2
1393 Words
Selene
"I reject you, Selene Nightborne."
The words hit me like stones.
I blinked. My mouth opened but no sound came out.
What?
No. I heard wrong. I had to have heard wrong.
"Darius?" My voice was small. Shaking. "What are you saying?"
He did not answer. He turned away from me. Like I was nothing. Like I was not even standing there.
I started walking again. Faster. Then running.
The crowd gasped. Someone tried to grab my arm. I pulled away.
"Darius!" I screamed his name. "Darius, you promised!"
I reached the front of the stage. Guards stepped in front of me. Big wolves. Dark eyes.
"Let me through!" I tried to push past them. "Darius, look at me!"
He did not look. He stood on the stage with his back to me. His father whispered something in his ear. Darius nodded. Like I was not there. Like I meant nothing.
Hands grabbed me. Rough hands. One on each arm.
"Get off me!" I kicked. I scratched. I fought.
"Calm down," a guard growled in my ear.
"Let me go! Darius! DARIUS!"
They dragged me backward. Away from the stage. Away from him.
My eyes stayed on Darius. Waiting. Begging him to turn around.
He did not turn around.
The crowd parted for the guards. Wolves stared at me. Some looked sorry. Most looked pleased.
"Finally," someone said. "Someone put her in her place."
"An omega thinking she could be Luna," another voice laughed. "Delusional."
---
The guards stopped at the edge of the ceremonial grounds.
"Please," I begged. "Just let me talk to him. Please."
One guard looked at the other. Then they let go.
I fell. My hands hit the dirt first. Then my knees. My palms scraped open. Small rocks bit into my skin.
I stayed there on my hands and knees. Breathing hard. My chest heaved.
"The ceremony is for wolves," the guard said above me. "Not servants. Go back to your quarters."
They walked away.
I tried to stand. My legs would not hold me, so I stayed on the ground.
Wolves walked past me leaving the ceremony. Some stepped around me. One kicked dirt towards my face.
"She really thought," a female wolf laughed, "that she would be Luna."
"An omega," another said. "With no wolf. No family. No status."
"And she wanted to rule us."
They laughed.
I pressed my forehead to the dirt. I wanted to disappear. I wanted the ground to open and swallow me.
Behind me, I heard more laughter. "Rejected by the Alpha heir himself. I think this is the most relevant she’s ever been in her life.”
"The Moon Goddess should have chosen a real mate for him. Not this trash."
"Maybe now she will finally know her place. Omegas are only good as servants. Nothing more."
---
I did not know how long I lay there.
Minutes. Maybe hours.
The grounds emptied. The torches burned low. The drums stopped.
Slowly, carefully, I pushed myself up.
My palms were bleeding. My knees were torn through my dress. My ribs ached where I had fallen.
I stood and looked around. The ceremonial grounds were empty now. The chairs sat abandoned. The Luna's chair still stood beside the throne.
I stared at it.
My future seat.
I had been so stupid. I should have known better. There was no way a nobody like me would have become Luna. Why did I even believe him? I should’ve known he was just using me for his satisfaction. I said to myself as more tears welled up in my eyes.
No. I won’t cry again. I can’t shed any more tears for that trash. He doesn’t deserve it. I sniffed and wiped my eyes on my sleeve.
---
I walked back towards the servant's quarters, where I belonged. The pack grounds were quiet. Most wolves were inside celebrating. Drinking. Eating.
I heard them laughing through the walls.
I passed a window. Looked inside.
Darius sat at the head of a long table. He was laughing. Drinking. A lady handed him more wine. I recognised her immediately. Vanessa. His ex.
He looked happy. Like he had not just broken me into pieces. I wanted to walk in there and punch him in the face. Throw that drink on him. Ask him why he rejected me when he told me he loved me just a few hours ago.
I imagined all the terrible things I should do to him for the humiliation he put me through, but I knew that if I tried any of it, I would be executed.
I wiped the tear that fell from my eye without my permission and turned to leave.
---
I rounded the corner and stopped.
A guard stood in the hallway. Broad shoulders. Cold eyes. I recognised him. He was among those that dragged me away from Darius.
"What are you doing here?" His voice was low. Rough.
"I'm going back to my quarters." I tried to step around him.
He moved with me. Blocking my path.
"You shouldn't be here," he said. "This part of the mansion is for ranked wolves only."
"I know. I'm leaving. Just let me—"
He stepped closer making me step back.
"You think you can just walk around like you belong here?" He took another step.
"I don't want any trouble." My voice came out thinner than I wanted. "Please. I'm going."
He kept coming.
I kept moving back until my shoulders hit the wall. Cold stone pressed against my spine. There was nowhere else to go.
He leaned in. His face inches from mine. His breath washed over me—stale and sour and rotten. I turned my head away.
"I always liked you," he said. "Did you know that?"
My stomach turned. What was he on about?
"Now that the Alpha heir has rejected you and you have no mate..." He dragged a finger down my arm. "You're free. Aren't you?"
"I'm not free for you." I kept my voice low. Darius and the others were just around the corner. If I shouted, they would hear. But would they help me? The question flashed through my mind. And I knew the answer.
No. They wouldn't.
"Give me a chance," the guard whispered. His hand dropped to my waist. Squeezed. "I'll protect you. No one will hurt you if you're mine. Just say yes."
"Get away from me."
"Don't be like that." His other hand came up. Cupped my cheek. His thumb brushed my skin. I wanted to vomit. "Let me have all of you. I'll keep you safe. I promise."
"I said get away from me." My voice cracked.
He didn't stop. His hand slid from my cheek. Down my neck. Lower.
I felt his fingers graze my breast and something inside me snapped.
I slapped him hard.
The sound cracked through the hallway like a whip.
His head jerked to the side. For one frozen second, neither of us moved.
Then he turned back. His eyes were no longer cold. They were burning.
"You'll regret that," he growled and stretched his hand to grab me. I ducked immediately, missing his clutches by a hair’s breadth and ran.
I didn't look back. I just ran. My torn knees screamed. My bleeding palms left smears on the walls. I didn't care.
Behind me, I heard his voice. Low and deadly.
"If I find you, I'll kill you."
I kept running until I found a platform and hid behind it, trying to catch my breath.
What do I do now? I thought to myself. I had no one to help me and now there was someone that wanted to kill me.
I thought losing Darius was the worst thing that could happen tonight but I was wrong. The worst thing was still being here when he was gone.
That guard would find me. Or someone else would. An Omega with no wolf, no mate, no family, no status? I was prey now. Easy prey.
I pushed myself off the platform and moved. There was only one thing I could do to make sure I survived. I had to leave. I didn’t know where I was going. I didn’t know if I would survive the night but I knew one thing with absolute certainty. If I stayed, I was already dead.
- Writer
