His Rejected Queen

Chapter Six: Living Legend

The classroom was bright, too bright, and the air buzzed with a nervous energy I couldn’t match. I scanned the desks, searching for an empty seat, anywhere to disappear.

Just breathe, Seraphina. You can do this.

I spotted one near the back, next to a girl engrossed in her phone. Taking a shaky breath, I walked over, trying to ignore the stares that followed me.

“Hi,” I mumbled, my voice barely audible. “Is it OK if I sit here?”

The girl looked up, her expression softening. She had warm, brown eyes and a kind smile. “Sure, go right ahead.”

“Thank you.” I settled into the seat, grateful for even this small kindness.

She turned to me, her eyes curious. “So, what’s your name?”

“Seraphina.”

“Yasmine.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Yasmine.”

“You too.” She paused, tilting her head. “Now tell me, why haven’t I seen your face around here before? Have you just moved here?”

I swallowed, a familiar wave of anxiety washing over me. “I’ve actually lived here all my life.”

She frowned, her brow furrowing.

She glanced at my necklace, her eyes lingering. “I like your necklace, by the way.”

I instinctively touched the beads, my fingers tracing their smooth surfaces. They were my anchor, my reminder of survival.

“I’m sorry,” Yasmine said suddenly, her voice softer. “I realize I can be a little forward sometimes.”

“It’s ok.”

“Do you mind if I take a look?”

I hesitated. I’d never met this girl before, and she wanted to touch my most treasured possession. But her eyes were so open, so genuinely curious… and I was so desperately lonely.

She’s just being friendly, Seraphina. You need a friend.

“Ok,” I agreed, my voice barely a whisper.

The world seemed to fade as Yasmine gently lifted the necklace, her honey-colored fingers trailing delicately across the pearly white beads.

“It’s really pretty,” she murmured. “Did you create this yourself?”

“I did.”

“They look like prayer beads.”

“In a way, they kind of are.”

She looked up at me, her eyes questioning. “How so?”

I took a deep breath, contemplating telling a stranger my biggest, scariest childhood secret.

She seemed to sense my hesitation. “It’s OK, you don’t have to tell me.”

Her consideration surprised me. Yasmine was the first person other than my family that I had ever considered sharing my memories with.

“Every time I would go through a different stage of treatment,” I began, my voice trembling slightly, “I would add a white bead to a piece of string. Eventually and unintentionally, it grew longer into the shape of a necklace.”

Her eyes widened slightly. “Treatment… Is this why I can’t smell your wolf? I know you’re not human, but you’re not a wolf either, are you?”

I felt a familiar wave of shame wash over me. She’d already caught on that I wasn’t the same as everyone else in this pack.

“I’m a freak,” I blurted out, the words tasting like bile in my mouth.

My mate rejected me because I am not one of them. Because I am different, weak and pathetic. In his eyes, I am worthless.

“Oh no hunni, you’re not a freak,” Yasmine said quickly, her eyes earnest. “Unique. But not a freak.”

Her words made me feel… slightly better. Yasmine didn’t look at me with the same contempt as Roman, or the same cruel amusement as Crystal. In fact, her eyes were lit up with curiosity.

“I don’t have a wolf because I missed my shift when I was fifteen,” I explained, the words tumbling out.

“Because of the treatment?”

“Yes, I was in hospital for pretty much all of my puphood. Undergoing intense radiotherapy and stem cell transplantation.”

That was the reason why I had lost all of my hair, the reason why I was so small and frail.

Yasmine gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. Her eyes widened in what I thought might be disbelief. “Holy sh*t! I know who you are.”

She knows who I am?

I was utterly confused by this. I’d never met Yasmine before, at least I didn’t think I had. Not unless she was a friend of Crystal’s… but how?

“You do?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

“You’re the first pup known to our kind to have a human disease.”

I was bamboozled by her accuracy. How did she know?

Taking a deep breath, I announced that dreaded, evil word. “Cancer. I had Leukemia.”

I didn’t feel ashamed to say it out loud, but it wasn’t easy either.

The bell rang, signaling the start of class, and Yasmine quickly handed back my necklace, her expression full of sympathy.

As we settled into our seats, she turned to me, her voice soft. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be, it’s not your fault.”

“No, but because of my nosy ass. I’ve just put you in a situation where I’ve made you talk about something so traumatic.”

She isn’t wrong.

“You didn’t make me, you asked.”

“Goddess, you’re so brave, Seraphina. I’ve heard stories from other pack members.”

I stiffened, my heart pounding. “Stories?”

She nodded, her eyes earnest. “Hmm. Seraphina, my friend, you’re like a living legend around here.”

She called me her friend. And I swear I felt my soul swell with a little bit of happiness.

The teacher cleared his throat, drawing our attention to the front of the room.

“Morning class,” he said, his voice booming. “We have a new starter joining us today, but unfortunately we haven’t the time for introductions. Now if you can please follow your attention to what I am about to show you.”

He gestured to the manikins behind him, each dressed in elaborate outfits.

As he began to explain the assignment, he paused, his expression softening. “As you are all already aware, our Alpha-son Roman Barker is hosting his claiming ceremony in just a few days, where he will be claiming his Luna Crystal Clarke. For this very special event that we are all invited to, I have decided that we shall be making our very own outfits to wear. You are to design the outfit first from your textbooks as we have learned so far, and then you have to choose the fabrics and equipment to make your final piece.”

A cheer erupted from the class.

My heart constricted in my chest. Roman and Crystal. The claiming ceremony. It was like a punch to the stomach. I wanted nothing more than to run home and cry my eyes out.

Everyone cheered in excitement at the news. I would have been included if the situation were different. But above all, the reaction of my class had proved Roman’s point. The pack has already accepted Crystal as their Luna.

The teacher continued to speak, but I couldn’t hear him. The world had narrowed to a single, agonizing point. Roman and Crystal. Luna and Alpha. And me… nothing.