Reclaimed by the Shattered Alpha

The heavy oak doors of the Silver Moon Great Hall burst open, letting in the howl of the bitter autumn wind. I stood in the center of the cold marble floor, my fingers trembling as I clutched the hem of my simple white dress. Tonight was supposed to be the happiest night of my life. It was my eighteenth birthday—the night my inner wolf would fully awaken, and the night my childhood betrothal to Alpha Jax would be cemented by the sacred blessing of the Moon Goddess. Instead, the atmosphere in the hall was suffocating. On the high throne sat Alpha Jax. His sharp jawline and golden-brown eyes, which used to look at me with warmth, were now as cold as winter ice. Standing beside his throne was Victoria—my half-sister. She wore a crimson dress that matched the triumphant, malicious glint in her eyes. Her hand rested openly on Jax’s broad shoulder, her dark red nails digging into his leather tunic. "Jax..." My voice cracked in the tense silence of the gathered pack. "What is the meaning of this?" Jax didn't flinch. He slowly rose from his seat, his massive Alpha aura pressing down onto the room like an anvil. Several low-ranking members of the pack bowed their heads, unable to withstand the sheer pressure. "Step forward, Elena," Jax commanded. His voice echoed off the high vaulted ceilings, stripped of any affection. I forced my legs to move, stepping over the silver pack crest inlaid on the floor. Every eye in the Silver Moon Pack was on me—guardians, elders, and childhood friends. Not a single person offered a reassuring smile. "Tonight, as the moon reaches its zenith, the goddess reveals our true paths," Jax spoke, his voice ringing with cold authority. "For years, our families agreed upon a union between us. But a true Alpha needs a Luna who brings strength, prestige, and power to the pack." He turned his gaze down at me, looking at me as if I were nothing more than mud on his polished boots. "You, Elena Vance, have reached your eighteenth year, yet your wolf is dangerously weak. You possess no gifted abilities, no battle prowess, and no bloodline advantage. You are a liability to the Silver Moon Pack." A soft murmur broke out among the elders, but no one contradicted him. Victoria stepped down from the dais, her hips swaying as she slid her arm through Jax’s. "It's about survival, dear sister," Victoria purred, her voice dripping with fake sympathy. "A weak Luna makes a weak pack. Jax needs someone who can stand beside him in battle—someone whose bloodline enhances his own." "She is a bastard!" I blurted out, my hands clenching into fists as heat flushed into my face. "She joined this pack three years ago! Jax, we grew up together. You promised—" "Silence!" Jax’s roar shook the glass chandeliers above. The force of his Alpha command slammed into my chest, forcing me down to one knee. The stone floor bit into my skin through my thin dress. He stepped down off the dais until he stood right in front of me. He looked down at my bent form without a shred of pity. "I, Alpha Jax of the Silver Moon Pack, hereby reject you, Elena Vance, as my mate and my future Luna," Jax declared, his voice booming like thunder across the hall. The moment the words left his lips, a invisible, white-hot blade tore through my chest. The ancient thread of destiny—the delicate bond the Moon Goddess had begun weaving between our souls—was violently severed. I gasped for air, collapsing onto my hands and knees as a agonizing burning sensation spread through my neck and shoulder. Blood trickled from my nose, dripping onto the pristine white marble below. "Jax... please..." I wheezed, the pain of a severed bond burning through every nerve in my body. "Take your tears elsewhere, outcast," Victoria laughed softly, leaning into Jax's side. "An Alpha doesn't keep trash in his hall." Jax didn't look away as I writhed in pain. "Furthermore," he added, his tone chillingly final, "you are hereby banished from the Silver Moon territory. You have until midnight to cross the southern border. If you are found on my lands after the deadline, my warriors will hunt you down as a rogue." "Banishment?" I managed to choke out, wiping the blood from my lip as I forced myself to stand on wobbly legs. "The southern border leads directly into the Shadow Lands! It's a death sentence!" "Then you had better start running," Jax replied coldly, turning his back on me. "Guards, escort the outcast to the gates." Two heavy-set guardians grabbed my arms, hauling me backward before I could say another word. As the grand doors slammed shut in my face, casting me out into the pouring rain, the laughter of my sister and the cold silence of my former pack echoed in my ears. I was alone, rejected, and left to die in the dark.