Contract Mate: The Rejected Luna and Her Cursed Alpha.

Mia wasn’t supposed to be at that party. She wasn’t supposed to be in that pack, surrounded by snobbish people who clearly didn’t like her. And she definitely wasn’t supposed to be standing frozen in place, caught in the pull of those obscenely magnetic eyes—eyes that belonged to the white wolf staring at her from across the space. Tomas. Or rather, his cursed, shape-shifter form, which looked dangerously close to figuring out exactly who she was. Without thinking, Mia’s fingers moved to the black stone bracelet on her wrist. Her talisman. Those tiny obsidian beads had been the only thing standing between Tomas and the truth for the past ten years—keeping him from realizing Mia was his fated mate. Because, of course, things were never just bad. They could always get worse. Tomas wasn’t just a great friend from her past, someone she’d fallen for and believed, for a brief moment, felt the same way about her—until she found out it had all been part of a bet for him. He was also the mate destiny had chosen for her. And the best part? Mia had learned this on the same day she overheard him say—clear as day—that he’d never be serious about someone like her. After all, she was just a half-blood, and he was the heir to the mighty, prestigious Akello family. That’s how the bracelet had ended up on her wrist—a gift from the Akello priestess, who’d taken pity on her humiliation. Since then, Mia had clung to that talisman like her life depended on it. Because hearing Tomas reject her without knowing she was even there had been enough. Being rejected to her face? Unbearable. Being accepted out of pity? Even worse. She didn’t want him. She wasn’t about to give him a third chance just to end up shattered all over again—no matter how often he played his little “I still like you” game. No matter what fate had written. Screw destiny—she’d carve her own path, and the universe could deal with it. Still, it would be great if the talisman kept doing its job and stayed in line with her plan. God… she’d never seen Tomas in his wolf form. She’d always kept her distance, far enough to avoid moments like this. And yet, here she was, locked in place, caught in the sheer force radiating from the massive white wolf in front of her—paralyzed under the piercing gaze of the beast inside him… Just stop looking at me like that, she begged silently, her body trembling, palms damp with sweat as a knot of nerves twisted in her gut. If Tomas figured out the truth in the middle of an Akello party? That would be a full-on nightmare. And the possible outcomes of that moment were all devastating: he might reject her—once and for all proving that this whole "I still have feelings" act was just another ego boost. Or he might accept her out of pity or obligation, which would force Mia into the last resort—rejecting him. And she didn’t want that. No matter how much pain she carried, she knew rejecting a cursed wolf could destroy him completely, even if he hated his mate. For once in her life, destiny needed to cooperate. That fragile bracelet had to keep doing its job, just as it always had. But the warmth building against her skin made Mia question the strength of the enchantment. She swallowed hard. Across the space—now a blur of indistinct faces and noise—the blood-red eyes of the white wolf were still locked on her. And God, she could swear there was recognition in that gaze. "Are you okay?" The question, coming from Amelia—her best friend, standing right beside her—barely registered. “He has to stop this,” Mia murmured, more to herself than anyone else, still trapped in the wolf’s intense stare just a few feet away. And as if he’d heard her and decided to obey, the wolf tilted his head to the sky and howled. The sound ripped through her, stealing the air from her lungs. She blinked, snapping back to reality, and finally turned to Amelia, who was watching her with concern. Breaking eye contact was all it took for the world to rush back in: people laughing and dancing, celebrating the alpha’s presence, the music pounding through her like a second heartbeat. Mia tried to focus on Amelia before she started, once again, questioning what she was doing there. Even though deep down, she already knew the answer: she had to be sociable because she needed the Akello’ hospitality. Her life had been a chaotic mess of disasters lately, and right now, she couldn’t go back to her own pack. Not since she'd been branded “the woman who slept with an enemy spy and didn’t even realize it.” Yeah… sometimes Mia felt like she was stuck in a telenovela—full of drama, twists, and heartbreak, with her cast as the doomed heroine, trapped in everything that could possibly go wrong and cursed by a Cupid with the worst aim imaginable. Her first love had been her best friend, who only got close to win a bet—and never had the guts to tell her he hated her for being a half-blood. Then came the undercover spy, who’d only gotten involved with her to bring down her brother, the feared alpha of the rebel pack. And like with Tomas, she hadn’t seen it coming. But at least she hadn’t fallen for Caio, that lying bastard spy. She’d just used him to keep herself from thinking about Tomas, who was always too close… Okay, maybe that was just as pathetic as falling for the damn spy. “He wasn’t going to attack you,” Amelia said gently, snapping Mia out of her thoughts again. Before she could stop herself, Mia’s eyes flicked back to Tomas—just in case he decided to sniff the air and catch the scent of his mate nearby. She really didn’t want to be caught off guard if destiny decided to get dramatic again. “Mia...?” “That’s not why I’m afraid,” she replied quickly. Amelia always worried too much—and Mia’s barely-contained panic would only make things worse. Still, she couldn’t look away from Tomas. Instead, she reached for her bracelet again, running her fingers over the stones like she always did when she needed to calm herself. Everything was fine. The talisman was working. There was no reason to panic… yet. “Why do you always touch that bracelet when you’re nervous?” Amelia asked, now fully facing her. “It’s a talisman,” Mia said, eyes drifting briefly to the stones. She didn’t usually keep things from Amelia, but this? This wasn’t something she was ready to share—not now. Still, she offered something to ease her friend’s concern. “Touching it reminds me everything’s going to be fine,” she added with a shrug that didn’t feel natural. “I guess I’ve just gotten used to it.” “What’s going to be fine, Mia?” “I think I need some air,” she muttered, already stepping away, pretending not to hear the question. She loved Amelia. She was a great friend. But some stories needed to stay buried—and her story with Tomas was one of them. So, before Amelia could press further, Mia turned and disappeared into the crowd of dancing bodies. That was Tomas’ naming ceremony—the day he officially became the Akello alpha. The fact that he was only doing it to help the rebels was one of those bitter truths that forced Mia to admit he wasn’t all bad. Tomas hated his family—and he had every reason to. He’d spent years running from their toxic rule. But when the rebels needed a powerful alliance to survive the traditionalists’ persecution, he hadn’t hesitated. He struck a deal with the Akello for the sake of the rebel cause. The proposal had been simple: play the role the Akello had always wanted from him, and in return, they would use their power and influence to keep the traditionalists in check. And he agreed. Without hesitation. Even though he hated every part of it. Even though he never wanted to be alpha. He did it for the rebels—a people he owed nothing to. Tomas was a good man. He just wasn’t good for Mia. And that was something she would never let herself forget again.