FORSAKEN BY FATE

"I, Caleb Frost, reject you, Amara Blackwood, as my mate." The words slashed through the air like a blade, leaving a suffocating quiet in their path. My chest clenched as if he'd inserted the blade into my heart and twisted it. The full moon stood over us, silent witness to my shame. Caleb's blue eyes, which had previously been full of warmth and promise, were now cold and distant. The entire pack gathered around us in a broad circle, their expressions filled with amazement, pity, and perplexity. I took a timid step forward, my voice hardly louder than a whisper. "Why?" "Because you're not fit to stand beside me," Caleb responded, his tone firm and unwavering. "I need someone stronger, someone who can secure the future of this pack. "That is not you." The crowd stirred, murmurs breaking the suffocating silence. I looked at my father, who stood among the warriors. His jaw was clenched, and his hands were curled into fists by his sides. But he did not say anything. He didn’t go forward to defend me. My throat hurt, but I swallowed hard, unwilling to let tears flow. "And her?" I pointed at Lilith, who was standing near him. She was a vision of beauty and cunning in her glittering white gown, her soft green eyes shining with triumph. "You think she's stronger than me?" Lilith smiled slowly and contentedly. She slipped her hand into Caleb's, her small fingers tangling with his. "Strength isn't just about fighting, darling," she mumbled. "It's all about strategy, commitment, and understanding your place. Caleb gets it now. Caleb raised their joined hands, eliciting a wave of gasps from the crowd. "Lilith and I are to marry," he announced, his voice firm and determined. "She will be my mate and my luna." The words felt like a slap. I staggered back, my heart shattered into sharp pieces that pierced my soul. "You can't be serious," I blurted out. "Amara," Caleb murmured, his voice softening for a minute. "It is for the best. "For the pack and for you..." He hesitated, but when he glanced at me again, his face hardened. "Accept it." I wanted to scream, strike out, and wipe Lilith's smug expression off her face. But all I could do was stand there, the weight of their betrayal bearing down on me like a mountain. "You're pathetic," I said, my voice quivering with wrath. "Both of you." Caleb flinched, but Lilith just laughed, her voice like silk against steel. “Watch yourself, Amara,” she whispered, getting closer. “It would be a shame for things to get… worse.” "Worse?" I repeated, my voice cracking. "You've already taken everything from me!" "No." Her smile grew, like a predator devouring its prey. "Not yet." I could not take it anymore. I turned on my heel and fled for the forest, leaving the murmuring crowd and their critical glances behind. My legs carried me blindly through the trees, my vision blurred from unshed tears. The wind stung my cheeks, and the cold air burned my lungs, but I refused to stop. Finally, I crashed against a massive oak tree, my knees giving out beneath me. My sobbing burst out, raw and unrelenting. How could he have done this to me? Caleb was my partner, whom the Moon Goddess had chosen for me. How could he throw me away as if I were nothing? The woodland around me was quiet, except for the sound of my own misery. However, a rustle in the underbrush made me freeze. I tightened up, my instincts on high alert. "Who's there?" I called with a raspy voice and everywhere was silence. Then, a deep growl rumbled from the shadows, sending a chill down my spine. Slowly, I forced myself to my feet, surveying the darkness. A pair of brilliant red eyes emerged from the trees, followed by a massive, shadowy figure. It wasn't a wolf—not quite. Its physique was twisted and hideous, with abnormal jerking movements. "Amara Blackwood," the creature said raspily, its voice like claws on glass. "The discarded mate." I stumbled back, my heart racing. “Stay away,” I urged, while my voice faltered. My wolf awoke within me, but she was frail, still recovering from the rejection. The thing giggled, causing shivers down my spine. "You have a strong odor of grief and wrath…..Delicious." It pounced at me far faster than I expected. I barely escaped, the air whistling past my ear as its claws slashed inches from my face. I scrambled backwards, my head racing. I couldn't outrun it, not in my current state. "Amara!" A loud, powerful voice boomed forth, cutting through the tension like a sword. I turned to see a figure emerge from the shadows. He was tall and broad-shouldered, and his gray eyes shone like storm clouds in the moonlight. He moved with lethal grace, his eyes fixed on the creature. The beast hissed, focusing its attention on him. "Run," the man hissed at me, his voice impervious to reason. But I could not move. My body was frozen, and my instincts were split between fight and flight. The man charged the beast, causing shockwaves across the jungle. Claws and fists clashed, the sound of their fight ringing around us. For a time, it appeared like the man had the upper hand. Then I noticed it—a second shadow sneaking through the trees, its fiery eyes locked on him. My breath caught. "Behind you!" I yelled but it was too late. The second beast lunged at the victim, its claws slashing across his back. He stumbled, blood staining his shirt, but he did not fall down. Instead, he twirled with precision and brutality. With a growl, he seized the second creature's throat and slammed it to the ground. "Are you just going to stand there?" He yelled at me, his voice tinged with frustration. I snapped out of my daze and nodded, forcing myself to move. I turned and ran, my legs carrying me deeper into the forest. The sounds of the struggle faded behind me, but my heart continued to race. Who was the man? So, what were those creatures? Before I could make sense of it, a third shadow emerged in front of me, its red eyes gleaming in the moonlight. My blood became chilly. I had run straight into another trap.