The night of the Alpha Ceremony was supposed to be the happiest night of my life.
Instead, it became the night my world ended.
Silver lanterns hung from the trees like fallen stars, casting soft light over the clearing. Wolves from every rank of the pack gathered around the ceremonial stone, their voices loud with excitement and pride. Tonight, Alpha Kael would officially take his place as ruler of the Bloodmoon Pack.
And beside him… would stand his Luna.
Or so I had believed.
My hands trembled as I smoothed the simple white dress I had sewn myself. It wasn't fancy like the noble daughters' gowns, but it was clean and beautiful, and I had stitched every thread with hope.
Because Kael loved me.
Because he had promised.
A whisper of wind brushed my skin, carrying a scent that made my wolf stir restlessly.
Cedar. Smoke. Storm.
My breath caught.
Kael.
He stepped into the clearing, tall and commanding, his dark hair pushed back from a face carved from sharp lines and power. The crowd fell silent instantly. Even the elders bowed their heads.
He was magnificent. Untouchable. Mine.
Our eyes met across the crowd, and the world seemed to narrow to just the two of us.
Then it happened.
The bond snapped into place.
It slammed into my chest like lightning, stealing the air from my lungs. Heat surged through my veins, wild and undeniable. My wolf howled in pure joy, pushing forward, desperate, elated.
Mate.
The word echoed through every piece of me.
Tears blurred my vision as I took a shaky step forward. My heart pounded so hard I thought everyone could hear it.
The Moon Goddess had chosen.
We were destined.
A murmur rippled through the pack as they sensed it too. Whispers spread like wildfire.
"His mate…"
"The Luna…"
"It's her…"
Hope bloomed in my chest, fragile and bright.
Kael walked toward me slowly. Every step felt like fate unfolding exactly as it should. My lips parted, ready to say his name, ready to give myself fully to the bond burning between us.
He stopped an arm's length away.
Close enough that I could see the flicker of something dark in his eyes.
Not joy.
Not relief.
Something colder.
My smile faltered.
"Kael?" I whispered.
The silence stretched.
Then his voice rang out, loud and clear for the entire pack to hear.
"I, Alpha Kael of the Bloodmoon Pack… reject you as my mate."
The world shattered.
Gasps erupted around us, but I heard nothing beyond the roaring in my ears. The bond inside me screamed, twisting violently as if someone had torn out my heart and crushed it in their fist.
I swayed, barely able to stand.
"N–no…" The word broke from my lips before I could stop it.
His expression didn't soften. If anything, it hardened further, his jaw tight with determination.
"You are weak," he continued, his voice merciless. "Daughter of a servant. A mate unworthy of standing beside an Alpha."
Each word struck like a blade.
The crowd's whispers turned sharp and cruel.
"She's a nobody."
"How embarrassing…"
"The Moon Goddess made a mistake."
My chest burned as the bond writhed in agony, begging him to take it back.
Begging him to choose me.
Tears streamed down my face, but I forced myself to look at him. "Kael… please. You promised"
"Enough."
The single word cut deeper than anything else.
"I will not chain this pack's future to weakness," he said. "The bond means nothing if it threatens my rule."
My knees finally gave out.
The ceremonial stone blurred as I collapsed onto the cold earth. Somewhere deep inside, my wolf whimpered, curling into herself as the rejection tore through us both.
The moon above the clearing slipped behind a cloud, plunging the night into shadow.
And in that darkness, I realized the truth.
The man I loved hadn't just rejected me.
He had destroyed me.
I didn't know then that this was only the beginning.
That the same moon that watched me break tonight…
Would one day watch me return.