The Moon Refused My Rejection

My Own Chains

The hot water from the shower did nothing to wash away the chill in my bones.

I stood in the centre of my tiny bathroom, towel-drying my hair, and stared at the black dress hanging on the back of the door.

It was simple, modest, and exactly what Vivian had demanded.

Then I looked at the kitchen counter. The silver choker sat on the dark satin, catching the harsh fluorescent light.

I walked over and picked it up. It was heavy, dense, and freezing cold against my palm. I ran my thumb over the microscopic seam. I knew what was on the inside. I knew about the tiny, angled teeth designed to bite into my skin and never let go.

I could leave it here. I could walk out the door and let Vivian make good on her threat.

But I knew what that would look like. Two massive Alpha guards dragged me through the front doors of the manor, pinning my arms while they forced the metal around my neck in front of the entire pack. I would be humiliated. I would be a spectacle.

I took a deep, shaky breath. I wasn't going to give them that satisfaction.

I lifted the heavy silver band and wrapped it around my throat. The metal was ice-cold against my skin. I aligned the two ends and pressed them together.

*Click.*

The sound was tiny, mechanical, and final. The teeth on the inside immediately bit into the sensitive flesh of my neck, a sharp, stinging pinch that made me wince. It locked into place. I tugged at it gently, just to test it. It didn't budge. It was fused.

I stared at myself in the mirror. The oxidized silver sat stark and severe against my pale skin. I looked like a prisoner. But at least I was a prisoner who had put on her own chains.

I pulled the black dress over my head, zipped it up, and grabbed my coat.

The second knock on my door was softer, but I knew exactly who it was.

I opened it to find Darius standing in the hallway. He was wearing a dark suit, his tie loosened just a fraction, looking every bit the high-ranking Gamma he was. But his eyes immediately dropped from my face to my neck.

He froze.

"Aria," Darius said, his voice dropping to a dangerous, quiet register. He stepped into the apartment, closing the door behind him. "Tell me that’s just a necklace. Tell me it has a clasp."

"It doesn't," I said, my voice flat. I reached up and touched the cold metal. The tiny teeth pinched my skin in warning. "Vivian came by earlier. She left it for me."

Darius’s jaw clenched so hard I thought his teeth might crack. He reached out, his fingers hovering over the silver band, but he didn't touch it. "I'll get a tool. I can cut it."

"Don't," I said, catching his wrist. "If I take it off, or if it's damaged, the guards will know. Vivian said she'd have them restrain me and put it back on in front of the entire pack. I'd rather walk in wearing it than be dragged in wearing it."

Darius stared at me for a long moment, the anger in his dark eyes warring with a deep, helpless frustration. Finally, he dropped his hand. "Let's go. We're not staying here a second longer than we have to."

We walked out to his Jeep in silence. The night air was freezing, but the collar felt like a block of ice against my skin.

Darius put the car in drive, and this time, we didn't turn back toward the city. We drove straight toward the outskirts of town.

As we left the suburbs, the streetlights gave way to the dense, dark tree line that bordered the Northern Pack territory.

The air inside the car seemed to change the moment we crossed the invisible border. The smell of exhaust and damp concrete was replaced by the sharp, heavy scent of pine, wet earth, and something wild and metallic.

Darius slowed the Jeep as we approached the first checkpoint. Two massive wolves in dark tactical gear stood by a heavy iron gate, their eyes glowing faintly in the headlights.

Darius rolled down his window and held up his hand, flashing the silver Gamma ring on his thumb. The guards nodded immediately, stepping back to let the heavy gates swing open with a loud, mechanical groan.

We drove down the long, winding private road until the Northern Pack Manor finally came into view.

Even knowing it was a massive estate, seeing it in person still stole the breath from my lungs. It looked like something out of a billionaire's magazine.

The manor was a sprawling, modern fortress made of dark stone and floor-to-ceiling glass, sitting on fifty acres of private, heavily wooded land. The glass walls glowed with warm, golden light, casting long shadows across the manicured lawns.

The valet lot was packed with luxury cars. Porsches, Mercedes, Range Rovers.

Darius parked the Jeep at the edge of the lot, and we stepped out into the crisp night air.

I pulled my coat tighter, but it didn't hide the silver band around my neck.

As we walked toward the grand entrance, I felt the weight of dozens of eyes sliding over me.

Whispers rippled through the crowd of arriving pack members.

"Is that her?"

"The Beta’s ward."

"Look at her neck. She’s actually wearing it."

We reached the massive glass doors, where a tall, broad-shouldered guard in a dark suit stood with a digital tablet. He looked at Darius, then his eyes dropped to me.

"Name?" the guard asked, his voice clipped and professional.

"Aria Veyra," I said.

The guard tapped the screen. His eyes flicked up to the silver collar, then back to his tablet. He didn't ask for an ID. He didn't ask for an invitation.

"Right this way," he said, stepping aside and pointing toward a secluded, roped-off section near the front of the grand ballroom.

It was isolated from the main crowd, positioned just a few feet from the raised dais, but tucked slightly into the shadows. It wasn't a public stage, but it was close enough to the Alpha's seat to make my stomach churn.

Darius stepped forward to follow me, but the guard immediately raised a hand, blocking his path.

"Gamma Vale," the guard said, his tone polite but firm. "The inner circle is restricted to unmated Omegas and the Alpha's direct guard tonight. You'll have to take the general seating."

Darius looked at me, his expression tight. "Aria—"

"It's fine, Darius," I said, offering him a small, tight smile. "I'll find you later."

He hesitated, then nodded slowly. "Keep your head down," he murmured, before stepping back and heading toward the main floor.

I took a deep breath and walked through the velvet rope alone.

The closer I got to the dais, the thicker the tension in the air became. The women standing near the front were dressed in stunning, designer gowns, their hair perfectly styled, their posture flawless. They were the elite. The traditional Omegas. And they were staring at me like I was a stain on the carpet.

As I passed a group of three high-ranking females, one of them deliberately stepped into my path. She was wearing a shimmering gold dress, her nose tilted up in a perfect sneer. She looked at the velvet rope, then down at me.

"Looks like Selene finally got what she wanted," she said, her voice dripping with venom. "Tell me, Omega, does the metal hurt? Or do you just enjoy being the pack's little sacrificial lamb?"

A few of her friends giggled behind their hands.

I didn't stop. I didn't look at her. I just kept my eyes fixed straight ahead, walking past her until I reached my designated spot.

I stopped and looked up.

Across the room, standing near the base of the dais, was Selene Morva.

She was breathtaking. She wore a deep emerald gown that clung to her every curve, her dark hair swept into an elegant chignon. She was surrounded by Elder wives and high-ranking Betas, laughing at something one of them said. But as if she felt my gaze, her laughter stopped.

She turned her head and looked directly at me.

Her eyes were cold, calculating, and entirely devoid of warmth. She didn't smile. She just looked at me, her gaze dropping to the silver collar around my neck, and then back up to my eyes. It wasn't a look of hatred. It was the look a butcher gives a side of beef. Assessing. Measuring.

My stomach twisted into a tight, painful knot.

I looked away, my heart hammering against my ribs. I just needed to get through the night. I just needed to stand here, play my part, and go home.

Then, the air shifted.

It wasn't a sound. It wasn't a movement. It was a scent.

It hit me like a physical blow, rolling over me in a heavy, intoxicating wave.

Pine needles, Cold rain, ozone. And underneath it all, the dark, rich, undeniable scent of pure, unadulterated Alpha power.

My breath hitched. My skin flushed hot. The silver collar that had felt like ice all evening suddenly burned against my throat.

He was here.

And he was much, much closer than I thought.