REJECTED BY THE ALPHA BILLIONAIRE

The Blackwood Pack mansion was alive with celebration. Crystal chandeliers spilled golden light across polished marble floors, where pack members in elegant gowns and tailored suits swirled to the music. The annual Moon Banquet was supposed to be a night of unity, of hope and promise. Yet for me, Aria Hale, it had become a night I would never forget for reasons far darker. I stood near the edge of the ballroom, clutching the stem of a glass too tightly, watching the man who was supposed to be my destiny. Damian Blackwood—the Alpha heir, the man every she-wolf in the pack whispered about. His dark hair caught the light like silk, and his piercing silver-gray eyes seemed to command every corner of the room. His tailored suit fit like it was made to honor the power he carried in every movement. My wolf stirred inside me, desperate to draw closer to him. The bond was undeniable, like a thread pulling me toward him. My heart hammered with anticipation, knowing that tonight was the night he would acknowledge me as his mate. For years, I had dreamed of this moment—of being chosen, loved, and cherished. When his gaze finally landed on me, my breath caught. The world seemed to still. Conversations around us blurred into background noise, the music faded into a dull hum, and it was just Damian and me. His lips curved, not in a smile, but in something sharp and unreadable. I stepped forward, my palms damp. “Damian,” I whispered, unable to mask the tremor in my voice. He closed the space between us in a few powerful strides, towering over me. For a fleeting moment, I thought I saw something flicker in his eyes—a softness, a hesitation. But then his voice cut through me, sharp as a blade. “I reject you, Aria Hale.” The words landed like fire, searing my chest. The bond tugged painfully, my wolf howled in anguish inside me, and I staggered as though he had physically struck me. Gasps echoed through the ballroom. Conversations died instantly. All eyes were on us—on me. I searched his face, desperate for an explanation, a sign that this was some kind of cruel joke. “W-what?” My voice cracked. “I said, I reject you.” His tone was cold, final. “You are not fit to stand beside me. You’re weak, unworthy of being my Luna. I will not bind myself to weakness.” Laughter rippled through the crowd, cruel and cutting. I heard whispers—ugly words that twisted around me like a noose. “She thought the Alpha would want her?” “Poor little Aria.” “Pathetic.” My cheeks burned, tears pricked my eyes, but I refused to let them fall here. Not in front of him. Not in front of them. I lifted my chin, forcing strength into my trembling body, but inside I was breaking apart. The rejection bond burned, a physical ache radiating through my chest. My wolf whimpered, curling back in pain. Every instinct in me wanted to beg, to ask him why, to plead for a chance. But pride was the only shield I had left. “If that is your choice,” I said softly, my voice hoarse but steady, “then so be it.” For a moment, silence reigned. Then Damian turned away, as though I was nothing. Just another shadow in the grand hall. I wanted to scream, to run, to disappear. Instead, I forced my feet to move, each step heavy and hollow as I fled the ballroom. Behind me, whispers followed like daggers. I pushed through the doors into the cool night air, gasping as though I’d been suffocating inside. The Blackwood Pack estate was breathtaking at night—the sprawling gardens lit by moonlight, the ancient oak trees casting long shadows over the cobblestone path. But tonight, it all felt like a cage. My lungs ached, my chest felt tight, and tears finally spilled freely down my cheeks. How could the Moon Goddess be so cruel? To give me a mate only to have him reject me in front of everyone? I sank onto a stone bench near the fountain, my hands clutching the fabric of my dress. The ache in my chest deepened, the bond shredding with every heartbeat. “Aria.” I froze. The voice was softer, hesitant. I turned to see Ethan, Damian’s younger brother, standing a few feet away. His dark hair fell into his eyes, his features gentler, less severe than Damian’s. There was sympathy etched across his face. “You shouldn’t be out here alone,” he said quietly. “Leave me,” I choked out, unable to bear the thought of pity. But Ethan didn’t move. Instead, he stepped closer, his eyes filled with something I couldn’t name—something that made my heart ache all over again. “You didn’t deserve that,” he whispered. Before I could reply, before I could ask what he meant, a sharp howl split the night. The sound was urgent, commanding—an Alpha’s call. Damian’s call. Ethan’s jaw tightened, and he glanced toward the woods beyond the estate. “Something’s happening.” My chest still throbbed with the pain of rejection, but a shiver ran down my spine at the tone of that howl. Whatever it was, it wasn’t a summons for celebration. It was a warning. I rose to my feet, my tears drying into cold fear. The night that had shattered my heart was about to shatter even more. Aria forced herself to breathe as she slipped toward the grand doors of the ballroom, vowing never to let Damian Blackwood intrude on her life again. But just as her fingers brushed the golden handle, a deep voice resonated behind her, low and commanding, the kind that left no room for escape. “Leaving so soon, Miss Hale?” Her blood froze. Every whisper in the room faded into silence. Slowly, she turned—and met the piercing gaze of the Alpha billionaire himself.