*THE ALPHA'S REJECTED LUNA*

*THE ALPHA'S REJECTED LUNA* *Chapter 1: The Rejection* The moon was full. That should have been a good sign. In pack tradition, a full moon on your 18th birthday meant your wolf would finally come. It meant you were worthy. It meant you belonged. For me, it only meant pain. I stood in the center of the training circle, barefoot on the cold grass, with 200 pairs of eyes burning into my skin. My heart hammered so hard I thought it would crack my ribs. "Begin," Alpha Marcus growled. His voice cut through the night like a blade. Tall, broad shoulders, black hair, and eyes the color of storm clouds. The most feared Alpha in the Northern Territory. My mate. Well... supposed to be my mate. The mate bond pulled between us, a silver thread only I could feel. But he pretended it wasn't there. For 5 years he pretended. "Shift, Aria," he said again, louder this time. Disgust dripped from every word. "Or admit you’re wolfless." Whispers spread through the crowd. "Wolfless freak." "She’s 18 today and still nothing." "Alpha deserves better than this trash." Tears burned my eyes but I refused to let them fall. Not in front of him. Not in front of them. I closed my eyes and reached for the beast inside me. Every other kid in the pack shifted at 16. I was 18 and still human. Still broken. _Please_, I begged the wolf in my soul. _Just this once. Come out._ Heat crawled up my spine. Bones cracked. My skin felt like it was on fire. Yes. Yes! I screamed. And then... nothing. The pain stopped. The heat died. I was still standing there. Human. Empty. Silence. Then laughter. "Pathetic," someone muttered. "I told you she was defective," another voice said. Alpha Marcus stepped forward. He looked down at me with pure hatred. Like I was dirt under his boot. "The Moon Goddess has spoken," he announced to the pack. His voice was loud, final. "Aria Bennet is wolfless. She brings shame to this pack." My chest caved in. "Therefore," he continued, and his eyes finally met mine, "I, Alpha Marcus Hale, reject you, Aria Bennet, as my mate and as a member of Silver Moon Pack." The words hit harder than any punch. The silver thread between us snapped. Pain exploded in my chest like someone ripped my heart out. I dropped to my knees, gasping. The bond... it was gone. He did it. He really did it. In front of everyone. "Get her out of my sight," he said coldly. "She is no longer pack." Two warriors grabbed my arms and dragged me away while the pack cheered. That night, I packed one bag and walked out of the territory. Wolfless. Mateless. Homeless. I had nothing. No pack. No Alpha. No wolf. But they were wrong about one thing. I wasn't broken. I was just getting started. _5 YEARS LATER..._ The black SUV stopped at the gates of Silver Moon Pack. I stepped out in heels, a red dress, and a crown of power they would never expect. Behind me, 50 wolves from the Blood Moon Pack knelt. "Greetings, Luna Aria," they said in unison. I smiled. Cold. Beautiful. Dangerous. "Take me to Alpha Marcus," I said. "Tell him his rejected mate has come home." And this time... I had a wolf. And she was furious.