FATED ENEMIES

“I, Sophia Clio, accept your rejection…” Sophia never thought that one day, those words would escape her lips. *A Day Earlier* The birds chirped, the morning was perfect, everything was just wonderful, a small smile on Sophia’s lips humming on the swing. Tomorrow would be the day that she would finally be introduced to everyone as Alpha's Ethan mate. She squealed at the thought, she couldn't just wait any longer. “Why are you so happy?” A deep low-toned familiar voice breathed on her ears making it tickle. It was Ethan. “I don't know…” she slightly turned to meet his gaze. He leaned in for a kiss but she was quick to dodge him teasing him. “Can't you stay one day with a kiss?” Sophia teased moving towards the gardens. He grinned, moving closer to meet her, “I can but I don't want to.” “Then you have to catch me…” she stuck out her tongue at him. She immediately ran to tease him more, but hit a well-built chest. She slowly raised her eyes to meet him, with a smirk on his face, “caught ya…” She pushed him slightly, huffing and folding her arms, “no fair… why did you use your powers?” He chuckled lightly at the sudden change of her tone, “you never said I couldn't,” he raised a brow in his defense. “I hate you…” She muttered under her breath. “And I love you too…” He turned her to face him but she refused to look into his eyes. “Sophia…” His voice was as sweet as honey, she tried not to fall for his charms but she ended up breaking a smile. “Fine… you win this round but I promise you that next time, I won't be so gullible,” she threatened him with a smile on her face. He slowly wrapped his hands round her waist, leaning in close to her earlobe, “now can I get my kiss?” Sophia nudged him lightly, there were so many staffs around them, and she was clearly embarrassed by his teasing attitude. “When we're alone…” Sophia whispered, trying her best to cover the growing blush on her cheeks. He chuckled, removing her hands and skillfully going in for a kiss. It was soft, gentle, delicate. Sophia had been with Ethan for a while and everytime they kissed, it felt euphoric. He slowly cut the kiss, gazing deep into her eyes. “I love you, Sophia, I really do.” With a small smile on her lips, and with a proud heart. “I love you too…” *PRESENT TIME* Sophia bravely stared back at the audience, trying to keep her eyes open despite the deafening jeers. Her face was covered in soot, her hair and body matted with dirt and blood. One thing was absent from all of this humiliation. Tears. The tears did not fall from her eyes in any quantity. Yes, exactly. Since the start of her struggles, she has not cried. All she could do was look back at the crowd, her eyes full of defiant rage. “You should look at yourself first before you try to seduce our Alpha. Is a runt like you qualified to be our Luna?” Someone from the crowd booed. “Tch! That innocent face and vixen body are only good for deceiving men. Go to hell! Go die!” another wolf chipped in. A chuckle escaped Sophia’s lips as she couldn't believe that, these were the same people who once called her Luna. She looked at her mate and scoffed, biting her lips to endure the pain in her heart. When she heard that the pack council was calling for her demotion because of her heart condition, she was worried. But not too much because she knew her mate loved her and had promised to protect her at all costs. Yet, everything fell apart last as her world crumbled last night. Within a few hours, there she was, tied to a stake, like a criminal waiting to be demoted. As for her beloved mate, Alpha King Ethan Claudius, ruler of the Silver Fang territories, he was standing on a podium with his hand wrapped around the waist of a familiar she-wolf. This wolf was the preferred Luna queen, unanimously accepted and recommended by all the pack members. “You're the weak yet shameless woman I've ever seen. You didn't look at your mirror before dreaming of being our Luna?” the voice of an older woman cut through the air, her words cutting through Sophia’s already bruised heart. “b***h! Because of you weakening our alpha and distracting him with your sickness, our treasuries were robbed, our farms and land plundered, and now my son is dead. Pay for it with your life!” another woman wailed. A single step forward by Ethan and the pack center contorted into a deafening silence. Ethan took another step forward, clearing his throat as he prepared to address the pack. Maddy, the preferred Luna, stood close to him, wearing on her face a mocking smile of victory. “Silence!” Ethan shouted, raising his hand. At once, everywhere went silent, except for Sophia's labored breaths. One could even hear a pin drop. Even though they didn't agree with Ethan's choice of his first mate, it never changed the fact that they respected him as a competent leader. He walked up the stage and motioned to Maddy to stop following him. She frowned, but quickly masked it with an amiable smile and obeyed. Sophia looked up at him, her eyes mirroring the pain in her heart. For a moment, Ethan felt the pain too, and an inkling of guilt. But he quickly steeled his resolve, reminding himself to look at the bigger picture. He lowered his gaze to look at Sophia, who was tied to a stake beneath the podium. He swallowed a chunk down his throat as he commenced, “You already know what I'm here for. So there will be no need for much talk.” Sophia could only blink back the tears that threatened to fall as she pleaded, “Ethan, I'm in bad shape now. Can you give me some time to recover?” To Ethan, it only seemed as if she was doing everything possible to delay getting rejected, infuriating him the more. Without considering her words, he gritted his jaw as he spat, “I, Alpha Ethan Claudius of the silver fang pack, reject you weakling, Sophia Clio as my mate and Luna. May our paths never cross again.” Blood gushed out of Sophia's mouth immediately the words left his mouth. She gripped her chest in pain as she struggled to control her breath. The power disparity between them was already too much and rejection was meant to hurt like hell. As the weaker one in the relationship, she would be the one to suffer the pain the most. Even more so in her current body conditions. She looked up at him, the tears she had been fighting back streaming down her face as the blood oozing from her dripped into her tattered clothes. “Did you ever love me once?” “No” His reply was cold and emotionless, without hesitation. The disappointment and pain crashed down on her, making her shoulders slumped. “Then all those moments that we spent together, all those promises, what were they to you?” She whispered, dreading his answer. But she needed to hear it anyway. “An irresponsible desire, a fleeting crush from a disgraceful lust-filled past I would like to erase if I can turn back the hands of the clock. A terrible mistake. The moment of indulgence is past, and it's time to get back on track.” If Sophia thought his initial words broke her heart, this one shattered her and tore her open till there was nothing left. The beautiful memories she cherished were nothing but a mistake to him. But this was good, she should try her best to get rid of lingering sentiments too. “I, Sophia Clio, accept your rejection.” Her acceptance of the broken bond sent a sharp pain through his chest. He could feel His wolf howling in pain but he needed to control himself. He was sacrificing for his people and his pack. He was a leader and the well-being of his pack came first to his personal desires. “Take her away…” he finally said. A resounding cheers of approval from the pack members filled the air as he declared Sophia banished. If Sophia thought all this was painful, then she was most definitely not ready for the next blow. Right there before her very eyes, Maddy walked up to her mate—ex-mate, kissed him on the lips while locking gazes with her, adding insult to her wounds. The tears clouded her vision as a sharp pain coursed through her bones, rendering her blank. “Was loving you ever a crime?”