Rejected Luna: The Alpha’s Forced Mate

Lila had never run that fast in her life; the instant the silver thread inside her snapped tight, she forgot the elders, forgot the ceremony, forgot every pair of eyes watching from the edge of the clearing. Her wolf surged awake beneath her ribs, wild with recognition. Mate—the word struck through her like lightning. “Kael!” She pushed past two girls in white ceremonial dresses and ran straight across the packed earth. Someone called her name, someone else laughed, and Lila didn't hear either. All she could hear was her own heartbeat, and the steady, impossible pull coming from the other side of the crowd. Kael stood beneath the old oak at the center of the pack grounds; he was surrounded by the warriors who had finished their coming-of-age trials before sunset, still wearing black training clothes, their arms and shoulders marked with fresh scratches from the forest. At twenty-four, Kael was already the strongest Alpha the Silver Moon Pack had seen in years, and even standing still, he drew every gaze in the clearing. Lila had spent half her life looking at him, and tonight, for the first time, she believed he might finally look back. She almost stumbled when the pull tightened again, her wolf practically screaming inside her. That's him—that's our Mate. Lila's lips parted in a breathless smile. She didn't care that her hair had come loose or that the hem of her pale dress was dragging through the dirt; she only cared that after years of wondering, waiting, and secretly hoping, the Moon Goddess had finally answered her. Kael was her Mate, her best friend, the boy who had once climbed over the pack wall to steal apples with her, the boy who had carried her home when she twisted her ankle at twelve, the boy who had promised her, years ago, that he'd always be there when she needed him. She reached the edge of the crowd. “Kael,” she called again, softer this time. He heard her, his head turned, their eyes met, and Lila stopped. For one beautiful second, the entire world disappeared. His face was exactly as she remembered it, sharp and calm, dark hair falling slightly over his forehead; the ceremonial fire behind him threw warm light across his shoulders, but there was nothing warm in his expression. He stared at her—not with surprise, not with joy, not even confusion; he looked at her like she was a stranger. Lila's smile slowly faded. “It's me,” she whispered. A murmur moved through the crowd. Someone behind her said, “She's his Mate?” Another voice answered, “No way.” “I felt it too.” “Look at her. She actually ran to him.” Lila's fingers curled around the skirt of her dress, and she tried to ignore them. Kael was still looking at her. Maybe he was shocked, maybe he needed a moment, maybe Alphas didn't always react the way everyone expected when they met their Mate. Her wolf was restless, pacing beneath her skin. Go closer. Lila took another step; the invisible bond pulled harder, and her chest warmed. She could smell him now—pine, smoke, and the faint metallic scent of blood from the training grounds; it was so familiar that her eyes stung. “Kael,” she said, trying to smile again. “I think we're—” “Stop.” His voice cut her off, and Lila froze; the crowd went quiet for half a heartbeat before the whispers started again. Kael stepped away from the oak, he didn't come toward her, he came closer only because he had to cross the small distance between them. Lila's heart beat faster, and she searched his face for any sign that he was struggling with the same overwhelming pull she felt. There was nothing. “Did you feel it?” she asked. Her voice came out smaller than she wanted. Kael's jaw tightened. “Yes.” One word—that should have made her happy; instead, something cold slipped beneath her ribs. “You know what that means.” “I know exactly what it means.” He said it so flatly that Lila's fingers went numb. A warrior near the front shifted awkwardly. An older woman whispered, “Maybe the Alpha needs time.” “Time for what?” someone muttered. “The bond is obvious.” Lila barely heard them; she kept staring at Kael. “I thought…” She swallowed. “I thought you'd be happy.” Kael didn't answer. “Lila.” The way he said her name sounded like a warning, and she hated the sudden fear in her stomach. They had known each other since childhood; she knew the tiny movements of his face, the way his left eyebrow lifted when he was annoyed, the way he rubbed the back of his neck when he didn't know what to say. Right now, he wasn't doing any of those things; he was completely controlled, and that frightened her more. “Did I do something wrong?” she asked. “No.” “Then why are you looking at me like that?” Kael's eyes hardened. “Because this doesn't change anything.” Lila stared at him. “Doesn't change anything?” “No.” The word landed harder than it should have. Her wolf whimpered, and Lila forced a breath into her lungs. “But we're Mates.” The crowd stirred again, Kael's gaze flicked toward the people surrounding them, then back to her. “Yes.” The single word should have sounded like a promise; instead, it sounded like a sentence. Lila's hands trembled. She had imagined this moment so many times; she'd imagined Kael laughing, she'd imagined him pulling her into his arms, she'd imagined him whispering that he'd known all along, she'd imagined everything except this. “Then why won't you come closer?” For the first time, something shifted in Kael's expression—not softness, impatience. “Because I don't want to.” The whispers stopped. Lila felt heat rush to her face, someone gasped, and she heard a low voice behind her say, “That's harsh.” Another answered, “He hasn't rejected her yet.” Yet. The word echoed in her head, and Lila looked at Kael. “Are you saying you don't want me?” He didn't answer immediately, and that pause hurt more than anything else. She had spent years believing that if the Moon Goddess ever gave her a Mate, it would be the one person in the world who could never leave her. Now she was standing in front of him, and he couldn't even look at her without irritation. Her eyes burned, and she blinked quickly. “I don't understand.” “You don't need to.” “I do.” Her voice shook. “I need to understand why you're treating me like I did something to you.” Kael's mouth tightened. “You didn't.” “Then tell me what this is.” His eyes moved over her face. For a moment, Lila thought she saw something there—a hesitation, a crack. She held onto it immediately. “Kael…” He looked away, and that tiny movement crushed the hope before it could grow. Lila stepped closer. “Please.” The word escaped before she could stop it. Several people around them exchanged looks, but she didn't care; her pride had already been stripped away by the bond, and she only wanted an answer. “I've waited so long for you,” she whispered. “If you don't want me, just tell me why.” Kael looked back at her. His expression was colder now. “You're making this harder than it needs to be.” Lila's throat tightened. “Harder for who?” He said nothing. “For you?” Still nothing. “Or for me?” The silence answered her. Lila gave a small, broken laugh. “Right.” She stepped back. The invisible bond immediately protested, pain shot through her chest, and her wolf clawed desperately at the inside of her ribs. No. Don't move away. He's ours. Lila pressed one hand against her chest. Kael noticed, his eyes dropped to her hand, and for the briefest moment, his face changed. Then it disappeared. Lila wanted to believe she had imagined it; she didn't get the chance to ask. The elder overseeing the ceremony stepped forward. “Kael.” Everyone turned. The old Alpha's voice was stern. “You know what is expected.” Kael's shoulders stiffened, and the elder looked between them. “The Mate bond has been recognized by the Moon Goddess. You cannot leave the matter unresolved in front of the pack.” Lila's heart started pounding again. She looked at Kael. This was it. He would accept her. He had to. The bond had chosen them, the Moon Goddess had chosen them; maybe he was frightened, maybe he was angry, maybe he needed time, but he couldn't possibly throw away something sacred. Could he? Kael looked at the elder, then at the pack, and finally, his gaze settled on Lila. She held her breath. “Kael,” the elder said quietly, “make your choice.” Lila's fingers slowly unclenched, and she waited. The clearing was so quiet she could hear the fire crackling behind him. Kael took one step forward, and Lila's heart leaped. He stopped directly in front of her. He was close enough that she could feel the warmth of his body, close enough that every instinct in her screamed to reach for him. Her wolf pushed forward, desperate for contact. Lila looked up at him. “It's okay,” she whispered. “You don't have to be afraid.” Kael's eyes narrowed. “I'm not afraid.” “Then…” She couldn't finish. His gaze remained fixed on hers; there was no tenderness in it, no longing, nothing she could hold onto—only a decision. Lila's smile disappeared completely. “What are you going to say?” Kael inhaled slowly. Someone in the crowd whispered, “Accept her.” Another voice said, “They're Mates. He has to.” Lila barely breathed. Kael turned his head slightly, looking at the pack gathered around them, then he looked at her again. His voice was clear enough for every person in the clearing to hear. “I reject you.” Everything stopped; Lila didn't move; for one second, she couldn't understand the words. They sounded simple, too simple, three words. But her body understood before her mind did. Her heart slammed once against her ribs, then stopped. The bond inside her tore open with a pain so sharp that her knees nearly gave out. Someone shouted her name, and she couldn't hear who. The fire blurred, Kael's face blurred, and the entire clearing seemed to tilt beneath her feet. Her wolf let out one silent, agonizing cry. Lila stared at the man she had loved for years, the man who was supposed to be her Mate, the man who had just rejected her in front of the entire pack, and for the first time in her life, Lila realized that being chosen by the Moon Goddess didn't mean she would be loved. Her chest tightened until she couldn't breathe, and she reached for Kael without thinking; her fingers stopped inches from his sleeve, then slowly fell. She didn't know whether the sound inside her chest was her heartbeat breaking or her wolf screaming. All she knew was that it hurt, more than anything she had ever felt, and Kael was standing right in front of her, watching it happen.