The Alpa Who Cast Me Away

The full moon hung high above the Nightfell territory, cold and commanding, flooding the ceremonial grounds with silver light. Lyra Ashbourne stood barefoot at the center of the stone circle, her fingers curled into trembling fists. The ancient markings beneath her feet glowed faintly, reacting to the magic in the air. All around her, the pack gathered in tense silence—elders in dark robes, warriors standing rigid, families whispering behind lowered hands. Tonight, she turned eighteen. Tonight, fate would reveal her mate. Her heart pounded violently as the air shifted. It came suddenly— a sharp, burning pull in her chest, fierce and undeniable. Lyra gasped, her knees nearly buckling as the invisible thread of the mate bond snapped tight and dragged her awareness across the circle, locking onto a presence so powerful it stole her breath. No… Her gaze lifted on instinct. Kael Nightfell stood at the edge of the circle, tall and unyielding, darkness clinging to him like a second skin. Alpha King of the Northern Realm. The most feared wolf alive. And her mate. A collective gasp rippled through the crowd. “The Alpha King—” “It can’t be—” Heat surged through Lyra’s veins, wild and overwhelming. For the first time in her life, something deep inside her stirred—weak, hesitant, but alive. The wolf she had been told she did not have. Her eyes met Kael’s. For one fragile heartbeat, his expression cracked. Shock. Fury. And something dangerously close to fear. Then the Alpha King’s face hardened into cold stone. Kael stepped forward, his boots striking the ground with quiet authority. Each step radiated dominance, power pressing down on the circle until even the elders lowered their eyes. Lyra swallowed, her chest tight. She waited. For acceptance. For relief. For the mate the moon had promised her. Kael stopped a few feet away. The silence was suffocating. “I reject you.” The words sliced through her like a blade. Pain exploded inside Lyra’s chest, vicious and merciless. She cried out as her legs gave way, crashing to her knees. The bond flared violently, burning through her veins before shattering into jagged emptiness. Gasps and murmurs erupted. “He rejected her—” “She’s wolf-less. Of course he did.” “She never belonged here.” Lyra clutched her chest, struggling to breathe as tears blurred her vision. Every breath felt like shattered glass tearing through her lungs. She looked up at Kael, disbelief etched across her face. “Why?” she whispered. His jaw tightened. His hands curled into fists, his wolf raging beneath the surface—but his voice was mercilessly calm. “You are weak,” Kael said, his words echoing across the grounds. “You have no wolf. You cannot stand beside an Alpha King.” Each sentence struck harder than the last. The elders did not object. Some turned away in shame. Others watched her fall with cold indifference. “I’m your mate,” Lyra said, her voice breaking. “The moon chose me.” Kael’s eyes darkened, something savage flashing beneath the surface. “And I choose power over fate,” he replied. “This bond ends now.” A cruel hush fell over the crowd. Lyra forced herself to stand, her body shaking, pain clawing through every nerve. Tears streamed down her face, but she lifted her chin, refusing to beg. Refusing to kneel. If he expected her to break, he was wrong. “Then remember this night,” she said softly, her voice trembling yet unyielding. “You cast me away. I did not leave you.” A strange wind swept through the circle. The moonlight flickered, shadows stretching unnaturally across the stones. For a brief moment, Kael stiffened, his eyes flashing as his wolf howled in protest inside his mind. But the damage was done. Lyra turned and walked out of the circle, each step tearing her further from the bond that should have been her salvation. No one stopped her. No one followed. Yet beneath her skin, unseen by all— A silver-black glow pulsed softly, awakening. And high above, the moon shifted, watching the girl who would one day wear a crown.