Her Mate Chooses The Fake Sister Who Stole Her Life

Avery's POV

I stood in my lingerie before the full-length mirror as the seamstress took the final measurements for my custom ivory wedding gown.

Three days from now, Liam and I would hold our marking ceremony.

"Don't move, Miss Emerson," the seamstress murmured softly while making the last adjustments to ensure the gown hugged my curves as if it were my very skin.

"Oh, you're absolutely the perfect Luna for Alpha Liam," she said excitedly once she was finished. "I bet everyone in the pack will think the same."

I studied my reflection carefully, the corners of my lips curving into a satisfied smile. The stylist had brushed my chestnut hair into an elegant cascade down my back, the tips brushing against the silver-threaded gown. A diamond tiara glittered under the light-everything was perfect.

I couldn't wait for Liam to see me like this. My future husband. My mate.

I snapped my fingers for the attendant to bring me my phone. Liam was supposed to arrive thirty minutes ago. Suddenly, my phone rang-it was Liam.

"Where are you?" I frowned. "Your suit, I need your final decision-"

Liam cut me off. "Avery, something urgent came up at the office. I can't make it to the boutique-just leave without me."

"What happened?" I asked anxiously, but the line went dead. He'd hung up. I dialed again, but it went straight to voicemail-his phone was off.

The unease inside me only grew. In five years together, he had never once cut me off mid-sentence. What could possibly be so urgent?

Liam was already the formidable Alpha of the Silver Pack. Our union would only cement his power. This marriage had been arranged since my birth. Yes, I had once gone missing, but the Goddess had brought me back. And shockingly, Liam and I weren't just an arranged match-we were fated mates.

I would never forget our first meeting. The instant our eyes met, we both felt it-our souls locking into place. The Moon Goddess had made us for each other. Everyone knew it. Both our packs eagerly awaited our wedding. Even Liam's mother had publicly voiced her support for me.

I couldn't imagine anything that would make Liam turn away from our wedding. Unless-

No. Impossible. My parents and everyone close to Liam would never forgive the foster daughter who had once hurt me. Even after I returned, they hadn't shown me much affection. But eventually, they had made their decision.

I called my mother. If she came, then maybe things weren't as bad as I feared. Maybe Liam's mother had simply fallen ill-her health had always been frail.

Forcing back my anxiety, I dialed. "Mom. you're late." I tried to keep my tone calm, not accusatory. Even after being back for four years, speaking to her still made me nervous.

Since my return, my mother had remained cold toward me. I was her biological daughter, while Riley was only adopted. Yes, they had lived together for twelve years, and their bond was deep, but she treated me like a target, always finding fault no matter what I did. Only after Riley left did our relationship ease somewhat-especially once my wedding with Liam was set.

But on the other end, silence stretched on. Just as I was about to speak again, her voice came, sharp and cold. "I'm not going to the boutique. I have something important to do."

"W-what?" My throat tightened, the weight of her rejection crushing me.

"I'm busy. Don't call again." Before I could protest, the call ended.

I bit my lip, dread knotting in my chest. Something was wrong. Deeply wrong. Lydia, my wolf, let out a low warning growl inside me. Danger.

Without another thought, I bolted out of the boutique. I had to find Liam. At this hour, he should still be in his office.

I jumped into my car, took the VIP elevator straight to the top floor. Even before the doors fully opened, I stormed out.

Liam's secretary shot to her feet. "Miss Avery, please, he's in a private-"

"Out of my way," I snapped.

I was a grown Alpha wolf, soon to be their Luna. They knew better than to anger me. She swallowed hard and froze where she stood.

I shoved Liam's office doors wide open.

And froze.

The sight before me turned my blood to ice-Liam's broad back bent over a slender figure, their lips locked in a heated kiss. The woman's manicured fingers tangled in his hair.

"Riley." Her name tore out of my throat as Lydia roared inside me.

I had considered many possibilities-that Liam was in trouble, that he was keeping something from me to spare me worry. But betrayal? I hadn't dared imagine this. No-I should have. Before I came back, they had been lovers. But once Liam discovered I was his fated mate, he had ended things with her.

It was Liam himself who, three years ago, had convinced my father to exile Riley for nearly killing me.

Now it felt like a bullet had ripped through my chest. My lungs seized. The ground beneath me vanished. The room spun.

"No! Let us rip their throats out!" Lydia howled, propelling me forward.

But Liam was faster than I'd ever seen him. His hands clamped down on my shoulders. His wolf whimpered-I knew his wolf wanted me too. "Avery, wait-" Liam's voice was frantic.

"What!" I snapped, my fury burning through me. "Liam! Tell me you're not betraying me!"

"Five years ago, she schemed and nearly got me killed by rogues. And now your tongue is in her mouth? Explain to me-what the hell happened to turn you into this bastard?!"

"Avery! Stop being so dramatic!" Liam roared back, a bastard through and through. "Riley's been suffering. She's broken. I was only trying to comfort her. She needs someone to lean on."

Riley pressed herself tighter against his back, whimpering. "Please, Liam. she's scaring me." Her voice trembled, but her cold, calculating eyes met mine with a calm, triumphant gleam.

Lydia snarled inside me. My claws shot out with a sharp click. My wolf instincts recognized this for what it was: a challenge. This bitch was playing both of us.

"Shut up, Riley! You're a snake-you won't fool me with your act!" I roared at her.

Liam's claws dug into my flesh. "Enough." His Alpha power crashed over the room like thunder, searing like fire against my skin. But I was no low-rank wolf to cower before him. I was his equal.

"Then choose." My voice was icy. "Right now. Her or me."

"No," Liam's eyes widened. "Avery, it's not what you think-"

"Keep it." My voice was eerily calm. I shoved him away, slid the diamond engagement ring off my finger, and let it fall onto his desk.

"The wedding is canceled."

Liam's gaze darkened, his Alpha instincts exploding. "You don't get to decide that alone."

A bitter laugh escaped me, sharp and cutting. "I just did."

Then I turned and walked out-head held high, heart shattering inside me, while my wolf howled in grief.

I stormed into Howling Moon, the bass of the music thrumming through her bones like a second heartbeat. The air was thick with the scent of sweat, whiskey, and wild magic-werewolves, shifters, and thrill-seekers packed the underground bar, their laughter and growls blending into the night.

I wasn't supposed to be in-dark, reckless, alive, not a word for the Emerson heir-but after tonight, after the way Liam had looked at her, I didn't care about rules anymore.

I slid onto a barstool, the leather creaking under me. "Something strong," I told the bartender, a broad-shouldered shifter with gold-flecked eyes. He gave me a once-over-my rumpled blouse, the smudged mascara I hadn't bothered to fix-but didn't ask questions. Smart man.

The whiskey burned going down, but I welcomed it. Better than the ache in my chest.

I shut my eyes and ordered another shot. I gulped down the whole cup and kept ordering more till my surroundings started to feel lighter.

The dance floor called to me, bodies moving in a haze of sweat and desire. I didn't belong here, not really. But for once, I wanted to be someone who did.

Then a handsome stranger was there-tall, tousled dark hair, a smirk that promised sin. His hand settled on my waist, pulling me flush against him.

"You look like you could use a distraction," he murmured, voice rough over the music.

I should've pushed him away. But the memory of Liam's kiss with Riley made me reckless. So I let him spin me, let his fingers trace the bare skin above my waistband. Let myself forget.

Then-

Silence.

The music cut off. The air turned thick, heavy, like the moment before a storm breaks. My skin prickled.

I didn't need to turn around to know who'd just walked in.

Liam.

The stranger's grip tightened reflexively before he caught himself. "Alpha," he muttered, the word laced with instinctive fear.

I turned slowly.

Liam stood at the entrance, his broad frame blocking the dim light from the street. His jaw was clenched, his golden eyes burning through me. Every wolf in the room had gone still, heads bowed under the weight of his fury.

"Avery." My name was a growl in his throat. "Go with me."

I lifted my chin. "I'm not done."

He paused, his eyes flickering like he had heard something shocking, this was the first time I was defying him, worse in such a open place.

"Avery.." The warning etched in his voice, like he was threatening me to defy him again.

I ignored him and turned my attention back to the stranger like Liam's intimidating figure wasn't in the room with us.

A muscle in his jaw twitched. Two strides, and he was on us, wrenching me away with a snarl that sent the stranger stumbling back.

"Mine," Liam snapped, not to me-to him.

The man backed off instantly, hands raised.

I scoffed, jerking my arm free. "Yours? You don't get to say that. Not after-"

Liam didn't let me finish. He dragged me outside, his grip unbreakable. The cold air hit my flushed skin, doing nothing to douse the fire between us.

"What the hell were you thinking?" His voice was raw. "That place is-"

"What? Beneath me?" I shoved at his chest. "Or are you just pissed someone else touched what you threw away?"

His eyes flashed. "I never agreed to end things."

"You didn't have to. You chose Riley." Her name tasted like ash. "So go ahead. Marry her. I don't want-"

He moved too fast. One second I was glaring up at him; the next, my back hit the brick wall, his body caging me in. His scent-pine and winter wind-wrapped around me, familiar and infuriating.

"Liar," he murmured, his breath hot against my lips.

I twisted away, but his hands were already sliding under my skirt, calloused fingers finding the place that ached for him. My traitorous body arched into his touch.

"Say it," he demanded, his mouth skimming my throat. Hell no!! I can't do that!! Not after what he did to me.

"Say you're mine."

I bit my lip to stifle a moan. My head was telling me, listing countless reasons my position with him was so wrong but my body, my body wouldn't listen. Why?? Why is my body reacting this way to his touch?

I should hate him? He betrayed me. I should be repelled by his touch but why do I want him so bad? Why do I wish for him to go further? Why??

I couldn't fight him even though my head was screaming I should. Being so weakened by his touch made me feel disgusted of myself amd more angry at him.

"I hate you-" I hummed.

He chuckled, low and dark, his thumb circling just there-I came apart with a gasp, my nails digging into his shoulders.

When the stars cleared, he was watching me with smug satisfaction.

"Your body knows the truth, sweetheart."

My chest tightened. Damn him. Damn this bond that refused to let me go.

Then-his phone rang.

The sound shattered the moment.

He hesitated, his thumb stroking my hip like he couldn't bear to let go. But when he saw the screen, his jaw tightened.

Riley.

"I have to take this," he muttered.

Of course he did.

I turned my face away as he answered, her name on his lips like a prayer. "Riley? What's wrong?"

A pause. Then-

"I'll be there."

He hung up, his expression torn. "She's not well. I have to go."

The words shouldn't have hurt. Not anymore.

"Then go," I said, my voice hollow.

He cupped my face, his thumb brushing my cheek. "Wait for me. This isn't over."

But as he walked away, I knew the truth.

I was always the one left waiting.

And I was sick of all this.

The pen hovered over the document for a full three seconds before I pressed down hard enough to leave an indent in the desk beneath. Avery Emerson signed with a sharp flourish across the dissolution of engagement papers. The ink bled slightly where my hand had trembled.

I was sliding the document into an envelope when the phone shattered the silence of my apartment.

"Miss Emerson," Charles' voice trembled, "you're needed at Mercy General immediately."

My blood turned to ice. The last time I'd been summoned like this, I'd woken up in a hospital bed with no memory of how I'd nearly bled to death in the snow. I hope this time it wouldn't be my family.

The hospital corridors blurred as I ran. Machines beeped behind half-open doors, the scent of antiseptic burning my nose. I rounded the corner to room 412-

And froze.

The entire Frostveil Pack leadership stood vigil around the hospital bed. My parents. The elders. Liam.

And in the center of it all, swaddled in white linens like some tragic heroine-Riley.

"Avery." Father's voice carried the weight of a disappointed alpha. "You kept us waiting."

My chest heaved. "I thought-"

"Obviously not thinking clearly, as usual," Mother cut in, her fingers stroking Riley's hair. The way she used to stroke mine, before.

Riley lifted her face-pale, perfect, with those crystal tears glistening just so. "Avery...I know I don't deserve your forgiveness after...after what I did."

The monitors beeped steadily. Too steady for someone supposedly sick.

Five years. Five years since I'd found the hunting knife hidden in her room, the one matching the wound that had nearly severed my femoral artery. Five years since the tribunal had seen through her pretty lies and banished her.

And now here she was, back in my mother's arms like no time had passed.

"Look at her, Avery," Mother whispered. "She's been living in some roach-infested apartment in the human district. Malnourished. Sick." Her grip tightened on Riley's hand. "This is what your vengeance has wrought."

I nearly laughed. My vengeance? I was almost dying in my hospital bed when she was exiled. It was Cain, Liam's wolf, who dominated it all, frantically trying to get back at the people who had hurt his mate.

Liam stood stiffly by the window, his icy blue eyes tracking my every movement. His jaw worked as Riley let out a delicate cough. He still cares for her, even after all these years.

I know they were once together before I came into the picture, but isn't our mate bond and her betrayal enough for him to finally see me let go of his affection for her?

"And you? Do you also think I should let go of my 'vengeance'?" I decided to ask first.

His answer would determine the next step to take.

I stared at him silently, hopefully. I hoped he would stand for me this time, at least his wolf Cain would, but...

"Your mother is right..." And that was his answer.

I let out a wry smile.

"If you want her welcomed back," I said slowly, "then I want the engagement dissolved."

The heart monitor skipped. Riley's eyes flashed with triumph before she buried her face in Mother's shoulder.

"Don't be absurd," Father snapped.

"After everything she's suffered?" Mother clutched Riley closer. "You'd really deny her this?"

I met Liam's gaze. "You know what she is."

He stepped forward, his alpha energy making the air hum. "The engagement stands."

Riley made a wounded noise. "I never meant...that night in the snow...it was an accident-"

"Enough!" Father's command shook the walls. "Avery, this ends now. Riley has paid for her mistakes. Your childish grudges won't destroy this alliance."

Childish? The scar on my thigh burned.

Mother reached for me with her free hand-the first time she'd voluntarily touched me since my return. "Please, Avery. For me."

The words lodged in my throat like shards of ice. Five years of searching, and she'd never once looked at me with half the tenderness she showed the girl who'd left me for dead.

Riley chose that moment to convulse into violent coughs. Mother gasped, cradling her as the machines erupted in alarm. Nurses rushed in-

And in the chaos, as Riley was "stabilized," our eyes met.

Her lips curved, just for me.

Game on, sister.

I turned on my heel and walked out, the unsigned dissolution papers crumpled in my fist.

Let them bring the viper back into their nest.

This time, I won't come back.