Claimed by My Ex-Mate's Brother

Jennifer The coming-of-age bonfire scorched my skin, but it couldn't thaw the ice in my veins. I stood at the edge of the training grounds, keeping to the shadows. The flames cast harsh light over the dark, sprawling birthmark covering the right side of my face. Someone snickered nearby. "Jennifer's here? Isn't she just the stable Omega?" "Stay away. Imagine if the Moon Goddess paired you with that." I set my wooden bucket down and wiped manure off my cuffs. Eighteen. Tonight, I might finally catch the scent of my fated mate. Just one chance, I prayed to the Goddess. Just one person who won't look at me with disgust. The Elders finished the invocation. One by one, the newly shifted wolves stepped up to the fire. Scents bloomed in the night air—cut grass, pine resin, petrichor. When it was my turn, the chatter died. I limped forward, my knees still bruised from hauling hay. Across the flames stood Colin, the Alpha Heir. His blond hair was tied back, his black ceremonial suit buttoned tight. Years ago, he was the boy who chased away my bullies and pressed half a venison steak into my muddy hands. Now, I was just the Omega, and his name was too heavy for my tongue. Then, the wind shifted. Cedar. Rain. A sharp bite of wormwood. The scent punched the air from my lungs. My inner wolf clawed to the surface, her howl vibrating against my ribs. Not in pain. In pure, unadulterated joy. Mate. Warmth flooded my scarred body. My feet moved before my brain could stop them. One step toward Colin. His face drained of color. The crowd caught the scent a second later. Whispers erupted like wildfire. "The Alpha Heir? And her?" "Has the Goddess lost her mind?" Maren stepped out from the crowd. The Beta's daughter. Her silver dress brushed the stone steps as she locked her fingers around Colin's sleeve. "Colin, you promised," she whimpered, her eyes welling up. Colin stared at me. There was no recognition in his eyes. Only revulsion. I stopped three paces away. The bond choked me, making my voice c***k. "Colin..." He took a step back. Just one step, but the crowd's laughter cut through me like silver. "Don't touch me." His voice could have frozen steel. My wolf let out a pathetic whine. Why? The Head Elder frowned. "Colin. She is chosen by the Goddess." Colin pulled Maren behind him, shielding her. "The Goddess wouldn't chain me to an Omega like this. Look at her face. It makes me sick. She's a stain on the Ashford name." My hands fell to my sides. The winter wind bit into my cracked knuckles. He didn't see my scars. He only saw the birthmark—the curse, they called it. The proof of my dirty blood. "Rejecting your mate will tear you both apart," the Elder warned. Colin tilted his chin up, his gaze sweeping over the pack. "I, Colin Ashford, reject you, Jennifer, as my mate and future Luna." The words hit me like a physical blow. The bond stretched, then snapped. White-hot agony exploded in my chest. I hit the stone floor, coughing up hot blood. No. Don't let him go, my wolf screamed, thrashing in the dark. Colin's hand twitched. But then Maren buried her face in his chest, trembling. "I'm scared, Colin. She looks like she's dying." He stroked her hair. "She won't die. Omegas are just good at playing the victim." Silence stretched over the training grounds. My blood dripped onto the hot stones, hissing as it evaporated. "Jennifer," the Elder's voice lowered. "Accept the rejection. It's the only way to sever the bond." Sever. I pushed myself up on shaking arms. I looked at the boy who once gave me food, now staring at me like I was garbage. "I, Jennifer," I choked out, tasting copper, "accept your rejection, Colin Ashford." My wolf went dead silent. The warmth drained from my veins, replaced by a biting cold. The fire blurred. Right before the darkness took me, Colin's polished boots stepped into my line of sight. "Don't leave her here," Maren murmured. "It's your ceremony. Her blood is ruining the floor." A beat of silence. "Throw her in the stables," Colin ordered.