like that? We are mates, for crying out loud! Why would you do this to me?" I yelled at him as he walked towards me slowly.
"Calm down; I can explain," he said, but I wasn't willing to be calm. My heart was just too hurt to calm down.
"What's there to explain? You did what you wanted to do, and now you have something to tell me that would defend the act you just performed," I yelled as I stood on my feet.
"I came here to explain to you why I did what I did, so please give me your listening ears," Derek said.
"Derek, all I ever did since we found out we were mates was love and care for you. But how did you repay me?" I asked him while his face turned pale.
"I'm sorry," he apologized as I blinked back my tears.
"Do I deserve this heartbreak?" I asked him while he tried to grab hold of my hand, but I quickly swatted it away as I faced another direction, finally allowing my tears to flow down my cheeks.
"I love you too, but please listen to what I have to say first before you conclude on your own. I have a reason for choosing Addison as my Luna," he said, making me shake my head, but I decided to remain calm since I heard him say he loves me.
"Okay, go ahead and explain to me why you decided to choose someone who isn't your mate as your Luna when I'm here as your mate," I faced him fully with my hands folded as I waited for him to speak.
He swallowed hard and cleared his throat before looking at me. "Casey," he called to me while I fixed my gaze on him.
"Firstly, I'm sorry about what you had to witness. I didn't want that to happen before, but I have to choose," he said, making me even more confused as I hoped he would give me a much better explanation.
"You deserve to be loved and not hurt like this, so I'm sorry about this," he apologized, making me sigh softly.
"Okay, but you just said you had a reason for making Addison your Luna instead of me," I spoke up while he nodded his head in agreement.
"Then just go ahead and tell me your reason for doing what you did," I told him as he sighed softly and slowly caressed my hand with his palms.
"You know I'm the Alpha here, right?" he asked me, and I nodded my head, hoping he would continue.
"My people want me to be with a strong Luna," he said, and I just stared at him.
"But that shouldn't matter as I'm here already, and I'm your mate," I told him.
"They need a strong Alpha to be my mate, and Addison is the only lady who fits that position," he explained, making me sigh softly as I kept calm and stared at him blankly.
"You and I know you are weak, and the people won't accept it if I bring you as my mate and Luna. Please try to understand me," he said, while I sighed softly, realizing he was right.
I was nothing but a weakling when we first met. I thought he was going to reject me because of that, but he didn't, and I was grateful, so I should be understanding now.
"But now that she has become your Luna, what would happen to me?" I asked him while he sighed softly.
"You are still my mate, and believe me, I love you, so you will remain with me," he told me, and I somehow felt at peace.
Yes, I love him, and I am really willing to be anything he wants me to be as long as he doesn't abandon me.
"Okay," I managed to say as he pulled me into a hug and kissed my head while I relaxed back on his shoulders.
I really can't help but want to be with him. It's really hard that I would be sharing my mate with someone else, but there is nothing I can do. But I think he cares about me, and that's all that matters right now.
I thought to myself while we were still hugging each other tightly, as I wasn't willing to let him go.
"What's going on here?" We heard a voice behind us and quickly disengaged from the hug, looking over in the direction of the voice, only to see Addison standing just at the entrance of my house.
"What do you mean, 'what's going on here?'" I asked her, getting pissed since she had interrupted our little moment.
"Derek, what the hell are you doing here when the party is still going on over there?" Addison asked him, while he sighed softly and faced her.
I took my glance to her too, and wrapped my hands around his waist with a smile plastered on my face.
"I came to see her because I know it won't be easy for her to see her mate announcing someone else as his Luna when she was just alive," Derek said, making my smile deepen, realizing he called me his mate even before her.
"You shouldn't have come here and left me all alone back there; it's not fair." She retorted while I wanted to scream that it was fair since she wasn't his mate and was just an intruder.
"I'm sorry, but I just needed to see her; she is still my mate," Derek said, while she sighed softly and stared at me once more.
"Yes, she is your mate, no doubt, but she can't continue being your mate as long as I'm here now," Addison said, making me stare at her in confusion.
"What do you mean, Addison? Because I don't understand," he inquired as she cleared her throat.
"If you want me to remain your Luna, then you have to reject her right now," Addison said, making me swallow hard immediately as I faced Derek.
Derek kept quiet for a while, and I couldn't take my gaze off him. "I, Derek, reject you, Casey, as my mate.”