THE ALPHA’S REGRET , THE DRAGON CHOICE

I never ever thought I was ever going to be the thing my pack hated the most. Yet, there I stood in the middle of the grand ballroom, surrounded by hundreds of werewolves who looked at me as though I were some disgusting creature that had crawled out of the deepest pits of hell. “W-what?” I stammered, my voice trembling as I stared at the two men standing before me. My eyes burned with unshed tears, and I clenched my fists, desperately trying to keep myself from crying in front of everyone. Not here. Not in front of all these people. But how was I supposed to hold back my tears when the two men the Moon Goddess had chosen for me were looking at me with nothing but disgust? Today was supposed to be the happiest day of my life. The Bloom Ceremony was an annual celebration where young, unmated werewolves gathered to interact, have fun, and, most importantly, discover their mates. It was a day everyone looked forward to, and I was no exception. For weeks, I had imagined what it would feel like to meet the person destined to love me. Someone who would look into my strange eyes, run his fingers through my unusual hair, and see something beautiful instead of something to be ashamed of. Someone who wouldn’t care about the scales at the nape of my neck. Someone who would choose me despite everything. Mother had been just as excited as I was. She had made sure I had a beautiful dress for the occasion, and for once, I had allowed myself to believe that perhaps the Moon Goddess had something wonderful planned for me. I had no idea that my life was about to become a thousand times worse. The moment I stepped into the ballroom, I felt something I had never experienced before. A strange pull in my chest, followed by the unmistakable scent of my mates. Not one, but two. I could hardly believe it. The Moon Goddess had blessed me with two mates, and for a few precious seconds, I was so overwhelmed with happiness that I thought I might cry. Then I discovered who they were. Alpha Kaelen, the ruthless and arrogant leader of the White River Pack, stood before me with an expression that could freeze the blood in my veins. Beside him was his best friend and Beta, Garrick, whose cold gaze was fixed on me as though he couldn’t stand the sight of me. These were the men destined to be mine. And judging by the looks on their faces, they would rather die than accept me. “Are you deaf?” Kaelen snapped, his voice cutting through my thoughts. “I said we’re rejecting you.” My heart stopped. For a moment, I simply stared at him, waiting for him to laugh or tell me it was some terrible joke. Anything would have been better than believing those words were real. But his expression remained unchanged. “We reject you!” Garrick declared, his face twisting with disgust. The entire ballroom fell silent. Hundreds of eyes turned toward us, and I could practically feel their attention pressing against my skin. Some people looked shocked, while others exchanged knowing glances. A few were already whispering among themselves, clearly enjoying the spectacle. My knees began to tremble. They were rejecting me. My own mates were rejecting me in front of the entire pack. I had imagined meeting my mates countless times, but never in my wildest nightmares had I imagined this. I thought they might be surprised by my appearance or need time to get used to me. I had even prepared myself for the possibility that they wouldn’t immediately fall in love with me. But I had never expected them to humiliate me like this. “Who would want a scaly mate with strange eyes and freakish hair?” Kaelen spat, his voice dripping with contempt. A few people snickered. My cheeks burned as I lowered my head, allowing my long, translucent blue hair to fall across my face. Instinctively, I reached for the nape of my neck, where the scales I had spent my entire life trying to hide rested beneath my hair. I knew I was different. I had always known. From childhood, I had endured the whispers, the cruel names, and the disgusted looks whenever someone noticed my unusual appearance. I had learned to keep my head down, avoid attention, and pretend that their words didn’t hurt. But deep down, I had always hoped that my mate would be different. I thought the Moon Goddess would choose someone who could see beyond my flaws, someone who would love me for who I was rather than judge me for something I couldn’t change. Instead, she had given me two men who seemed determined to make me regret ever being born. “B-but…” My lips trembled as I forced myself to look up. “I’m not a bad person.” The words came out so quietly that I wasn’t sure they had heard me. Still, I took a hesitant step forward. Perhaps if I explained myself, they would understand. Perhaps they would realize that I wasn’t the horrible creature they seemed to believe I was. Perhaps there was still a little hope left for me. “Don’t take another step.” Kaelen’s low growl sent a shiver down my spine. His eyes darkened, and the sheer force of his Alpha aura made it difficult to breathe. I froze, my heart hammering against my ribs as I watched him glare at me. “If you come any closer, I’ll have you thrown into the dungeon. You can rot there for the rest of your miserable life, you freak.” My mouth fell open. I wanted to speak, to defend myself, to ask him how he could be so cruel to someone the Moon Goddess had chosen for him. But the words died in my throat. He wasn’t joking. He genuinely wanted to hurt me. A quiet laugh rose from somewhere in the crowd, followed by another. Soon, whispers and snickers spread throughout the ballroom as everyone watched me stand there, humiliated and helpless. They were laughing at me. The very people I had grown up with, the people I had once hoped would accept me, were enjoying my suffering. I had never felt so small in my entire life. “Guards!” Garrick barked. Two guards immediately stepped forward. “Take this scaly girl out of here.” My eyes widened. Before I could react, the guards seized my arms and dragged me toward the ballroom doors. “Please!” I cried, struggling against their grip. “Let me go!” Their hands tightened around my arms, but they didn’t listen. Laughter followed me as they dragged me through the grand entrance. I caught one final glimpse of Kaelen and Garrick standing together, watching me with the same cold indifference they had shown from the moment we discovered our bond. Neither of them looked sorry. Neither of them cared. And just like that, the beautiful dream I had carried in my heart for years shattered into a million pieces. The guards shoved me out of the manor. I stumbled forward, falling hard onto the gravel. A sharp stone scraped against my left elbow, and I winced as blood trickled down my skin. But the pain in my elbow was nothing compared to what I felt inside. I pushed myself up, brushed the dirt from my dress, and ran. I ran past the beautiful houses, past the familiar paths, and past the places where I had spent my childhood wishing I could be someone else. I didn’t stop when the tears blurred my vision, and I didn’t slow down when my lungs began to burn. All I wanted was to get away. Away from the laughter. Away from the humiliation. Away from the two men who had made me feel as though I wasn’t worthy of being loved. By the time my little cottage came into view, I could barely breathe. Unlike the other houses in the pack, ours stood alone, far enough away that we were rarely bothered by anyone. Some people claimed Mother and I preferred our isolation, while others believed we didn’t deserve to live among them. I had never cared enough to ask which explanation they preferred. All I knew was that the cottage was the only place where I could sometimes forget how much the world hated me. “Mother!” I burst through the door, my voice breaking as I stumbled into the living room. Mother was sitting on the sofa with a piece of patchwork in her hands. The moment she saw my tear-streaked face and disheveled appearance, she dropped everything and hurried toward me. “Aria? What’s wrong, sweetheart?” She barely finished speaking before I threw myself into her arms. “I-I…” A sob tore through my chest, making it impossible to form a complete sentence. Mother wrapped her arms around me, holding me tightly as I cried against her shoulder. “It’s all right, my child,” she whispered, gently stroking my hair. “I’m here. Whatever happened, I’m here.” But nothing was all right. For the first time in my life, I wished I had never gone to the Bloom Ceremony. I wished I had stayed home, put on my ordinary clothes, and spent the evening beside Mother instead of foolishly hoping that someone might finally love me. Eventually, Mother guided me to the sofa, allowing me to rest my head against her shoulder while she continued to soothe me. Her familiar scent surrounded me, bringing a small measure of comfort to my aching heart. When my sobs finally quieted, she brushed my hair away from my face. “Tell me what happened at the ceremony, Aria.” I swallowed, trying to steady my breathing. “They humiliated me,” I whispered. “They made fun of me in front of everyone.” Mother’s expression tightened. “Who did?” I hesitated, fresh tears gathering in my eyes. “My mates.” For a moment, she simply stared at me. Then her face brightened with surprise. “Your mates? The Moon Goddess blessed you with your mates tonight?” “Blessed?” I let out a bitter laugh that sounded nothing like me. “No, Mother. She cursed me.” Her smile disappeared. “What do you mean, sweetheart?” I wiped my cheeks with the back of my hand, but the tears kept coming. “They were horrible to me. They called me names, insulted my appearance, and rejected me in front of the entire pack.” Mother pulled me closer, her expression filled with concern. “Who are they, Aria?” I buried my face in her lap. “Alpha Kaelen and Beta Garrick.” The silence that followed was so sudden that I lifted my head to look at her. Mother’s mouth had fallen open. “Are you certain?” I nodded miserably. “When I first discovered they were my mates, I was so happy.” My voice broke, and I pressed my lips together, trying to keep myself from crying again. “I thought things would finally be different for me. But they looked at me like I was disgusting, Mother. They didn’t even give me a chance.” Mother’s eyes softened with pity. “Oh, Aria.” She cupped my face, wiping away the tears with her thumbs. “I’m so sorry, my child.” I leaned into her touch, desperately wishing she could somehow take away the pain. “You should never let other people’s cruelty determine how you see yourself,” she murmured. “You are beautiful in your own way, Aria. One day, someone will look at you and see everything wonderful that I see.” I wanted to believe her. I really did. But how could I believe that when the two men destined to love me had looked me in the eyes and told me I was unworthy of them? Mother kissed my forehead before gently helping me to my feet. “Go freshen up, sweetheart. Wash your face and change out of that dress. We’ll talk more afterward, all right?” I nodded reluctantly. I had barely taken a step toward the stairs when a loud knock sounded at the door. Mother and I exchanged surprised glances. We rarely received visitors. In fact, I couldn’t remember the last time anyone had come to our cottage uninvited. Who could it possibly be at this hour? Mother walked to the door and opened it. Two men stood outside. I recognized them immediately as members of the Alpha’s guard. My stomach dropped. “The Alpha wants us to bring your daughter,” one of them announced. Fear shot through me so quickly that I instinctively rushed toward Mother and grabbed the back of her dress. “No,” I whispered. The guards stepped inside without waiting for an invitation. “Wait!” Mother protested, moving to block their path. “What is this about? Why does the Alpha want my daughter?” Neither man bothered to answer. One of them grabbed my arm while the other seized my wrist. I screamed. “Mother!” I clung desperately to her clothing as they began dragging me away. “Please don’t let them take me!” I sobbed, digging my heels into the floor. “Mother, please! The Alpha wants to hurt me!” Mother grabbed my free hand, trying to pull me back toward her. “Let her go!” she demanded. “You can’t just come into my home and take my daughter!” But the guards were stronger. One of them wrenched me away from her grasp, and I felt my heart tear as our hands slipped apart. “Mother!” I reached for her, my fingers stretching desperately toward the only person who had ever made me feel loved. She lunged forward, but the second guard blocked her path. “Aria!” she screamed. I struggled against the men holding me, tears streaming down my face as they dragged me toward the door. “Mother, please!” But there was nothing she could do. The door slammed behind us, cutting off her voice and leaving me alone with the two guards. As they hauled me toward the Alpha’s manor, one terrifying thought consumed my mind. Kaelen and Garrick had already rejected me. What more could they possibly want from me?