The Alpha Rejected Me, But Stole My First Kiss

I Didn't Care

Lira Ashera POV

This was supposed to be over.

All I had to do was stand in that grand hall, just like everyone else, and witness the moment we were all given our destined matches.

Even if I had no intention of accepting mine.

But things didn’t go that smoothly for Maeva.

Lucien was chosen as her fated pair.

That’s when I noticed it. Her replicated light, it was identical to Lucien’s.

“Whoa! Now this is something different,” Lucien said with a smirk, his fingers boldly brushing against Maeva’s hand. His touch was teasing, full of playful arrogance.

Of course, I knew his type.

Lucien was a notorious flirt. The kind of man who collected hearts like trophies and forgot their names the next morning.

And Maeva? She was fuming.

Her voice echoed in my head through the telepathic link we shared. “I don’t like this, Lira! Say something please!”

I agreed instantly.

Without hesitation, I looked at Lucien with a innocent expression.

Slowly, I reached for his fingers, letting my touch crawl upward along his forearm in deliberate motion. “Didn’t we promise to spend the night together?” I asked in a teasing tone, raising an eyebrow just slightly.

Lucien’s eyes lit up like a child handed a new toy. “How about the three of us?” he chuckled, glancing between me and Maeva. “You, me… and your friend. We could have a threesome.”

My breath caught.

What the actual hell?! I didn’t think he’d say something that reckless out loud.

And then, without warning, Thorne appeared.

I didn’t see where he came from, but his fist crashed into Lucien’s jaw with enough force to send him sprawling to the floor.

“Which hand touched her?” Thorne’s voice was deadly as he towered over Lucien.

The room fell silent. Dozens of eyes turned toward us, the weight of their stares pressing against my skin.

“I didn’t touch her!” Lucien stammered, his body trembling as he lay on the ground.

I stood frozen.

The same man who had rejected me so cruelly… was now standing in front of me, defending me in front of everyone?

Should I be grateful? No. Absolutely not.

This wasn’t part of the plan. I wasn’t supposed to draw attention to myself. I was meant to fade away into the background and leave unnoticed.

And then she arrived, a woman looking elegant. "What exactly is the problem here?" she asked.

Maeva’s voice echoed again, louder this time. “That’s Lady Seraphine.”

I turned to the woman, pointing with a hand that trembled slightly. “She’s the second-highest authority after Alpha Kael…”

Maeva nodded. Her gaze shifted to Thorne. “And that is Alpha Kael. His full name is Kael Thorne Alden.”

A chill ran down my spine.

So it was true. Thorne was a high-ranking official, the man who had ordered the slaughter of my entire family seven years ago.

And now I’d drawn his attention without even realizing it.

How do I fix this?

“Citizens of the Northern Bloodrage Territory, of the Alden Clan. We cannot allow two rogue rulers to disrupt the balance of our society.”

There was something powerful in her words, almost admirable, until the weight of their meaning settled in.

Were they… going to execute us?

A chorus of voices erupted from the crowd. “Execute them!”

My knees buckled. I could barely stand.

I wasn’t ready to die.

And then, my memory surfaced to the man with his arms lifting me from the burning ruins all seven years ago.

Can he come back to save me again

No, it was an impossible hope.

Still… I could feel Thorne's irritation. His silver eyes locked on mine.

I had no idea what he was thinking. But he walked up to Lady Seraphine, and whispered something in her ear. She faltered, look surprised, but then confused, and she nodded.

“Guards! Take them into the exile.”

The iron cage that held us was lifted and carried away by guards.

The crowd sighed in mild relief.

But something didn’t sit right.

Why would Thorne reject me as his fated mate, only to rescue me in front of everyone?

“This feels like a new form of torture,” Maeva whispered in my mind.

“Could be,” I replied.

Alpha Kael Alden POV

There was something undeniably strange about my repeated encounters with the girl named Ashera.

I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.

But some about her kept pulling at me, like gravity. But I never unwanted her.

When I saw her locked in that iron cage in the center of the grand hall with her friend, it wasn’t the first time I’d laid eyes on her.

This wasn’t the time for foolish thoughts

like acknowledging her beauty or questioning why she occupied more space in my mind than she should.

But soon, I understood. The answer is... She was my mate.

And just like that, I rejected her.

There was no hesitation, I couldn’t allow something as foolish as fate to dictate my actions, especially not with a girl whose name was stained in every whisper across the northern Bloodrage. She had a worst reputation.

Still, when I saw her flirting with Lucien. She smiling, leaning in closer than necessary, rage surged through me. My fists moved before my thoughts did. I hit him.

It was wrong. Out of line.

And yet... I didn’t regret it.

When my mother declared the sentence for Ashera, something inside me twisted. It felt wrong.

I stepped closer and whispered, “I have a punishment better than death.”

My mother always had a taste for cruelty, and I played that card well. I knew she would say yes.

When they brought Ashera to the Exile, relief flooded through me. I don't know why I feel that way.

Now, inside the castle, I found myself staring at Lucien as the healers tended to his bruises. The swelling around his jaw was proof of what I’d done.

“You saved her again?” he spat. "This is the umpteenth time you've done it!"

I shrugged, then turning away.

“I not innocent, Thorne,” he snapped. “She flirted with me just so she could run from North Bloodrage. She’s not who you think she is.”

I turned back to him, jaw clenched. “She tried to run?”

Why did that feel like betrayal?

Why did the idea of her escaping from me stir something painful in my chest?

Hadn’t I already given her protection, more than she deserved?

I left the room before I could answer myself. My boots echoed against the cold marble as I made my way to the stables. Without speaking a word, I mounted my horse and through in to the night.

"You won't ever leave my territory without my permission, girl."

I reached the exile house.

The house stood alone, overlooking a quiet lake. It was the most peaceful place I knew. And I had chosen it for the girl with the worst reputation I had ever known.

My forehead was damp with sweat by the time I arrived.

When she opened the door, she looked startled. Her body trembled slightly, and I could feel the storm of emotions from her like.

I should’ve walked away. But I didn’t do it.

Her lips were too red and Her scent too sweet.

Before I could stop myself, I closed the distance between us. I pulled her into my arms and kissed her with hungrily.

And I didn’t care what that made me.