Chapter 4
820 Words
"I, Caleb Black, reject Elara as my mate."
The crystal chandelier above the dance floor was blindingly bright.
I stood at the end of the crowd in a gray servant's dress, the fabric brushing my knees like a layer of humiliation I could never wash off.
Every eye in the hall turned to me.
Some were shocked. Some were excited. Some had already begun to smile, waiting for the show.
Three minutes ago, the presiding elder had announced that only one pair would lead the first dance.
I had smelled that familiar mate scent and watched Caleb walk through the crowd.
He didn't come to me.
Selena was on his arm, my mother's silver moon pendant resting against her collarbone.
She said with a gentle smile, "Elara, don't be sad. Trying hard doesn't mean you can get everything."
Then Caleb said in front of everyone, "I'm sorry. She is a once-in-a-century genius, and you are only an ordinary orphan. For the future of the Pack, I have to choose her."
My heart had already cracked then.
But the real pain came the moment the rejection fell.
The mate bond felt as if it had been severed by a red-hot blade.
Something in my chest was torn out by the roots.
I bent over, gripping the hem of my dress so tightly that my nails dug into my palms.
Selena leaned into Caleb's arms and said, "Caleb, don't. She won't be able to bear it."
Caleb looked at me, a trace of irritation flickering through his eyes. "She forced me to do this. She kept clinging to me, slandering you, and trying to ruin the Luna ceremony."
The elder frowned. "Alpha, a public rejection will cause her tremendous pain."
Caleb didn't look away from me. "Then let it teach her a lesson."
I lifted my head, asking, "A lesson?"
Even I was surprised by how calm my voice sounded.
Caleb's gaze shifted slightly. "Elara, stop pretending.
"Lower your head and apologize now, and I'll let the Healer ease your pain.
"You can still remain in the Pack House as the archive keeper."
Selena sighed softly. "That's right, Elara. You should learn to accept your fate. Not becoming Luna isn't the end of the world."
Laughter rippled through the crowd.
"Selena is too kind."
"If I were her, I would have sent her straight to the Rogue territories."
"An orphan dreaming of the Alpha? Good for her."
My wolf didn't cry.
Behind the seal, she went quiet.
And that silence chilled me more than any howl could have.
I slowly straightened. "Caleb."
He frowned. "What now?"
"Are you sure you want to reject me?"
"I already said it."
"In the name of the Moon Goddess?"
His expression changed for a split second.
Werewolf vows could not be spoken lightly, especially not a mate rejection.
Selena tightened her grip on his hand. "Caleb, she's stalling. My foot still hurts. We can't delay the first dance any longer."
Caleb drew in a deep breath and spoke up, "In the name of the Moon Goddess, I, Caleb Black, Alpha of the Silver Moon Pack, reject Elara as my mate."
Agony surged through me again.
This time, I didn't bend.
Blood slipped from the corner of my mouth, and I wiped it away with the back of my finger.
At last, unease began to stir in the crowd.
"How is she still standing?"
"An ordinary Omega would have passed out by now."
Caleb's wolf seemed to struggle inside him.
His face paled a little, but he forced it down. "Say it. Accept."
The Alpha Command fell.
I smiled. "You don't need to command me."
Selena's smile froze.
I looked at Caleb, at the man who had once made me believe fate had finally chosen me.
I said, "I accept your rejection."
At the final snap of the bond, I heard Caleb let out a muffled groan.
He pressed a hand to his chest, panic flashing in his eyes for the first time.
He looked as if something far more important than he had ever imagined had vanished from his soul.
Selena immediately held onto him. "Caleb?"
"I'm fine."
He shoved the discomfort away and looked at me coldly. "Now, leave the dance floor. Don't let your disgrace ruin Selena's ceremony."
I lowered my gaze to the collar around my neck.
The c***k had spread all the way around.
It burned against my skin, as if it had been waiting eighteen years for this exact moment.
I raised my hand to the clasp.
The elder's face suddenly turned serious. "Wait. That thing on her neck..."
Caleb cut him off sharply. "Elara, what trick are you trying to pull now?"
I didn't answer.
With one light flick of my finger, the old clasp gave a faint click.
Every wolf in the hall stopped breathing at once.
I looked at Caleb and said, "You'd better stay on your feet."
- Writer
