MOONBOUND TO THE CURSED LYCAN

"I reject this bond!" The words crashed into Nyra's heart like a sharp blade. For some moments,the entire Sacred Clearing experienced a total silence. She stared at Cassian Thornvale, convinced she had heard him wrong. The glowing silver thread connecting them still shimmered beneath the full moon, beautiful and yet unbroken. This had to be a mistake. Yes ,it should. "Cassian..." Her voice trembled. "What did you just say?" His expression remained unchanged. Then, as if he wanted to erase every doubt, he turned toward the gathered wolves and proclaimed louder this time. "I, Cassian Thornvale, reject Nyra Edevane as my fated mate." A collective gasp swept through the entire clearing. Then the whispers were heard. "I knew it." "The future Alpha could never choose a wolfless omega." "She actually believed she'd become our Luna." "Poor Cassian." Every word only sounded like another cut to Nyra. Nyra felt the blood drain from her face. Just moments ago, when the Moon Bond had appeared, she believed fate had finally remembered her loneliness. After years of being mocked and years of being told she was broken. She had finally dared to believe someone would choose her and make her feel belonged. But the opposite was the case. The man chosen by the Moon Goddess was rejecting her before the entire pack. She looked into Cassian's eyes, looking to see if there is any pity or atom of remorse in it but she found none. "Why?" she asked quietly. His jaw tightened before continuing "I have a duty to this pack." "So do I." "Our Luna must be respected." Her fingers slowly curled into fists. "Just because I can't shift into a wolf like others right?" He didn't answer her immediately but when he finally did, his words were colder than the night air. "I won't let the future of this pack rest on someone everyone sees as weak." Nyra laughed softly as tears started rolling down her cheeks. It wasn't because anything was funny but because her heart was breaking. "You know I never chose to be born this way." "I know." "You know I've spent my whole life trying to prove I wasn't weak as people thought." "I know." "Then why are you doing this to me now?" Cassian lowered his eyes for the briefest moment and when he looked back at her, the warmth was gone. "Because I choose my people and status over my feelings." The answer shattered the last piece of hope she had been holding onto which made the tears speed up their movement. "So... you did feel something all this while." For the first time, Cassian couldn't answer her. The silence between them said enough and she nodded slowly. "I wish you had rejected me before giving me hope." The glowing silver bond stretched tighter between them. Just then- Crack! The thread split into thousands of glowing fragments before disappearing into the night. A rejected mate bond it was Several elders inhaled a sigh of relief. Many had heard of such a thing. Just very few had ever witnessed it. She wiped away her tears before anyone could mistake them for weakness. "If loving me is that shameful..." Her voice was barely above a whisper. "...then I won't force you to." Without waiting for any response from anyone, she took a step backward. No one came to console her. Not the priest. Not Cassian. Not the wolves who had watched her humiliation unfold beneath the full moon. Behind her, the whispers returned. "She's crying." "I'd reject her too." "What did she expect?" Cassian at the same time,never looked back as he left and also didn't apologize but was kind of happy for exhibiting his masculine power as the future Alpha. And somehow that hurt her the most. Nyra took another step backward in tears that she couldn't resist. The crowd were watching and enjoying the show. Suddenly, a searing pain erupted beneath Nyra’s collarbone. She groaned in pain as the silver mark hidden beneath her dress burned as though someone had pressed hot metal against her skin. Her hand clinged to her chest. The pain intensified. What was happening? The moonlight around her brightened. As if invisible energy had begun gathering around her. The mark was getting hotter by each second. Something seemed to awaken beneath her skin. Ancient power that had been sleeping for years. The sensation terrified her but since no other thought was coming forth, Nyra turned and ran into the forest to escape the shame. Branches snapped beneath her boots as she rushed through the trees on her path as she kept going deeper into the forest. The pain remained unbearable. Humiliation followed her like a shadow everywhere she goes. Tears were running down her cheek non stop. The deeper she ran into the forest, the darker everything became. Eventually, familiar figures disappeared,the pack territory was now behind her. Yet Nyra kept running. Only when exhaustion forced her to slow did she realize where she was,Inside the forbidden forest. Fear immediately replaced heartbreak. Every child in the Crescent Moon Pack knew the stories of how dangerous the place can be. No one was allowed to enter into that part of the woods because it holds danger and death. Inside it. The rays of the moon couldn't be seen at that point. Nyra began to talk to herself. “Should I go back?” Yet the thought of returning to the pack made her stomach twist. “Not tonight after everything that happened.” The silver mark suddenly flared again. A pulse of energy surged through her body. The ground beneath her feet trembled. Nyra stumbled backward. A brilliant silver light burst from beneath her skin causing the surrounding forest to illuminate instantly. Then everything went silent. A terrible feeling settled over her. The feeling that she was no longer alone in the supposed lonely forest. Slowly, Nyra looked into the darkness between the trees right in front of her. At first she saw nothing. Then two silver eyes were opened in the shadows. Though it was not moving it felt like a predator just arrived for a show. The creature didn't step forward nor say any word. Yet somehow she knew that whatever was hiding in the darkness had been waiting for her. And tonight… It had finally found her