The Alpha’s Rejected Mate

MARISA Everyone says you never forget the moment your life changes. For me… it was the day I turned sixteen. The day I met my mate. And the day he rejected me. I used to believe in fairytales. Not the kind with castles and glass slippers—but the kind every werewolf girl grows up dreaming about. Your mate. Your other half. The one chosen by the Moon Goddess herself. The one who would look at you like you were everything. I believed in that. I held onto that belief like it was the only thing that made sense in a world where I never quite fit in. Because deep down… I always knew I was different. “Marisa, stop moving!” Ella snapped, though her tone held amusement as she tried to fix my hair for the third time. “I’m not moving,” I muttered, even though I clearly was. “You are. And if you ruin this, I’ll actually cry.” That made me laugh softly. Ella stood behind me, her hands gentle but firm as she adjusted the strands of my black hair over my shoulders. When she was satisfied, she placed her hands on my shoulders and met my gaze in the mirror. “You’re beautiful,” she said simply. I swallowed, my fingers tightening slightly against the edge of the dresser. “What if…” I hesitated. “What if nothing happens?” Ella frowned. “What do you mean?” “What if I don’t find my mate?” I asked quietly. “Or worse… what if something’s wrong with me?” Her expression softened instantly. “There’s nothing wrong with you, Marisa,” she said firmly. “You’re just… different.” Sixteen was the age at which every werewolf awakened their wolf. But I hadn’t. And tonight… I was about to stand in front of the entire pack and hope I wasn’t the only one still empty inside. The pack house was already alive when we arrived. Voices filled the air, laughter echoing against the walls as people gathered for the mating ceremony. Lights were strung across the hall, casting a warm glow that made everything feel almost magical. My heart pounded loudly in my chest as I stepped inside. This was it, there was no turning back now. “Make way for the Alpha’s family!” The announcement cut through the noise instantly. The entire room shifted. Heads bowed. Conversations died. The atmosphere turned heavy with respect and fear. I felt it too. Slowly, I lifted my gaze. Luna Melina entered first, elegant and composed, her presence commanding attention without effort. Then came Ivy, her confident stride and sharp eyes scanning the room. And then…..Him. Carmín Don Sánchez. The air changed. That was the only way I could describe it. Tall, broad-shouldered, His black hair framed a face that looked carved from stone, and his light brown eyes held a cold intensity that made it hard to breathe. He looked like someone you shouldn’t get close to. And yet…My chest tightened. A strange pull wrapped around me, sudden and overwhelming. Our eyes met and suddenly everything… stopped. It was like something snapped into place. A force I couldn’t see but could feel deep in my chest, in my bones, in every part of me that had always felt incomplete. My lips parted slightly. No… This couldn’t be… “Marisa?” Ella whispered beside me. But I couldn’t hear her. I knew what this feeling meant. Even without a wolf. He was mine. My mate. The ceremony felt like a blur. Not when he was standing there. Not when every second felt like it was pulling us closer together. My heart raced as my name was finally called. “Marisa Migos.” A quiet murmur spread across the hall. I stepped forward, my legs unsteady. This was my moment. This was where everything changed, He didn’t move at first. Then slowly… Carmín stepped forward. Gasps were heard around the hall. I stopped in front of him, my hands trembling slightly. Up close… he was even more intimidating. “Mate…” I whispered. For a second something flickered in his eyes it was something unreadable. “This is a mistake.” The words hit harder than anything I had ever felt. My brows pulled together in confusion. “What…?” His expression didn’t change. “I, Carmín Don Sanchez,” he said, his voice loud, firm, and merciless, “reject you, Marisa Migos, as my mate.” The world… stopped, I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. Couldn’t understand what was happening. “No…” I whispered, shaking my head. “You don’t mean that…” A cold look settled in his eyes as they dragged over me. “You don’t have a wolf,” he said flatly. “You’re weak.”Each word felt like a slap. “And you’re not even truly one of this pack,” he continued. “An orphan with no bloodline.” Gasps echoed around us. Every ounce of humiliation began crashing down on me. The bond inside me twisted painfully, like something was tearing apart. I clutched my chest, my breathing uneven. “Please…” My voice broke despite everything. “Carmín…” For a brief moment…His jaw tightened, as he felt it too. Like it hurt him too. But then he looked away. “Leave,” he said. And just like that… Everything I believed in was shattered. I was sullen as I dashed out of the hall with my face on the ground. Feeling the heavy sting in my heart.