Rejected by the Alpha, Awakened as the Blood Queen

Chapter 2: A Glorious Sacrifice

The flagstone path leading to Silvermoon City’s central square had never felt so long. Every step I took was remarkably steady—steadier, even, than any stroll I’d taken in the last five years. The maids followed behind me, their footsteps cluttered and hesitant, carrying a mix of pity and a trace of irrepressible excitement. They whispered among themselves, thinking I couldn't hear.

"Poor Miss Elena, she looks like she’s about to shatter."

"Let her shatter. What’s a human doing in the Alpha’s mate spot for this long anyway?"

"Look at her face—paler than moonlight. What a jinx..."

I didn't look back. Those voices stuck to the back of my neck like greasy flies you can’t shake in the summer. Annoyed? No, not even that. It felt more like watching a farce that had nothing to do with me; even a frown seemed like a waste of effort. What did the "poor Elena" they spoke of have to do with me? My gown was an outdated style in ivory silk—the same one I had worn at my engagement ceremony five years ago. Kyle’s mother, the haughty Luna, had specifically sent someone to deliver it with a cold message: "Wear this. At least try to leave with some dignity."

What an irony—wearing the same gown I started in to meet such a humiliating end.

The square was packed with people, the collective body heat of the werewolves driving away the evening chill. The air was thick with the savory scent of roasted meat, the richness of strong spirits, and that distinct musk of earth and wildness unique to their kind. A massive bonfire roared in the center of the square, its flames casting a crimson glow over every face, their eyes gleaming with a feral intensity. They raised their glasses and howled, toasting their Alpha’s "rebirth" and cheering for my demise.

My arrival was like a drop of ice water into boiling oil. The boisterous crowd fell momentarily still as thousands of gazes fixed upon me—contemptuous, pitying, gloating, or indifferent. I was like a sacrificial lamb, exposed and naked before everyone’s judgment.

Without glancing aside, I walked straight toward the towering altar.Atop the altar, Kael stood like a deity bathed in moonlight. He had changed into a more majestic set of white ceremonial robes, the silver wolf crest on his chest gleaming brilliantly. Beside him stood Isabelle, the legendary White Wolf Warrior Goddess. She was indeed breathtakingly beautiful, her long golden hair like molten sunlight, her military attire accentuating the powerful, graceful curves of her body. She held her head high with pride, like a victorious lioness, basking in the adoring gazes of her people. She didn't spare me a single glance, as if I were nothing more than thin air.

Good. I liked being ignored. It allowed me to better appreciate the drama meticulously staged for my benefit.

I stopped ten paces away from them—the position designated for the forsaken, according to ancient ritual.

Elder Arnold, the officiant—a grey-haired, stern-faced old werewolf—glanced at me with his cloudy eyes, his disgust unconcealed. He cleared his throat, his voice projecting across the square through some form of amplification magic.

"Tonight, under the witness of the Silver Moon, we gather here to celebrate the continuation of our bloodline and the return of our glory!"

The crowd erupted in thunderous cheers.

Elder Arnold raised a hand for silence and turned to Kael, his tone becoming profoundly respectful. "Our Alpha, Kael, has made a difficult and noble decision for the future of the Silver Moon Clan!"

He paused, turning his gaze toward me, his voice suddenly cold and severe. "This betrothal to the human, Miss Elena, was born of a bygone era—a compromise that is no longer necessary. Her bloodline is weak; her body cannot bear the glory of an Alpha’s progeny. To continue this contract would be a stain upon our great werewolf lineage!"

A chorus of agreement rippled through the square. Every word was like a poisoned dagger, piercing into me with precision. I could feel the blatant malice of the werewolves surrounding me; they looked as though they wanted to flay me alive with their eyes.

Kael stepped forward. His golden eyes finally settled on me, but they held not a shred of past affection—only the cold, regal indifference of a ruler. He held aloft an ancient scroll, a thing I knew all too well. It was made of an unknown hide, its edges yellowed with age, inscribed with intricate runes of blood.

That was the "Blood Covenant"—the very thing that had shackled me for nearly a century.“I, Kael, Alpha of the Silver Moon Pack,” his voice rang out, resonant and powerful, filled with an authority that brooked no dissent. “Hereby announce, in the name of our ancestors, that for the glory of the Silver Moon Pack and the purity of our bloodline, I am officially dissolving my engagement to the human Elena!”

His gaze swept across the square, basking in the fanatical adoration of his people. Then, he looked at me, his lips curling into a cruel sneer, as if savoring my final moments of despair.

“And I shall take the pure-blooded White Wolf warrior goddess, Isabelle, as my sole mate and our pack’s future Luna!”

Isabelle stepped forward with pride, standing shoulder to shoulder with Kael as they bathed in the thunderous cheers of the crowd. As she passed me, her nose wrinkled instinctively in disgust, as if she had caught the scent of something repulsive. She likely assumed it was the medicinal scent that perpetually hung around me—an aroma she associated with sickness and decay. Heh, such a keen nose. A pity she had misidentified her prey.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Kael gripped the “Blood Covenant” with both hands, a flash of cold resolve glinting in his golden eyes.

*Rip!*

The sharp sound of tearing was jarringly clear against the backdrop of the rowdy square. The scroll, which bore the weight of ancient oaths, was ruthlessly torn in two by his powerful hands, then crumpled into a ball and hurled into the brazier at his feet.

The moment the scroll turned to ash, a searing pain like molten iron flooded my heart. My vision darkened, and I nearly collapsed to my knees. The metallic tang of blood in my throat made me choke and cough; I braced myself against my knees, my body trembling like a lone leaf in an autumn gale.

“Look, she’s finally breaking.”

“What a pathetic weakling, she can't even handle this.”

“Serves her right.”

The murmurs around me grew muffled and distant. They assumed this was the sight of a broken heart—a collapse brought on by humiliation and grief.

Only I knew the truth.

Deep within this tearing pain, something... was laughing. It wasn't me, but the “other me” that had been slumbering within. That power wasn't merely “flowing in”; it was “bursting” through my dried-up channels, every inch of muscle undergoing a violent rebirth amidst the spasms.The seal that had been coiled deep within my heart, siphoning my life energy for nearly a century—that damned "Blood Covenant"—finally collapsed the moment it was violently torn apart! A terrifying power, shackled for a hundred years and as vast as a sea of stars, was breaking its chains and surging back into my withered husk with devastating force, crushing everything in its path!

I could feel my blood, which had been nearly stagnant, surging to a boil. Beneath my paper-white skin, every vein and every muscle fiber greedily drank in this long-lost power, trembling with shudders of delight. The so-called "anemia"—that godforsaken weakness—was vanishing before my eyes. I wasn't just feeling ecstasy; I *was* ecstasy itself.

Slowly, very slowly, I drew myself up.

Kael was preparing to receive Elder Arnold's blessing when he seemed to sense something and cast a casual glance my way. He saw me with my head bowed, my long silver hair obscuring my face and my frail shoulders trembling slightly. He likely thought I was weeping; a fleeting look of annoyance crossed those golden eyes before he turned back to his beautiful, powerful bride.

The moment he turned his head, I noticed a faint mark flash across the back of the hand that had just torn the scroll—so quick it seemed like an illusion. He remained completely oblivious.

That was the first warning of the covenant's backlash. A little parting gift just for him.

My head remained bowed; no one could see my expression.

In the shadows cast by my long hair, upon my bloodless face, the corners of my mouth curled upward, bit by bit, uncontrollably. It was a satisfied, eerie smile, brimming with infinite malice.

I could feel an unearthly, hungry crimson glow flickering to life in the depths of my hollow eyes, like two burning embers in the dark of night.

Kael.

That smug face of his... I just want to... crush it.

Hungry...

So hungry...