REJECTED BY MY ALPHA, CLAIMED BY HIS RIVAL

*Chapter 1: The Moon’s Rejection* The pack gathered under the full moon like they always did. Silverlight glinted off the stone circle at the center of Blackthorn Pack grounds, painting a hundred faces in cold white. The air smelled of pine, damp earth, and anticipation. Tonight was the Mating Ceremony. Tonight, fates would be decided by the Moon Goddess herself. I stood at the back, fingers digging into the rough fabric of my plain grey dress. *Luna Vale*, nineteen, omega. No pack. No parents. No wolf. They called me _Luna_ because of the night I was found on the pack’s doorstep—during a blood moon. They called me _Vale_ because I was worthless. A vale between mountains, empty and silent. Around me, girls my age laughed and whispered, adjusting their dresses, fixing their hair. Each of them had a wolf. Each of them had a family name. Each of them had a chance to be chosen. My chest ached like it always did on nights like this. “Do you think Alpha Kade will choose Mira?” “Of course. Her father’s the Beta. It’s political.” “What about you, Luna? Do you think your wolf will show up tonight?” I didn’t answer Selena. I never did. The crowd parted as he stepped forward. *Alpha Kade Blackthorn*. Twenty-five, ruthless, undefeated in the ring, and the only man in the pack whose presence made the air feel heavy. His dark hair was damp from the ritual bath, his shoulders broad under the black ceremonial tunic. Silver eyes swept over the crowd, sharp and assessing. He was my mate. I’d known since I was twelve. The bond had flared to life during the night of the blood moon, a pull in my chest I couldn’t explain. I’d spent seven years hiding it, terrified. An omega didn’t get to be mated to an Alpha. Not here. Not ever. But the bond didn’t care. It tugged at me now, stronger than ever under the full moon. My skin burned, my heart hammered. _Mine_, it whispered. “Ladies,” Kade’s voice cut through the clearing, low and commanding. “Step forward when I call your name.” One by one, girls stepped into the circle. One by one, they were rejected with a polite nod and a quiet “Not you.” Mira, daughter of the Beta, stood tall when her name was called. Her golden hair shone, her green eyes locked on Kade with confidence. “Alpha Kade,” she said, voice steady. “I offer myself to you and the pack.” Kade studied her for a long moment. Then he shook his head. “You’re strong, Mira. But not my mate.” Her face cracked for half a second before she bowed and stepped back. Gasps rippled through the crowd. No one rejected the Beta’s daughter. Kade’s eyes kept moving. And then they stopped on me. My breath caught. “Luna Vale,” he said. Silence fell. I could hear my own heartbeat, loud and stupid in my ears. Every eye turned to me. Some with pity. Some with disgust. An omega in the Mating Circle was a joke. My legs moved before my brain caught up. I stepped forward, crossing the twenty feet to the stone circle. The pull in my chest became a burn, a brand. Kade’s jaw tightened when he saw me up close. He knew. He’d felt it too, once. Years ago, when we were kids and I still believed in fairy tales. “Luna,” he said quietly, so only I could hear. “Don’t do this.” I lifted my chin. “It’s the Moon Goddess’s will, Alpha.” “For once, say what you want.” His voice was rougher now. “You know what happens if I accept you.” I knew. The pack would tear me apart. An omega as Luna? The other packs would see it as weakness. His council would call for his head. My life would be hell, and his reign would fall. But the bond… the bond was screaming. _Choose me. Choose us._ I opened my mouth. Before I could speak, Kade stepped back. His face hardened. The flicker of pain in his eyes was gone, replaced by the cold mask of the Alpha. “Luna Vale,” he said, loud enough for everyone to hear. “I, Kade Blackthorn, Alpha of the Blackthorn Pack, reject you as my mate.” The words hit like a physical blow. Pain exploded behind my ribs. It was like someone had ripped my heart out and set it on fire. The bond snapped, and the backlash nearly dropped me to my knees. A choked sob tore from my throat before I could stop it. _Rejected._ The word echoed in my skull, drowning out everything else. Around me, the pack reacted. Some laughed. Some whispered _told you so_. Some looked away, ashamed to watch. Mira smiled. Kade’s expression didn’t change, but his hands clenched at his sides. “It’s for your own good,” he said, low enough that only I could hear. “Leave the pack before dawn. It’s not safe for you here anymore.” Safe. Right. Because an unmated, wolfless omega with no pack was safe anywhere. I swallowed the blood in my mouth and forced myself to stand straight. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing me break. “I accept your rejection, Alpha,” I said. My voice didn’t shake. Much. The bond severed with a final, agonizing snap. It felt like dying. Kade looked away first. “Next,” he called. I turned and walked out of the circle. The whispers followed me. “Pathetic.” “Serves her right.” “I heard she doesn’t even have a wolf.” I made it to the edge of the clearing before my legs gave out. I ducked behind an old oak, pressing my back against the rough bark as I slid to the ground. And then I let myself break. The sobs came silent at first, shaking my whole body. Then they grew louder, ugly and raw. Seven years of hope, of dreaming, of believing that maybe, just maybe, the Moon Goddess had a plan for me… gone in ten seconds. I was nothing. I had nothing. I was going to die alone in the woods. “Pathetic.” The voice made me freeze. I looked up through blurry eyes and saw him. *Alpha Damien Voss*. Alpha of the Nightfang Pack. Kade’s rival. The man every pack feared and no one trusted. He stood ten feet away, tall and lethal in black leathers, silver hair catching the moonlight. His eyes were gold, slit like a predator’s, and they were fixed on me with interest. “What do we have here?” Damien crouched, bringing himself to my level. He smelled like smoke and winter wind. “The Blackthorn omega. The one Kade threw away.” I scrambled back, wiping my face with shaking hands. “Stay away from me.” He tilted his head, studying me like I was a puzzle. “Why? Scared I’ll reject you too?” His words stung, but I couldn’t argue. Damien’s gaze dropped to my neck, where the bond mark would have been if Kade had claimed me. It was bare. Raw. His lips curved into something that wasn’t quite a smile. “Kade made a mistake,” he said softly. “A big one.” I shook my head. “Leave me alone.” “I can’t do that, little omega.” He reached out, and I flinched. He paused, then let his hand drop. “Because the moment you were rejected, the Moon Goddess showed me something.” My heart stuttered. “What?” I whispered. Damien’s gold eyes burned. “She showed me my mate.” The world tilted. No. No, that wasn’t possible. Once rejected, a wolf couldn’t be mated again. Unless… Unless the rejection wasn’t real. Unless the bond had never been broken. Damien stood, offering me his hand. “Come with me, Luna Vale,” he said. “Let me show you what it means to be claimed by your true Alpha.” My hand trembled an inch from his. Behind me, in the clearing, I heard Kade’s voice—sharp, furious, too late. “Luna!” Damien’s grip tightened around my wrist. Not hard. Just enough that I couldn’t pull away. His eyes met mine, serious for the first time. “Choose, Luna. Him, who threw you away. Or me, who will burn the world to keep you.” The forest went silent. The moon went quiet. And I had to decide.