Rejected by My Mate, Chosen by the Lycan King

The first time I saw Damien Cross beneath the full moon, I knew my life was about to change. I just didn’t know how badly it would break me. The entire Black River Pack had gathered in the ceremonial courtyard for the annual Moon Ceremony. Hundreds of wolves stood beneath strings of silver lights while music drifted through the cool night air. The scent of flowers, firewood, and expensive perfume filled the courtyard. Tonight, every unmated wolf over eighteen had a chance to discover their destined mate. For years, I had imagined this moment. I imagined a strong pair of arms pulling me close. I imagined looking into my mate’s eyes and knowing, without a doubt, that I had finally found someone who would never leave me. Most of all, I imagined finally belonging somewhere. I had never felt like I belonged to the Vale family. They had adopted me when I was only a few months old, and although they had given me a home, I had always felt like a stranger living inside someone else’s life. I didn’t know who my biological parents were. I didn’t know where I came from. I didn’t even know why my wolf, Luna, had never shifted. Other wolves my age had shifted years ago. Some had discovered their abilities early. Others came from powerful families with ancient bloodlines. I had none of that. I was simply Seraphina Vale—the adopted daughter nobody really talked about. “Stop fidgeting.” Clara’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. I looked at my adoptive sister. She stood beside me in a beautiful red dress, her long hair falling over her shoulders. Unlike me, Clara had always been confident about her place in the pack. She was the biological daughter of the Vale family. She belonged. I forced a smile. “I’m nervous.” “You’ve been nervous for an hour.” “I can’t help it.” Clara laughed softly. “Maybe tonight you’ll finally find your mate.” I looked toward the center of the courtyard. “I hope so.” She studied me for a moment. “You really believe your mate will make everything better?” I frowned. “Don’t you?” “No.” “Why not?” “Because people don’t magically become important just because someone chooses them.” Her words were strange. Before I could ask what she meant, the crowd suddenly became louder. Everyone turned toward the entrance. The Alpha had arrived. Alpha Marcus Cross walked into the courtyard with his wife and their son. Damien. My heart immediately began beating faster. Damien Cross was the future Alpha of Black River Pack. He was tall, broad-shouldered, and handsome in a way that made people stare. He had dark hair, strong features, and the confidence of someone who had never been told no. I had known him since childhood. We had grown up in the same pack. We had trained together. We had attended pack gatherings together. And somewhere along the way, without telling anyone, I had fallen in love with him. It was a foolish secret. I knew he would never look at me the way I looked at him. He was the Alpha’s son. I was the adopted daughter of an ordinary family. We belonged to completely different worlds. Still, some part of me had always hoped. Maybe fate didn’t care about status. Maybe the Moon Goddess could choose anyone. Maybe tonight would be the night everything changed. Damien’s eyes moved across the crowd. Then they stopped on me. Our eyes met. My heart stopped. Luna suddenly woke inside me. For the first time in my entire life, I felt her presence clearly. She lifted her head. Her voice echoed inside my mind. Mate. I couldn’t breathe. “Luna?” Mate. My hands began trembling. Damien was walking toward me. People noticed. Whispers spread through the courtyard. “Is he going toward Seraphina?” “Could she be his mate?” “Impossible.” I barely heard them. All I could see was Damien. He stopped directly in front of me. His eyes were glowing faintly. I looked into them and felt an invisible bond snap into place. Mate. My eyes filled with tears. “Damien,” I whispered. His jaw tightened. For one beautiful second, I thought he was going to smile. Instead, his expression became cold. Very cold. “Seraphina.” “Yes?” He glanced around at the crowd. Then he looked back at me. “I, Damien Cross, future Alpha of Black River Pack…” He paused. My heart was pounding so hard I could hear it. “…reject you as my mate.” The world went silent. I stared at him. I wasn’t sure I had heard correctly. “What?” His eyes remained emotionless. “I reject you.” A sharp pain exploded through my chest. I gasped. Luna screamed. It felt like someone had reached inside my body and ripped my heart apart. I dropped to my knees. Someone in the crowd gasped. Another person whispered, “Oh my God.” Tears immediately filled my eyes. “Damien…” He didn’t move. “Why?” He looked down at me. “You know why.” “No, I don’t.” “You’re not suitable to be my Luna.” I shook my head. “What does that mean?” “It means I need someone stronger.” His words were quiet. But everyone heard them. “You have no known bloodline. No powerful family. No status. You’re adopted.” My face burned. Someone laughed. I looked around. Several people were staring at me with pity. Others were whispering behind their hands. Then I saw Clara. She was standing near the edge of the crowd. Her expression was difficult to read. But there was something in her eyes. Something almost like satisfaction. I looked back at Damien. “You knew this was going to happen.” He didn’t answer. “You knew I was your mate, and you still brought me here so you could humiliate me?” His expression hardened. “Don’t make this more difficult than it already is.” A bitter laugh escaped me. “Difficult for you?” He looked away. I slowly forced myself to stand. My legs were shaking. My wolf had gone completely silent. I could feel the broken mate bond burning inside my chest. “You don’t have to worry,” I whispered. Damien looked at me. “I won’t ever ask you to accept me again.” For the first time, something flickered across his face. Regret. But it disappeared quickly. He turned away. I stood there alone. Surrounded by hundreds of wolves. And yet I had never felt more alone in my entire life. The ceremony continued around me, but I couldn’t hear anything. I walked away before anyone could see me cry. I made it to the edge of the courtyard before the tears finally came. I pressed a hand over my mouth. “Why?” Luna gave no answer. I wiped my face. I had spent my entire life believing that somewhere, somehow, I would finally find the person who would make me feel wanted. Instead, the Moon Goddess had given me the one thing I had feared most. Rejection. I ran into the forest. I didn’t know how long I walked. I only knew that I needed to get away from everyone. The trees swallowed the sounds of the celebration. I finally stopped beside a small stream. I fell to my knees and cried. “I’m such an idiot.” Luna finally stirred. You are not unwanted. I closed my eyes. “Then why did he reject us?” She remained silent. “Luna?” Nothing. I touched my chest. The pain was still there. It wasn’t as sharp as before, but it felt like something inside me had been permanently damaged. I stayed beside the stream until the moon reached its highest point. Then I heard footsteps. I froze. Someone was approaching. I wiped my tears and stood. “Who’s there?” No answer. I took a step backward. A low growl came from the darkness. Then another. Wolves. My heart raced. I turned to run. A large black wolf stepped out from between the trees. Then another. They surrounded me. I was trapped. I backed toward the stream. “Stay away from me.” The wolves growled. One of them lunged. I screamed and raised my hands. But before it could reach me, a powerful roar shook the entire forest. Every wolf froze. The air suddenly became heavy. The black wolf in front of me lowered its head. Something was coming. Something powerful. I heard footsteps behind me. Slow. Calm. Unhurried. I turned. A man stepped out of the darkness. He was tall, dressed entirely in black, with broad shoulders and an expression so cold that even the wolves seemed afraid of him. His eyes were an unusual shade of gold. He looked at the wolves. “Leave.” One word. The wolves immediately disappeared into the forest. I stared at him. “Who are you?” He didn’t answer. His eyes moved over my face. Then down to my collarbone. His expression changed. For the first time, the mysterious man’s cold composure disappeared. His eyes widened. “What is your name?” I hesitated. “Seraphina.” His face went completely still. “Seraphina what?” “Vale.” He took one slow step toward me. “Seraphina Vale?” I nodded. He looked almost shaken. “No…” “What?” He whispered something I couldn’t understand. Then his gaze returned to the mark on my collarbone. I looked down. A strange crescent-shaped symbol had appeared on my skin. It was glowing faintly beneath the moonlight. I had never seen it before. “What is this?” The man didn’t answer. Instead, he stared at me as if he had just found something he had spent his entire life searching for. “Who are you?” I asked again. This time, he answered. “Adrian Blackthorn.” The name meant nothing to me. But the reaction of my wolf was immediate. Luna rose inside me. Seraphina. “What?” She whispered one word. Run. My blood turned cold. “Why?” Before Luna could answer, several vehicles appeared at the end of the forest. Men stepped out. They wore black uniforms. And every one of them immediately dropped to one knee when they saw the man standing before me. “Your Majesty.” I stared at Adrian. My mouth went dry. Your Majesty? Adrian looked at me. “I was hoping I would never find you like this.” “Find me?” His eyes darkened. “Yes.” He stepped closer. “You don’t know who you are, do you?” I shook my head. “No.” His expression softened for the first time. “Then you’re in more danger than I thought.” I swallowed. “Why?” Before he could answer, a familiar voice came from behind me. “Seraphina!” I turned. Damien was standing at the edge of the forest. He looked furious. “Come back with me.” I stared at him. “You rejected me.” “I know.” “Then why are you here?” His eyes moved toward Adrian. Something like fear appeared on his face. “Because I made a mistake.” Adrian stepped between us. “You made your choice.” Damien immediately lowered his head. “Your Majesty.” I looked between them. “Who are you?” Adrian’s gaze never left Damien. “The Lycan King.” My heart stopped. The most powerful wolf in the world was standing in front of me. And for some reason, he had been searching for me.