Rejected By The Alpha King On Christmas Night

Aurora’s POV “I, Alpha King Kael Draven, reject you as my mate.” The words shattered something inside me the grand hall fell silent. Hundreds of eyes stared at me as if I were nothing more than a pathetic joke standing beneath the crystal chandeliers of the Winter Moon Ball. I couldn’t breathe. My hands trembled against the silver fabric of my dress while whispers spread across the room like wildfire. “Did he just reject her?” “She’s his fated mate…” “How embarrassing.” My wolf whimpered painfully inside me. No. No, this wasn’t happening. Not tonight not on Christmas night. I stared at Kael from across the ballroom, praying, begging for him to take the words back. But the Alpha King’s icy blue eyes remained cold, emotionless and cruel. The golden crown resting on his dark hair only made him look more untouchable, more terrifying. Beside him stood a smiling Selena Frost. Her hand rested possessively on Kael’s arm while satisfaction gleamed in her eyes.She won and everyone knew it. “You…” My voice cracked. “You don’t mean that.” Kael’s jaw tightened for one dangerous second, something flickered in his gaze then it disappeared just like that. “I do.” he said and the mate bond between us twisted violently, like a knife digging into my chest a gasp escaped my lips, tears blurred my vision, but I refused to cry in front of them. Not in front of Selena. Not in front of the entire kingdom. Not in front of the man who had destroyed me. “I waited for you,” I whispered shakily trying hard to hold back the tears that threatened to fall. “For years…” The room remained deathly quiet. Kael descended the stairs slowly, his black boots echoing against the marble floor until he stood directly before me. Even heartbroken, my body reacted to him. His scent, dark cedarwood and winter smoke. My mate, my king. The man I had loved since I was sixteen. “You were never fit to stand beside me as Luna,” he said coldly. The words struck harder than a slap, around us, nobles exchanged uncomfortable glances, some with pitied look on their faces and others looked amused. I swallowed the lump in my throat painfully. “Then why,” I asked quietly, “does your wolf still want me?” Kael froze. A dangerous growl rumbled in his chest and that was all the answer I needed. Because no matter how cruel he acted, his wolf still recognized me, still needed me. Selena suddenly stepped forward with a fake sympathetic smile. “Aurora,” she sighed softly, “you should leave before you embarrass yourself further.” I looked at her, I really looked at her. And for the first time, I noticed the victory shining in her eyes. This wasn’t just rejection, it was planned. Humiliation burned through my body. The entire kingdom would talk about this tomorrow. The weak orphan girl rejected by the Alpha King. How laughable. My fingers curled tightly into fists. I refused to break here. I lifted my chin slowly and met Kael’s gaze one last time. “If this is what you truly want,” I whispered, “then I accept your rejection.” Pain exploded through my chest the moment the words left my mouth. My wolf screamed and I nearly collapsed. But Kael looked worse. For the briefest second, the powerful Alpha King looked like he was the one falling apart.Good. Let him suffer too. Without another word, I turned and walked away. The ballroom doors slammed open as icy wind rushed inside. Snowflakes danced through the air cold, beautiful and lonely. And only when I stepped outside into the freezing night did the first tear finally fall. Behind me, I heard Kael roar my name. But I didn’t stop walking.