The rejection
Chapter 1: The Rejection
The night of the mating ceremony was supposed to be the happiest night of my life.
Instead, it became the night my entire world shattered.
The bonfire in the center of the pack ground burned brightly, casting long shadows across the clearing. Wolves from every corner of the pack had gathered, whispering excitedly as they waited for the Alpha to arrive.
My hands trembled slightly as I smoothed down the simple white dress I wore. It wasn’t anything special, just something I had borrowed from my cousin. Still, tonight felt important. My wolf had been restless all day, pacing inside me like she was waiting for something… or someone.
A mate.
I had tried not to hope too much. Girls like me didn’t usually get lucky.
“Look who decided to show up,” a voice sneered behind me.
I turned to see Clara and her friends standing a few steps away, their eyes scanning me from head to toe with obvious disgust.
“Did you really think the Alpha would choose someone like you?” Clara laughed softly.
Her friends joined in.
I lowered my gaze and said nothing. I had learned a long time ago that responding only made things worse.
Before Clara could say anything else, the crowd suddenly fell silent.
A powerful scent filled the air.
The Alpha had arrived.
My heart began to pound loudly against my chest as everyone stepped aside, creating a path through the crowd. Slowly, he walked toward the bonfire.
Alpha Kael.
Tall. Powerful. Untouchable.
Even the firelight seemed to bend around him. His dark hair fell slightly over his forehead, and his sharp eyes scanned the crowd with cold authority.
Every unmated woman in the pack straightened immediately.
My wolf stirred violently inside me.
Mate.
The word echoed inside my mind, sending a shock through my body.
No… it couldn’t be.
My breath caught in my throat as Alpha Kael’s gaze suddenly stopped.
On me.
For a brief second, something flickered in his eyes.
Recognition.
My wolf surged forward excitedly.
Mate! Mate!
The whispers around us grew louder.
“Why is the Alpha looking at her?”
“That weak girl?”
“This must be a mistake…”
Alpha Kael’s jaw tightened. His expression hardened like stone.
Then he spoke.
His voice was cold and sharp enough to slice through the entire clearing.
“I, Alpha Kael of the Silver Moon Pack, reject you as my mate.”
For a moment, the world went completely silent.
The words echoed painfully inside my chest as if they had physically struck me.
My wolf howled in agony.
Gasps erupted around the crowd.
Clara burst into laughter.
“Did you hear that? Even the Alpha doesn’t want her!”
Humiliation burned through me as hundreds of eyes turned in my direction.
I could barely breathe.
Alpha Kael didn’t even look at me again. To him, I had already become invisible.
But just as I turned to leave, his voice stopped me.
“Leave this pack,” he said coldly. “You are not worthy of being here.”
My heart cracked open in that moment.
But neither of us knew that this rejection would change both our lives forever.