THE WEAKEST LUNA IS THE BLOOD MOON QUEEN

Rejected

The rejection hit Sky like a physical blow to the chest.

The glowing crimson thread connecting their souls shattered into millions of sparkling, dying shards.

A agonizing surge of white hot agony ripped through Sky’s blood, tearing past her heart and clawing at her very soul. She collapsed to her knees on the cold stone floor, curling in on herself as a hollow, ragged scream tore from her throat.

The rejection of a fated mate bond was a slow death for a normal wolf. For Sky, it felt as though her entire insides were being burned alive.

"Ace" she gasped, her hands clutching at her chest where the magical tether had just been severed. She looked up through a blur of scalding tears, her chest heaving for air. "Please"

Ace stood above her, his shadow blocking out the moonlight. His golden eyes remained completely devoid of pity, cold and distant as he looked down at her shivering form.

"Look at you," Ace said, his voice flat and echoing off the ancient stone pillars. "You cannot even withstand the force of the rejection without falling to your knees. A Luna must stand beside the Alpha. She must lead warriors. She must be strong."

He took another step backward, completely distancing himself from her suffering.

"You are too weak to be my mate, Sky," he continued, his tone carrying the weight of an absolute law. "You would be a liability to this pack. A flaw in our bloodline."

A sudden roar of brutal laughter erupted from the front row.

Taki stepped forward, slapping his hands against his thighs as he sneered down at her. "Did you really think the Goddess made you for our Alpha? You're an omega runt! You can't even shift!"

"What an embarrassment!" another warrior shouted. "She actually thought she was going to be Queen!"

"Get her off the platform! She's polluting the ceremony!"

Cruel taunts and mocking jeers swelled into a deafening chorus, bouncing around the amphitheater. The same wolves who had beaten her for years were now celebrating her ultimate destruction.

Sky pulled her knees tightly to her chest, hiding her face in her arms as her body shook violently from the emotional and physical agony.

Her heart felt as though it had been violently sliced in two. Her greatest hope, her one desperate prayer for a life of safety and love, had just transformed into the most horrifying public humiliation of her life.

Footsteps approached from the dais.

Ash glided past the kneeling crowd, her long silver hair swaying around her shoulders. She ignored Sky completely, stepping around the broken girl as if she were nothing more than garbage on the floor.

Ash reached Ace's side and gently slid her fingers into his.

"You made the right choice for the pack, Ace," Ash murmured soft enough for only him to hear, though her triumphant smile was visible to everyone.

She leaned her head against his broad shoulder, offering him soft, comforting strokes along his arm. "A king must put his people before a broken bond."

Ace didn't pull away from Ash. He wrapped an arm around her waist, drawing her close against his side in front of the entire assembly.

Sky looked up just in time to see them standing together, unified and strong, while she lay broken in the dirt. The sight stabbed deeper than any claw or blade ever could.

Ace raised his free hand, commanding absolute silence over the arena. The crowd instantly went dead quiet, waiting for their future king's decree.

Ace looked out over the hundreds of pack members, his voice ringing crisp and unyielding through the dark night air.

"The Moon Goddess may have given me a flawed bond, but I will not lead this pack into ruin," Ace proclaimed loudly.

"I choose my own path. I announce tonight that Ash will stand beside me as my future Luna."