Rejected by the Alpha Marked by Fate

Chapter2

As i paced outside the packhouse, my nails digging into my palms. The wind carried the scent of pine and damp earth, but I barely noticed. My thoughts were trapped inside what might be going on, behind the heavy oak door where Valtor and Adrian had been talking for nearly an hour.

Too long.

I’d knocked once. No answer. I’d tried to listen in, but the thick walls muffled their voices. Only low murmurs, rising and falling like waves, reached me. Something about it made my skin crawl.

Valtor never kept things from me. He always pulled me into his world, even when my father insisted I wasn’t worthy. Now he was in there with Adrian my half-brother, And I was out here, waiting like an outsider.

I folded my arms and stared at the door. My heart pounded against my ribs. What could they possibly be talking about?

A sharp gust of wind pushed against me, carrying the sounds of the pack preparing for tomorrow’s ceremony. My wedding ceremony. I should have been excited, but all I felt was a gnawing unease.

Finally, the door creaked open.

Valtor stepped out first, his jaw tight, his expression unreadable. His silver eyes usually so full of warmth when they landed on me were shadowed. He didn’t look at me.

Adrian followed, his usual smugness barely hidden behind a polite mask. His eyes flicked to mine, assessing, cold.

“What” My voice caught. I cleared my throat and tried again. “What was that about?”

Valtor clenched his fists. “Nothing you need to worry about.” His voice was distant.

Nothing I needed to worry about?

I stared at him, disbelief tightening my throat. Just this morning, he’d whispered promises against my skin, his fingers tracing my wrist as he vowed to protect me from everything. And now he was shutting me out?

Adrian smirked. “You have a wedding to focus on, little sister. You wouldn’t want to burden yourself with things beyond your understanding.”

I ignored him. My eyes were locked on Valtor. “Talk to me.”

Valtor exhaled, shaking his head. “Not now, Thalia.”

I took a step forward, reaching for his hand, but he pulled away. The rejection stung more than I wanted to admit.

Adrian chuckled, the sound low and amused. “I’ll leave you two to… whatever this is.”

He walked away, his boots crunching against the gravel. My body tensed at the sight of him, but I forced myself to focus on Valtor.

His shoulders were rigid, his face unreadable.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, my voice softer now.

He finally looked at me, but the warmth was gone. “Nothing.”

Liar.

“Valtor, please”

He turned away before I could finish, heading toward the woods. His silence felt heavier than any words.

I stood there, feeling like the world had shifted beneath my feet.

The Thornveil packhouse was a grand sight, its dark wooden walls adorned with banners in deep blue and silver their pack colors. Thornveil was one of the strongest packs, second only to the Darkveil Pack, where the ruthless Alpha King ruled.

This was where I was meant to marry Valtor.

I walked through the corridors, the weight of expectation pressing down on me. Servants rushed about, arranging flowers and setting up the ceremonial hall. Everywhere I looked, people whispered and smiled, as if this was just another joyful union.

But my heart wouldn’t stop hammering.

Valtor had barely spoken to me since the conversation with Adrian. He wasn’t avoiding me entirely, but he was distant, distracted. Every time our eyes met, he looked away.

I knew something was wrong.

I found him in one of the empty corridors, standing near a window overlooking the training grounds. His expression was tense, his hands gripping the windowsill like he was holding himself together.

“Are you going to tell me what’s wrong now?” I asked.

He didn’t turn. “You should rest. Tomorrow is a big day.”

“Don’t do that,” I said, stepping closer. “Don’t act like I don’t see something is wrong.”

His jaw tensed. “It’s nothing, Thalia.”

“You keep saying that, but you’re lying.”

His silence only fueled my frustration.

“I thought we didn’t keep secrets,” I pressed. “Whatever Adrian said”

“This isn’t about Adrian,” he snapped, finally turning to face me.

I flinched at the sharpness of his tone. His eyes softened slightly, but he didn’t take back his words.

“If it’s not about him, then what?” My voice was barely above a whisper.

He hesitated, and for a moment, I thought he would finally tell me.

But then he just shook his head. “Go to bed, Thalia.”

That was it.

Just like that, he shut me out completely.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded stiffly. “Fine.”

I turned on my heel and walked away, my nails digging into my palms.

I didn’t look back.

That night, I lay awake in my room, staring at the ceiling. The bed felt too big, too empty. My mind kept replaying the last few hours the way Valtor wouldn’t meet my eyes, the way he pulled away, the weight of something unspoken between us.

What had Adrian said to him?

I clenched my fists. I knew Adrian well enough to know he never spoke without an agenda. Whatever he told Valtor, it had changed something.

The wind howled outside, rattling the windows. I turned onto my side, pressing my face into the pillow.

Tomorrow, I was supposed to become Valtor’s mate.

Tomorrow, everything was supposed to be perfect.

But something was wrong. And deep in my gut, I knew

This wasn’t over.