Banished By My Mate: Claimed By The Alpha King

ADELINE My hands trembled as I smoothed the white silk dress over my hips for the hundredth time. The fabric clung just right. It was so soft, flowing and the kind that whispered promises against my skin. Tonight wasn’t just any night. Tonight was the night the Moon Goddess herself had chosen for me. I was twenty years old. Fertile. Omega. And finally, finally, was going to be claimed. I stared into the full length mirror in my small room at the pack house. My cheeks had flushed pink. My dark hair was in loose waves falling down my back and pinned with tiny silver moon clips that caught the candlelight. The elders always said an omega’s beauty bloomed brightest on her mating night, and right now, I believed it and I could not even hide it. My hazel eyes sparkled with something brighter than nerves. It was hope. Damon. The name alone sent warmth pooling low in my belly. My fated mate. Future Alpha of the Silverfang Pack. He was tall, broad shouldered and with those piercing dark eyes that could command a battlefield or melt me with a single glance. We’d known since the day we turned eighteen and the bond snapped into place like a lock clicking shut. He had been the only man, the only wolf I loved and the emotions I felt for him could not be tamed. Two years of stolen touches. Those heated looks across the pack grounds and whispered promises under the stars. He called me his little moon. He said I’d give him strong pups, I would be the one to give birth to his heirs to lead after him. A small, shy smile tugged at the corner of my lips as I pressed a hand to my flat stomach, imagining it rounded one day soon. A boy first, maybe, with Damon’s dark hair and my smile. Then a girl, fierce and clever. We would build a home at the edge of the forest, close enough to hear the river. Our Pack life would be perfect with our laughing pups running through the grass and Damon coming home every evening smelling of pine and power and pulling me into his arms like I was the only thing that mattered. A soft knock pulled me from the daydream and I blinked my eyes in slight shyness and nervousness. “Adeline? It’s time.” My best friend, Jane, poked her head in and I watched as her eyes widened instantly. “Goddess, you look like a dream. Damon’s going to lose his mind when he sees you.” Flustered, I laughed. The sound came out shaky with excitement. “He already has. He told me last week he couldn’t wait another day.” Jane grinned, but there was something careful in it. “He’s been… quiet lately. He has been in the grounds and training nonstop. Probably just nerves. Future Alpha stuff.” I waved it off. Damon had always been intense. He was always distant when the weight of the pack pressed on him. But with me? He always softened. Last full moon, he had held me against the oak tree behind the training grounds. His lips bruised mine and he growled that I was his forever. The memory made my thighs clench. “Come on,” Jane excitedly said and linked her arm with mine. “The whole pack’s waiting. And the moon’s rising.” We finally stepped outside into the cool night air. I watched as the torches lined the path to the sacred clearing, flames dancing like they knew what was coming. The scent of pine, woodsmoke, and hundreds of wolves filled my lungs. I could feel the feeling of excitement, anticipation, and raw power. I could hear the sound of drums beating low and steady which matched my heartbeat. My body trembled slightly as I felt everyone’s eyes on me. I was the center of attention today. I have always been like an omega who was going to be their future Luna and many did not digest this well. As we reached the edge of the circle, the crowd parted like a wave being raised and finally, there he was. My mate. Damon stood at the center of the stone altar. He was dressed in black ceremonial leathers that hugged every hard line of his body that made him look so sinfully handsome. His hair was swept back and his jaw set. He held that alluring demeanor that drew people in, especially those she-wolves that wanted my mate so badly. The pack cheered as I approached and I could not help but grin as their voices rose in a joyful roar. The elders nodded approvingly. I watched as my parents beamed from the front row and tears glistened in their eyes. I had been the only child of my parents and despite being born as a weak omega child to the one of the betas of the pack, my parents loved me and adored me. I turned my head to Damon and walked toward him like I was floating. Our eyes locked, and for a second, everything else vanished. Just us. The bond hummed between us was so warm and golden, pulling me closer and I felt myself getting drowned in him. I was so grateful to the Moon Goddess for choosing Damon as my mate. It was like, all the happiness had been dropped into my lap and I was the happiest person alive. When I reached him, he took my hands. His were steady and engulfed mine but felt so … cold. No squeeze. No thumb brushing my knuckles like he usually did which for a flicker of moment, made me frown but I brushed it off thinking he was nervous. “Adeline,” he said. His voice sounded low and … Formal. My smile faltered just a fraction. “Damon.” The elder stepped forward and raised his arms. “Tonight, under the full moon’s blessing, we join these two souls in the sacred bond. Damon Volkov, the future Alpha, do you accept Adeline Reed as your mate and Luna?” The pack held its breath. My heart thumped badly in my chest from excitement and impatience. Tonight, we were going to belong to each other and complete each other for the rest of our lives. Damon’s gaze never left mine. But something flickered there. I watched something- something dark and uncertain. Doubt. My heart stuttered. He opened his mouth. And he hesitated. Everyone realized it too and the drums stopped. The cheering faded to murmurs. His fingers tightened on mine which was almost painful before he loosened again. His eyes searched my face like he was seeing me for the first time… and didn’t like what he found. A negative feeling bubbled in the pit of my stomach and I hated it. No. No, this wasn’t happening. The elder repeated, louder now. “Damon Volkov, do you accept?” Damon’s lips parted. His wolf flashed in his eyes- bright and tormented. Then, so quietly- so only I could hear, he whispered, “Adeline…” The world tilted and that was the moment I was struck like a bolt of realization. He was going to reject me. Right here. In front of everyone. My dream shattered before it even began.