THE ALPHA THAT REJECTED ME

Lena Hart knew something was wrong the moment the wolves went silent. The forest had been loud a second ago. Leaves moved beneath the wind, crickets called from the darkness, and somewhere in the distance, a wolf howled. Then—nothing. Lena stopped walking. Her heart began pounding. She could smell them now. Dozens of wolves. Her pack. They were gathered beyond the trees. Tonight was supposed to be her twenty-fifth birthday, her first Moon Ceremony—the night she would finally meet her wolf and discover her mate. She took a deep breath and stepped into the clearing. Hundreds of people stood beneath the moonlight. At the center was Alpha Damian Black. Lena had seen him before. Everyone had. He was the youngest Alpha in the region and the man responsible for controlling three territories. Tall. Powerful. Untouchable. His eyes found hers immediately. Lena stopped. Something inside her chest pulled. Hard. Warm. Sudden. Her wolf stirred for the first time in her entire life. Mate. The word echoed inside her mind. Lena’s lips parted. No. It couldn’t be. Damian took one step toward her. His expression remained unreadable. Another step. The pull became stronger. Lena could barely breathe. Then Damian stopped directly in front of her. Their eyes met. For one brief second, she saw something in his expression. Shock. Then it disappeared. “Lena Hart.” Her heart raced. “Yes?” Damian looked around the clearing. Everyone was watching. He spoke clearly enough for every person to hear. “You are my mate.” A gasp moved through the crowd. Lena couldn’t stop smiling. She had spent her whole life wondering whether anyone would ever choose her. And now the Moon Goddess had. She whispered, “Really?” Damian’s jaw tightened. “Yes.” Lena’s wolf practically danced inside her. She stepped closer. “Then—” “I reject you.” The smile disappeared from her face. The clearing became completely silent. Lena stared at him. “What?” Damian’s eyes were cold. “I, Damian Black, Alpha of the Black Mountain Pack, reject you as my mate.” The words struck harder than anything Lena had ever experienced. Her wolf cried out inside her, and pain spread through her chest. Someone in the crowd whispered. Another person laughed. Lena couldn’t move. “Why?” Damian didn’t answer. “Why?” she asked again. His expression remained emotionless. “You are not suitable to stand beside an Alpha.” Her throat tightened. “Because I’m weak?” “Yes.” Lena felt tears burning her eyes. She refused to let them fall. Damian turned away. That hurt more than the rejection itself. She had imagined this moment for years. She had imagined meeting someone who would look at her and say, You’re mine. Instead, the most powerful man in the territory had looked at her like she was nothing. Lena turned. She walked, then walked faster. She didn’t stop until she reached the forest. Only then did the tears fall. Her aunt found her twenty minutes later. “Lena.” “Don’t.” Her voice broke. “Just don’t.” Elara pulled her into a hug, but Lena pushed her away. “Why didn’t you tell me?” Elara froze. “Tell you what?” Lena looked at her. “That something was wrong with me.” “There is nothing wrong with you.” “He rejected me in front of everyone.” Elara’s face went pale. “He did?” Lena laughed bitterly. “Did you think I wouldn’t notice?” Elara looked toward the forest, then back at Lena. “Lena, listen to me.” “No.” “Your mother made me promise.” Lena stopped. “My mother?” Elara’s voice dropped. “You cannot let Damian discover who you are.” Lena stared at her. “What are you talking about?” Before Elara could answer, a howl echoed through the forest. Both women turned. Elara’s expression changed. Fear. Real fear. “Get inside.” “Why?” “Now.” Lena didn’t move. “What is happening?” Elara grabbed her hand. “Your rejection wasn’t the worst thing that happened tonight.” Lena frowned. “What could possibly be worse?” Elara looked toward the trees. “They know you’re alive.”