Rejected by the Alpha: The Lycan Queen's Rising

CHAPTER 001 SIENNA'S POINT OF VIEW Voices of laughter filled the hall, and glasses clinked in the hall. It was, to be frank, the Silver Moon Pack’s annual celebration, and I was the one supposed to be celebrated. But I was the Luna; I was the mate of Cassian, an Alpha. It felt like I didn’t belong, but right now. Beside me stood Cassian, looking as perfect as ever. The light of the chandeliers overhead was a sharp contrast to his strong, chiselled jaw and dark hair. Laura was a woman I’d known for years, and his eyes were locked on her. She was beautiful, confident, and so charming that it came naturally to her—everything I wasn't. Cassian spoke with her, and she laughed as this released my forced smile that made Cassian's laugh sound like music through the air. I didn't want it to bother me, but it did. He was supposed to be with me. This was supposed to be an event we were hosting together, and here I was, alone, watching him laugh with Laura like I didn’t exist. The worst part? He wasn’t being rude or ignoring me on purpose. He was just so caught up in Laura, like I didn't exist. Perhaps I was being too sensitive. I couldn’t help but feel that something was off; maybe I was just jealous. More guests showed up, coming from other packs as the ceremony went on. I looked around the room, a little proud, a little uncomfortable. This was supposed to be a celebration of our pack’s strength, but I didn’t feel strong. And then it happened. Laura sat at the bed warming her paws; she was cuddled up beneath the covers. He bowed slightly, saying, 'Ah, the Luna'. "It’s an honour to meet you." A sweet, melodic sound was what Laura laughed. She laid her hand on Cassian’s arm and said, 'Thank you.' Then she did something that made my heart drop; she pointed to me. Laura corrected him, still laughing, "Actually, she's the Luna." The guest blinked but recovered with a chuckle. He nodded at me and said, 'Oh, I see.' "My mistake. "I couldn't tell; you both are so beautiful." Cassian's smile caused Laura's skin to crawl as he licked his lips, and his eyes were fixed on her. I didn’t know if it was worse that he hadn’t corrected the mistake or that Laura had done it so easily. I tried to not get too angry, but my hands clutched at my sides, the edges of my nails digging into my palms. Was this how it was going to be? Was I always going to be second to Laura? We shone together, and they laughed and joked and were in their own world, while I faded away into a shadow behind them. Maybe I was overreacting. I wasn’t the type to make a scene or to draw attention to myself, but today was different. Perhaps it was the weight of the evening, the burden of being the Luna, and the responsibility of being the Alpha's mate. Perhaps it was the way he looked at her—the way he seemed to forget that I was there. I had to wonder if I was too emotional. Was I just imagining things? Was I jealous, or was there something more hurtful in the way they acted around each other? As she walked past, she nudged me lightly, laughing wickedly. The drink I had been holding spilt onto her dress as she bumped into my shoulder. Red wine extended its splash across the fabric, staining it. There was a moment of silence; all eyes were on us. Laura plastered a fake sweet smile on her face and said, "Oops." "Sienna, watch where you’re going." I tried to open my mouth to apologise, but the words wouldn't come out. Every guest’s eyes were now on us. I knew they were staring, judging. I felt small and humiliated. The wine stain was spreading, and I was thinking how ridiculous I must look right now. I muttered, not really meaning to say it out loud, 'Maybe you should watch your step next time.' The words were sharper than I meant them to be. A little smirk, Laura’s eyes narrowed just a bit. Her tone was cold now. "You better hope this comes out." This dress costs how much? Finally noticing the tension, Cassian stepped in between us, with his hand resting lightly on Laura’s arm. He said, his voice calm but firm, 'It’s fine.' "We’ll clean it up." I could see the look in his eyes, though. It wasn’t anger or concern for me; it was just irritation, like he was annoyed that the evening had been interrupted. My heart sank even further. He didn’t care. He didn’t care about me. I breathed in deeply, trying to calm myself down. I wasn’t going to cry in front of everyone, especially not in front of him. It was getting harder and harder to hold it together. It had started out so promisingly, but now I was just a fool. The room slowed to a regular pitch as I stood motionless. His back to me, as if I didn’t exist, Cassian was still talking to Laura. I wanted to scream, to pull him away, to remind him that I was here too, but I stayed quiet. What good would it do? Was this just me being a jealous, overdramatic mate, or was something more wrong here? It all weighed down on me, and for a moment I felt alone in a room full of people. It wasn’t simple to blink away the sting in my eyes. I glanced down at my dress twisted around my legs, and I was holding the empty glass with my fingers. I wanted to go. I was desperate to escape this place that no longer felt like home. But I couldn’t. Not yet. I didn’t have to face him yet. I took a deep breath and steadied myself. I was ready to make my way out of the room. Then something unexpected happened. His face gave nothing away as he turned towards me. He said, "Sienna, let’s talk." 'I have to talk to you about something.' I froze, my pulse racing. Was this it? Would he finally see me, or would this be another moment where he would wave me off? I stood there, my heart hammering in my chest, waiting for some more from him. But he didn’t. He just looked at me, waiting for me to say something. Why was everything so complicated? What was he going to say?