Rejection
1042 Words
SLOANE
The moon goddess must be sick in the head to think I’d ever accept them.
I don't think twice.
“I, Sloane Vance, in the name of the Moon Goddess… reject every single one of you as my mates.”
The entire hall goes silent while I stand there, waiting for something. Anything.
But all I can feel is this dull muted and distant ache in my chest.
If my wolf wasn't a weak one, I knew this rejection would have torn through me but now, it barely even scratches the surface.
See, there's a blessing in every disappointment.
And they are the ones feeling it.
I can see it in their eyes.
Then comes the screech,
“How dare you?!”
Elara’s voice slices through the hall so sharply that a few people actually flinch.
Her perfectly painted face twists in horror as she stares at me like I just murdered someone in front of her.
Which honestly?
A little dramatic if you ask me.
But Elara has always acted less like an adopted sister and more like a territorial girlfriend with anger issues.
The entire hall erupts immediately after.
Not loudly at first.
Just whispers.
Sharp and disbelieving.
“What the hell—”
“She rejected them?”
“All three?!”
“Is she insane?”
“That’s the Halcyons—”
“The Ice Kings—”
“Barehide has completely lost it.”
The murmurs spread like wildfire through the crowd and I can practically feel hundreds of eyes crawling all over me.
But my attention stays locked on them.
Zion looks murderous, his chest rising sharply once as if he’s physically forcing himself to breathe through whatever the bond is doing to him.
Then—
“What the f**k did you just say?”
The words come out low and dangerous enough that the crowd instantly quiets again.
Beside him, Zeke says absolutely nothing.
But his jaw clenches so hard I can hear his teeth grind from here and honestly?
That somehow feels worse.
Then there’s Zayden.
No anger.
No shouting.
Just pure disbelief written across his face like his brain genuinely cannot process what just happened.
Good.
I hope it hurts them to the core.
My gaze sweeps across all three of them before I let out a small humorless laugh.
“You made my life hell for years,” I say slowly, my voice carrying far too clearly in the silence. “And now I’m supposed to cry because fate picked y’all?”
No one says anything.
The entire hall feels frozen.
Even the bond in my chest feels muted now. Distant and wrong.
My eyes stay fixed on them as I wait.
Because surely this is the part where they reject me back.
Right?
That’s what anyone with functioning brain cells would do.
Reject me. Humiliate me. Move on and continue being the community puckheads who’ve skated through half the female population of Halcyon Academy like it’s some kind of extracurricular activity.
But nothing comes.
Not a single word.
Not a rejection.
And somehow…
That’s the first thing tonight that actually makes my stomach twist.
Silence stretches, heavy and suffocating.
Then Zion starts walking toward me.
No.
Stalking.
The crowd immediately shifts back because everyone in Halcyon Academy knows one thing for certain.
Zion Halcyon angry is bad enough.
But Zion Halcyon quiet?
That’s a whole different type of problem.
His expression doesn’t change as he closes the distance between us slowly, each step sharp against the floor and terrifyingly calm.
My stomach tightens despite myself.
Then—
“Everybody out.”
His voice comes low and cold enough to slice through the entire hall.
Nobody moves at first.
Probably because this school survives on drama and half these people would sell their kidneys to stay and witness this.
Then Zeke snaps.
“OUT.”
The entire hall jolts.
And suddenly everyone starts scrambling toward the exits at once, whispers exploding everywhere.
“No way—”
“Did she actually reject them?”
“The bond looked real though—”
“What the f**k is happening?”
“Elara, come on—”
“My brothers—” Elara starts sharply, looking between them in disbelief. “You can’t seriously expect me to leave.”
Nobody answers her.
Not even a glance.
And for the first time since I’ve known her, she looks… excluded.
And honestly?
That might be the most satisfying thing I’ve seen all week.
“Zion?” she says again, softer this time.
Still nothing.
Then Zayden finally speaks without looking at her.
“Get out, Elara.”
Her face pales instantly as humiliation flashes across her features so quickly I almost miss it.
Almost.
For a second, she looks like she wants to argue.
Then Zion’s gaze flicks toward her.
That’s all it takes.
She spins around stiffly and storms toward the exit with the rest of them and the giant doors slam shut moments later.
Silence crashes over the hall immediately after.
Now it’s just me…
…and the three hockey assholes fate apparently thinks I belong to.
The dull ache in my chest pulses again, stronger this time. Sweat lightly coats the back of my neck beneath my hair and my breathing feels slightly uneven now but I keep my face blank anyway.
Because if this muted ache already feels annoying, then they must be feeling ten times worse.
Good.
Serves them right honestly.
I slowly cross my arms.
Then I force my voice to come out steady.
“So…” I say. “Aren’t y’all supposed to reject me back now or something?”
Nobody answers.
Zeke’s jaw tightens even harder.
Zayden looks like he’s trying to figure me out and honestly, that somehow unnerves me more than Zion’s anger.
And Zion—
Goddess.
The look in his eyes almost makes me take a step back.
Almost.
Then finally, very quietly—
“Take it back.”
My brows furrow.
For a second, I genuinely think I heard him wrong.
“What?”
His chest rises sharply like even breathing is starting to piss him off.
“The rejection,” he says, voice rougher and angrier now. “Take it back, Sloane.”
- Writer
