Episode1:The Woman He Refused to Claim
1232 Words
"You're still coming tonight, right?"
I stared at Ethan's message for a long moment before typing my reply.
Of course.
The three dots appeared immediately.
Wear the black dress.
A smile tugged at my lips despite the nervous flutter in my stomach.
The black dress.
His favorite.
The one he'd bought for me six months ago after a business trip to Paris.
I closed the chat and looked at my reflection in the mirror.
Tonight mattered.
For three years, Ethan Blackwood had asked me to keep our relationship secret.
Not because he didn't care about me.
At least, that was what I'd always told myself.
He was the future Alpha of the Blackwood Pack and the heir to Blackwood Global, one of the largest corporations in the country. Every move he made was watched. Every relationship became a headline.
Whenever I questioned the secrecy, he always had an answer.
"Just a little longer, Ava."
"The timing isn't right."
"I want to do this properly."
And every time, I believed him.
Because I loved him.
Because he was my mate.
Because when we were alone, he made me feel like I was the only woman in the world.
Tonight was the annual Blackwood Foundation Gala.
The biggest event of the year.
Alpha families, CEOs, politicians, investors—everyone would be there.
And Ethan had told me he had an announcement.
For the first time in years, hope felt stronger than fear.
Maybe tonight he would finally claim me.
Maybe tonight I would stop being his secret.
I arrived at the Blackwood Grand Hotel just after seven.
The ballroom glittered with crystal chandeliers and gold accents.
Servers moved through the crowd carrying champagne.
Cameras flashed near the entrance.
The room buzzed with wealth and power.
I adjusted the sleeves of my black dress and forced myself to ignore the familiar stares.
I knew what people saw.
Not the marketing strategist who had helped Blackwood Global land several major contracts.
Not the woman who worked sixteen-hour days.
Not the loyal mate who had stood beside Ethan through every challenge.
They saw curves.
They saw someone who didn't fit the image of a future Luna.
A group of women near the champagne tower glanced in my direction.
Their whispers weren't quiet enough.
"Why is she here?"
"I heard she's obsessed with Ethan."
"She should learn when she's not wanted."
I looked away.
Their opinions shouldn't matter.
Tonight was about Ethan.
Tonight was about us.
At least, that's what I thought.
My eyes searched the ballroom until I found him.
Ethan stood near the stage speaking with several investors.
Tall.
Powerful.
Effortlessly handsome.
The sight of him still stole my breath.
For a moment, his gaze met mine.
I expected a smile.
A nod.
Anything.
Instead, he looked away.
The small sting of disappointment settled in my chest.
He's busy, I told myself.
Don't overthink it.
An hour passed.
Then another.
Ethan never approached me.
Never sent a message.
Never acknowledged my presence.
The knot in my stomach tightened.
Something felt wrong.
Very wrong.
Then the lights dimmed.
The conversations gradually faded.
Everyone turned toward the stage.
A spotlight illuminated the host.
"Ladies and gentlemen," he announced, "thank you for joining us for this year's Blackwood Foundation Gala."
Applause filled the room.
The host smiled.
"And now, Alpha Ethan Blackwood has an important announcement."
My heart nearly stopped.
This was it.
This had to be it.
The crowd erupted as Ethan stepped onto the stage.
He looked confident.
Controlled.
Perfect.
The future Alpha everyone admired.
I couldn't stop smiling.
Three years.
Three years of waiting.
Three years of secrets.
Three years of believing.
Finally.
Ethan accepted the microphone.
His gaze swept across the room.
For one brief second, our eyes met.
Hope surged through me.
Then everything fell apart.
A woman stepped onto the stage beside him.
Sophia Ashford.
Beautiful.
Elegant.
Daughter of one of the most influential Alpha families in the country.
The crowd immediately began whispering.
I felt my smile fade.
Why was Sophia on stage?
Ethan placed a hand on her waist.
The room exploded into applause.
My heart dropped.
No.
No.
No.
"This evening," Ethan said, "I'd like to introduce the woman who will stand beside me as I take my place as Alpha."
The ballroom went silent.
Every instinct inside me screamed.
Run.
But I couldn't move.
Sophia smiled at the crowd.
Ethan smiled back.
Then he delivered the final blow.
"My future Luna, Sophia Ashford."
The applause was deafening.
I heard it.
But it sounded distant.
As if I were underwater.
My pulse roared in my ears.
My chest tightened.
This wasn't happening.
It couldn't be.
I was his mate.
I was his partner.
I was the woman he promised to love.
The microphone trembled slightly in Ethan's hand.
Only slightly.
Most people wouldn't notice.
I did.
Because I knew him.
Because I knew this wasn't easy for him.
But he was still doing it.
Choosing ambition.
Choosing status.
Choosing her.
Over me.
Then another voice echoed through the ballroom.
Cold.
Authoritative.
Alpha Raymond Blackwood.
Ethan's father.
"There is something else that should be addressed tonight."
The room quieted immediately.
His gaze landed directly on me.
My blood ran cold.
"Ava Hart."
Hundreds of heads turned.
I froze.
For years, the Blackwood family had hidden the existence of our mate bond.
Now suddenly they wanted everyone to know?
Why?
Raymond's expression remained merciless.
"You have spent years misleading people regarding your relationship with my son."
Gasps spread through the crowd.
I could barely breathe.
"The Blackwood family does not recognize you as Ethan's mate."
The room erupted.
Whispers.
Shock.
Judgment.
Humiliation.
Every eye in the ballroom burned into my skin.
I looked toward Ethan.
Waiting.
Praying.
Begging.
Say something.
Tell them they're wrong.
Tell them I'm your mate.
Tell them I matter.
Instead, Ethan stepped forward.
His face was unreadable.
His voice steady.
His words lethal.
"I reject Ava Hart as my mate."
The world stopped.
Pain exploded through my chest.
My wolf screamed.
The sound echoed inside my mind.
The mating bond cracked.
Tore.
Bled.
I gripped the edge of a nearby table to stay upright.
Someone laughed.
Someone gasped.
Someone whispered that they always knew I wasn't good enough.
The room blurred.
Tears burned behind my eyes.
But I refused to let them fall.
Not here.
Not in front of them.
Not in front of him.
I lifted my head.
Met Ethan's gaze.
And for the first time in three years, I saw exactly what he was.
A coward.
A man who loved power more than loyalty.
A man ashamed of the woman who had given him everything.
The bond continued to shatter between us.
Agony tore through every part of me.
Yet somehow, my voice remained steady.
"If that's your choice, Alpha Blackwood..."
I swallowed the lump in my throat.
"...then I accept your rejection."
The bond snapped.
A sharp gasp escaped my lips.
The pain was unbearable.
But it was also freeing.
Because the moment the bond broke, something else broke too.
My hope.
My love.
My faith in Ethan Blackwood.
Without another word, I turned and walked toward the ballroom doors.
Behind me, applause resumed.
The celebration continued.
As if my heartbreak were nothing more than a brief interruption.
None of them knew that tonight wasn't the end of my story.
It was only the beginning.
- Writer
