The Rejected & Claimed

Nyqxee’s eyes are a shade of blue unlike any other, a deep, almost ethereal cerulean, with flecks of silver that shimmer like moonlight on water. A color that should have marked her as special, yet only made her stand out in a world that wanted her invisible. She had always been different, but she never imagined that difference would lead to her downfall. Even before her first shift, she had felt the weight of being an outsider. The wary glances, the hushed whispers, the way her parents’ hands stiffened when she reached for them. Other pups played freely, forming bonds that would last lifetimes, but Nyqxee had always been alone. The pack, the very people meant to protect and nurture her, treated her as though she were something unnatural, something to be tolerated rather than cherished. She would often find herself lingering at the edges of gatherings, watching as the others laughed and played. When she was younger, she had tried to join in, to pretend that the distance between her and them was only in her mind. But no matter how hard she tried, the gap never closed. They always found an excuse to leave her behind. Her parents, proud warriors of the pack, had never spoken the words aloud, but she saw the disappointment in their eyes. They had done their duty, raising her, feeding her, ensuring she was strong. But love? Warmth? Acceptance? Those were things Nyqxee had only ever dreamed of. She told herself that it would all change when she shifted. That when she felt her wolf rise inside her, when she finally became what she was meant to be, the pack would see her differently. That they would have no choice but to acknowledge her as one of them. The night of her first shift should have been a celebration. Sixteen years old, finally stepping into her birthright as a werewolf, finally feeling her wolf beneath her skin. But instead, it became a nightmare. The moon hung low in the midnight sky, casting silver shadows upon the forest. The wind whispered through the trees, carrying with it the scent of pine and something darker, something foreboding. Nyqxee ran. Her legs burned with exhaustion, her lungs ached, but she didn’t dare stop. The icy ground beneath her feet blurred as she pushed forward, desperate to escape the horror that chased her. Her first shift had left her body weak and trembling, her wolf barely awakened, untested. She had dreamt of this moment her entire life, becoming one with Lumi, feeling the power of the beast inside her. But she had never imagined it would feel like this. Pain had ripped through her bones, twisting and reshaping her flesh until she no longer recognized herself. And before she had even recovered, before she had a chance to revel in her new form, he had been there. Kyle Vaelmont. The Alpha’s brother. The man who had always looked at her with something lurking behind his gaze, something possessive, something cruel. He had waited for this. Waited for the moment she would be at her weakest. “You should feel honored,” he had whispered, his breath hot against her ear. His grip had been unrelenting, his claws just beneath the surface of his skin. “You were always meant to be mine.” She had begged. She had fought. But he was stronger, faster. A fully trained warrior, while she was nothing more than a trembling girl learning what it meant to be a wolf. Then something inside her had snapped. She didn’t remember the moment her wolf had taken over. One second, she was clawing at his arms, gasping for air as he pinned her down… NYQXEE'S POV Pain has been my only companion for as long as I can remember. It lingers in the bruises on my skin, in the whispers that follow me through the halls, in the glares of those who once called me family. There is no escape, no moment of peace. Only suffering. Everyone in the pack despises me. I am Nyqxee from the House of the Shadowfangs, and to them, I am nothing more than a stain on their honor, a disgrace they wish never existed. Not because I betrayed them. Not because I turned rogue. But because, on the night of my first shift, I killed Kyle Vaelmont, the Alpha’s brother. And for that, they will never forgive me. No one cared why I did it. No one wanted to know the truth. Kyle Vaelmont had always looked at me with something dark in his eyes, something that made my skin crawl. When I was younger, I didn’t understand it. But as I grew older, I learned what that look meant. He would find reasons to touch me when no one was watching, a hand brushing too low on my back, fingers lingering on my wrist, a whisper too close to my ear. And then one night, looking and touching weren’t enough. "You belong to me now," he growled, his grip bruising, claws barely concealed. "No one will question an Alpha’s brother taking a mate." My wolf, Lumi, was still waking inside me, struggling against the new sensations of my first shift. My body ached, my bones still tender from the transformation. I was weak. Vulnerable. He knew that. I fought him with everything I had, but he was stronger. "Stop, please," I begged, my voice shaking as I pushed against his chest. He didn’t stop. He pinned me down, his breath hot and reeking of whiskey, his teeth grazing the spot where a mate’s mark should be. Then something inside me snapped. Pain lanced through my body as Lumi surfaced in a frenzy of fear and rage. The next thing I knew, Kyle’s blood stained my fangs, his body collapsed beneath me. His throat had been ripped open. He was gone. And I had done it. But instead of seeing a girl who had defended herself, the pack saw a murderer. They didn’t care that he had tried to force a bond on me. They didn’t care that he had been a monster lurking among them. They only saw the blood on my hands and the body at my feet. From that night on, I became nothing more than a disgrace, a shadow they refused to acknowledge. They made sure I suffered for it. "Where the hell is she?! Where is that worthless mutt?!" Ashley Vaelmont’s voice rings out, sharp and venomous, echoing down the narrow hallways of the pack house. The bitterness in her tone claws at me, and I feel the familiar knot of dread settle in my stomach. I clench my jaw, preparing myself for whatever fresh hell she’s decided to rain down on me today. It never gets any easier. I step out of my tiny room, a place no bigger than a closet that had been shoved next to the storage room on the second floor, out of sight, out of mind. The walls are bare, the floor cold beneath my feet, the thin mattress barely offering any comfort. There’s a cracked mirror propped against the wall, reflecting a girl I barely recognize anymore. It’s been like this for years empty, cold, and void of warmth. In the corner of the room sits a small pile of books my only escape from this nightmare. They’re worn, dog-eared, each page stained with tears I can’t take back. They’re the only things that make me feel a semblance of peace. But even they feel like an illusion now. Nothing lasts. I take a deep breath, trying to steady myself before I walk into the hallway. But the moment I step out, a fabric slaps against my face, soft but heavy. My hands instinctively reach up, pulling the dress down from my face. The sight of it makes my heart skip. A dress. A piece of clothing that should be a symbol of beauty, of femininity but to me, it’s a symbol of punishment. I lower it slowly, already knowing what’s coming. And then she’s there. Ashley Vaelmont stands in front of me, dressed in an expensive silk gown, her presence suffocating in its perfection. Every strand of her blonde hair is in place, every curve accentuated by the fabric, as if she were crafted by some higher being to be flawless. But her eyes, they're cold, cruel, void of any humanity. She looks at me like I’m nothing but dirt beneath her heels. Something to be discarded, something to be controlled. One hand rests on her hip, her manicured nails gleaming under the harsh light. The other hand twitches with impatience. She doesn’t even need to speak for me to feel her anger radiating off her. But, of course, she does speak. "Um..." I flick my gaze to the dress on the floor, barely masking my annoyance. I let the sarcasm slip from my mouth, my voice a little too loud. "Is this supposed to mean something to me?" Her eyes darken, her expression tightening into a mask of pure hatred. Without warning, her hand whips across my face, the slap so hard that it makes my head snap to the side. The metallic taste of blood floods my mouth before I can even react. My cheek burns. I want to scream, to fight back, but I know better. I’ve learned what happens when I do that. The next thing I know, her foot slams into my stomach, knocking the wind out of me. The air leaves my lungs in a rush, and I collapse to the cold floor, gasping for air. It feels like my ribs might break with the force of it. But I’m used to this. The pain. The humiliation. It’s not new. It’s never new. "I told you to hand wash it!" she screeches, her voice sharp, high-pitched, and full of anger. "Do you think you're too good to follow simple instructions? You're worthless, can’t even do the most basic tasks right! You’re a disgrace!" I barely have time to raise my arms in defense before her next blow lands, and then another. Each one hits harder than the last, each one tearing at me, chipping away at the parts of me that still believe I can get through this. I don’t fight back. I can’t. It’s not worth it. It’s never been worth it. When she finally grows bored of using me as her personal punching bag, I drag myself up, my body aching in every place. I stagger toward the Omega bathroom, each step a reminder of how broken I am. The cold water stings as I splash it across my face, trying to numb the pain, trying to drown out the thoughts that have been gnawing at me for as long as I can remember. Lumi, my wolf, whimpers softly in the back of my mind. I can feel her, feel the sadness she’s carried for me. But she knows what I do, fighting back is pointless. Not yet. I stare at myself in the bathroom mirror, but I can barely recognize the face staring back. A girl, bruised and battered, but still standing. Barely. I pull my long, tangled hair into a loose ponytail, ignoring the reflection of the girl I once was. The girl who had dreams, who thought she might have something more than just survival. That girl died long ago. Now, I’m just a shell. The scent of sizzling bacon and freshly brewed coffee filters through the air, snapping me out of my thoughts. Breakfast. I swallow the lump in my throat, knowing I have to go down there. I have no choice. The pack needs food, and I’m the one who prepares it. With over a hundred wolves living in the pack house, preparing their meals has become an exhausting, thankless job. Omegas like me, the invisible ones, do all the work. Our hands move quickly, efficiently, assembling plates of sausage, eggs, and toast as if this is what we were born to do. My stomach tightens painfully, begging for food, for sustenance, but I know better than to take even a single bite. To eat is to ask for trouble. Then, he walks in. Alpha Glaive. He strides into the room, every movement oozing confidence and power. He’s the strongest wolf in the pack, the one everyone fears and respects. He’s the one with control. I used to admire him, maybe even have a childish crush on him back when I thought life could be different. But not anymore. That fantasy died the moment I realized he was just like everyone else, indifferent, cold, and cruel. A part of the system that keeps me trapped in this place. His gaze falls on me, and I feel it, like a punch to the gut. His body tenses, his jaw clenches. For a second, he looks... startled? I can’t figure it out. But I look away before I can make sense of it. It doesn’t matter. He doesn’t matter. I finish serving the breakfast, my hands moving on autopilot, trying to ignore the insults and snickers being thrown my way. Even my parents refuse to acknowledge me, their eyes cold and resentful. They never loved me. I’ve known that for years. They only see a mistake, a disappointment. I swallow the sting of rejection, pushing it deep down where it belongs. I won’t cry. I won’t break. There’s only one thing left to hold on to the goal. To survive. To make it until I turn twenty-one. That’s my only hope. Then I can leave. Leave this nightmare behind and never look back. I just have to hold on. "Don’t worry, the right one will love us," Lumi whispers, her voice soft but full of hope. A mate. Someone who will love us, someone who will protect us. Lumi’s dream has always been to find our soulmate. The one who will make all of this pain worth it. But I know better. I’ve seen enough to understand that no one is coming to save me. Not now, not ever. And as the pack members continue with their lives, oblivious to the girl who’s drowning in their shadow, I realize just how alone I truly am. No one is coming to save me. After finishing my chores, I step outside, the warmth of the sun grazing my skin. It feels foreign, this sensation. My body is too pale from being locked away in this suffocating house for far too long. The cold, the darkness, it’s all I’ve known for years. But now, as the sun’s warmth kisses my skin, a small part of me feels alive again. Lumi purrs softly in the back of my mind, basking in the moment of peace. She revels in the feel of the sunlight, and for a split second, I let myself enjoy it too. The world outside is so different from the chaos inside. It’s a fleeting feeling, but for this brief moment, I’m free. Free from the walls of the pack house, free from Ashley, free from the hurt that waits for me behind closed doors. I retreat to the bleachers, hoping for some solitude, hoping for just a little more time to breathe without fear. The warriors train below me, their movements fluid, calculated, each one a well-rehearsed display of strength. I watch closely, my gaze following every strike, every block, every pivot. I may not be allowed to fight, but that doesn’t mean I can’t learn. One day, I’ll need to defend myself. One day, I won’t just be a punching bag for Ashley or anyone else. My thoughts are interrupted when something sharp tugs at my hair, pulling me violently from the safety of my thoughts. My body is wrenched backward, and before I can even react, I hit the ground with a sickening thud. The breath is knocked out of me, and I barely register the sky above before a cruel laugh fills my ears, cold and mocking. I blink up, disoriented, trying to gather my bearings. Through the blur of pain and confusion, I see her. Ashina. She stands over me, her posture commanding, her arms crossed, and that damn smirk playing on her lips. The same smirk she always wears when she knows she’s won, when she knows she’s got me exactly where she wants me. She looks down at me, the contempt in her gaze so clear, it cuts deeper than any of her words ever could. "Don’t even think about looking at him again," Ashina sneers, her voice dripping with venom. "You have no right to even breathe the same air as him. You're nothing but a lowly Omega. Stay out of my way, or I’ll make sure you regret it." Her words are like acid, burning my skin as they hit. And before I can even think to respond, her foot slams into my stomach. Pain explodes through my ribs. It’s sharp, intense, and for a moment, I forget how to breathe. I gasp, the air rushing out of my lungs, and then the world blurs again as the pounding begins. My body goes numb from the force of it. Each hit lands with a sickening crack, each kick a reminder of how small, how weak I am in comparison to her. The world spins, the pain is unbearable, but I can’t stop it. I can’t fight back. Ashina’s laughter rings in my ears, cruel and triumphant. I hate it. I hate her. But more than that, I hate myself for letting it happen. For not being strong enough to fight back. For not being enough to stop this pain from consuming me. Her foot lifts, and for a split second, I think it might be over. I think she’s done, but then it comes crashing down again, and I feel my ribs protest, my body pleading for mercy. I want to scream. I want to fight. I want to fight back with everything in me. But I know it won’t change anything. I’ll just get hurt more. I always do. I close my eyes, trying to block it all out, trying to disappear into the numbness of my mind. But her voice, sharp and taunting, cuts through my thoughts. “Stay down, loser. You’re nothing.” And the worst part is, I start to believe her.