Rejected by the alpha, Claimed by the darkness

The atmosphere was cold and chilly. It was winter, and as usual, the soft breeze and melodious songs of birds could be heard. I sat in my room in absolute dejection. Today was the day. The day when my destiny will be marked, and my future, rewritten. A few minutes from now, I shall be standing before the pack elders and the entire pack to mark my bound with Alpha Shane Gledova. It came with a mixed feeling of uncertainty, and many 'what if...?'. "Rory, are you ready?" The voice of my best friend, Becky, brought me back to reality. Without being told, I knew that she could see the look of dejection on my face. "Do you think Shane will accept me?" I asked with a distressed voice, and Becky immediately blew a soft kiss towards my direction, as she walked to my side. Softly, she caressed my right hand, as she looked into my eyes in the most reassuring way possible. "Rory, you're the most beautiful Luna I know..." She began with a smile. "I'm very sure that Shane can't wait to have you as his bride. "Now, dress up... "The ceremony will soon begin." She reminded me, and I nodded. Immediately, I stood up from my bed, and walked towards my wardrobe to get my attire for the day. Each step I took towards that angle sent shivers down my spine. In my community, rejection was a curse, and the only way you could run away from the trauma was death. I've heard stories about lunas who were stoned to death because they were rejected by their mates. To make matters worse, my cousin, Jada, recently ended her life, after she was rejected on her birthday. This and many more stories kept giving me reasons to doubt my chances at being accepted. "Hurry up, girl... "The pack elders shall soon be arriving." Becky reminded me, and I nodded. Slowly, I opened my wardrobe, and picked my ceremonial dress. This dress was special to me because it was worn by my mother on her own marking day. Unfortunately for me, she wasn't alive to witness my day. The dress was white with burgundy lining. It was also embedded with both silver and white ocean pearls. Swiftly, I sat on my dressing table, as Becky helped me to dress up. Afterward, I applied nude makeup on my face, before wearing my marital veil. "You look like a goddess." Becky praised me with a big smile. "I swear to the moon, Shane, will kill to have you." I sat there with a pale look. Nothing even seemed to move me anymore. Even though I had waited my entire life for this moment, I was still scared of my future. As we stepped out, I held onto Becky's left hand, like a newborn child. "Becky, do you think I will survive if he rejects me?" I asked with a shaky voice. "Look at him..." She pointed towards the crowd. "Can you see how he looks at you with so much adoration? Well, he'll not reject you." She responded with a smile, and I nodded. The venue was already filled to the brim with both spectators and gossipers. Some were present to enjoy the moment, while others were there to find what to gossip about. "She looks beautiful." I heard one of them mumble to the other, and I smiled to myself. It was the confidence booster I just needed. Suddenly, I raised my eyes in the direction of my mate to look at him one more time, and I was mesmerized by his heavenly beauty. He was tall, had broad shoulders, ocean-green eyes, raised jaw bone, and a super model figure. At that instant, I felt mesmerized by the beauty of this man. Soon, my eyes crossed a path with his, and somehow shifted in my body. I felt confident that he was the one for me. "I agree. I'm ready to take him as my mate... "I'm ready...!" I mumbled with a silent smile. At that instant, I could feel my energy being refueled. "Rory, listen to me..." She began with a firm voice. "Never lose your voice." Always follow your heart and know that you're your own biggest cheerleader. "I love you, sis." Her words marked my spirit. 'Never lose your voice!' 'Never lose your voice!' 'Never lose your voice!' Those words kept ringing through my mind. In a world where our lives were always at risk, I was never going to lose my voice. In no time, the ceremony had already begun in earnest. I kept staring at Shane, as I admired his looks. Soon, the pack elders, priests and priestesses, knelt down around us in a circular manner, as they binded us in a circle with white chalk. Next, they began to recite words of incantations, and speak in strange languages like they were hypnotized. "We'll know why we're here." The voice of our oldest female alpha spoke up. "We're here to witness the holy matrimony of Aurora Devine Wood and Shane Gledova." Each word that came out of her mouth was accompanied by dead silence. "As they unite today in holy matrimony, may the moon goddess bless and approve of their union, and give victory to our pack." She prayed. As she spoke, my heart froze in silence. I knew what was going to come next. The cold breeze of the winter couldn't even save me, as I felt very hot. As I walked forward to face Shane, my heart skipped for some seconds. "It is time, my heartfelt Luna." His thick, yet strong baritone voice melted my heart. This handsome alpha was the only one who has ever made my heart flutter. "Yes, it is time..." I responded with a huge sigh of relief. At that instant, we both held each other's hands, as a symbol of our union. Deep down inside my mind, I was praying for peace to reign. Soon, it was the moment of truth. It was time for the exchange of vows. I had been rehearsing my lines for the past two months, but even at that, my brain still went blank. "From today henceforth, I stand before our pack to declare myself your protector and strength, till the day I answer the call of death." Immediately, I felt a powerful sensation run down from my head, down to my spine. There was silence. Everyone was waiting for me to speak. "I, Aurora Devine Wood, take you..." "Shut up!" Shane's voice suddenly interrupted me, and I froze. "Is everything okay?" I asked with a scared voice. There was a sudden shift in the atmosphere, as the audible murmurs of the guests could be heard. "You can't be my mate, Rory... "You can't!" He blurted with a thick voice. "I can't be a mate to an incomplete wolf." He went further, and I froze. Each of his words was terrifying to me. "Why? "What did I do wrong?" Streams of tears ran down my cheeks, as I asked him. "I, Shane Gledova Chalk, reject you, Aurora Devine Wood, as my mate!" he announced, and I passed out in shock. My name is Aurora Devine Wood. Follow me as I tell my story.