Fated to the rejected Alpha

Chapter 1: The Rejection The church smelled like roses and lies. I stood at the altar in a white dress that used to feel like a dream. Now it felt like a noose. My hands shook on top of my stomach. 8 months pregnant. His baby. The doors opened. Every head turned. Whispers filled the Silvermoon Pack hall. Alpha Darius walked in. Tall. Black suit. Crown of the Alpha glinting on his head. The man I loved. The man I was supposed to marry today. The man who was supposed to be my mate. But he wasn’t alone. On his arm was Selena. Red dress. Red lips. Red like the blood I felt draining from my face. She was smiling. My wolf whined inside me. That's her. That's the other woman. Darius stopped in front of me. He didn’t look at my stomach. He didn’t look at me. The Elder stepped forward. "Darius, do you take Aria to be your Luna?" Silence. For 3 seconds that felt like 3 years, he said nothing. Then he lifted his chin. His golden eyes were cold. "I reject you, Aria Collins." Gasps. Someone laughed. My knees went weak. "You’re not worthy to be Luna," he continued, voice loud enough for the whole pack to hear. "You’re weak. And this child... we both know it’s not mine." The world tilted. Not mine. After 3 years together. After the nights. After the promises. Tears burned my eyes but I refused to let them fall. Not here. Not in front of them. I looked at Selena. She mouthed thank you to me. I put a hand on my stomach. For my baby. I won’t break. I lifted my head. "I accept your rejection, Alpha Darius." My voice didn’t shake. I was proud of that. I turned and walked out. The rain was pouring outside. No one followed me. That night, alone in a cheap motel room, I gave birth to a baby girl. I named her Hope. Because I had nothing else left. I vow this, I whispered to my newborn daughter, blood and tears on my face. One day they will regret the day they threw us away. I will become so strong, they will beg on their knees. My wolf howled in agreement. 5 Years Later The black SUV stopped at the gates of Silvermoon Territory. I stepped out. Black suit. Black heels. Hair up. Behind me, 20 of my best warriors. The Ironfang Pack. The strongest rogue pack in the country. And I was their Alpha. They didn’t recognize me. Good. I was here for one reason. Darius had put out a call for elite bodyguards. The Alpha King needed protection. And fate... fate had a sick sense of humor. Because the Alpha King was him. I walked through the gates, head high. And the moment I saw him across the courtyard, my wolf slammed against my ribs. The mate bond. It snapped back to life like it had never been cut. Darius. Older. Harder. More scars. He was talking to his beta, but his eyes flicked to me. Assessed me. Dismissed me. "New guard?" His voice was deeper now. Cold. "Don’t get in my way." He didn’t know me. And that was going to make this revenge so much sweeter. I clenched my fists. He didn't know me yet. But he would. And he would regret it.