The alpha's rejection, The rogue king's claim

Chapter 1 – The Night of Rejection Serena’s POV The moonlight bathed the Silver Crescent Pack grounds in silver fire. Tonight was supposed to be my night. Today I turned eighteen n I was so happy. Today was the night the Goddess would reveal my mate. My hands shook, my breath caught, my heart raced so hard it hurt. I was literally shaking. Then it happened. My eyes locked with his. Christopher. Alpha Christopher of silver Crescent pack. A pull slammed into me so violently that my knees buckled. My chest heaved as sparks raced across my skin, burning, branding. My soul screamed his name before my lips could. The Alpha. My mate. The crowd noticed instantly. Gasps rippled like a storm. “No way… the Alpha’s mate is her?” “She’s just a weak omega…” “Poor thing. He’ll never accept that.” Their voices stabbed like knives, but I couldn’t look away. Christopher was walking toward me, tall, broad-shouldered, glowing with power under the moon.he was devilishly handsome. He was the dream of every girl. The air grew tight with his dominance, and still… the bond pulled me to him. When he stopped before me, my body betrayed me, leaning closer. The sparks exploded when his hand brushed mine. My lips parted in a breathless whisper. “Christopher…” For a second, I thought I saw it. Hunger in his golden eyes. The same fire ravaging me. But then his jaw clenched, his expression hardening into cold marble. His lips curved in something cruel. He spoke, his voice loud enough for every pack member to hear. “I, Alpha Christopher of the Silver Crescent Pack, reject you, Serena Hale, as my mate and my Luna.” The world froze. I thought, I had heard it wrong. A roar of shock ripped through the crowd. Some gasped, some laughed. Some had sympathy in their eyes and some were mocking me with venomous smile. Cassandra, standing nearby in her glittering silver gown, tilted her head with a sweet smile that cut sharper than a blade. “Oh, Serena… I’m so sorry,” she said, voice dripping fake sympathy. “You must be… devastated.... right?” The whispers grew louder. “Rejected… in front of everyone?” “She should’ve known. She’s nothing. Just an ordinary weak omega.” My heart cracked under the weight of their words. I couldn’t breathe. My chest burned as though he’d ripped my soul out and thrown it to the ground. I forced myself to speak, my voice trembling. “You don’t mean it. Don't do this to me. You felt it too. I know you did.” For a flicker of a moment, his eyes softened. But it vanished in an instant, replaced by a sneer. “I don’t care what I felt. I don’t want you. You’re weak. An omega. You could never stand by my side.” The pack laughed, the sound ringing in my ears like cruel bells. Cassandra pressed a hand to her chest, feigning shock, though her eyes glittered. “Christopher, maybe she misunderstood? Poor thing. It must be so confusing for her…” Her words twisted deeper into me, as if I wasn’t bleeding enough already. Tears blurred my vision, but I lifted my chin. “Then I won’t accept it.” The crowd gasped again. “What?” Cassandra whispered dramatically. “Serena…” Christopher’s golden gaze turned sharp and dangerous. “Say that again.” “I won’t accept your rejection,” I said, louder this time. My voice shook, but my words stood tall. “The bond is real. The Goddess tied us together. You can deny it all you want, but you feel it.” His jaw tightened, his fists clenched. A growl rumbled in his chest. He stepped closer, towering over me. The crowd fell silent, watching, waiting. He grabbed my wrist, yanking me against him. Sparks exploded, a fire racing through every nerve in my body. I gasped at the force of it. My chest slammed against his, my lips inches from his. “Do you want to be humiliated, Serena?” His voice was low, dangerous. His breath fanned hot across my face. “You think this bond means you own me? That you can defy me?” My body trembled, heat curling low in my stomach. The mate bond screamed for me to submit, to beg, to cling. But I didn’t. “I’m not the one who’s afraid,” I whispered. His eyes flashed, molten gold. For one terrifying heartbeat, I thought he would kiss me. Claim me. Instead, he shoved me back so hard I stumbled, nearly falling. “Pathetic.” His voice thundered, carrying over the pack. “You will never be my Luna.” Cassandra’s soft laugh reached me like poison. “Oh, darling… maybe it’s better this way. The Alpha deserves someone… stronger.” The crowd erupted in whispers again. “She defied him? Stupid girl.” “She’s desperate. Can’t she see he doesn’t want her?” “She should just accept and leave.” But I couldn’t. My soul refused. My tears finally fell, but my chin stayed high. “You can reject me a thousand times, Christopher,” I said, my voice breaking but steady. “I will not accept it.” His nostrils flared, his chest heaving. For a moment, his composure cracked. His wolf pushed forward, his eyes glowing brighter, teeth bared. The growl that tore from him shook the ground. The crowd gasped, stepping back. Cassandra’s smirk faltered. Christopher turned sharply, his shoulders tense. “This ceremony is over.” He strode away, dominance radiating, Cassandra hurrying after him. But then it happened. A snarl ripped out of him, wild and furious, loud enough to echo across the pack lands. His wolf. The sound sent shivers through everyone. The whispers stilled. Eyes widened. Because no matter how cruelly he rejected me, no matter how much he tried to deny it— His wolf didn’t want to let me go. And every single pack member saw it. --- Christopher’s POV The moment I saw her, I was finished. The mate bond crashed into me, scorching every nerve. Her scent—wildflowers after rain—wrapped around me, intoxicating, addictive. The sparks when I touched her made my skin burn. She was mine. But she couldn’t be. Not Serena. Not the fragile omega everyone dismissed. How could the Goddess do this? How could She tie me to someone so… weak? I had to reject her. I had to. “I, Alpha Christopher, reject you…” The words cut me as deeply as they cut her. When she whispered my name, begging, a part of me nearly broke. And when she refused to accept—when she defied me—my wolf roared with savage pride. She was strong. Too strong. I almost kissed her when I pulled her close. Her lips were trembling, her eyes begging. The bond screamed at me to claim her, to mark her, to tear apart anyone who mocked her. But pride is stronger than desire. I shoved her away, and the look in her eyes almost destroyed me. Still, I turned my back. For the pack. For appearances. But when Cassandra slid up beside me, pretending to soothe, pretending to belong at my side… my wolf snapped. The snarl ripped out of me before I could stop it, raw and violent, the sound of a wolf who had just lost his mate. I clenched my fists, forcing the beast back, forcing myself to keep walking. But I knew the truth. No matter what I said, no matter how many times I rejected her… She was mine. And I hated that I couldn’t let her go. ---