THE ALPHA'S REJECTED MATE

THE SECRET IN THE WOODS

The cold ground bit into my back.

I didn’t know how long I’d been lying there. Minutes? Hours? Time didn’t matter when your heart was ripped out in front of 200 people.

The moon was still high. Still silver. Still mocking me.

_Rejected._

Damien’s voice replayed on loop. "I would rather die than be mated to a weak omega."

Weak. That was the word they all used.

Weak Luna. Useless Luna. The omega whose parents died in a rogue attack and left her with nothing. No status. No money. No power.

I sat up slowly. My dress was torn from running through the forest. Blood trickled down my arm where a branch had sliced me.

The mate bond pain was a dull ache now, like a wound that wouldn’t close.

"I'm worthless," I whispered to the trees. "That's why he did it."

My wolf, Cora, was curled up inside me. Whimpering. _Mate hurt us. Mate left us._

"I know," I told her. "But we don’t need him."

The stream in front of me reflected the moon. I looked like a mess. Hair tangled, face red, eyes swollen.

This was supposed to be the best night of my life.

Instead it was the worst.

A twig snapped behind me.

I shot to my feet, heart hammering. "Who's there?"

No answer. Just the wind through the leaves.

I backed away from the stream. The Silver Moon Pack territory was dangerous at night. Rogues. Hunters. And now... me. An omega with no pack protection.

Another snap. Closer this time.

"Show yourself!" My voice cracked.

The trees parted.

And she walked out.

The woman was impossible.

Silver hair that went past her knees. A white dress that glowed like it was made of moonlight. She was barefoot, but the dirt didn’t touch her feet.

Her eyes were the worst part. They weren’t human. They were galaxies. Stars swirling in black.

Behind her stood a wolf. Massive. White as snow. Its eyes glowed silver too.

I dropped to my knees instantly. "L-Lady? Are you... are you a spirit?"

The woman tilted her head. "Spirit? No, child. I am very real."

Her voice was soft, but it vibrated through my bones. Ancient.

"Then... what are you doing here?" I asked. "Did the Moon Goddess send you? To laugh at me too?"

The woman’s face softened. She crossed the stream without getting wet and knelt in front of me. She smelled like rain and old books and something I couldn’t name.

"No one laughs at you anymore, Luna Carter."

Hearing my full name made me flinch. "How do you know who I am?"

"Because I’ve watched you for 18 years." She reached out and brushed hair from my face. Her hand was cold but comforting. "I watched them call you weak. I watched them spit on you. I watched him reject you tonight."

Tears welled up again. "Then why didn’t you stop it?"

"Because you had to break first," she said simply. "Before you could become what you were meant to be."

I pulled away. "What’s that supposed to mean? I’m an omega. That’s all I’ll ever be."

The white wolf padded forward and lay down beside me. Its warmth seeped into my side. For the first time tonight, I didn’t feel completely alone.

The woman - Selene, I somehow knew that was her name - sighed.

"Luna, look at me."

I met her galaxy eyes.

"You are not an omega."

The world tilted.

"What?" I laughed, but it came out hysterical. "I shifted at 16. I have a wolf. Omegas have wolves."

"You have a wolf," Selene agreed. "But you are not an omega. You are something the packs tried to erase from history."

She stood and raised her arms to the sky.

The moon above us flared brighter.

"1000 years ago, the Moon Goddess walked the earth. She had a daughter. That daughter had a daughter. And so on. A bloodline of power. Healers. Warriors. Queens."

Selene lowered her arms and looked at me.

"That bloodline runs in your veins."

I shook my head. "No. My parents were nobody. They were omegas too. They died in a rogue attack when I was 10."

"Did they?" Selene’s eyes were sad. "Or were they killed because someone found out what you were?"

A chill ran down my spine.

"That’s... that’s crazy," I whispered. But a part of me, a tiny part, believed her.

"Is it?" Selene touched my chest, right over my heart. "Close your eyes."

I did.

"Feel it," she whispered. "Under the pain. Under the fear. Under 18 years of being told you’re nothing."

At first there was nothing. Just the ache of the broken bond.

Then... heat.

It started small. Like a candle in my chest.

Then it grew. Spreading through my veins. Down my arms. To my fingertips.

I gasped. My eyes flew open.

Silver light was coming from my hands.

"How—" I couldn’t finish.

"Your power," Selene said. "The Moon Goddess’s gift. Healing. Protection. Command."

The light faded, but I could still feel it. Buzzing under my skin.

I looked at the cut on my arm. It was gone. Completely healed.

"Holy—" I covered my mouth. "I did that?"

"You did," Selene smiled. "But it’s just the beginning. It’s been locked away for too long."

Cora stirred inside me. But she wasn’t whimpering anymore. She was standing tall. Proud. _We are not weak._

I stood up on shaky legs. "Why me? Why was I born to be hurt like this?"

"Because the world is going to need you," Selene said. "And because of him."

My stomach dropped. "Damien."

"The Alpha who rejected you," she nodded. "He is cursed, Luna. His pack is dying. Crops failing. Wolves getting sick. The elders say only his true mate can break it."

I crossed my arms. "Good. Let him die."

"You don’t mean that."

"I DO!" I shouted. The trees shook. "He humiliated me! He called me trash! He—"

I cut off, breathing hard.

Selene stepped closer. "I know it hurts. But fate is cruel. In 3 years, he will come to you. Begging."

3 years.

"And what am I supposed to do then?" I asked bitterly. "Save him? After what he did?"

"That will be your choice," Selene said. "Revenge. Or mercy."

She began to glow. Fainter now, like she was fading.

"Wait!" I grabbed her arm. It felt solid. "Don’t go. Teach me. How do I control this?"

"You already know," she said. "Listen to the moon. Listen to Cora. Train every night. By the time he comes, you must be strong enough to look him in the eye and not flinch."

"And if I don’t want to see him?"

Selene’s smile was sad. "Then you will have to be strong enough to say no."

She pulled away. The white wolf stood and nudged my hand one last time.

"Remember, Luna," Selene’s voice echoed as she disappeared. "You were never weak. They just couldn’t see what you are."

And then she was gone.

Just moonlight and silence.

I stood there for a long time.

The girl who ran into these woods was dead.

In her place was someone new.

I looked down at my hands. No more glow. But I could feel it. Waiting.

"I will never be weak again," I vowed. Louder this time.

The moon seemed to shine brighter in response.

*3 YEARS LATER*

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