Chapter One: Rejected Luna
The pack hall had never felt so cold.
Torches lined the stone walls, their flames dancing as wolves filled the space with low murmurs and anticipation. Tonight was supposed to be special. It was the night every wolf waited for—the night fate revealed its choice.
My eighteenth birthday.
I stood at the edge of the crowd, fingers curled tightly into the fabric of my plain gray dress. Omegas weren't meant to stand out, and I'd learned that lesson early in life. Keep your head down. Don't speak unless spoken to. Don't hope for too much.
Yet hope betrayed me anyway.
The moment Alpha Kael Blackwood stepped forward, something inside my chest shifted. A sharp pull, sudden and fierce, yanked at my heart like an invisible chain snapping into place. My breath caught painfully in my throat.
No.
No, this couldn't be happening.
My knees nearly buckled as the bond settled—warm, overwhelming, undeniable.
Mate.
The realization hit me like a blow.
Kael Blackwood. The Alpha heir. The strongest wolf of our generation. The man every she-wolf dreamed of standing beside.
And fate had chosen me.
Ariana Vale. An omega with no wolf, no status, no future worth mentioning.
Gasps rippled through the hall as others began to sense it too. Eyes turned. Whispers spread like wildfire.
Kael's sharp gaze locked onto mine.
For one fragile heartbeat, I thought I saw hesitation flicker across his face. Confusion. Maybe even anger—not at me, but at fate itself.
Then his expression hardened.
"Impossible," he said flatly.
The word cut deeper than any blade.
I took a trembling step forward before fear could stop me. "Alpha Kael… I felt it too. The bond—"
"Enough."
His voice echoed through the hall, silencing everything. Every eye was on us now. Heat burned my cheeks, but I forced myself to stand straight.
Kael turned fully toward me, his presence crushing, merciless.
"I, Alpha Kael Blackwood," he announced, his voice cold and unwavering, "reject you, Ariana Vale, as my mate and future Luna."
Pain exploded through my chest.
I screamed—but no sound came out.
It felt as though my heart was being ripped apart, shredded piece by piece. I collapsed to my knees, gasping for air that refused to come, the bond tearing itself free with brutal force.
Laughter followed.
Not loud. Not cruel in an obvious way. Just soft chuckles, murmurs, disgusted looks.
An omega.
Of course an omega wouldn't be worthy.
I clenched my teeth, fighting the tears threatening to spill. I would not beg. I would not break—not here.
Kael wasn't finished.
"You were never fit to stand beside me," he continued, his eyes sharp with disdain. "The Moon Goddess made a mistake."
Beside him, Selene Frost stepped forward, her hand sliding possessively around his arm. Her smile was calm. Victorious.
Something inside me went eerily quiet.
I pushed myself to my feet, ignoring the ache tearing through my body. The hall blurred, but I focused on Kael alone.
"Then remember this night," I said softly, my voice steadier than I felt.
He frowned, clearly surprised I'd spoken at all.
"The Luna you rejected," I continued, meeting his gaze without flinching, "will be the reason your reign ends."
Silence slammed into the hall.
I turned away before he could respond, before anyone could see the tears finally spill. Each step away from the pack felt heavier than the last—but also freer.
As I crossed the threshold of the hall, a voice stirred deep within me. Low. Ancient. Awake at last.
We endure, it whispered.
And they will fall.