Episode 1:The Rejection
947 Words
The full moon bathed the Blackwood Pack in silver light, casting eerie shadows across the vast clearing. The air thrummed with excitement, thick with the mingling scents of wolves gathered for the Alpha’s Ceremony.
Tonight was the night Selene Blackwood had waited for her entire life.
Her 18th birthday.
The night she would finally meet her fated mate.
Her heart pounded against her ribcage as she stood among the crowd, hands clenched tightly by her sides. Wolves surrounded her in a massive circle, their eyes glued to the towering figure standing on the raised ceremonial platform.
Alpha Damian Blackwood.
He was everything a leader should be—strong, powerful, ruthless. His dark hair caught the moonlight, and his golden eyes, sharp and piercing, held an undeniable command.
He was the future Alpha.
He was the most desirable male in the pack.
And tonight, under the Moon Goddess’s watchful eyes, fate would decide who would stand beside him.
Selene’s breath hitched as a sudden warmth blossomed in her chest. It spread like wildfire through her veins, filling her with a tingling, electric sensation.
Her wolf, Astra, perked up inside her mind.
Mate.
Selene sucked in a breath.
No.
It couldn’t be.
Slowly, hesitantly, she lifted her gaze—
And met Damian’s.
The air between them shifted. The world seemed to stand still.
Recognition flared in his golden eyes, followed by something darker. Something cruel.
Selene’s heart skipped a beat. A joyous gasp nearly escaped her lips—until his expression hardened.
Her stomach twisted painfully.
Instead of the love and warmth she had dreamed of, Damian’s gaze burned with fury.
The pack fell into silence as he took a step forward, his aura rolling over them like a crushing wave.
"You?" His voice was sharp, laced with disbelief and contempt. "You’re my mate?"
Selene’s lips parted, but no words came out.
This wasn’t how it was supposed to go.
Damian was supposed to be happy. He was supposed to hold her, claim her, accept the bond fate had gifted them.
Instead, his hands curled into fists. His expression twisted in rage.
"You’re weak," he spat, his voice cold enough to freeze the air around them.
The words hit Selene like a physical blow.
She flinched.
Astra whimpered in her mind, confusion and pain echoing between them.
The gathered wolves murmured in shock, shifting uneasily. A few of them laughed—soft, mocking chuckles that made Selene’s skin prickle.
Damian didn’t stop.
"I, Damian Blackwood, reject you as my mate."
Selene’s breath hitched.
And then—
Agony.
A sharp, gut-wrenching pain exploded in her chest, as if someone had driven a dagger straight into her soul. Her bond with Damian—the invisible thread tying their destinies together—snapped violently, sending a wave of torment through her body.
She gasped, clutching her chest as her knees buckled beneath her.
No. No, this isn’t happening.
Astra howled in agony, her presence fading, retreating into the depths of Selene’s mind.
"Damian…" Selene’s voice was barely a whisper, her vision swimming with unshed tears. "Why?"
Damian had already turned his back on her.
It wasn’t enough to reject her—he had to humiliate her, too.
The crowd gasped again as he reached out, intertwining his fingers with another woman’s hand.
Kara.
The Beta’s daughter.
His chosen Luna.
A cruel smirk played on Kara’s lips as she pressed herself against Damian’s side, her blue eyes gleaming with victory.
"Did you really think the Moon Goddess would pick someone like you?" Kara taunted, her voice sickeningly sweet.
Selene felt something inside her snap.
The pain. The humiliation. The betrayal.
It was too much.
Her legs trembled. Her vision blurred.
And then—
Darkness.
---
Pain and Betrayal
Selene woke up to the scent of damp earth and pine needles.
For a moment, she thought it had all been a nightmare.
Then the pain in her chest returned—dull but ever-present, like a wound that refused to heal.
"You’re awake."
The voice was familiar. Rowan.
She blinked up at him, his face coming into focus. The Gamma of the pack. Her best friend.
"You collapsed," Rowan said, his voice tight with barely suppressed anger. "You were out for almost an hour."
Selene pushed herself up, ignoring the dizziness that followed. "Where am I?"
"The healer’s tent," Rowan muttered. "After you passed out, no one moved to help you. No one. I had to carry you here myself."
Selene’s stomach twisted. "Not even my father?"
Rowan’s silence was answer enough.
Of course not.
Her father, Beta Julian, had always been loyal to Damian. He had wanted power, and she… she had just been a disappointment.
Selene clenched her fists.
She had been so stupid.
She had spent her life waiting for this—for a mate who would never accept her.
Tears burned behind her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.
Rowan studied her closely. "What are you going to do now?"
Selene sucked in a breath.
She could stay.
She could beg for a place in the pack, even after everything Damian had done.
Or—
She could leave.
Start over.
Become stronger.
Her hands trembled, but her voice was steady when she finally spoke.
"I won’t beg for a place where I’m not wanted," she said. "I’m leaving, Rowan. I don’t care what it takes—I’ll find my own way."
Rowan’s gaze darkened. "Are you sure? If you leave the pack, there’s no coming back."
"I’m sure."
Selene took a shaky breath.
She would leave Blackwood.
She would train, grow, and prove them all wrong.
And one day…
She would make Damian regret the day he rejected her.
- Writer
