THE ALPHA KING’S REJECTED MATE

The moon had never looked more beautiful. I remember thinking that as I stood beneath the crystal chandeliers of Mooncrest Castle, surrounded by hundreds of wolves dressed in their finest clothes. Tonight was supposed to be the happiest night of my life. My eighteenth birthday. The night every werewolf waited for. The night we discovered our mate. I nervously smoothed the silver fabric of my dress. “Stop doing that,” Mira whispered beside me. I looked at her. “Doing what?” “Trying to destroy your dress with your fingers.” I smiled weakly. “I can’t help it.” Mira squeezed my hand. “You’re nervous.” “Terrified.” “Why?” I glanced across the ballroom. Because of him. Alpha King Kael Draven. He stood beside the royal throne, surrounded by members of the Royal Guard. He was everything an Alpha King was supposed to be. Tall. Powerful. Cold. Untouchable. His black hair fell slightly across his forehead, and his silver eyes seemed capable of making an entire room fall silent. At twenty-six, Kael was already considered the strongest Alpha in the Northern Territories. And I had been secretly in love with him for years. It was ridiculous. He probably didn’t even know my name. I was an orphaned omega who had grown up under the protection of Mooncrest Pack. Kael was the king. I was nobody. Yet tonight, something inside me felt different. My wolf had been restless since sunset. He’s here. I swallowed. Who? Our mate. My heart jumped. I looked at Kael again. No. It couldn’t be. Before I could think about it, the ceremonial bell rang. The ballroom fell silent. The mate ceremony began. One by one, the unmated wolves stepped forward. Some found their partners. Some walked away disappointed. I barely heard the names. My heartbeat was too loud. Then my wolf screamed. ELARA! I gasped. A scent suddenly surrounded me. Pine. Rain. Smoke. My knees nearly gave out. I knew that scent. I had smelled it from a distance countless times. Kael. My eyes lifted. He was already looking at me. Our eyes locked. Everything disappeared. The crowd. The music. The lights. There was only him. Kael’s expression changed. Shock flashed across his face. Then something colder. Fear. He walked toward me. Whispers erupted throughout the ballroom. “The Alpha King found his mate.” “Who is she?” “Elara Veyne?” “The omega?” I couldn’t hear them. Kael stopped in front of me. My heart was pounding so hard I thought everyone could hear it. “Kael…” His jaw tightened. “Elara Veyne.” Hearing my name from his lips made me smile. Then he stepped backward. My smile disappeared. “What?” His eyes became cold. “I, Kael Draven, Alpha King of the Northern Territories…” He paused. My heart began to race. “…reject you, Elara Veyne, as my mate.” The world stopped. My wolf screamed. NO! I stared at him. I couldn’t breathe. Someone behind me gasped. Another person whispered. “She was rejected.” My eyes filled with tears. “Why?” Kael said nothing. “Why?” His expression didn’t change. “You don’t need to know.” My lips trembled. “But you’re my mate.” “I know.” “Then why?” He looked away. “You should learn not to love people who cannot love you back.” The words destroyed me. I had spent years imagining what it would feel like to find my mate. I had imagined happiness. A future. Children. A family. Instead, I stood in front of everyone and watched the man I loved destroy my heart. “I love you,” I whispered. For one second, his expression cracked. Pain appeared in his eyes. Then it vanished. “Don’t.” That single word was enough. I ran. I didn’t care who saw me. I ran through the castle corridors until I reached the gardens. I collapsed beneath an old willow tree. My tears wouldn’t stop. Why did he reject us? “I don’t know.” He is our mate. “I know.” Then why doesn’t he want us? “I don’t know!” Pain suddenly exploded through my body. I screamed. Silver light spread across my skin. A strange symbol appeared on my palm. A crescent moon surrounded by three stars. I stared at it. “What is happening?” A voice whispered inside my mind. The blood has awakened. I froze. “Who are you?” The last Lunar Daughter has returned. The ground trembled. Then footsteps sounded behind me. “Elara.” I turned. Kael stood at the entrance of the garden. But the cold Alpha King I had just seen was gone. His face was pale. His eyes were fixed on my glowing palm. “What happened to you?” I closed my hand. “You rejected me.” His jaw tightened. “I know.” “So leave me alone.” He stepped toward me. “You don’t understand.” “Then explain!” Before he could answer, a terrifying howl echoed through the forest. Kael turned. His eyes flashed silver. “Get inside.” “Why?” Another howl sounded. Kael looked at me. “Because someone is here.” My blood ran cold. “Who?” He didn’t answer. Instead, he whispered: “Run.” I stared at him. And suddenly I understood. Kael hadn’t rejected me because he didn’t want me. He had rejected me because… he was afraid of what I was.