REJECTED BUT FATED

Make Him Disappear

“That’s not a decision I want to make in haste,” I said quietly.

William’s eyes narrowed. “Why not?”

There was a pause. Then, sharper, “You have feelings for him now?”

“Of course not,” I snapped, a little too quickly.

Even though… I did feel something. That tug. That pull. That damned bond that made everything harder to ignore. But I couldn’t admit it, not in front of him. Not now.

“Then why do you need time?” he pressed.

I sighed, frustration creeping in. “Rejecting him won’t be easy, Will. It would mean going against the goddess’s will.”

“It would mean going against my father.”

“It would mean risking everything I’ve worked for: my future, my position, the leadership of this pack.”

He inhaled sharply. I could see it, all the hurt, all the rage building up in his chest. My words hit him like a storm surge.

“Will,” I said softly, “I love you. I’ve loved you since we were children. But rejecting Daniel, in front of my father and the entire pack… that’s not something I can do without thought. Without consequence.”

Silence stretched between us like a blade.

I turned to leave, my chest aching with every step.

Then his voice stopped me: strong, cold, and deliberate.

“What if we make him disappear?”

I spun around, heart slamming in my chest. “Will, don’t.”

His gaze was dark. “He’s just an Omega. No one would question it. You said it yourself: this bond could ruin everything.”

“Don’t do anything stupid,” I warned, voice shaking. “Don’t do something that will change how I see you.”

He flinched. But I wasn’t finished.

“Don’t make me regret loving you all these years.”

His jaw clenched. “So what do you want me to do? Just sit here and let the goddess take you away from me?”

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t.

Instead, I turned again and walked away, this time for real: leaving him behind with his fury and my own broken heart.

Time flew faster than I expected. The full moon was only two weeks away, and with every sunrise, I felt the weight of the impending bond ceremony crushing my chest. My father was obsessed with the preparations: he wanted perfection, tradition, and submission to the will of the Moon Goddess. His every command was about guest lists, sacred rites, and rituals meant to honor the bond... the one I wasn’t sure I wanted.

Meanwhile, William refused to be ignored.

He showered me with attention: bouquets of my favorite roses delivered at dawn, rare trinkets, handwritten notes filled with childhood memories and whispered promises. His eyes followed me through the pack house, and when we met, he looked at me like I was still his.

He didn’t stop there.

Slowly, cruelly, he began his game.

Daniel became a constant target. Omegas from other families: some loyal to William, some bribed, began to corner him. They tripped him in the dining hall, stole his belongings, spilled drinks on him. Once, I walked into the training yard and saw him on the ground, surrounded by laughter as someone tore a button from his already worn shirt.

And William was always watching.

Always smirking.

“Look at him,” he whispered to me one evening, standing beside me at the garden overlook. “That’s who the goddess thinks is your mate?”

I didn’t respond. But I couldn’t unsee the way Daniel stood tall despite it all. How he bit down on his pride, swallowed the shame, and kept walking forward, head high, eyes steady, even when no one stood beside him.

Part of me wanted to scream. Another part... felt guilt bloom like a bruise under my ribs.

William placed his hand on mine.

“You don’t have to go through with this,” he said softly. “You deserve more than a fate tied to someone beneath you.”

I looked into his eyes. They were familiar. Safe. But suddenly, they didn’t feel as true.

And somewhere deep in my chest, the bond I tried so hard to reject... pulsed.

I should have seen it coming.

I could hardly believe my ears when I heard the whispers in the hallway. Daniel, my supposed fated mate, accused of stealing a sacred heirloom belonging to one of the council Betas. Worse, it was found in his room. The Omega who reported it had even come forward with witnesses.

A perfect excuse. A gift from the Moon Goddess herself, I thought.

Without wasting a moment, I stormed into the main hall, where my father was reviewing scrolls with the council. My voice rang out.

“Father, the news you’ve heard, it changes everything. He’s a thief! We cannot allow the bond to go through.”

Alpha Rolland lifted his gaze slowly, calmly. Too calmly.

“You speak of Daniel?” he asked.

“Of course I am!” I snapped. “How can you allow a criminal to be bonded to your daughter? To our pack?”

The room fell silent, tension thickening the air.

“He’s being framed,” my father said flatly. “There’s no proof he took it. Only that it was found in his room, it is likely planted.”

“You can’t know that!” I said, my voice rising.

“I know the politics of power, Rita,” he replied, stepping forward. “And I know when someone is being set up.”

I clenched my fists, shaking. “So that’s it? You’ll risk the honor of our pack just to obey some mystical bond?”

He studied me a long moment.

“I will honor the Goddess’ decision,” he said. “Whether or not you do is your burden to carry.”

My throat went dry. “You’re still planning the ceremony?”

He nodded. “Two weeks from now. As we agreed.”

I turned on my heel and left, my heart pounding.

So this was how it would be: I’d have to choose between fate and freedom.

As time slipped through my fingers like sand, desperation began to claw at my chest. I couldn’t breathe knowing that the bond marking ceremony was closing in—just days away now. I needed a way out. I needed him out.

Without thinking twice, I stormed over to William’s estate.

By the time I reached his door, my body was trembling with urgency. My fists pounded harder than I intended.

He opened it quickly, surprised. “Rita,” he breathed, eyes scanning my face. “What’s wrong?”

“We need to talk. Now,” I said, pushing past him into the hallway. I didn’t have time for pleasantries.

“Talk about what?” he asked, voice low and cautious.

“We need to find a way to break the bond,” I said, the words slicing out of me like a blade.

His brows knit. “Why the sudden panic?”

That question stung more than it should have. I swallowed the irritation but barely held my composure.

“He’s not just a slave, Will. He’s a thief. Can’t you see this bond is cursed?”

He leaned back against the wall, arms folded. “And what exactly do you want me to do? You already warned me not to do anything stupid last time, remember?”

His tone stoked the fire building in me.

“Forget it,” I snapped, spinning on my heel.

But just as I took a step toward the door, an idea struck me: sharp and bright.

“Wait,” I said, turning back. “Maybe there is something you can do.”

William tilted his head, eyes narrowing with interest. “What?”

“You can make him reject the bond. On the day of the ceremony. In front of the entire pack.”

He blinked in surprise, lips parting.

“Oh yes,” I continued, voice trembling with hope. “If he rejects me first, the bond will break and no one can blame me for it.”

A wicked grin crept across William’s face, slow and calculated. “I think I can make that happen.”

My heart pounded: not with love, not with fear, but with cold, calculated resolve.

And so another mission began.