REJECTED BY THE WOLF KING

Mira I knew something was wrong the moment the hall fell silent. Not silent in the normal way people quiet down during ceremonies, this silence was sharp, heavy, and full of teeth. It cut through the music, and the incense smoke wrapped around my throat like a noose. And all of it was because King Arden had stopped walking. His boots halted on the marble floor, the fur-lined crown mantle shifting around his shoulders as he turned slowly, dangerously toward me. My breath caught. Not because of fear, though I felt plenty of that. But because in the space of one heartbeat… my world changed. A pulse shot through my chest. A burst of heat. A shock of invisible lightning. My knees nearly buckled. The mate bond snapped into place. I didn't know I'd been holding my breath my whole life until that moment. The force of it, raw, ancient, and instinctive, slammed into me like a storm breaking against a cliff. My wolf, weak, silent, and almost nonexistent all my life, shivered awake, brushing against my mind like a soft breath. Mate. The whisper vibrated through my bones. And then the king spoke. "No." Just one word, but it wasn't confusion or surprise or emotion. It was disgusting. The entire court turned. Hundreds of noble wolves stared at me, an omega girl standing in the wrong place at the wrong time, while the most powerful man in the kingdom looked at me as though I were filth staining his boots. My heart thrashed painfully. He felt it too. He had to. No wolf could ignore the mate bond… not even the Wolf King. But instead of acknowledgement… his pale silver eyes grew colder. Harder. Deadly. "Bring her forward," Arden commanded. Two guards stepped behind me instantly. I didn't resist; they were warriors, and I was… nothing. An omega servant girl who scrubbed floors, washed linens, lived quietly, and survived by being invisible. But today, I wasn't invisible. I was trapped. One guard pushed me gently but firmly until I stood before the throne dais. Music had stopped. The courtiers held their breath. Even the candles flickered as if afraid of him. Arden descended the steps with the slow, stalking grace of a predator. Each step echoed in my head. My pulse rushed. My palms shook. My wolf trembled, trying to understand why the one destiny promised would protect us looked like he wanted to tear me apart. He stopped just in front of me. He was taller than I'd ever realized up close. Broad shoulders, black hair tied back, a jaw sculpted by war, and eyes sharp enough to gut someone without touching them. "State your name," he said. His voice was frost. My mouth was dry. "M-Mira." A ripple of whispers spread around the hall. Omegas weren't permitted to stand this close to the king. They certainly weren't allowed to draw his attention. But I hadn't drawn it. Fate had. And fate, apparently, had a cruel sense of humor. Arden's nostrils flared once, catching the scent of our bond, undeniable, unchangeable, and ancient. His wolf pushed beneath his skin for a single, electrifying second, silver flashing in his eyes. Then he recoiled from me like I was diseased. His lip curled. "This is a mistake." The words hit harder than a slap. My wolf whimpered. "It… it isn't," I whispered, unable to help it. "I felt—" "You felt nothing," he snapped, voice slicing through the air. "You are an omega. Weak. Powerless. Useless." My chest cracked. The hall murmured in agreement. Arden stepped closer, towering over me. "You dare claim the mate bond with me?" His voice dropped to a dangerous growl. "You think I would be bound to someone like you?" My throat burned. "I didn't claim anything," I whispered, tears stinging my eyes. "It's the truth. I felt…." Arden slammed his hand against the pillar beside me. I flinched violently. "You dare to manipulate me?" he roared, the words echoing off stone. Gasps filled the room. Several nobles nodded, their faces twisted with disgust. "Execute her," an elder whispered. "With pleasure." My blood turned to ice. Execution for mate manipulation, a crime that didn't exist until this very moment, but the court would happily create just to be done with a girl like me. Arden's voice rose over them all. "I, King Arden of Silvercrest, reject you." The words didn't just cut—they shattered. My wolf screamed. Pain exploded in my chest like fire tearing through flesh. The bond cracked, splintered, and ripped itself away. My knees crashed to the floor. I couldn't breathe. Couldn't think. It felt like dying. Warm tears blurred my vision as I swallowed a sob. The rejection hit so deep it hollowed me out from the inside. Arden leaned down, his face expressionless, his tone ice-cold. "You are nothing. You will always be nothing. And if you remain in my kingdom, omega, you will be executed for treason." Treason. For being born wrong. For being chosen by fate. For existing. I forced myself to stand even though my entire body shook. I wouldn't die here. Not on my knees. Not like this. With the last of my strength, I turned and ran. I didn't look back. Not when nobles laughed. Not when guards chased after me. Not when my heart broke into pieces so sharp I swore they cut my lungs. I only ran. Through corridors. Downstairs. Past startled servants. Out into the freezing night. The cold slapped my face, but I welcomed it. It made the pain inside me hurt a little less. My wolf whimpered, barely alive. Why does it hurt so much? I didn't have an answer. All I knew was that if I stayed… I would die. So I crossed the palace gates, the guards too shocked or disgusted to stop me, and disappeared into the shadows as the kingdom bells rang in the distance. Behind me, the palace stood tall and glittering. Ahead of me… nothing but darkness. The bond was broken. And so was I.