CHAPTER ONE: The Day Everything Broke
1454 Words
“I, Ryder Stone, Alpha of the Ashfang Pack, officially reject you, Elara Quinn, as my mate and future Luna.”
The words hit her hard. It felt like they tore through her, hurting deep inside.
Elara’s knees gave out before she even knew she was going down. The cold marble floor hit her skin. The hurt she felt in her body was less than the empty feeling inside her.
“No…” Her voice shook. She put her arms around herself, trying to hold the pieces of her breaking heart together. “Don’t do this, Ryder. Not today. Please.”
Today was meant to feel special. It was her eighteenth birthday. She waited for her wolf to wake up inside her. She had hoped that she could be with her mate, Ryder. He was the boy she loved for years, but she never said it out loud.
She was on her knees. She looked up at him. She saw only coldness in his eyes. She used to think those eyes had warmth. Now, there was nothing but coldness in them.
“Why?” Her voice cracked. “Why would you—”
“Why?” Ryder’s voice boomed through the hall. “Because you shifted for the first time today and think that makes you Luna? Wake up.”
The bond shattered. She felt it, an invisible thread inside her snapping all at once, leaving only an unbearable emptiness.
“You’re just a servant, Elara,” he spat. “You always were.”
Her hands shook as she clutched the hem of her dress. “You weren’t like this before,” she whispered. “You used to care—”
“That was pity,” he cut in, sharp as steel. “I won't waste that anymore.”
Five years ago, when rogues had slaughtered her parents, the Ashfang Pack had taken her in. She had cleaned their halls, cooked their meals, patched their wounds, always under Ryder’s silent watch. She had convinced herself his silence was proof of a hidden affection.
She was wrong.
“I hate you,” she whispered, the words tasting like blood.
“Good. Now get off the floor,” he ordered. “The guest chambers need cleaning, and the dining hall looks like trash.”
Her head snapped up. “You promised I wouldn’t have to do anything today. You said—”
"I know what I said and You need to do what I say now" Ryder said in a rough voice as he moved closer.
Her body shook, but she forced herself to stand. “You’re dirty, deceiving bastard”
A sharp gasp sounded from the doorway. Aria — her best friend — stepped into the hall, her heels clicking against the floor. Her expression burned with anger, but not at Ryder.
“Elara! How dare you speak to your Alpha that way?”
Elara blinked, stunned. “Aria? You’re… siding with him?”
“And you will address me as Luna Aria,” she replied, her tone cold enough to draw blood.
For a moment, the words didn’t register. When they did, they landed like a punch to the chest.
“You’re my best friend.”
The words didn’t make sense. “You’re my best friend.”
“Were,” Aria corrected, her lips curling. “Not anymore.”
Ryder didn’t meet Elara’s eyes.
Aria looked at him. “You didn’t tell her?”
Elara’s stomach knotted. “Tell me what?”
Ryder’s tone was steady, dead. “Aria is my chosen Luna now.”
Elara felt the air drain from her lungs. “You’re rejecting me… for her?”
“Shut up,” Ryder snapped. “We’re hosting Alpha Kael of Thornveil Pack tonight. One of the most powerful Alphas in the region. I want the place spotless. No mistakes.”
Her voice was so quiet. She said, “Why are you doing this to me?”
Ryder stepped closer, his shadow swallowing her whole. His fingers gripped her chin, tilting her face up until she had no choice but to meet his eyes.
“Do you really want to know why, Elara?” he said, his voice like a blade. “Look at you — soft, weak, plain. Once the Alpha’s daughter of a small, useless pack, now nothing more than a servant. Not even fit to be called an omega. And your personality? Pathetic. You cling to kindness like it will save you, when all it does is make you look foolish. Tell me, what could someone like you ever offer me?”
He shoved her toward the door.
She did not remember how she got back to the small storage closet that was her room. Her hands shook. She could feel her heart beating fast and loud in her ears. She put her face in her thin pillow and screamed for a long time, until her throat hurt.
Then, she heard a voice in her mind. It was soft. It sounded like a woman. The voice was calm and sure.
“Elara. It’s me. Sable. Your wolf.”
Elara’s breath hitched as she pushed herself upright. “My… wolf?”
“I know he rejected us,” Sable said gently. “But that doesn’t mean it’s over. You have more strength than you’ve ever realized.”
Tears stung her eyes. “Why now? Why not before?”
“You were never weak, Elara. You were simply waiting for the right moment to rise. And this… this is the beginning of your new life. A chance to walk forward without looking bac, to write your own story, anywhere you choose.”
By the time it got dark, the hall of the Ashfang Pack glowed with shiny silver and candles that danced. Elara had spent all day busy with the work. She cleaned the platters, put the chairs in place, and poured wine. Her hands hurt and her feet felt nothing. Now, she stayed near the wall, standing on the edge of the room, not in the light. Elara watched everything happen like she was not really there, almost as if she was a ghost.
The doors opened. Alpha Kael from the Thornveil Pack came in. His Beta, Luke, was beside him.
The feel of the room changed fast. A strong, cold feeling took over the hall. It was as if the walls gave in to his control. Kael stood tall and had wide shoulders. His eyes were sharp. He looked around the place, checking everything like someone looking for their next move.
“Alpha Kael,” Ryder greeted with a too-wide smile. “Welcome to Ashfang.”
Kael’s nod was curt. “Ryder.”
“This is Luna Aria,” Ryder added, his voice swelling with pride.
Aria smiled sweetly. “We are honored to have you.”
Kael’s gaze lingered on her for the briefest moment before he nodded once. “Luke, bring the gifts.”
Dinner began. Conversation buzzed, but Kael spoke little, eating slowly, his focus unreadable.
Elara moved quietly among the tables, refilling wine glasses, keeping her eyes down.
Then Kael spoke, his voice low but carrying. “I see you’ve secured a Luna. Good. Stability will serve your pack in the war ahead.”
Ryder’s grin was smug. “Unlike yours, right?”
Kael’s eyes sharpened. “Explain.”
“Everyone knows Thornveil is unstable,” Ryder said, leaning back. “No mate. No Luna. Hard to lead without one, isn’t it?”
The air grew heavier, the silence more dangerous.
Kael set down his fork with deliberate precision. “I have a mate.”
Ryder’s laugh was short and mocking. “Where? I don’t see her.”
Kael rose slowly to his full height. The movement alone silenced the table. His gaze swept past Ryder and locked onto someone at the far edge of the room.
Elara.
Her heart stopped. Her wolf stirred inside her with sudden, fierce energy.
“It’s him,” Sable whispered, her voice trembling in awe.
Elara’s breath hitched. Impossible. Ryder had rejected her. The Moon Goddess didn’t grant second mates did she?
Ryder turned, his tone mocking. “Where is she then, Alpha Kael?”
Kael stepped aside, raising his hand. His voice was quiet, but it carried an unshakable weight.
“She’s right there.”
Every gaze in the room followed his gesture, to Elara.
“She’s always been right there,” Kael said.
Elara stood frozen, her pulse roaring in her ears. The room seemed to fade until only Kael’s eyes held her.
And in that instant, she knew. The Moon Goddess had given her another chance. A second mate.
But this one radiated danger in every breath.
- Writer
