Lycan Hearts: The Rejected Mate

“You look beautiful, Mia said softly, touching the veil on Cana’s head. Hey, babe, how are you feeling now? Are you all warmed up to be Mrs. Alpha? Cana slowly inhaled the cool air and her fingers shook as she adjusted the white dress she wore. The material of the dress was smooth to touch and the sensation made her feel even more comfortable. There was so much emotion that she could only express herself, saying “I’ve dreamed of this day for so long” in a whisper. The following response was given by one of her friends “I can hardly believe it’s finally here.” Mia gave her friend’s hand a comfort squeeze. “Axel is one lucky wolf to have you. Now, let’s get you downstairs and married. ” Finally the door of the grand ballroom opened with a slight sound. Cana felt as if her heart was going to burst through her chest. It was beating so fast. Entering the hall she made her first step, everybody looked at her with anticipation. The tunes played were gentle and harmonizing, she started moving towards the altar. Petals could be seen everywhere, including the smell that filled the air together with the expectation of an event that was to happen. The other members of the pack sat on both sides in the hall, their expressions ranged from happiness to curiosity. Some nodded their heads and smiled while some murmured behind their fans. Cana attempted to look at the man at the other end of the aisle standing and waiting for her. There stood Axel. Towering in height, good-looking, and muscular – a true dominating male that is expected of him. His green eyes met her brown ones and for a second Cana felt as if she was the only one in the hall with this man. This she blushed as she felt the warmth of his eyes on her face. This was it. As far as she was concerned it was her dream that was at last coming true. By the time she got to Axel, he grabbed her hand in his. Cana also get a feeling that his grip is more on the limp side, almost like he is unsure. She refused to entertain the slightest of qualms that began to sprout in her head. “It’s just nerves,” she said to herself. Finally, the priest who was to join them got up, he was a wolf who looked much older than Axel and Cana but he had gentle eyes. “We are gathered here today-” BANG! The main doors of the ballroom opened violently and some of the guests nearly leapt from their skin. There was a woman walking in the room and she was wearing black dress and looked very untidy. Her hair was disheveled. Mascara was smeared all over her face as if she had cried a short while back. Cana jerked up from her seat when she saw her, it was one of the girls who had accompanied the minister, she was almost certain. It was Ivy, a she-wolf from the Bronx pack. “No, wedding, no!” Ivy screamed at the top of her lungs, tears streaming down her face. Everyone exclaimed and whispered at the same time. Cana noticed Axel releasing her hand and immediately her hand became numb. Ivy raised her finger, pointing it at Axel and her entire body trembling. “You cannot marry her!” she said, “I am … I am pregnant with your child!” Everyone fell silent, and you could hardly hear a pin drop in the hall. The music stopped, and there was dead silence all around. Cana looked at Axel, wondering what to do next, her mind going blank. It had to be a mistake, it simply had to be that there was some misunderstanding, some slight inaccuracy that had led to her being let go. A cruel joke. A nightmare she’d wake up any second from. “Axel?” she whispered, almost begging for him to tell her something. Axel wouldn’t look her in the eye. He was looking at the floor and did not speak, his mouth was only tightly shut. “I am so sorry Cana,” he whispered the words softly, almost apologizing for a mere fly buying them more time. “Sorry?” Cana echoed, the tendrils of confusion and pain twisting in her breast. “Sorry”’ This can’t be true, can it? “Please tell me that it isn’t true!” The force of the anger that Axel had been holding in suddenly erupted and he stepped back from her. Finally he raised his head and the expression on his face was contemptuous. “This wedding… this marriage… this life… it was a business between our two clans… a political arrangement… I don’t… I don’t care for you, Cana… I never did. ” Cana regarded this as a punch in the stomach. She expelled all the air in her lungs. Then the faces began to merge and the room began spinning in front of her. "But. . . all these years. . . you said you love me. You promised me forever!" “That is enough!” Axel interrupted her, his tone rather cold. “I said what I had to.” “I have nothing left to say, it is over now, I am sorry that you had to find out like this but this is the real deal. ” Rumors began to circulate as if it was a fire that rapidly spread from one tree to another. Cana looked around and realized that all eyes were on her. On some faces – she saw shock, on others – pity. And on a few. . . was that a smirk? Were they having the time of their lives watching her suffer the consequences of her action? “Poor Cana,” someone said from behind. “She’s never been good enough for him” another chimed in, not even trying to lower her voice. “An alpha like Axel should have a stronger partner,” the third one joined in. Every word that came out of his mouth was a stab to Cana’s heart. She blushed with shame and embarrassment in her cheeks. Hearing this she felt hurt and her eyes welled up with tears, she could barely see anything. She couldn't breathe. Couldn't think. The room was too confining, it was as though there were too many people in the room. All eyes were on her, scrutinizing, even feeling sorry for her. She ran. Along the aisle, her shoes tapping on the like new floor. Beyond the bewildered company and past the exclamations of horror and the cries of the guests. Through the great iron doors almost falling forward in her rush. Out of the hall, out of the hotel. Into the busy New York street. She ran in between cars and people cursed loudly at their speeding cars. People yelled and pointed. But Cana didn't stop. She couldn't stop. She ran and ran, her white dress flying behind her like a divorce notice. Hardly did she know where she was heading for. Didn't care. And she just had to go somewhere far from him. Free from Axel and his treason. As far as possible from Ivy and her malicious information. Far from the contempt and jeering of the pack. Of course, it has taken her away from the broken dreams and a broken heart. Cana ran until her legs felt like jelly, and she was out of breath. She was left alone in some shadowed street far from the beautiful hotel and the life she expected to live. Alone, lost and heartbroken. She sank to the ground, not caring about her once-beautiful dress anymore. It was ruined now, much like her hopes and dreams. Sobs wracked her body as the reality of what happened crashed over her. How could this happen? How could Axel do this to her? Had it all been a lie? Every kiss, every promise, every moment they shared – was it all fake? And what would she do now? Where would she go? She couldn't face the pack, not after this humiliation. As night fell, the alley grew darker and colder. The sounds of the city seemed far away, muffled by her grief. Cana hugged herself tightly, shivering in her thin dress. She'd run so far, so fast, she had no idea where she was. Suddenly, a shadow fell over her. Cana looked up, startled out of her misery. A tall man stood there, his face hidden in the darkness of the alley. But his eyes... they glowed with an unnatural light. A light Cana recognized all too well. "Well, well," a deep voice rumbled, sending shivers down Cana's spine. "What do we have here?" Cana scrambled back, her heel catching on her dress. Fear replaced heartbreak as her instincts screamed danger. She could smell it now, the unmistakable scent of another werewolf. But this was no ordinary wolf. The power rolling off him in waves made her want to bare her throat in submission. This was an alpha. A strong one. And he was smiling at her like a wolf who'd just found his prey. Cana's mind raced. Who was he? What did he want? And most importantly – was she about to jump from one nightmare into another?