The Rejected Divine Luna

Please don’t leave me

Aria’s POV

Today is the Alpha’s coronation ceremony. Alpha Caleb is going to be taking his father’s place. Everyone was preparing for the ceremony. The entire packhouse buzzed with activity, the air thick with excitement and anticipation.

As for me, I wasn’t here to celebrate. My stepmother and stepsisters had brought me along, but not as a guest. My sole purpose was to attend to their every whim.

“Be grateful you even get to step inside the packhouse,” my stepmother had sneered earlier, her voice dripping with disdain. “You don’t belong here.”

“And cover that ugly eye of yours,” one of my stepsisters had added with a look of disgust. “I don’t want anyone thinking we’re related.”

Their words echoed in my mind as I moved through the halls, careful to keep my head down and avoid drawing attention to myself.

I was known throughout the pack as the wolf-less one, marked by a past incident. My stepsisters made sure that reputation spread far and wide. No one truly saw me as part of the pack. While some felt sorry for me, none of them had the courage to approach, afraid of facing ridicule.

Even the servants didn’t regard me. They would avoid making eye contact or speaking to me unless absolutely necessary, as though I were invisible to them. My presence didn’t matter in this pack, as though I were a shadow lingering on the edges of their world.

I lugged their luggage to their room, doing my best to ignore the judgmental stares from others in the packhouse.

“Don’t think the presence of servants means you get to slack off,” my stepmother remarked, her tone sharp and condescending.

I bit my tongue and continued my work, channeling my frustration into unnecessary tasks—chores meant for the assigned servants. No one seemed to care, not even sparing me a glance. To them, I was invisible, a non-entity in this grand house bustling with preparations for the ceremony.

While everyone else dressed in their finest for the occasion, I found myself outside with a bucket, scrubbing the stone path. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had a proper bath, my body sticky and grimy from days of endless work. Luckily, I knew of the secluded lake tucked behind the packhouse. No one will notice my absence.

The cold air brushed against my skin as I undressed, peeling off the shabby clothes that clung to me like a second skin. I waded into the water, its icy embrace shocking my senses but strangely invigorating. For the first time in what felt like forever, I felt a sliver of relief, a moment of peace.

The water cleansed more than just the grime from my body. It felt like it was washing away the weight of their disdain, the suffocating expectations, and the endless chores that seemed designed to remind me of my place—or lack thereof. I dunked my head under, holding my breath as if hoping to drown the whispers of doubt and resentment that clung to me like a shadow.

I cherish the memories of my life before my mom passed away. Everything felt perfect, until that fateful accident changed everything. I've always carried the guilt of knowing that I had asked my mom to take me to an amusement park that day. The weight of her sacrifice still haunts me - she gave her life to shield me from harm, and I escaped with barely a scratch.

The faint sound of laughter and music from the ceremony brought me back to reality. They were celebrating, reveling in their perfect world, while I was here, hidden away like a secret they wanted to forget.

When I finally emerged, I sat by the water's edge, letting the moonlight dry my skin. The lake was serene, its surface reflecting the stars above, a stark contrast to the chaos and indifference within the pack house.

I am an outcast. A wolf less person with an ‘episode’. I suddenly felt a chill on my back. I wasn’t alone. Fear gripped me as I noticed the shadow of someone’s presence.

I am in so much trouble. Bathing in the lake had been a reckless mistake, one that would earn me the pack's wrath.

As the figure emerged from the darkness, my eyes locked onto a familiar face. Caleb, the Alpha's son, stood before me, his piercing gaze sending a jolt through my entire being. Why was he here, on the day of his coronation? The answer came to me in the form of a captivating scent - rich, bold, and unmistakable, like the finest coffee. My mind reeled as the truth dawned on me, and I stared at Caleb in stunned silence

“Tch” I heard him say.

Mate. He is my mate. I couldn’t believe it. The soon to be Alpha is my mate. Doesn’t that make me the soon to be Luna. I was happy I finally found my mate at the same time was terrified. The irony of the situation hit me like a storm. The soon-to-be Alpha, my mate? Me, the outcast, the one treated worse than a servant, destined to become the Luna? It felt like a cruel twist of fate—or a blessing I wasn’t sure I deserved.

Caleb’s expression didn’t mirror my turmoil. His brows furrowed, and his lips curled into a disdainful sneer. “You?” he muttered, as if the very idea disgusted him.

My heart sank. The joy that had bubbled up inside me moments ago dissolved into dread. I tried to find my voice, to say something, but words failed me. Instead, I stood there frozen, clutching my damp clothes as the cool night air prickled my skin.

“This has to be some kind of mistake,” Caleb said, his tone sharp. He took a step closer, and I instinctively stepped back. “You can’t be my mate. The Moon Goddess wouldn’t be so cruel.”

His words were a dagger to my chest, but I refused to let him see how much they hurt. Instead, I straightened my back and forced myself to meet his gaze. “I didn’t ask for this either,” I said, my voice steady despite the storm raging inside me.

He scoffed, the sound dripping with disdain. “Of course, you didn’t. Someone like you wouldn’t dare dream of being Luna.”

I clenched my jaw, fighting back the tears threatening to spill. “If you don’t want me as your mate, reject me,” I challenged, my voice firmer now.

Deep down, I didn’t want him to. Caleb’s eyes narrowed, his gaze burning into mine. For a moment, he seemed to consider it, his jaw working as if chewing over the decision. But then, to my surprise, he shook his head. “No,” he said, his voice low and dangerous. “I won’t reject you. Not yet. You may be my mate, but that doesn’t mean you’re fit to stand by my side.”

Ouch, this hurts a lot, my heart began to beat faster out of fear. Oh no…please not here…not in front of him. But my body failed me. I began to gasp for air and fell to the ground, my chest getting heavy. I clutched at the ground, trying to anchor myself, but it felt as though I was drowning.

Caleb’s eyes widened, a flicker of confusion crossing his face. “What the hell is wrong with you?” he snapped, his voice laced with irritation rather than concern.

I couldn’t respond. Words failed me as the panic attack took hold. The pounding of my heartbeat in my ears drowned out everything else. My vision darkened at the edges, and I felt myself spiraling further into the void.

“So the rumors were true. Not only are you wolf less, you go through an episode. The moonlight goddess couldn’t have been more cruel to me”

His words cut deeper than any blade ever could. Each syllable was laced with disdain, seeping into my already fractured spirit. I gasped for air, my body trembling as his cold judgment loomed over me like a suffocating shadow.

“So pathetic,” Caleb muttered, his tone devoid of empathy. “How am I supposed to take someone like you seriously? A mate who can’t even stand without falling apart?”

I wanted to fight back, to scream at him, but the panic had robbed me of my strength, leaving me vulnerable and exposed. My vision swam as tears welled up, blurring the sight of his towering figure.

“Get up,” he barked, his voice sharp and commanding. “Don’t embarrass me further.”

I clawed at the ground, willing my body to cooperate, but the weight on my chest felt like it was pressing me into the earth itself. Despite his cruel words, the scent of coffee—the mate bond—offered a strange, bitter comfort, as if it was the only thread tethering me to reality.

“This gives me more reason to reject you right this minute. But I wouldn’t want a dead person around the pack house. Leave this place this instant.” Through my blurred eyes, I noticed he was leaving.

“Please…don’t go…help…” I manage to say but the words came out as a faint whisper, barely audible against the pounding in my ears. Caleb paused, his back to me, his body rigid. For a fleeting moment, I thought he might turn around, that the mate bond might compel him to show a shred of mercy. But he didn’t.

Instead, he scoffed, the sound cold and heartless. “You’re not my responsibility,” he said without turning back. “If you can’t even help yourself, why should I?”

I watched as he walked away, his figure fading into the distance, leaving me alone in my helplessness. Tears streamed down my face as the panic overwhelmed me again, the crushing weight of rejection and abandonment suffocating me.

“Please…I don’t want to die…” I felt my consciousness slipping away and finally blacked out