Rejected Luna

CHAPTER 2: The Alpha's Arrival

Aria’s Pov

I woke up feeling sore all I’ve my body. For a moment, I lay still, staring at the wooden ceiling above my bed while my mind slowly caught up with where I was.

Then the pain returned.

A dull ache spread through my shoulders and my muscles protested when I tried to move.

I closed my eyes and let out a quiet breath.

I remembered the hours I spent in the forest with Nora being thrown into dirt and forced to get back up again. The sound of my feet hitting the ground and Nora's voice telling me not to hesitate.

“You can’t keep depending on people to protect you Aria” her words echoed in my mind.

She was right. For years I had spent my life wishing people would stop seeing me as weak but I had never done anything to change the way I saw myself. But I shouldn’t spend my entire life waiting for something that might never come.

A small smile touched my lips as I remembered how proud Nora looked when I finally managed to block one of her attacks.

It was probably nothing to anyone else. But to me,it felt like a victory. A small one. But still a victory.

I slowly sat up and reached for my clothes. The soreness in my body reminded me that I had a long way to go. But at least now I was moving.

The moment I stepped outside my room,I noticed something unusual. The pack ground was already crowded.

Normally,mornings in shadow Fang packs were filled with the usual routines. Warriors train,families go about their duties and everyone moves according to their schedules.

But today was different. The entire pack seemed restless. People were moving quickly through the courtyard. Decorations were being carried toward the main hall. Warriors were standing in groups,whispering excitedly.

I stopped near the stairs,watching the movement around me.

“What is happening?” Nora’s voice came from behind me. I turned around.

She was carrying two cups of tea,looking far too energetic for someone who had spent the previous night throwing me around.

“You mean you don’t know?” I shook my head.

She handed me one of the cups.

“Alpha Kael Draven is arriving today” The name meant nothing to me at first. Until I noticed the way everyone was reacting.

A group of young wolves nearby started whispering.

“What do you think he’s coming here for?”

“Who knows?”

“We’ll see when he gets here”

“I heard he has never lost a battle”

“My sister said his wolf is the strongest ever recorded”

I looked at Nora

“Is he that important?”

She stared at me

“Aria”

“What”

“Do you know anything outside this pack at all?. Kael Draven is not just any alpha Aria. His reputation reaches beyond our borders” she lowered her voice

“Some people say his presence alone can make wolves submit”

I raised an eyebrow “That sounds exaggerated”

Nora shrugged “Maybe. Whatever is the truth,I’m sure we don’t want to find out”

We walked towards the main hall. Everywhere had been transformed. Tables covered with white cloth filled the room, flowers decorated the entrance and warriors stood outside wearing their formal uniforms instead of their usual training clothes.

Nora turned to me

“Don’t you think we should get changed?”

“Why?” She gave me a look

“Because there is a welcome feast”

“Which is for him”

“And there is no harm in dressing up”

“I’m fine this way Nora”

She look at me disappointedly

“Anything you say then”

A loud noise suddenly echoed through the pack territory. We didn’t need to ask what it’s meant for. It was the Alpha.

The entire pack gathered near the entrance.

I stayed behind the crowd,exactly where I always stood. Where I belonged.

The gates opened slowly.

The conversations around me faded. One by one. The sound of footsteps replaced the voices. The warriors entered first,their expressions serious.

Then came the Alpha.

Kael Draven.

I understood immediately why everyone spoke about him the way they did. Not because he tried to command attention. He didn’t need to.

There was something about the way he walked,the way everyone around him reacted,the way the atmosphere shifted when he entered

The confidence of the crowd disappeared.

Warriors who usually stood proudly lowered their heads.

Even the elders stepped forward with clear respect.

I watched from where I stood. A man living completely out of my world. A powerful and respected wolf whose name carried weight.

The Alpha greeted the elders and exchanged words with other important members of the pack.

He greeted Lyra since she was the face of our pack and was the daughter of a powerful Beta.

Everything I was meant to be.

Her friends whispered around her after she was greeted by the Alpha.

I could see from the smile on her face that they were talking about the Alpha.

I looked away.

It was none of my business.

The welcome feast began later that evening. Nora came to drag me from where I was sitting to her side.

“You look like someone who is mourning Aria”

I glanced at her”I am just eating”

“Eating like someone forced to be here”

I smiled “Maybe because someone did forced me”

She laughed quietly.

Everything felt normal until the elders stood up. The sound of conversation slowly disappeared.

Elder Marcus stepped forward.

Everyone turned toward him

“There is something important that must be announced tonight”

The hall became silent.

He looked toward Alpha Kael as if asking for permission for something and the Alpha kid his head as a signal for him to continue.

“As everyone knows,the bind between an alpha and his destined mate is one of the greatest connections blessed by the Moon Goddess”

Everyone began whispering as we all already understood where he was going

“The mate ritual will take place tomorrow night”

The room erupted.

The young ladies around me exchanged excited looks. They began smiling and whispering among themselves.

Elder Marcus raised his hand, and the room was quiet again.

“Tomorrow,the moon Goddess will reveal the woman destined to stand beside Alpha Kael Draven.”

Everyone looked excited.

Everyone except me.

Because what was about to happen belonged to a world I had never been part of.

There is one thing I’m sure of. Whoever got chosen , it won’t be me.