Aurora: The Rejected Luna

Chapter 1

_Aurora's POV_

The smell of fresh flowers filled the mansion.

Servants rushed through the hallways carrying trays of food and decorations. Laughter echoed from every corner of the house. Tonight was supposed to be a happy night, at least for my sister. For me, it felt like something else entirely.

I stood in the kitchen holding a tray of crystal glasses while watching the chaos around me. Everyone was busy preparing for the grand birthday celebration.

My birthday celebration. Or at least it should have been. I turned twenty today. So did my sister.

We were twins, born on the same day, sharing the same blood and the same name in the family record. But that was where our similarities ended and where my real life in this house began to fall apart.

"Aurora!"

I jumped when a sharp voice cut through the room. My mother stormed into the kitchen with an angry expression. Her eyes immediately landed on me.

"Why are you standing around?" she demanded.

I blinked. "I was waiting for instructions."

"Then stop waiting and start working."

I lowered my head. "Yes, Mother."

She glanced at my simple dress and frowned. The look on her face made my stomach tighten. Even after twenty years, I still hoped she would look at me with affection. But she never did.

"Take these glasses to the ballroom," she ordered.

I nodded. As I lifted the tray, she suddenly spoke again. "And stay out of the guests' way tonight."

My chest tightened. "Why?"

She stared at me as if I had asked a stupid question. "You know why."

The answer hurt because it was true. I knew exactly why. I was an embarrassment. At least that was what everyone in my family believed.

I was twenty years old. My wolf had never appeared. Every werewolf received their wolf between sixteen and eighteen. Some received theirs earlier. Mine never came.

For years, healers had examined me. Elders had prayed over me. But nothing changed. There was no sign that I was a true werewolf.

Many people in the pack believed that something was wrong with me. Some thought that I was cursed. Others thought that I carried weak blood. The cruelest people whispered that I wasn't a real werewolf at all. My mother never defended me. Neither did my father. Eventually, I stopped expecting them to.

My mother's expression softened slightly when she spoke again. Unfortunately, it wasn't because of me. "Everything must be perfect for Amelia tonight."

I swallowed hard. Of course. It was Amelia, my twin sister.

The one everyone loved without question. The one everyone celebrated as if she were born to shine. The one everyone wanted to see, hear and praise.

“I understand,” I whispered quietly.

“Good.”

My mother didn’t hesitate. She didn’t soften. Without another glance at me, she turned and walked away. I watched her disappear through the doorway. Her figure was swallowed by the bright hallway beyond.

The familiar ache settled back into my chest. It was heavy and constant, like it had made a home there long ago and never once considered leaving. I exhaled slowly, adjusted the tray in my hands and forced myself to move toward the ballroom.

As I walked through the mansion, memories filled my mind. Growing up had never been easy. Amelia and I had been born on the same day. Everyone always said twins should be close. But we were not.

When we were children, Amelia had already attracted attention. She was beautiful, confident and talented. Everything seemed easy for her. The older we became, the larger the difference between us grew.

At sixteen, everything changed for her.

Her wolf awakened during a pack celebration, right in front of everyone. I still remember the way the crowd erupted in cheers, the way people rushed forward with gifts and congratulations, the way the Alpha himself stepped down to praise her.

My parents had looked proud that night....especially my father. I still remembered it clearly, the rare smile on his face as he looked at Amelia like she was the future of everything they had built. I had waited for that same look to turn toward me one day. But it never did.

Two years later, Amelia had already become one of the strongest young wolves in the entire pack. She was praised by elders and spoken of as the future Luna without hesitation. She carried the family’s pride effortlessly, like it belonged to her alone.

Meanwhile, I remained exactly the same. I was wolf-less, useless and forgotten. The worst part was not the insults from strangers but it was watching my own family agree with them.

"Aurora!"

I looked up. A cheerful smile immediately appeared on my face.

"Selene."

My best friend hurried toward me. Unlike everyone else, Selene never treated me differently. She wrapped her arms around me before I could stop her.

"Happy birthday."

I laughed softly. "Thank you."

She pulled back. "Why are you carrying trays again?"

I raised an eyebrow. "You already know the answer."

Her smile faded. "They should be celebrating you too."

"They won't."

"That isn't fair."

I shrugged. Life had stopped being fair a long time ago. Selene crossed her arms.

"I hate the way they treat you."

"Don't start."

"No, I mean it."

Her eyes flashed with anger. "You are their daughter."

I looked away. Sometimes hearing the truth hurt more than hearing lies.

Selene sighed. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

"No, it's not."

For a moment neither of us spoke. Then she brightened slightly.

"At least tonight might be interesting."

I frowned. "Interesting?"

She nodded eagerly. "The Alpha King is coming."

The mention of him immediately caught my attention. Alpha King Darius Blackwood, the most powerful Alpha in the country. Stories about him spread through every pack. Some described him as ruthless. Others described him as cold. Many feared him. I had never met him....very few people had.

"Why would he come here?" I asked.

Selene lowered her voice. "Because Alpha Tristan invited him."

Our Alpha?

I nodded slowly. It made sense when I thought about it. Alpha Tristan would never miss an opportunity like this, not when it came to someone as powerful as an Alpha King.

Still, it was hard not to feel a little surprised. An Alpha King rarely attended gatherings in smaller packs. People like him did not usually step into places like ours unless there was a strong reason behind it.

“Everyone is excited,” Selene added after a moment. She glanced toward the ballroom. “Especially Amelia.”

That part did not surprise me at all. My sister had always loved attention. And tonight, with the Alpha King here, she would have more than enough eyes on her to satisfy that need.

Before I could respond, a loud voice suddenly broke through the calm noise of the hallway.

“There she is.”

My entire body stiffened instantly at the sound of that voice.

It was Amelia.

Even before I turned, I could feel her presence approaching like a wave that pushed everything else aside. She always had that effect. Like the world adjusted itself when she walked in.

She came down the hallway with three of her friends trailing behind her. All of them were dressed perfectly and they were all smiling like they belonged to something far above me.

She looked beautiful in her expensive silver gown. Her blonde hair flowed over her shoulders. People often said that she looked like a princess. As always, everyone stared when she entered a room. And then her eyes landed on me. The smile on her face immediately disappeared.

"What are you doing here?"

I blinked. "I live here."

One of her friends laughed. Amelia rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean."

I tightened my grip on the tray. "I'm helping."

She looked me up and down. The disgust in her eyes was impossible to miss. "You should stay in the kitchen."

"Amelia..."

"No one wants to see a wolf-less failure at my party."

The words hit harder than they should have. Maybe because they came from my sister. Maybe because they were spoken so casually.

Selene immediately stepped forward. "That's enough."

Amelia smirked. "Did I hurt her feelings?"

"You're being cruel."

"I'm being honest."

I stared at the floor. Arguing would only make things worse. It always did.

Amelia stepped closer. "You should be grateful that I'm allowing you to help."

I slowly raised my head. "My birthday is today too."

The hallway fell silent. For a brief moment, no one spoke. Even her friends stopped laughing. Something flickered across Amelia’s face but it was gone just as quickly as it appeared. Then she laughed.

"Then happy birthday."

The way she said it felt like an insult. Her friends laughed with her. My chest tightened painfully.

Without another word, Amelia turned and walked away. Selene let out a sharp breath beside me. Her expression was dark with anger.

“I want to throw something at her,” she muttered.

Despite everything, I smiled. "Please don't."

"She deserves it."

"Maybe."

We both knew that she wasn't wrong.

The afternoon passed quickly. More guests kept arriving and the mansion soon became crowded. Pack members filled every room. Their voices were blending together as they talked, laughed and greeted each other. Excitement was everywhere and it felt like the whole place was alive.

But everyone was talking about the same thing: The Alpha King’s arrival.

As evening came closer, the ballroom changed completely. Golden lights shone from above, making the room glow softly. Fresh flowers covered every table and the smell of them filled the air. Music played gently in the background.

I stood near one of the walls. I was holding another tray. I moved carefully between the guests but no one looked at me. No one noticed me at all.

I was used to it.

At the front of the room, the Alpha was speaking with important guests. He looked confident and strong. My parents stood beside him....and beside them was Amelia.

They looked proud when they looked at her. Their eyes were full of happiness and respect. When I saw them, something hurt inside my chest. I wondered what it felt like to be loved like that. I wondered if they had ever looked at me and felt proud. But I already knew the answer.

Then suddenly, the music stopped. The room felt silent and everyone turned toward the entrance. A strange tension filled the air. The Alpha straightened immediately. Several guards moved into position. Whispers spread through the crowd.

"He's here."

"The Alpha King."

"He actually came."

My heart started to beat faster and for some reason, I could not look away from the entrance. The large doors slowly opened and a group of powerful warriors stepped inside first. Their faces were cold and serious, and they moved like they were ready for anything. Then, another figure appeared behind them.

The entire room seemed to stop breathing. He was tall, broad-shouldered and carried himself with a kind of power that was impossible to ignore. Dark hair framed a sharp face and his black suit fit him perfectly, like it was made for him alone. The moment he stepped into the ballroom, everyone lowered their heads respectfully.

The pressure in the air changed completely. Even from where I stood, across the ballroom, I could feel it pressing down on me. It was strong, overwhelming and different from anything I had ever felt before.

Alpha King Darius Blackwood.

The stories had not been exaggerating. He looked dangerous and untouchable. Like someone who was born to rule everything around him.

The Alpha hurried forward. “Your Majesty,” he said quickly.

Darius only nodded once. His face stayed calm, unreadable and cold. There was no emotion in his expression at all....as if nothing in the room could affect him.

I watched from across the room. Something about him made me nervous. Not because he frightened me but because he seemed completely different from anyone I had ever met.

As he moved through the crowd, people stepped aside quickly to make a path for him. The entire room followed his movement without even realizing it. Women stared at him openly. Some looked completely frozen like they could not believe what they were seeing.

Amelia, of course, straightened immediately. A bright and confident smile appeared on her face....like she had been waiting for this moment her entire life. I almost rolled my eyes. Some things really never changed. Then something unexpected happened.

For a brief second, Darius's gaze swept across the room. His eyes passed over dozens of guests. Then they stopped on me.

My breath caught and the tray in my hands almost slipped. The moment lasted only a second. Then he looked away again, as if nothing had happened.

I told myself I must have imagined it. It could not mean anything. And yet…

Something strange settled inside my chest. A feeling I could not explain.

It felt like the air itself had changed. Like something important had just begun without warning. I did not know what was happening.

I had no idea that this birthday would become the night that destroyed my entire life.

And the night my destiny finally began.