My Mate Rejected Me but the Dark Prince Claimed Me

Nyra Ashbourne hated birthdays. She had hated them since she was six years old. That was the year she realised her birthday wasn't really hers. It belonged to Bianca. Every fifteenth day of Moonfall, the Ashbourne estate came alive before sunrise. Servants hurried through the halls carrying flowers. Cooks filled the kitchens with the smell of fresh bread and honey cakes. Musicians tuned their instruments in the courtyard while maids polished silver until it reflected their faces. Every year, Bianca celebrates. Just never her. Nyra lay on her side, staring at the small calendar hanging crookedly beside her bed. 15 Moonfall. She didn't need the date to remind her. The noise downstairs had already done that. Someone laughed. Another servant shouted for more flowers. A carriage rolled across the stone driveway. Again. She closed her eyes and pulled the blanket over her head. If she stayed there long enough, perhaps the day would pass without finding her. A sharp knock broke the silence. "Miss Nyra?" Martha. Nyra sighed. "You can come in." The door opened just enough for the older woman to slip inside with a wooden tray balanced carefully in her hands. The smell reached Nyra before the tray did. Fresh bread. Eggs. Warm tea. Martha smiled the moment she saw her. "There you are. Lady Bianca ask that i bring your breakfast to you" “I wonder why she alway prepare my breakfast, when she doesn’t like me” Nyra said yawning” “Don’t say that, your twin cares for you in her own way.” I thought you might still be asleep." “martha said politely” "I was trying to be . Nyra pushed herself upright. "On your birthday?" Martha asked”. "Especially on my birthday." Martha chuckled softly as she placed the tray on the little table beside the bed. "You're the only girl I know who says that." "I'm probably the only girl whose birthday comes with homework." "What homework?" "Trying not to embarrass my family." The joke slipped out before she could stop it. Martha didn't laugh. She looked at Nyra for a long second before reaching out to smooth a curl away from her face. "Happy birthday, sweetheart." The words landed somewhere deep inside Nyra's chest. they sounded so rare. She smiled. "Thank you." Martha looked around the room. Unlike Bianca's bedroom across the hall, Nyra's room was small and very simple. The curtains had faded from years in the sun. The wardrobe creaked whenever it was opened. Even the mirror leaning against the wall had a crack running through one corner. None of it bothered Nyra anymore. It had stopped feeling temporary years ago. "You should eat while it's warm," Martha said. "I'll be back to help you get ready for school." Nyra nodded. "sure." The older woman hesitated at the door. "As for tonight..." Nyra looked up. Martha smiled gently. "I've got a feeling." Nyra laughed. "You've been saying that since I turned sixteen." "And one of these years I'll be right." She winked before disappearing into the hallway. The room became quiet again. Nyra looked down at the breakfast. There were two slices of bread. One boiled egg. Tea. She picked up the bread and tore off a piece. Before she could take a bite, raised voices drifted through the open window. "Careful with those gifts!" "They're for Lady Bianca!" Nyra froze. Curiosity got the better of her. She stood and walked toward the window. The front courtyard buzzed with life. Servants carried brightly wrapped boxes into the grand hall. Bouquets of white roses arrived by the dozen. One carriage after another rolled through the gates. Some of them carried presents. Others carried flowers. Every single gift was tagged with the same name. Lady Bianca Ashbourne. Nyra smiled to herself. It wasn't a bitter smile. Just... A tired one. She couldn't remember the last time anyone had arrived carrying a present with her name on it. Perhaps when Mother was alive. No. She caught herself. Mother had never celebrated her birthday. Mother had died giving birth to them. A loud cheer erupted outside. Bianca had finally come downstairs. Even from the second floor, Nyra could hear the excitement. "Happy birthday, Lady Bianca!" "You look beautiful!" "May the Moon Goddess bless your ceremony tonight!" Nyra stepped away from the window. She already knew how this part looked. Bianca would smile. Father would stand proudly beside her. Photographs would be taken. Guests would congratulate the Alpha King's beautiful daughter. The other daughter… Would eventually wander downstairs once everyone was too busy to notice. Minutes later she reached for the mirror to pin back a stubborn curl. The cracked glass reflected a face she'd spent years trying not to hate. Round cheeks. Soft shoulders. A big body that never seemed to fit the dresses made for girls her age. At twenty-two, most women in Silverfang looked like warriors. Slim. Strong. Graceful. Nyra looked like none of them. She tugged at the hem of her old sleeping shirt. It clung to her in places she wished it wouldn't. Father had stopped ordering new clothes for her years ago. Whenever something became too tight, Martha quietly let out the seams. When that wasn't enough... She borrowed dresses from older cousins who'd outgrown them. Nyra had become used to wearing clothes that belonged to someone else. Sometimes… She wondered if her life belonged to someone else too. Nyra took one last look at herself in the cracked mirror. Then she whispered the same lie she'd whispered every birthday for years. "Maybe this one will be different." She didn't believe it. But still, hope… has always been difficult to kill. “She left her room for the hallway” "You've grown into such a beautiful young woman." "The Blood Moon will surely favour you." "You'll make a wonderful Luna one day." Bianca thanked with effortless grace. “Father praised Bianca” Nyra watched quietly from the stairs. She wasn't jealous. She'd accepted years ago that Bianca shone in ways she never would. What hurt… Was that today. was her birthday too. No one seemed to remember. "Lady Bianca!" Another carriage had arrived. A young nobleman hurried inside carrying an enormous bouquet of white roses. "Happy birthday!" Bianca laughed. "Thank you." The flowers disappeared into the growing mountain of gifts. Nyra looked away. "Miss Nyra." She turned. Martha stood behind her carrying a small box wrapped in faded blue paper. "I almost forgot." Nyra frowned. "What's this?" "A birthday present." Nyra blinked. "For me?" "Of course for you." Martha gently pushed the box into her hands. "It isn't much." Her fingers trembled as she untied the ribbon. Inside lay a knitted blue scarf. The stitches weren't perfect. A few loops were uneven. One corner curved more than the other. Nyra smiled anyway. "It's beautiful." "I made it myself." "I can tell." Martha gasped dramatically. "Was that a compliment or an insult?" Nyra laughed. "A compliment." "I love it." And she meant it. More than all the expensive gifts piling up around Bianca. Because someone had thought about her. Someone had spent hours making something just for her. She wrapped the scarf around her shoulders. "It suits you," Martha said proudly. Before Nyra could answer, a sharp voice sliced through the warmth. "There you are." The smile faded from her face. Alpha King Gareth Ashbourne crossed the hall without hurry. Conversations quietened as he passed. Even the servants stepped aside. Power followed him like a shadow. His eyes settled on Nyra. “Don’t make Bianca late for school, and do not embarrass this family tonight." She lowered her head. "Yes, Father." His eyes swept over her school dress. Nyra instinctively folded her hands over her stomach. "Father." Bianca appeared beside him. "I am ready to leave for school." "Okay” "Go well , my love." Gareth nodded once before turning back to Nyra. "Try not to make yourself the centre of attention today." Then he walked away. Nyra stood perfectly still. Martha's jaw tightened. "That was unnecessary." Nyra forced a smile. "It's fine." She wasn't trying to convince Martha. She was trying to convince herself. You will be late for school, "Martha reminded her. “I know. Outside, another carriage rolled through the estate gates. The banners fluttered in the morning breeze. Tonight, beneath the Blood Moon, destinies would be written. Nyra had spent twenty-two years praying hers would finally begin. She had no way of knowing... ...it was already coming to an end.