The Alpha Who Rejected Me Begged for My Return

The first thing I noticed when I entered the ballroom was Adrian. The second was the way my body reacted to seeing him. My heart stumbled, and my breath caught somewhere between my chest and my throat. My wolf immediately lifted her head inside me. Mate. The word echoed through my mind as if she wanted to make sure I understood. Adrian Blackthorn stood beneath the enormous crystal chandelier at the center of the ballroom, surrounded by the most powerful members of the pack. Tall, broad-shouldered, and dressed entirely in black, he carried himself with the kind of confidence that made people instinctively move aside when he walked past. He was twenty-seven. Our future Alpha. And, if the Moon Goddess had truly chosen us for each other, my mate. I had spent years imagining this moment. Tonight, I had finally decided that I wouldn't hide my feelings anymore. I wanted him to see me. Really see me. My dark red dress hugged my figure before falling softly around my legs. I had left my hair loose, letting it cascade over my shoulders. I had never dressed like this for him before, and suddenly I felt nervous. Then Adrian looked at me. Everything else disappeared. His conversation stopped. His eyes moved slowly over me before finally meeting mine. For one brief second, the cold expression he usually wore vanished. His gaze lingered, and heat rushed through my face. He looked away, but not before I caught the unmistakable tension in his jaw. My wolf practically purred. He wants us. I smiled despite myself and walked toward him. The closer I came, the stronger the pull between us became. It was almost painful. Adrian watched me approach without moving, his dark eyes fixed on mine. When I stopped in front of him, I could smell him—dark woods, rain, and something uniquely Adrian. My fingers almost reached for his hand. "Hi." His gaze dropped briefly to my lips before returning to my eyes. "Aria." Just hearing my name in his deep voice sent a shiver through me. I smiled nervously. "You look..." I stopped. Beautiful sounded ridiculous. Dangerous sounded worse. Adrian raised an eyebrow. "You were saying?" "Nothing." The corner of his mouth moved slightly, almost forming a smile. My heart raced. For a moment, we were alone despite the hundreds of people surrounding us. His scent filled my senses, and I could feel the warmth coming from his body. Then someone approached. "Alpha Adrian, everyone is waiting for you." His expression immediately changed. "Give me a moment." The man nodded and walked away. I looked at Adrian. "Are you nervous?" "No." "You're lying." His eyes narrowed. "And you're being annoying." I laughed quietly. "There you are." "What?" "The Adrian I know." Something shifted in his expression. For one second, he looked almost vulnerable. Then his eyes hardened again. "Stay here." I blinked. "Why?" "I need to speak to you." "About what?" "You'll find out." Before I could ask anything else, he walked away. I watched him disappear into the crowd, my heart still beating too fast. I didn't know it then, but I should have listened to the uneasy feeling growing inside me. A few minutes later, the music stopped. The entire ballroom became quiet. Adrian walked toward the center of the room, and everyone turned toward him. I smiled. This was it. Maybe he was going to announce our bond. Maybe he was going to tell the pack that I was his mate. My wolf was already excited. I moved closer. Adrian looked directly at me. There was no smile on his face. No warmth. Only an expression I couldn't understand. He raised his voice. "Everyone, I have something to say." The room became completely silent. I swallowed. Adrian's eyes remained fixed on mine. My heart began to beat faster. He took a breath. "I, Adrian Blackthorn, Alpha of the Blackthorn Pack..." My smile disappeared. Something was wrong. "...reject you, Aria Vale, as my mate." The world stopped. I stared at him, unable to breathe or move. The words didn't make sense. Reject. Me. His mate. My wolf screamed inside my head as pain exploded through my chest. I grabbed the edge of a nearby table to keep myself standing. Someone gasped. Then another. Whispers spread through the ballroom. I barely heard them. All I could see was Adrian. The man I had loved for years. The man whose scent had once made me feel safe. The man whose eyes had just told an entire pack that I wasn't wanted. "Adrian..." My voice cracked. He looked at me. His face was unreadable. "Why?" He didn't answer immediately. That silence hurt more than anything. Finally, he said, "Because you aren't strong enough." My eyes widened. "What?" "You heard me." The humiliation burned hotter than the pain. "You could have told me privately." His jaw tightened. "I didn't want there to be any misunderstanding." A bitter laugh escaped me. "Misunderstanding?" I looked around the ballroom. Everyone was staring. "You're humiliating me in front of the entire pack." His expression remained cold. "You need to understand what being the Alpha's mate means." "I understand perfectly." "No, you don't." He stepped closer, and the distance between us disappeared. For a second, the old pull returned. His scent surrounded me. His eyes dropped to my lips, and my heart betrayed me by skipping. Even after everything, some part of me still wanted him. I hated myself for it. Adrian's voice became quieter. "You shouldn't have come here dressed like this." I froze. "What?" His eyes moved over me again. "You knew everyone would be watching." My cheeks burned. "So now this is my fault?" "I didn't say that." "But you think it." He said nothing. I wiped the first tear away before it could fall. "You know what hurts the most?" Adrian stared at me. "I could have survived you not loving me." My voice trembled. "But I can't survive you making me feel like I'm something you should be ashamed of." His expression finally cracked. "Aria..." I stepped backward. "No." He moved toward me. I moved away. "Don't." He stopped. The entire ballroom was silent. I looked at him one last time. "I hope you get everything you want, Adrian." His eyes darkened. "But I hope one day you understand exactly what you threw away." I turned around. This time, I didn't wait for him. I walked out. The moment I reached the corridor, I ran. Tears blurred my vision, but I didn't care who saw me. I didn't care what anyone thought. I only wanted to get away from him, away from the pack, away from the humiliation. I pushed through the doors and ran into the forest. The cold night air hit my skin. I kicked off my shoes and kept running, branches scratching my arms and my dress catching against the bushes. Eventually, my legs gave out. I collapsed beside an old tree, and the sob that escaped me was ugly and broken. I covered my face and finally allowed myself to fall apart. "Why wasn't I enough?" My wolf whimpered. I pressed a hand against my chest. It hurt. God, it hurt. Then suddenly, something changed. Heat spread through my veins. I gasped. A faint silver glow appeared beneath the skin of my palm. I stared at it. "What the hell?" The light traveled slowly up my wrist. My heartbeat became stronger, and the forest seemed to grow unnaturally quiet. Even the wind stopped. My wolf went completely still. Then I heard her. Not frightened this time. Awake. Aria. I swallowed. "What?" Run. I looked around. "Why?" Because they don't know what you are. The silver light grew brighter. "What am I?" My wolf didn't answer. Instead, a strange power surged through my body. I screamed as the ground beneath me seemed to tremble. For the first time in my life, I felt something inside me that was bigger than fear. Power. I slowly stood. My tears had stopped. I looked toward the distant lights of the pack. Adrian had rejected me. He had chosen to make me feel worthless. Fine. He had made his choice. Now I would make mine. I wiped my face. "I won't come back." My voice was barely a whisper. "I won't beg you." The silver light disappeared beneath my skin, but something had changed. Something inside me had awakened. That night, I left the Blackthorn Pack. I disappeared without saying goodbye. For three years, nobody knew where I had gone. Not my friends. Not the pack. Not even Adrian. But three years later, I would return. And when Adrian Blackthorn saw the woman I had become, the Alpha who had once rejected me would finally understand the truth. He hadn't rejected a weak girl. He had rejected his greatest mistake. And this time... I would be the one deciding whether he deserved me.