Rejected By The Alpha Claimed By His Twin Brother

Elara's Pov "I, Alpha Ryker Ashthorne, reject Elara Whitmore as my fated mate and future Luna." The words echoed through the pack square, louder than the cheers that had filled it only moments ago. My knees gave out beneath me. No... This couldn't be happening. The Moon Goddess couldn't have made a mistake. I looked up at the man standing on the stone platform, hoping—praying—I had heard him wrong. Alpha Ryker Ashthorne. The strongest Alpha in the North. My mate. His icy blue eyes met mine, but there was no warmth in them. No hesitation. No regret. Only disgust. "I refuse to be bound to a weak, wolfless orphan," he continued, his deep voice carrying across the silent crowd. "The Ashthorne Moon Pack deserves a Luna worthy of standing beside its Alpha. Elara Whitmore will never be that woman." A murmur swept through the crowd. Then came the laughter. "She actually thought the Alpha would accept her?" "A wolfless nobody as our Luna?" "What a joke." Every word pierced my heart like a blade. I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to stop the trembling, but it was useless. My entire body shook as hundreds of eyes stared at me with pity, amusement, or pure contempt. For eighteen years, I had lived as the pack's unwanted orphan. The girl without a wolf. The girl no one wanted. Still, I had held on to one tiny hope. That my mate would see me. That he would choose me. Instead... He destroyed me. Ryker stepped forward, his black Alpha cloak billowing behind him. "Our alliance with the Silvercrest Pack will move forward as planned." A beautiful blonde woman stepped onto the platform, slipping her hand into his. She smiled. Not kindly. Triumph gleamed in her eyes as she looked at me. "Allow me to introduce my future Luna," Ryker announced. "Vanessa Silvercrest." The crowd erupted into applause. My ears rang. I couldn't breathe. Something inside me cracked. Not my heart. My soul. A sharp pain tore through my chest as the mate bond strained against his rejection. It felt as though invisible claws were ripping me apart from the inside. I gasped, clutching my chest. Tears blurred my vision, but I refused to let them fall. Not here. Not in front of everyone. Vanessa leaned close to Ryker and whispered something that made him smirk. Then she looked directly at me. "You should leave before you embarrass yourself even more." A few pack members laughed. Others simply turned away, as though I no longer existed. I searched the faces in the crowd for someone—anyone—to stand up for me. The woman who had raised me lowered her eyes. The warriors I'd trained beside looked away. Even the elders remained silent. No one moved. No one cared. I was alone. Ryker's voice cut through the silence once more. "From this moment forward, Elara Whitmore is no longer welcome in Ashthorne Moon Pack. She is banished. Anyone who offers her shelter will answer to me." Banishment. The word stole the last bit of strength from my body. This place had never truly been my home... But it was all I'd ever known. I slowly lifted my head. For one brief second, I thought I saw something flicker in Ryker's eyes. Regret. It disappeared so quickly that I wondered if I'd imagined it. I swallowed the lump in my throat. "If that's what you want..." My voice trembled, but I forced the words out. "Then I'll leave." No one stopped me. No one called my name. I turned my back on the only home I'd ever known and walked toward the massive pack gates. Each step felt heavier than the last. Behind me, the celebration resumed as if my life hadn't just fallen apart. Music. Laughter. Cheers. By the time I reached the edge of the territory, the sun had begun to disappear behind the mountains. A cold wind swept through the trees. I hugged myself tighter, fighting the chill. "Where am I supposed to go now?" I whispered. The only answer was silence. Taking a shaky breath, I stepped beyond the pack boundary and into the forbidden forest—a place no wolf entered willingly. The moment my foot crossed the invisible border, an eerie howl echoed through the darkness. Then another. And another. I froze. Those weren't wolves from any pack. They were rogues. And they were getting closer. My heartbeat thundered in my ears. The howls grew louder. Closer. Every instinct screamed at me to run. I did. Branches whipped across my face as I stumbled deeper into the forbidden forest. Twigs snapped beneath my feet, and thorny vines tore at my dress. My lungs burned with every breath, but I couldn't stop. Not now. Not when death was chasing me. A growl rumbled somewhere behind me. Low. Hungry. I glanced over my shoulder. Glowing red eyes stared back from the darkness. Then another pair appeared. And another. Rogues. At least six of them. Fear tightened around my throat. "Please..." I whispered between ragged breaths. "Please don't let me die like this." I pushed myself harder, ignoring the sharp pain shooting through my legs. A root caught my foot. I crashed to the ground with a cry. Before I could get up, a massive rogue wolf landed a few feet away. Its black fur was matted with dried blood. Its yellow fangs gleamed beneath the moonlight. A second rogue emerged from the trees. Then a third. They circled me slowly, their snarls vibrating through the silent forest. I crawled backward until my back slammed against the trunk of an ancient tree. There was nowhere else to go. One of the rogues stepped forward, saliva dripping from its jaws. I squeezed my eyes shut. So this is how it ends... Rejected by my mate. Abandoned by my pack. Eaten by rogues. How pathetic. A tear rolled down my cheek. "Moon Goddess..." My voice cracked. "If you can hear me... please let my death be quick." The largest rogue lunged. I braced myself. But the attack never came. A deafening roar exploded through the forest. The ground trembled beneath me. The rogue wolf was suddenly thrown sideways as though an invisible force had smashed into it. It hit a tree with a sickening c***k. The other rogues whimpered. For the first time since they surrounded me... They looked afraid. A shadow stepped out from between the towering trees. Tall. Broad-shouldered. Wrapped in a long black cloak that disappeared into the night. His face was hidden behind a dark silver mask. The air around him was suffocating. Power rolled off him in crushing waves, forcing even the rogues to lower their heads. His voice was calm. Cold. "Leave." Just one word. The rogues hesitated. Then the stranger's golden eyes flashed beneath the mask. "I won't repeat myself." The Alpha aura that burst from him was unlike anything I had ever felt. It wasn't just powerful. It was terrifying. The rogues tucked their tails between their legs before disappearing into the darkness as fast as they could. Silence returned to the forest. The stranger didn't move. Neither did I. He slowly turned toward me. Even from where I sat, I could feel his gaze studying every cut, every bruise, every tear staining my face. For some reason... I wasn't afraid of him. I should have been. Instead, I felt... Safe. He walked toward me with slow, measured steps. When he finally stopped in front of me, I realized just how tall he was. Even standing, I would barely reach his shoulders. "You shouldn't be here," he said. His voice was deep and strangely familiar. "I..." My lips trembled. "I had nowhere else to go." His eyes lingered on the fresh rejection mark glowing faintly against my neck. His jaw tightened. "Who did this to you?" I looked away. "It doesn't matter anymore." For a long moment, neither of us spoke. Then my vision blurred. The adrenaline keeping me awake began to fade. The cuts on my body stung. My breathing became shallow. Everything hurt. The stranger crouched in front of me. Without saying another word, he slipped one arm beneath my knees and the other around my back. He lifted me as though I weighed nothing. His warmth surrounded me. I wanted to protest. I didn't even know his name. But my exhausted body refused to cooperate. My eyelids grew heavier. "Sleep," he murmured. "You'll be safe now." Safe... It had been so long since anyone had made me feel that way. Just before darkness claimed me, I forced my eyes open one last time. The moonlight slipped through the trees... And for the briefest second... I caught a glimpse of the lower half of his face beneath the silver mask. My breath caught. No... It couldn't be. He looked... Exactly like Alpha Ryker. Then everything went black.