Rise of the rejected mate

Chapter 3

DAMON

I stood in the training grounds, my knuckles already bruised and bloody. Sweat poured down my temples, soaking through my shirt, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t. Not when my head was still spinning.

My father’s words echoed like an unwanted voice in the back of my mind.

"Rejecting a mate has consequences."

I scoffed, throwing another brutal punch into the sandbag. “Consequences? Please. What did I even lose?”

Thud.

“That girl wasn’t a mate. Not mine. No way the Moon Goddess actually meant for someone like her to be bonded to someone like me.”

I kicked the post, then dropped to the ground, doing push-ups until my arms trembled.

“She was just an omega. A nobody. A weak little thing who could barely meet my eyes, let alone be Luna.”

I pushed harder, making my breath come in sharp bursts. Hours passed but I didn’t care. I was still wound up. Still pissed.

Then—

“There you are.”

The voice was light, sweet, and familiar.

I looked up and smiled. “Selene.”

She walked toward me like she owned the place, her long blonde hair swaying behind her, pants hugging every curve.

“You’ve been out here forever,” she said, stopping beside me and placing a hand on her hip. “What are you trying to do, break your bones to feel better?”

I laughed and got up, brushing the dirt from my hands. “Maybe.”

“Well,” she said with a grin, “you look like crap.”

“And you look gorgeous as always,” I replied, eyes roaming her body with appreciation.

Selene smirked and stepped closer. "I am so glad that you rejected that thing on the spot. I mean accepting her and letting her be by your side would only make you seem weak in front of everyone in the pack. They might even loose their respect for you."

"You made the right call." She tilts her head proudly. "Dad said the same thing, by the way."

"Beta Cedric?" I asked.

"Of course. He said you did the right thing at the right," Selene said twirling a strand of hair.

A grin crept up on my face.

Selene rolled her eyes. “Honestly, the audacity. That girl really thought she stood a chance? Just because some mystical string tied you together? What a joke.”

“She barely even talked,” I added, shaking my head. “Always quiet, always hiding. I don’t need someone who can’t stand on her own two feet.”

“Exactly,” Selene said, crossing her arms smugly. “Could you imagine her beside you at official events? Stumbling, stuttering, scared of her own shadow?”

“She’d embarrass the pack,” I added again.

“She’d embarrass you,” Selene corrected, her voice syrupy-sweet. “And someone like you deserves better.”

I stepped closer to her. “That’s why I chose you. Because you’re strong. Confident. You know who you are.”

She beamed, tilting her head slightly. “I know you would always choose me.”

I gave a short laugh. “Yes I would. And I never needed a bond to tell me what I wanted. I already knew.”

“Oh, Damon,” she purred, stepping forward and brushing her fingers lightly down my arm. “You have no idea how happy that makes me.”

Then she leaned up and kissed me softly on the cheek.

“I mean really,” she said with a giggle. “The Moon Goddess must’ve been asleep when she tied you to her. There’s no comparison.”

“There isn’t,” I said firmly. “You’re everything she isn’t. Everything I want.”

Selene smiled brightly .

“And I’ll always be here, you know. You don’t need fate. You’ve got me.”

I nodded with a smile on my face.

“I know.”

CALLIE'S POV

I stood at the edge of the dim corridor, my heart pounding. The hallway was quiet, but my mind was noisy with thoughts.

I hadn’t seen Aria all day. Not since the rejection.

Earlier, I had avoided Aria’s room—too afraid that if anyone saw me comforting the rejected omega, I'd become a target too.

Now, guilt gnawed at me.

I made my way quickly to the tiny room Aria called her room. It was small, barely a space. Just a narrow mattress, a chipped dresser, and a folded blanket in the corner.

But Aria wasn’t here.

“Aria?” I called softly.

Nothing.

I called out again but never heard any response.

Where could she be?

I rushed out, scenting the air, using my wolf’s ability to track her. My nose picked up Aria’s fading scent.

I followed it out of the quarters, past the training grounds.

My stomach twisted the farther i went.

“No,” I whispered. “She wouldn’t have—”

But she had.

I stopped cold when the scent trail ended at the edge of the border. I looked down and saw a small footprint in the mud—just beyond the line that separated Mooncrest from the wildlands.

“Aria...”

I turned and ran back to the pack house.

She entered into the main hall, nearly colliding with a warrior.

“Alpha Rowan?” I asked. “Is he in?”

The warrior nodded toward the west wing. “Office. With Beta Cedric.”

I didn’t wait. I ran straight down the hall and knocked once before pushing open the heavy door.

The Alpha looked up from his desk, his sharp gaze cutting through me like ice. Beta Cedric sat across from him, flipping through the book set on the table.

“Callie?” Alpha Rowan’s voice was calm but firm. “Is this urgent?”

“Yes, Alpha. I—I’m sorry to interrupt, but it’s about Aria.”

Beta Cedric raised a brow and Alpha Rowan leaned back slowly.

“She’s gone,” I said quickly. “I couldn’t find her in her room. I followed her scent. It led past the border.”

For a moment, neither man spoke.

Then Beta Cedric scoffed under his breath. “So? She ran off.”

Alpha Rowan gave a short sigh. “Figured she might. Weak things don’t last long in a pack like ours.”

“But… she’s out there alone. She doesn’t have supplies, and the rogues—” I started.

“She’s not our problem anymore,” Beta Cedric cut in, already flipping a page. “She left. That was her choice.”

Callie’s mouth opened, but no sound came out.

Rowan stood and stretched lazily. “Let her go. If she makes it, she makes it. If not... well, that’s nature.”

“Alpha...”

“I’m not wasting warriors on an omega who chose to leave after being rejected,” Rowan said coldly. “We’ve already given her more attention than she was ever worth.”

Beta Cedric nodded. “Honestly, this might be the best outcome. No more whispers, no more distractions.”

I stood there, her head lowered to the ground.

“She could die out there,” I said quietly.

Alpha Rowan shrugged. “Then she dies.”

He turned back to his desk, dismissing her with a flick of his hand.

“You may go.”

I took a shaky breath and backed out of the office. The door clicking shut behind me.