My Mate Chose Another, But the Viaren King Chose Me

Penelope's POV "Mate." The word echoed through my mind the moment I stepped into the Moon Shadow Pack's Grand Hall. My heart skipped a beat. It was finally happening. For eighteen years, I had dreamed about this day. The day I would meet the man the Moon Goddess had chosen for me. Every sleepless night, every whispered prayer, every hopeful smile had led to this moment. The hall glittered beneath hundreds of crystal chandeliers. Fresh flowers decorated every table, while silver candles filled the room with a warm glow. Members of the pack laughed and danced, celebrating the annual Moon Blessing Festival, the same night every wolf who had turned eighteen would discover their mate. Tonight wasn't just another celebration. It was my birthday. I tightened my grip around the small silver necklace my late mother had left me. It was the only thing I had of hers. "Happy birthday, Penny!" My best friend, Clara, rushed over and threw her arms around me. I laughed softly. "You've said that at least ten times today." "And I'll keep saying it until you smile properly." She poked my cheek. "Stop looking like you're about to faint." "I can't help it." "You've liked Kendrick since we were kids." Heat crept onto my face. Everyone knew. Kendrick Blackwood. The future Alpha of Moon Shadow Pack. Strong. Confident. Handsome. Every unmated girl secretly wished he would be their mate. But I had loved him long before any of them noticed him. Back when we were children, he had pulled me out of the river after I slipped on the rocks. Back when he smiled at me instead of walking past me like I was invisible. Back when he wasn't Alpha's perfect son. Clara leaned closer. "What if he's really your mate?" I bit my lip. "I don't want to hope too much." She rolled her eyes. "The Moon Goddess isn't cruel." Before I could answer, loud cheers erupted near the entrance. "The future Alpha is here!" Every head turned. Kendrick entered with several warriors behind him. He looked exactly like the future Alpha everyone admired. Tall. Broad shoulders. Jet-black hair. Golden eyes that held authority beyond his twenty-two years. Girls whispered excitedly as he walked through the crowd. But he wasn't looking at them. His eyes searched the room. Then... They landed on me. The world became silent. My wolf stirred for the first time. A warm feeling spread through my chest until it became impossible to breathe. Mate... The word filled my soul. Tears gathered in my eyes before I could stop them. It was him. The boy I had loved for years. The man I had secretly prayed for every night. He was my mate. My feet moved before my brain could think. One step. Then another. Kendrick walked toward me too. Gasps spread across the hall. The future Alpha had found his mate. My heart raced so fast I thought everyone could hear it. I stopped only inches away from him. "Kendrick..." His golden eyes met mine. For one brief second... I saw surprise. Then confusion. Then... Coldness. His jaw tightened. His expression hardened as if he were looking at someone he hated. My smile slowly disappeared. "Kendrick?" He didn't answer. Instead, he took one step back. The movement felt like someone had driven a knife straight into my chest. Whispers spread through the hall. "What's happening?" "Isn't she his mate?" "Why is he backing away?" My wolf whimpered inside me. Something was wrong. Very wrong. Then another voice interrupted. "Kendrick." A beautiful woman stepped out from the crowd. Long blonde hair. Perfect figure. Confident smile. Diana. The Alpha of Silver Crest Pack's daughter. She walked straight to Kendrick and slipped her arm through his as if she already belonged there. My stomach twisted. Kendrick didn't move away. Instead... He covered her hand with his own. No... No, this couldn't be happening. His eyes returned to mine. There wasn't a trace of warmth left. Only indifference. "Yes," he said loudly enough for everyone to hear. "The Moon Goddess made a mistake." The hall fell completely silent. Every face turned toward us. My breathing became uneven. "What...?" He looked directly into my eyes. "I, Kendrick Blackwood, reject you, Penelope Ashford, as my mate." Everything inside me shattered. Pain exploded through my body. My wolf cried out in agony. It felt like invisible claws were tearing my heart apart. Someone screamed. Only after several seconds did I realize... It was me. Tears blurred my vision. "Kendrick... please..." His face remained emotionless. "I refuse to have a weak orphan as my Luna." The words struck harder than the rejection itself. Weak. Orphan. The two labels that had followed me my entire life. I had lost my parents when I was six after rogues attacked our caravan. Since then, I had lived under my uncle's roof, surviving on pity and whispers. I had trained harder than most wolves. Worked longer hours. Endured every insult. Yet none of it mattered. To Kendrick... I would always be the orphan who wasn't good enough. Diana smirked. "I told you she'd cry." Laughter broke out among a few pack members. Not everyone laughed. Some lowered their heads in sympathy. Others simply watched, afraid to speak against the future Alpha. "Kiss her!" one warrior joked, pointing at Diana. Without hesitation, Kendrick turned toward Diana. Then he wrapped one arm around her waist. And kissed her. Right in front of me. The crowd erupted into cheers. My heart stopped. Something inside me finally broke. I took one shaky step backward. Then another. No one tried to stop me. No one called my name. Not even the elders. As I stumbled out of the Grand Hall, the joyful music behind me sounded like mockery. The cold night air slapped my face, but it couldn't numb the pain burning inside my chest. I ran without knowing where I was going. Past the training grounds. Past the warrior barracks. Past the old oak tree where Kendrick had once promised, as children, that he would always protect me. I collapsed beside the Moon Lake. The moon reflected on the still water, bright and beautiful. I stared at it through tear-filled eyes. "Moon Goddess..." I whispered brokenly. "Why him?" The wind answered with silence. Then... A strange feeling spread through the air. The forest became unnaturally quiet. Even the crickets stopped singing. A deep, powerful howl echoed from beyond the mountains. It wasn't like any wolf's howl I had ever heard. It carried authority. Power. And something ancient. My wolf, who had been crying moments before, suddenly became still. Then she whispered one trembling word. "Run..."