THE ALPHA WHO REJECTED ME

I had been waiting for this day my entire life. My eighteenth birthday. The day every werewolf dreamed about. The day I would finally meet my mate. I stood in front of the mirror, staring at my reflection. My hands were shaking. "Grace!" I jumped when Mia's voice came from outside my room. "Are you ready?" "Almost!" I quickly adjusted my dress and took one last look at myself. It wasn't anything expensive. I couldn't afford expensive things. But it was pretty enough. For once, I wanted to feel pretty. Today was supposed to be special. Today, I was finally going to meet the person the Moon Goddess had chosen for me. I smiled nervously. "Please let him be kind." That was all I wanted. Not wealth. Not power. Just someone who would look at me and see me. Someone who wouldn't treat me like I was worthless. I walked out of my room. Mia was waiting in the hallway. She looked me over from head to toe before smiling. "You actually look nice." I frowned. "Actually?" She laughed. "I'm joking." I rolled my eyes. "Let's go before we're late." The entire pack was already gathered at the ceremony ground. Hundreds of wolves stood together, waiting for the ceremony to begin. My heart pounded harder with every step. Then I felt it. A strange pull inside my chest. My wolf suddenly became restless. He's here. I stopped walking. "What?" Mia turned toward me. "What happened?" "I..." I couldn't finish. The feeling became stronger. Then everyone suddenly went silent. I followed their gazes. A black SUV had stopped at the entrance. The door opened. And he stepped out. My breath caught. Adrian Blackwood. The Alpha. I had heard stories about him. Everyone had. He was the youngest Alpha to take control of such a powerful pack. He was rich, feared, and almost impossible to approach. His eyes swept across the crowd. Then they stopped on me. Everything disappeared. The voices. The crowd. The music. Everything. Only him remained. My heart suddenly slammed against my chest. My wolf screamed inside me. Mate. My lips parted. "No..." Adrian's expression changed. His eyes widened for a second. He felt it too. He was my mate. I smiled without realizing it. For the first time in my life, I felt like maybe the Moon Goddess had finally given me something good. Adrian walked toward me. Every step made my heart beat faster. When he stopped in front of me, I could barely breathe. "You're my mate," I whispered. His jaw tightened. He stared at me for several seconds. Then his expression became cold. "Yes." My smile grew. "Then..." I reached for his hand. He pulled away. My smile disappeared. "Adrian?" He looked around. Everyone was watching us. Then he looked back at me. "I'm sorry." My stomach dropped. "For what?" His eyes were emotionless. "I reject you as my mate." Silence. Complete silence. I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe. I heard someone gasp behind me. Someone else whispered my name. My heart cracked. "Wait..." My voice came out weak. "You don't even know me." "I don't need to." His words cut deeper than I expected. "Please," I whispered. He shook his head. "I said no." Tears filled my eyes. "Why?" For the first time, something flickered across his face. Regret. But it disappeared almost immediately. "You are not suitable to be my Luna." The crowd went silent. My cheeks burned. I could feel everyone staring at me. The girl who had always been considered weak had just been rejected by the strongest Alpha in the region. I swallowed hard. "Okay." Adrian looked surprised. I wiped my tears before they could fall. "If that's what you want..." I forced a smile. "Then I accept your rejection." I turned around. I refused to let him see me cry. But the moment I walked away from him, pain exploded through my chest. I pressed my hand against it. Something was wrong. My wolf was screaming. And beneath the pain, something else was awakening. Something powerful. Something I had never felt before. I stopped walking. A strange voice whispered inside my head. They don't know who you are. I froze. My breathing stopped. And neither do you. I looked back at Adrian. He was still staring at me. For the first time, fear appeared in his eyes. And I knew something was terribly wrong. The rejection was only the beginning.