Cast Aside by My Alpha Mate, Desired by the werewolf king

The moonlight pierced through the grand hall’s stained glass windows, casting fractured shadows across the cold marble floor. Dozens of wolves stood in formation, cloaked in velvet and silence, their glowing eyes flickering between curiosity and pity. Tonight wasn’t just the Moon Ritual,it was supposed to be the night I was officially claimed by my mate. My chest trembled with hope. My heart,stupid, naïve heart,beat for him. Lucien Blackthorn. My Alpha. My destined mate. The man I had loved since childhood. And tonight, he would finally announce me as his Luna. I stood at the centre of the ceremonial circle, wearing the snow-white Luna gown,a sacred garment that clung to my figure like purity itself. My mother had stitched every seam with trembling hands and whispered prayers. She believed in fairytales. She believed I would finally be accepted. She didn’t know what I knew. Lucien had grown... cold. Detached. Even cruel. But I kept telling myself it was stress. Pressure. War. Territory. He was Alpha,he had weight to carry. But nothing prepared me for what he did next. Lucien stepped into the circle, tall and cruelly beautiful in his royal black uniform. His black hair was slicked back, jaw sharp enough to cut glass. His presence made the pack bow instinctively,everyone except me. I stared at him with all the hope still stitched into my chest. He looked at me. No warmth. No emotion. Just... emptiness. He raised his hand. The ritual horn silenced. And then his voice, loud and merciless: “I, Lucien Blackthorn, Alpha of the Crimson Ash Pack, reject Seraphina Hale as my mate.” The words echoed like thunder. Time cracked. Breath caught in my throat. Every bone in my body stiffened like ice. It felt like I had been struck by lightning from within. The mate bond,once a glowing thread that connected us, snapped like dry rope. My knees gave out. Gasps tore through the crowd. Some women covered their mouths. Others smirked. Envy turned to amusement. I reached out, trembling. “Lucien... w-what...?” He turned his back. Didn’t even look. Didn’t even explain. He just... walked away. My wolf, Astrid, howled in my soul. A cry of betrayal. A sound only I could hear. “Get up,” someone muttered behind me. “Pathetic.” Tears burned my eyes. The pain,goddess, the pain,was worse than anything I’d ever felt. It was like someone had ripped my soul out, crushed it, and shoved it back inside me. He rejected me. In front of the entire pack. On the night I was to become Luna. I couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t move. I wanted to die. But death didn’t come. Only whispers. “She must’ve failed the purity test.” “Maybe he finally realized she’s not good enough for him.” “Why did she ever think the Alpha would choose a Hale?” They didn’t know what I had given up for him. They didn’t know I had killed for him. Lied for him. Bled for him. None of it mattered now. I was nothing. --- Later That Night They stripped me of the Luna gown and tossed me into the servant's wing. My room once filled with books, candles, and dreams was now just stone walls and a rusty mattress. I stared at the ceiling, numb, cold, and alone. “Astrid,” I whispered to my wolf. “Say something.” But she was silent. When a mate bond breaks, the wolf often goes silent. Some never speak again. A tear slid down my temple. I had no home now. No title. No pack. No future. Only rejection. Only shame. Only silence. --- Two Days Later The council summoned me. I thought they’d offer me comfort. Or maybe exile. But instead “You’re to be married to King Thorne Fenrir of the Northern Claw Pack,” said Elder Mira, her tone like ice. “What?” My voice cracked. “An alliance has been arranged. You’re of no use here, and the King requested someone with a clean womb and broken bond.” Clean womb? Broken bond? They wanted to sell me like property. I shook my head. “I won’t.” “You will,” she cut in. “Or you’ll be executed for disobedience. You are no longer pack-protected, Seraphina. You are nothing. And nothing is easy to throw away.” --- That Night – On the Journey North They didn’t even let me say goodbye. Two guards shoved me into a carriage and rode through a storm without speaking a word. Every bump in the path rattled through my body like grief. Where was I going? Who was this King? What kind of man accepts a rejected woman as his bride? --- Three Days Later – The Arrival The sky above the Northern Claw Pack territory was drenched in crimson clouds. Snow blanketed the forests. The castle loomed ahead,black stone, blood-red banners, towers shaped like fangs. I was ushered into a throne room made of shadows. And there he was. King Thorne Fenrir. Seated on a throne of wolf bones and obsidian. Silver hair like moonlight. Eyes like glowing gold fire. His aura hit me like a blade. Power. Pure, raw power. My breath caught in my chest. He stood slowly, his gaze raking over me with interest. Then, without blinking, he said: “I asked for a broken mate. Not a corpse. Stand up, Seraphina Hale.” My soul froze. He knew my name. And he didn’t sound gentle. He sounded hungry. “You belong to me now,” the Wolf King said. “And I don’t share what’s mine.”