The Public Rejection
862 Words
The words struck harder than any physical blow.
"Aria Moonfall can never be my mate."
For a moment, the entire world went silent.
I couldn't breathe.
Couldn't think.
Couldn't move.
The bond between mates was supposed to be sacred. Every werewolf knew that. The Moon Goddess herself chose mates.
Yet Damon had rejected me as if I were nothing.
As if I were beneath him.
Gasps spread through the crowd.
Then came the whispers.
"His mate is Aria?"
"The omega?"
"No way."
"Poor Alpha Damon."
Laughter followed.
Every word stabbed deeper.
My wolf whimpered in pain.
The connection between us and Damon felt strained, as though someone were tearing it apart with their bare hands.
"Please..." I whispered.
I wasn't even sure what I was begging for.
An explanation?
Mercy?
A chance?
Damon's expression remained cold.
"I will not accept an omega as Luna of this pack."
The crowd erupted.
Some nodded in agreement.
Others looked uncomfortable.
But no one defended me.
Not one person.
Selena stepped forward and slipped her arm through Damon's.
The sight shattered what little hope I had left.
"You heard him," she said with a smug smile. "Know your place, Aria."
The humiliation burned through me.
I wanted to disappear.
To run.
To wake up and discover this was some terrible nightmare.
But it wasn't.
This was real.
Damon's rejection was real.
And everyone was watching.
The Elder suddenly stepped forward.
"Alpha Damon," he said carefully, "the mate bond is not something to be taken lightly."
Damon's jaw tightened.
"I know exactly what I'm doing."
"Yet rejecting one's fated mate has consequences."
"I'll accept those consequences."
His voice carried absolute certainty.
The Elder looked troubled but said nothing more.
The decision had been made.
My fate had been decided before I was even allowed to speak.
Tears blurred my vision.
I hated myself for crying.
I hated that everyone could see how much this hurt.
Most of all, I hated that a part of me still wished Damon would change his mind.
That he would look at me and realize he'd made a mistake.
But he didn't.
Instead, he turned away.
As though I no longer existed.
The crowd began dispersing.
The ceremony continued.
People laughed.
Talked.
Danced.
Meanwhile, my entire world had fallen apart.
I stumbled away from the platform.
Nobody stopped me.
Nobody cared.
The farther I walked, the harder it became to breathe.
My chest felt like it was being crushed.
I barely made it to the edge of the forest before collapsing to my knees.
The tears finally came.
Hot.
Relentless.
Painful.
"Why?" I whispered to the night sky.
"What did I do wrong?"
The moon offered no answer.
Only silence.
My wolf cried inside me.
The rejection hurt her just as much.
Maybe more.
Hours passed.
The celebration continued in the distance.
I remained alone beneath the trees.
Eventually, exhaustion forced me to stand.
I wiped my face and started toward my small cabin.
The packhouse lights glowed brightly on the hill.
That was where Damon lived.
Where Selena was probably celebrating her victory.
The thought made my stomach twist.
I looked away.
The moment I reached my cabin, something felt wrong.
The front door was open.
I froze.
I was certain I'd locked it before the ceremony.
Slowly, I stepped inside.
The room was a disaster.
Furniture overturned.
Clothes scattered.
Drawers ripped open.
Someone had searched my home.
My pulse quickened.
"What..."
A soft laugh sounded behind me.
I turned.
Selena stood in the doorway with two of her friends.
My blood ran cold.
"You should've seen your face," Selena said.
One of the girls giggled.
"Priceless."
Anger surged through me.
"You did this?"
Selena shrugged.
"What does it matter?"
"This is my home."
"Not for much longer."
I frowned.
"What are you talking about?"
Selena's smile widened.
A cruel smile.
"The Alpha Council met while you were crying in the forest."
A bad feeling settled in my stomach.
"What did they decide?"
Selena took a step closer.
"You're no longer welcome in Moonfall Pack."
The world tilted.
"What?"
"They've officially banished you."
My heart stopped.
Banished?
For being rejected?
For existing?
"No..."
"Oh yes." Selena's eyes sparkled with satisfaction. "You leave at sunrise."
I stared at her in disbelief.
This couldn't be happening.
It couldn't.
Yet deep down, I already knew it was true.
The pack had never wanted me.
Damon's rejection had simply given them an excuse.
A way to get rid of me permanently.
Selena leaned close enough for only me to hear.
"You should thank me."
I recoiled.
"What?"
She smiled.
"Because if you stay..."
Her voice dropped to a whisper.
"I'll make sure your life becomes much worse than this."
Then she turned and walked away.
Laughing with her friends.
Leaving me alone in the wreckage of my home.
Alone.
Rejected.
Banished.
Broken.
As the door swung shut, something strange happened.
A sudden pulse of energy shot through my body.
The air around me trembled.
The shattered glass on the floor began to vibrate.
My wolf suddenly growled.
Not in fear.
In warning.
And for the first time that night—
My eyes briefly flashed silver.
- Writer
