His Rejected Mate, His Greatest Regret (A.S)

Don’t look at her. She’s nothing.” The words struck Rio before she fully stepped into the training grounds, sharp enough to cut deeper than anything physical ever could. She did not react, because reacting had never protected her in Blackridge Pack. Attention was dangerous here, and she had survived by avoiding it as much as possible. So she kept walking, steady and silent, like she had trained herself to do over the years. The morning air carried a biting cold, but the training grounds were already alive with heat and movement. Wolves clashed in controlled violence, their bodies colliding with power and precision. Laughter echoed across the open space, loud and confident, filled with pride that came naturally to those who belonged. Every strike, every command, every cheer reminded Rio exactly where she stood. Nowhere. She tightened her grip on the wooden bucket in her hands as she crossed the field. The weight was not much, but it still dragged at her arms like a quiet reminder of her place. She was not here to train, not here to fight, and certainly not here to be recognized. She was here to serve, to exist on the edges, and to be useful without being seen. An Omega. Forgettable. Disposable. A warrior slammed another into the dirt just a few steps away, and cheers erupted instantly. The sound hit Rio harder than she expected, tightening something deep inside her chest. For a brief moment, her steps slowed, almost betraying her. Then she forced herself forward again, because hesitation would only draw attention she could not afford. No one had ever cheered for her. No one ever would. “Move.” The voice came from behind her, sharp and impatient. Before Rio could step aside, Darren slammed into her shoulder with deliberate force. The bucket tilted violently in her hands, and cold water spilled over her feet, soaking into her worn sandals and disappearing into the dirt. Laughter followed immediately. Loud. Careless. Expected. Rio dropped to her knees quickly, steadying the bucket before it rolled away completely. The water spread across the ground, and for a moment, her reflection shimmered within it. Distorted. Broken. Unclear. It looked right. Her fingers trembled slightly as she reached for the bucket, but she forced them still before anyone could notice. Crying would only give them something to enjoy, and she refused to offer them that. She had learned long ago that silence was her only defense. She stood again without speaking, lifting the bucket as if nothing had happened. “Still pretending you matter?” Darren called after her, his voice filled with open amusement. Rio did not turn to face him, because she already knew what she would see. The smirk, the confidence, the certainty that she would not fight back. “I was assigned duties,” she replied quietly, her voice controlled and even. Her answer only made the laughter grow louder. It always did. Rio tightened her grip on the bucket and continued walking, forcing her steps to remain steady. Pride had never protected her here, and it never would. In Blackridge Pack, survival depended on endurance, not resistance. Then something changed. At first, it was subtle, like a shift in the air that no one could fully explain. Conversations slowed, laughter thinned, and movement across the training grounds became uncertain. It wasn’t sudden, but it was enough to make everyone notice. Rio felt it too. A pressure. Her wolf stirred inside her chest, sudden and unfamiliar. That alone made her pause internally, because it had been silent for years. She had long believed that part of her was broken or simply gone. Now it moved again, restless and alert in a way that made her uneasy. The horn sounded. Once. Then again. The sound echoed across the grounds with authority, cutting through everything else. Wolves turned toward the main gate instantly, their posture shifting without hesitation. Strength remained, but something else layered beneath it now. Respect. Caution. Something deeper. “The Alpha has returned.” The words moved through the crowd quietly, but their impact was immediate. Rio stepped back slightly, her body reacting before her thoughts could catch up. The air felt heavier now, sharper, as if something powerful had entered it. The gates opened slowly. And Alpha Drake walked in. Silence didn’t fall. It was forced into existence. Every wolf lowered slightly in acknowledgment as he passed, their movements instinctive and immediate. He didn’t rush, and he didn’t need to. The world around him adjusted instead, bending subtly to his presence. Rio froze. Not by choice. Something inside her reacted the moment she saw him. Her breath caught. Her grip tightened. Her wolf surged awake. That had never happened before. Drake moved toward the center of the courtyard, his steps steady and controlled. His gaze swept across the pack with quiet authority, observing without needing to prove anything. Nothing about him was uncertain, and nothing about him invited a challenge. Then his eyes landed on her. Everything else disappeared. Rio’s breath caught fully this time, her chest tightening without warning. The sounds around her faded into nothing, leaving only the weight of his gaze. It pressed against her, sharp and unrelenting, like something trying to reach deeper than it should. Her wolf reacted again. Stronger this time. Restless. Awake. Drake did not look away. Neither did she. The moment stretched longer than it should have, filled with something neither of them understood. It wasn’t recognition, and it wasn’t familiarity. But it was something powerful enough to hold them both still in a way that made no sense. Rio felt her fingers tighten around the bucket without realizing it. Her heartbeat quickened, uneven and unfamiliar, as if her body was responding to something beyond her control. The feeling unsettled her more than anything responded. Not pain. Not fear. Something else. Something she could not name. As she stood there, trying to steady her breathing, she realized one thing with quiet certainty. Nothing about this moment was normal. And whatever had just begun was not going to end quietly.else that morning. Then someone pushed past her, breaking the stillness. The moment shattered. Sound returned suddenly, filling the space once more. Wolves shifted, conversations resumed, and movement returned to the grounds. But the tension that had formed did not fully disappear. It lingered. Drake turned away. But just before he did, his gaze flicked back to her one last time. Brief. Intentional. Unfinished. And something deep inside Rio’s chest