The Alpha's Rejected Curvy bride

(Isla) “Are you seriously going in there wearing that?” The familiar voice made my stomach sink before I even turned around. I had barely stepped into the Moon Hall when Serena Blackwell’s laughter rang through the entrance. For a moment, I considered pretending I hadn’t heard her. Maybe if I kept walking, she would lose interest. Unfortunately, Serena had never been the type to lose interest once she found a target, especially when that target was me. I slowly turned around to face her, dreading what she was going to say next. Serena stood near one of the marble pillars, surrounded by her usual group of friends. Their designer dresses glittered beneath the chandeliers while expensive jewelry sparkled around their necks. They looked beautiful and perfect. They were the kind of women everyone admired, the kind future Alphas proudly introduced as their mates. Serena looked at me from head to toe. She was deliberate and cruel about it too. The smile on her lips widened as her eyes narrowed. “I’m just asking because that dress looks like it’s fighting for its life,” she continued, her tone mocking me more than her words. Her friends burst into laughter, and the sound echoed through the entrance as it bounced off the walls. Heat immediately rushed to my cheeks. I should have been used to it by now… the taunting, the mockery, the body-shaming, but I wasn’t. No matter how many years passed, humiliation never became easier. “Leave her alone,” Maya snapped. My best friend stepped forward before I could say anything. Her dark eyes narrowed at Serena. “What?” Serena asked innocently. “I’m complimenting her.” “By mocking her?” Maya replied, anger laced in her tone. Serena shrugged. “If the truth sounds like mockery, that’s hardly my fault.” The laughter started again, and it was louder this time. My fingers tightened around the invitation clutched in my hand. The edges dug into my skin, but I liked it. At least physical pain was easier to deal with than embarrassment. I had spent twenty-two years of my life hearing comments and whispers. Twenty-two years of hearing people discuss my body as though I wasn’t standing right there. I was either too big, too heavy, or too much. The words followed me everywhere, but the sad part was that the insults no longer surprised me. Only the people delivering them did… every single time. “You know,” Serena continued, folding her arms across her chest, “I actually admire your confidence.” I immediately knew nothing good would follow. “Why?” I asked before I could stop myself. Her smile widened as she stepped closer to me. “Because if I looked like you, I wouldn’t leave my house.” Her friends nearly doubled over laughing, and a few nearby wolves smiled, not because it was funny but because nobody wanted to be the person defending me. I looked away, trying hard to blink away the unshed tears. That hurt me more than Serena’s words ever could. The silence of bystanders. The way people watched without intervening and the way they pretended that cruelty was entertainment. “Come on, Isla,” Serena said sweetly. “Don’t look so upset.” I forced a smile onto my face even though my heart was breaking into pieces… again. “What exactly do you want from me?” Her eyes glittered as honest curiosity crossed her face. It was as though she genuinely hadn’t expected me to ask. Then she laughed. “Oh, nothing,” she replied simply, but I knew there was more. She stepped closer to me. “So tell me.” My stomach tightened with anticipation. What was she asking me exactly? “Tell you what?” I asked with curiosity. Her gaze sharpened with mischief. That should have been my sign to walk away from her, but instead, I stayed. “Do you really think you’ll find a mate tonight?” The question landed like a punch to my gut. I had asked myself the same question countless times, but hearing it from Serena felt like my heart was being sliced into pieces. Every unmated wolf dreamed about the Moon Bond Ceremony; the ceremony where fate revealed mates. The ceremony where the Moon Goddess changed lives. Most people arrived filled with excitement, hope, and anticipation, but I arrived terrified. Terrified that fate would overlook me. Terrified that my mate would look at me the same way everyone else did… with disappointment, embarrassment, and pity. “That’s enough,” Maya snapped, but Serena ignored her. “The future Alpha is finding his mate tonight,” she continued. “Do you honestly think the Moon Goddess would pair someone like Alpha Zayden with someone like you?” The entire entrance fell silent as several wolves suddenly found the conversation interesting. My chest tightened painfully because Serena had unknowingly spoken aloud my greatest fear. I was less afraid of death, rogues, or rejection. My greatest fear was disappointment. The idea that my mate would look at me and wish fate had chosen someone else. I laughed softly. The sound felt strange and empty. “If the Moon Goddess wants to punish somebody, she has plenty of options besides Alpha Zayden,” I replied bitterly. Several people chuckled, and even Maya looked surprised. Serena’s smile faltered briefly, but then it returned, more vicious than before. “Good,” she replied with disgust. She leaned closer. “So when Alpha Zayden chooses his mate tonight, don’t embarrass yourself by crying.” Her friends laughed again. I walked away before she could say anything else. If I stayed, I would either cry or scream, but neither option appealed to me. The massive hall was already filling with pack members as music drifted through the air. Crystal chandeliers illuminated the polished marble floors, and the scent of moonflowers lingered everywhere. Normally, the sight would have been beautiful, but tonight, it felt suffocating. Maya caught up with me moments later. “Ignore her,” she said in a bid to make me feel better, but I was way past that. It had been the same story for twenty-two years now. I smiled weakly. “Easier said than done.” “She’s jealous,” she replied. I nearly laughed. “Of what?” I asked in disbelief. I was too big, too fat. Jealousy wasn’t an emotion people associated with me. Disgust was more like it. “Of you,” she replied. I knew she was just trying to make me feel good as my best friend, but this was too extreme. “Maya,” I started, but she cut me off. “I’m serious,” Maya insisted. “Nobody is jealous of me,” I replied firmly. I was getting tired of Maya’s wishful thinking. She stopped walking. “That’s your problem.” I sighed. “No. My problem is that everyone else has eyes.” Sadness spread across her face, and immediately, guilt followed. I hated making her worry. Maya had spent years trying to convince me I was beautiful. Unfortunately, it was difficult to believe one person when an entire pack believed the opposite. A sudden commotion interrupted us, and the crowd shifted to make way. Excited whispers spread rapidly through the hall as heads turned toward the entrance, including mine. My heart skipped as I realized what was happening. Alpha Zayden Ashcroft had arrived. The future Alpha entered surrounded by warriors. He was tall, powerful, and confident. His jet-black hair was slicked back, leaving a few stubborn strands resting on his forehead. Every movement radiated authority as the crowd practically parted for him. Women straightened instantly, some smiling hopefully while others openly stared. I couldn’t blame them. Zayden was handsome… breathtakingly handsome. He had dark hair and silver eyes that seemed to shine beneath the chandeliers. His shoulders were broad and defined, the unmistakable sign of an Alpha in his prime. He had the kind of face artists would spend years trying to recreate. And walking beside him was Serena…..of course. She practically glowed, and the sight made something twist painfully inside my chest. It wasn’t jealousy but certainty. The certainty that people like Zayden belonged with people like Serena. Beautiful people belonged together. That was how the world worked. That was how it had always worked. The ceremony began shortly afterward as the elders took their places. The pack gathered beneath the enormous moon symbol carved into the ceiling. The atmosphere shifted as excitement gave way to anticipation. This was it, the moment everyone had been waiting for. The moment fate stepped in. I folded my hands together and prayed to the goddess. Maybe nothing would happen, maybe my mate lived in another pack. Maybe……… My wolf suddenly surged forward and I froze. The sensation hit so hard that my breath caught in my throat. Warmth exploded through my chest. It wasn’t ordinary warmth, it was recognition, longing and need. My pulse began racing as every instinct inside me awakened. No. My eyes widened as I realized. No. The bond snapped into place with devastating force. Across the hall, Zayden froze and the entire world seemed to stop moving. Conversations disappeared and the vanished. Everything faded except him and me. His silver eyes locked onto mine and my heart immediately stopped. Mate. The word echoed through my soul. I had a mate. Not just any mate, Alpha Zayden Ashcroft was my mate. The Moon Goddess had chosen him for me. Tears instantly filled my eyes, and for one glorious second, happiness consumed me. Pure happiness…….the kind I had never experienced before. Years of insecurity vanished, years of loneliness disappeared and nothing else mattered. I had found him, then I saw his face and my happiness died. Shock, disbelief and horror appeared on his face one after another as my stomach sank. The hall gradually fell silent as people noticed what was happening. They followed Zayden’s gaze straight to me. That was when the whispers started… again. They had followed me throughout my entire existence, right up until the most important moment of my life. “No way.” “Her?” “That’s impossible.” “The Alpha’s mate?” Laughter erupted throughout the hall and even though not everyone laughed, enough people did and it was enough to make my heart ache. Zayden started walking toward me, and the crowd parted instantly. Every step felt heavier than the last as my heart pounded violently against my ribs. Please. Please don’t look at me like that. Please. He stopped directly in front of me as the entire pack watched and waited. I held my breath. His gaze traveled slowly over my face, my hair, and then my body. Not with affection or admiration but with judgement. Humiliation burned through me and then he spoke. “You’re my mate?” The disgust in his voice shattered something inside me. For the first time in my life, I understood that finding your mate could hurt far more than never finding one at all.