Alpha's Stubborn Mate

CHAPTER ONE: REJECTION “I would choose a dead body over you.” SELENA’S POV The door burst open with a violent bang, slamming against the wall as sharp, echoing footsteps followed—stiletto heels striking the marble floor like a warning drum. I didn’t need to look up. I knew it was either Chloe… or Delilah. My foster sisters, my tormentors. The ones who had turned my life into a living nightmare. Ever since I was a child, I had known nothing but cruelty in their hands—harsh words, cold stares, and punishments for sins I never committed. Yet somehow, I endured because of one fragile hope. My mate. The one destined to find me. To save me. And today… he is coming. Damien. Today, he would claim me. “Get up!! Useless girl!” Delilah’s voice lashed through the room like a whip. “Do I have to drag you out of bed myself?” Before I could react, her heel dug into my chest. A sharp, crushing pain exploded through my collarbone, forcing a gasp from my lips. My breath hitched as fear wrapped around my ribs like chains. “I—I’m sorry, Lady Delilah…” My voice trembled as I forced the words out. “I didn’t mean to annoy you…” Even though I hated apologising when I had done nothing wrong, I dare not claim to be right, not even with Delilah. “Wear this,” she snapped, lifting her heel off me and tossing a dress straight at my face. “Before Damien arrives.” The fabric struck my cheek, soft… yet humiliating. “Witch,” she muttered with disgust. That word again. A label they forced on me… a curse they claimed I carried. They always said I killed my parents. Even as a child… I believed them. “I already have a dress,” I said quietly, gathering courage I didn’t feel. “Luna Samantha gave me one.” The moment the words left my lips, the air shifted. Delilah went still, too still. A chill ran down my spine. Then Lyra—my wolf—whispered inside me, her voice tense. “That’s the dress she’s wearing.” My heart dropped. I forced myself up despite the pain screaming through my body and rushed to the wardrobe. Empty. My beautiful blue lace dress is gone. “No… no, please—” My voice cracked as I turned back to her. “That’s mine. Luna gave it to me… You can’t take it.” The slap came fast, then another. The sound echoed louder than the pain. My head snapped to the side, and heat spread across my cheek as tears instantly filled my eyes. “How dare you speak back to me?” Delilah hissed, her eyes burning with cruelty. “You are nothing but a slave. You speak only when I allow it.” My knees gave out, and I crumbled to the floor. Not just from the pain. But from the helplessness of watching something so precious… stolen so easily. My eyes became watery from tears “What’s taking so long?” Chloe’s voice floated in as she entered, her presence just as suffocating. “Damien will be here soon. Come over Delilah, your makeover is waiting.” Makeover? My chest tightened. Shouldn’t I be the one preparing? I was his mate. Wasn’t I? “You won’t believe this,” Delilah laughed. “This fool asked me to return the dress.” Their laughter filled the room—loud, mocking, merciless. I clenched my fists. Lyra stirred again, softer this time. “Endure it… this is the last day. He’s coming for us.”I held onto those words like they were oxygen. Chloe stepped closer, crouching before me. Her finger lifted my chin, forcing me to meet her gaze. “I should add a few more bruises,” she mused. “I can’t let Damien see you looking prettier than me.” A shiver ran down my spine. She meant it, she always did. “No… please…” I whispered, lowering my head. “I’ve had enough…” I brushed my fingers on the fake scar I had carefully crafted on my face. If they believed my face was already ruined… maybe they would stop. “Fine,” Delilah said with a satisfied smirk. “Wear that dress and come downstairs.” They stormed out. Leaving me behind… broken, aching, but breathing. I stared at the dull, oversized grey gown they had given me. This… is what I’ll wear when I meet my mate? A bitter smile touched my lips. “Just one more day,” I whispered. “After today… Everything will change.” The dress hung loosely on my fragile frame, slipping at the shoulders. I tied it awkwardly, praying it wouldn’t fall and expose me. Then I ran downstairs. Hope beating wildly in my chest. And then, I saw him. Damien. For a moment… the world stopped. He was everything I had imagined: strong, commanding, breathtaking. My heart leapt. A smile trembled onto my lips. He’s here…But then I saw Delilah pressing her breast against his chest. Her body leaning into his, her fingers playing with his shirt while he gently brushed her hair aside. My heart shattered. Still… I stepped forward. Because I needed to be sure if my eyes hadn't betrayed me. I clenched my fist, anger burning through me as if I had a furnace in me. I felt like punching every part of Delilah. But I managed to focus on my mate. “This is me…” My voice came out softer than I intended. “Damien… I’m your mate.” The bond pulsed inside me was real. My wolf keeps drawing me to him. He turned and looked at me, then his face twisted in disgust as if I were a rag from the latrine. I managed to swallow empty air. “You?” he said, his voice sharp with disbelief. “You think I would ever claim Omega like you?” My breath caught in disbelief. “Look at you… so skinny. Are you sick?” He covered his nose. “You’re ugly… and you stink.” Laughter erupted around me. Other wolves recoiled as if I were something filthy or maybe beneath them. My hands trembled violently. “No… the Moon Goddess—she chose us…” My voice broke. “You’re my—” “The moon Goddess makes mistakes,” he cut in coldly. “And I’m here to fix them.” My heart pounded wildly. “No…” “If Delilah didn’t exist…” His lips curled in disdain. “I would rather choose a dead body over you.” My head spun. Then the final blow “I, Damien… reject you, Selena… as my mate.” Something inside me snapped. A scream tore from my throat, raw and broken. Pain unlike anything I had ever known ripped through my chest, spreading into every bone, every nerve. Lyra cried out painfully through my voice then she vanished. I collapsed, unable to withstand the pain. My body trembled violently against the cold floor. But it wasn’t the physical pain that destroyed me but the emptiness, the loss, the rejection. Tears streamed endlessly as I watched him—my mate—wrap his arms around Delilah, kissing her as if I had never existed. “Get up!” Chloe’s voice cut through the haze. “Give me back that dress!” Her hands grabbed at me, pulling and yanking. “No… please…” I begged weakly. “Let me go inside and give..” before I could finish the word the fabric tore exposing my naked cleavage. I crossed my hands on my chest. Panic and pain surged in me. Was she going to strip me here? In front of everyone? No, No. “Stop it now!!!” The voice thundered through the hall, powerful, authoritative, Unquestionable. Everything froze. I lifted my tear-blurred gaze toward the entrance. Then I saw a young she-wolf standing there—radiant, elegant, powerful. She looked exactly like me, but not as thin as I am. She walked toward me without hesitation, her presence commanding the room. Then she knelt and pulled me into a warm embrace. “I’ve missed you,” she whispered. “My twin sister.” My breath hitched. “Twin… sister?” I repeated, barely able to process it. She pulled back, her eyes soft but fierce. “Yes,” she said. “You’re coming with me.” Her hand tightened around mine. “You’re not staying here any longer.”