Rejected By The Alpha King On Christmas Night

Chapter 5

Aurora’s POV

My entire body froze. The massive black wolf stepped out of the shadows slowly, snow crunching beneath its paws while glowing blue eyes locked directly onto me. Kael.

Even in wolf form, I knew it was him instantly.

No other wolf in Moonshade Kingdom carried such terrifying power. The air itself seemed to change around him. Beside me, Liam tensed immediately. A low warning growl rumbled in his chest as he shifted slightly in front of me, shielding me from Kael instinctively. The movement made Kael’s wolf bare its sharp teeth. A threatening growl vibrated through the empty street. My heartbeat quickened painfully. This wasn’t good. Two powerful wolves facing each other while emotions ran high, one wrong move could turn deadly. “Kael,” Liam said coldly. “Back off.” The black wolf ignored him completely. Those glowing blue eyes remained fixed on me. My wolf stirred weakly inside me.

‘Mate’. Pain shot through my chest again. I hated that word now. The giant wolf suddenly took a slow step toward me. Liam instantly moved farther in front of me protectively. “I said back off.” The air crackled with tension. Kael’s wolf growled louder. A terrifying sound, which was possessive and furious. As if Liam standing near me was enough to drive him insane. “Stop,” I whispered quickly. Both wolves froze instantly. I swallowed hard before stepping carefully around Liam despite his obvious disagreement. “Aurora…”

“It’s okay,” I lied softly. Nothing about tonight was okay. The moment Kael saw me move closer, his wolf calmed slightly not fully but enough for the dangerous growling to soften.

Snowflakes landed against his dark fur while his eyes burned into mine with an intensity that made my knees weak. How could he reject me

yet still look at me like this? Confusion twisted painfully inside my chest. “Shift back,” I whispered shakily. For a second, Kael didn’t move. Then suddenly, the massive wolf disappeared behind a burst of dark smoke. A moment later, Kael stood before us in human form tall and barefoot in the snow. His black clothes clinging tightly to his broad frame. His dark hair was damp with melting snow, and his icy blue eyes immediately found mine again.

The sight of him still affected me horribly. Moon Goddess, it was humiliating. Liam stepped closer beside me protectively. Kael noticed instantly and his jaw tightened. “What is she doing with you?” he asked coldly. My eyebrows furrowed immediately. Excuse me? Liam crossed his arms. “She’s with me because she has nowhere else to go after you publicly destroyed her.” Kael’s expression darkened dangerously. “I didn’t ask you.”

“And I don’t care.” The tension between them became suffocating. I could practically feel their wolves trying to dominate each other. Kael’s gaze shifted back to me. “You’re leaving the kingdom?” The question sounded sharp. Like he had the right to question me after tonight. I lifted my chin slightly. “You made it very clear I no longer belong here.” A flicker of pain crossed his face so quickly I almost missed it.

Good. Maybe now he understood how badly he hurt me. “You belong in Moonshade,” Kael said lowly. I stared at him in disbelief. “Not as your mate apparently.” there was silence between us. Kael looked away briefly, his jaw clenching hard and suddenly I realized something. He hated hearing those words. Interesting. Liam noticed it too. A mocking smile appeared on his face. “What’s wrong, Your Majesty?” he drawled. “Regretting your decision already?”

Kael’s eyes snapped toward him instantly, there were glowing deadly. “You should watch your tone carefully, Liam.”

“And you should’ve treated your mate better.”

The word mate hit Kael visibly. His wolf reacted instantly beneath his skin. I saw it in the dangerous flash of blue inside his eyes. For one terrifying second, I thought they were actually going to fight. “Aurora’s staying with me tonight,” Liam continued coldly. “You lost the right to stop her.” Kael’s gaze returned to me immediately. “You’re going with him?”

Why did he sound angry? If not panicked I folded my arms tightly against the cold. “I don’t exactly have many choices.” The snowstorm grew heavier around us. For a moment, nobody spoke. Then Kael suddenly stepped closer, so close my breath caught instantly. The mate bond reacted violently the moment his scent surrounded me again. Cedarwood, smoke, winter. My mate. Pain flashed across Kael’s face as he looked down at me. “You shouldn’t trust other wolves so easily,” he murmured. Liam scoffed loudly. “That’s rich coming from the man who shattered her heart.” Kael ignored him completely.His eyes never left mine. And suddenly, I realized something terrifying. He looked jealous, not even a little jealous, he was completely jealous. The way his gaze flickered toward Liam made my stomach tighten nervously. He hated seeing me beside another man. Even after rejecting me. Why? Before I could stop myself, the question escaped my lips. “If you didn’t want me,” I whispered painfully, “then why does this bother you so much?” Kael froze. The entire street went silent. Snow continued falling softly around us while tension thickened dangerously in the air.

For one brief moment, the cold Alpha King looked like a man completely unraveling.Then suddenly, a howl echoed through the distant forest. Kael’s expression changed instantly he became at alert, Liam noticed too. “What was that?” I whispered. Kael’s eyes darkened. “Trouble.”