Rejected by Another, Chosen by His Brother

Chapter 2:The Crown Was Never Mine

Serena's POV

This is a nightmare, right?

There's no way this is real.

My deep denial did not stop Elisa from being escorted to Hawk's side, it couldn't wipe away the look of absolute devotion written in his eyes when he stared at her never breaking eye contact even once reaching for her and wrapping his hands around her waist well-being fully aware that I was watching it all swallowing it as well as knives could have gone down my throat.

The crown embedded with white crystals that caught the moon's light and captured it was placed on her head, then it was all sealed with a kiss the crowd roared with congratulations.

My fingers began to tremble; there had to be a misunderstanding somewhere and I was going to get to the bottom of it.

I stood up even as my knee threatened to turn to water and force me to collapse, a hot bubbling sensation was forming in the pit of my stomach as I dragged myself away from the bushes into plain view gradually more eyes turned to my direction, and unsettling silence followed when just enough people had recognized me.

Including Elisa.

Pressed against Hawk's chest she looked like the cat that got the cream.

“Serena! I'm glad you were able to make it.” She said it with that polished politeness she always spoke with, the one that was so painfully surface level you could tell she was being patronizing with half of a brain cell.

And Hawk? My dear darling Hawk who I had given everything and anything he asked, didn't so much as even look at me.

“Hawk what is the meaning of this? I thought you wanted me to be your woman, your Luna?!”

After everything I've done for him, you would think he at least had the decency to look me in the eyes as he ripped my heart right out of my chest.

But no, he couldn't even do that.

I blinked and his mother and sister appeared forming a wall of spite and flesh between us as I raised my heel to come closer to him.

“Serena, it's better you don't make a scene, I'm begging you just go back to the pack house for now. Everything will work itself out,” Ravena, Hawks sister, and my supposed best friend pleaded with me, his mother Thalassa who had never been stingy with her dislike of me and showing it hissed out.

“Ravena, why are you pleading with her? I told you that just locking the door would have not been enough…”

They spoke amongst each other as if I was not even there, and in that moment I felt so small; smaller than I've ever considered myself in the past four years of being treated like dirt and letting it happen.

They knew, everyone knew.

The omega servants and guards that were here working here from the pack house, the high-ranking wolves I had busted my back trying to entertain whenever they showed up in town, the people I thought were going to be my mother and sister-in-law.

Then Hawk.

I glanced over to the side and saw that his body was still fully turned to his first love.

My chest got tighter till they stuck to my ribs, and outlined them

.

She was the woman he always told me not to worry about.

“Our parents had planned for us to be together, but Elisa and her family went out of the country seeking greener pastures when the pack first started hard times,”

That's what he told me!

Thinking about it made my blood simmer.

“Hawk!” even if I couldn't see him properly with his family blocking me, I was going to state my mind,

“She left you in your hardest moments, I was the one who pulled you out of it! The one who stood by your side!! How…. How on earth. How can you choose her over me?”

“That's enough out of you!” My former future mother-in-law snapped at me with a mixture of embarrassment and anger tracing her words looking like she wanted to physically crush me within her grasp, instead she came closer and grabbed me by my arm trying to pull me away.

I stood firm with a strength that surprised even her, that moment of shock I pulled myself away from her hold, coming closer and grabbing the crown out of Elisa’s head,

“This is mine!” I hissed out disregarding shame, a collective gasp swept all the guests.

“Have you gone insane?!” Hawk spoke to me for the first time, a cold bitter snarl that shook me to my core.

The crown felt icy and heavy in my touch, the sharp designs of it seem to dig into my flesh.

Just like the promises he made, the promises that I was learning were all lies.

Elisa’s smile faltered for the first time then she turned to Hawk gripping his shirts and pointing at me with the petulance of a spoiled brat pointing at someone else that had stolen their lollipop.

"Baby, she has my crown!" She whined as if I plunged a sword through her chest.

Hawk immediately melted at her complaint; tenderness I had not seen in years softened his eyes briefly before they came back to me and they were as hard as cement again.

"I'll get your crown back," he said looking with danger spelt out in his eyes. Then he held out his open palm, in the past he had done that to hold me and now he stretched it out as if I was no more than a stranger.

"Hand me the crown, Serena, this is unlike you. There is no need to embarrass yourself any longer,"

"Isn't that what I've been doing all these years?" I said with a bitter laugh,

"Embarrassing myself? Making a big fool of myself all for you? What difference does it make if I do it one more time?"

His lip stretched out-tightly.

"Serena..."

"No, I won't..."

Suddenly a hard force slammed against my chest, Thalassa had pushed me and Ravena grabbed the crown.

I saw all their traitorous faces for one last second before I was swallowed up by the lake.

And that was it.

In a single night I lost it all, the pack and family I thought I had and the future with my mate.

All gone, before the darkness took over, a voice I hadn't heard in so long whispered from within me.

"I told you not to trust him.”