Claimed After Rejection

Seraphina’s p.o.v. “I reject you, Seraphina Vale, as my mate.” Lucian's voice laced with disgust as he spoke. I stiffened as I watched the scene before me unfold. At first I thought I was hearing and seeing things, refusing to believe the facts before me. The more I stared at the scene the more surreal it became. At the same time, the rush of excitement I had felt earlier instantly dissipated as my hands clutched tightly at the hem of my dress. “Finally, the alpha is going to introduce you as his mate to the whole pack today and you’re going to become the Luna of the Silverfang pack.” The omega's words of excitement a few minutes ago echoed in my head, but were soon replaced by self-mockery, and my aching heart pounding in my ear, my blood boiling with rage from the excruciating pain I felt running down my vein like a river. Slowly, my vision began to blur with unshed tears witnessing such a heart-wrenching scene. Draped in an exquisite silver gown, her golden hair cascaded over her shoulders as she stood beside Lucian, my supposed fated mate who always had my back always with a dazzling smile. I watched in bewilderment as he stared down at her with admiration and delight having won by marking her with his scent. The same childhood friend whom he grew up with, betrothed to and had sworn to only see her as a younger sister, is now standing next to him as his chosen mate. I should have known that this would happen, that Lucian Blackwood could love none but himself and his alpha title. Blinking away the burning tears from my eyes, I took in a breath despite it being difficult to overlook the compressed feeling in my chest. I pushed forward, determined to break that proud smile on his face of winning a trophy Luna that would stabilize his position as the alpha. My one hand clutched my ceremonial gown while walking forward, the guest and some of the pack members cleared the way for me to enter, all furrowing their brows as they wondered what I would do while the rest sneered at me with disdain. Celeste was the first to turn to me, the smile on her face vanishing like I’m an eyesore disrupting the atmosphere. She stepped closer with a smirk curving up her perfect lips. “Did you really think he’d choose you?” she whispered, her voice laced with fake sweetness. “A pathetic little rogue-born mistake? Dared to dream of becoming a Luna.” She scoffed and the whole room burst into laughter. At the same time, my heart shattered from burning pain, yet I held back. In the next moment, Lucian’s gaze burned into mine, his expression cold and unreadable, but then his lips parted, “What? Are you seriously waiting for me to claim you as my mate? Dressed like a slut and you think you’re fit for my explanations?” He stared at me with disgust. “You’re nothing, just another rogue wolf that wants to climb the ladder. Celeste is the one suitable to be my Luna, she’s strong, and the daughter of Alpha Draven of the shadow pack, and you are a weakling, and the daughter of a cursed rogue.” He sucked on his teeth and at the same time I trembled with anger as he spoke. At the same time, he took a step closer as he spoke. “You can only warm my bed, that’s what hopeless rogues like you do. Isn’t that right?” He asked, looking around at his people, at that point, they made a loud noise, some clapping and tapping their wine glasses in agreement. “You’ll always belong to me, Seraphina. Whether you like it or not. Now go back to your room.” He said it against my ear. Just like that, something inside me snapped and I lifted my chin, withholding the tears welling in my eyes as my body trembled with the force of anger, humiliation, and rage. Taking in a deep breath, I said without breaking or stuttering. “I, Seraphina Vale, reject you first, Alpha Lucian Blackwood.” Saying that a roll of silence fell across the hall, “remember it today, I’m the one that rejected you, I’m the one that doesn’t want you. Even if I had to be a mistress, it can never be for an incompetent man who needs to marry a strong partner before validating his position”. Without waiting for his reaction, I turned on my heel and ran as if I stayed another second longer, I wasn’t sure if I’d survive. I didn’t stop running, even when the cold night air tore at my lungs, and the tree branches sliced through my skin. The howls behind me only increased, became closer, and louder. Lucian had sent his wolves after me. Of course he did, I humiliated him in front of everyone. A mere rogue-born mistake daring to reject him? His pride would never let it go, else he would be the laughing stock of the wolfen city. ‘I would rather die in rogue territory than be dragged back to his bed.’ I ran faster than I’d ever imagined as my bare feet pounded the thorny ground, gown shredded from thorns and twigs, my breath heavy with pants, with my blood trailing down my arms. However, I didn’t care, the only thing I saw was the endless Black Forest ahead, and without thinking I ran toward it like salvation. “Fan out!” a voice shouted behind me. At that instant, my body went numb, they were close, and at the same time, I darted left, deeper into the trees. I could hear at least three wolves in human form, maybe more in their shift. They wouldn’t shift here, not unless Lucian ordered a kill, which meant I had minutes, maybe less, to run my way out. Meanwhile, my mind replayed his words like a torment on a loop. “You can only warm my bed.” “You’ll always belong to me.” My heart tightened with rage, never! I’d rather be torn apart by rogues. Branches snapped nearby, I leapt over a fallen log, nearly slipping in the mud, gasping when my foot slammed into a stone. I bit my lip to keep myself from crying out. Enduring the pain that exploded through my ankle as I continued going, I limped forward, my heartbeat thundering in my ears as the scent of pine and damp earth surrounded me, along with the telltale rot of rogue borderlands. The scent changed here, wild, dangerous, and untamed, exactly what Lucian feared. A warning howl pierced the sky, and I knew the moment I crossed the invisible line, no pack patrolled here and no protection existed here. Only exile, death, and the wolves who’d long given up on honor. ‘Perfect.’ I stumbled, my knees hitting the ground, tears blurring my vision. I forced myself back up, my ankle throbbed with every step, but I didn’t stop. Another voice echoed faintly behind me, closer than it should’ve been. “Seraphina! You think you can run forever?” It was one of Lucian’s elite, Torrin. His voice was gleeful, and cruel. “Alpha said bring you back warm or cold. I’m hoping for a cold.” Upon saying that, he shifted, at that moment I heard the crack of bone and the wet growl that followed. In an instant I realized there was no time, I limped faster, almost crawling through underbrush, I was tired of running, my lungs already burned out from running this far. Despite that, I kept running, the cold night air whipped against my skin, but I barely felt it as my head pounded, while my heart was a wild, erratic drum in my chest. My legs had become numbed and heavy that I couldn’t feel them anymore when suddenly, dark figures moved between the trees, shifting shadows against the moonlight, and at the same time, warriors emerged from the trees. At that, a new kind of fear surged through me, and I turned carrying my legs like a pile of sand and sprinted, my bare feet slamming against the forest floor. Twigs snapped beneath me, and the howls of wolves filled the night. Just before I knew it, a large wolf lunged at me from the right, I twisted at the last second, barely avoiding the snap of its jaws. That force had my foot caught on an exposed root, and I hit the ground hard, the impact knocking the breath from my lungs. In the next moment, panic surged as I scrambled to my feet, but before I could move, a pair of rough hands grabbed me, yanking me back. “Got her,” a voice I know too well that belongs to his beta snarled. I twisted, kicking and clawing, but the warrior’s grip was like iron. “Alpha’s orders,” he growled, dragging me toward the dark pathways. “You’re not leaving, rogue.” “No! Let go.” I yelled, aware that Lucian was trying to trap and cage me. I thrashed, my wolf snarling inside me, but I was exhausted, weakened by the rejection bond. I couldn’t fight them off, I was already weak to begin with, and a rejection made it worse. I backed away, but they moved fast, blocking every corner. “No,” I breathed. “You don’t get to do this to me.” I tried to shift, but my wolf was still too weak. My claws barely surfaced before rough hands caught my arms and I was being dragged back toward the pack. I thrashed like a wild thing, biting, kicking, and screaming. “Let me go! He rejected me!” “He said you’re his, that’s all that matters,” the beta hissed. “You don’t get to leave. You’re his marked or not.” Tears blurred my vision, I wasn’t strong enough, he knew it and had carefully planned this. Meanwhile, before I could curse his name, the atmosphere of the forest shifted. In the next second, an enormous, tall wolf emerges from the dark. At a glance I knew it wasn’t one of Lucian’s, he moved with an unnatural speed, taking down the warriors that were dragging me back. In a flash my wrist became free once more, as the grip vanished and a scream cracked through the night as a body hit the ground, spine snapping on impact. When it was over, the ground was stained red, and he turned to me, his dark, piercing golden eyes burning through my soul. “Run with me,” he said, his voice quiet, commanding, and cold like a verdict. Staring at the stranger before me I instantly knew that he was in danger and my salvation. At this point, without a bother of who he was, I took a step forward in agreement as I’d already known if I stayed, Lucian would send more men after me and break what was left of me. Without hesitation, I took his hand and we ran into the night.