Alina's POV
My hands shook as I smoothed down the ceremonial gown. The embroidery caught the candlelight in the Bloodmoon Pack's grand hall.
Tonight was my twenty-fifth birthday. The night Alpha Damien would claim me as his Luna.
"Stop fidgeting," Elira snapped beside me, fixing her emerald dress. "You look nervous enough already."
"I'm fine," I whispered, though my heart pounded. After nine years of hell in the Gray household, this felt too good to be true.
The hall was packed with hundreds of pack members. Stone walls displayed old tapestries showing moon phases. Chandeliers cast their shadows across noble faces as I heard bits of whispered conversations.
"The bastard daughter is finally getting what she deserves," one elder muttered.
"Damien must see something in her bloodline," a woman whispered.
"That black wolf of hers still creeps me out," a younger member said, glancing at me.
My wolf, Luna, stirred in my mind. Something's wrong, Luna whispered. The scents are off tonight.
Before I could think about the warning, trumpets announced the Alpha's arrival. The oak doors opened, and Alpha Damien Black walked in.
His blood-red robes trailed behind him. His dark hair was slicked back, showing the sharp angles of his face.
When our eyes met across the hall, my stomach dropped.
His gaze was ice cold.
Three weeks ago
In Damon's study, things had been different. Fire had flickered while rain hit the windows. "Are you sure?" he whispered against my neck, hands rubbing over my bare shoulders, warm and soft.
"More than anything," I breathed, my blue eyes burning into his, the mate bond pulsing, electric. Our kiss was deep as both of our tongues entwined.
Damien's hands worshipped me, tracing every curve, murmuring I was perfect, his lifelong wait fulfilled.
He guided me to the plush rug, laying me down. His thick cock, hard and throbbing, pressed against my slick entrance. He pushed in slowly, his shaft stretching my tight, wet pussy, inch by agonizing inch, until he filled me completely.
I moaned loudly, a raw, throaty sound, my nails digging into his shoulders as I arched my hips, positioning myself to take him deeper, my walls clenching around him.
He grunted with a rough voice, "Fuck, your pussy feels so good, so tight," thrusting slow but hard, each stroke slamming my G-spot.
His fingers found my swollen clit, rubbing fast, slick circles, my juices coating his hand. My moans turned to sharp cries, my hands squeezing my full breasts, pinching my hard nipples as pleasure ripped through me as my body shook.
"You're mine," he growled after, pulling me close, our sweat-slick bodies pressed together. "Always mine, Alina, no matter your bloodline or past. You will always be my Luna."
That memory felt odd as I now faced him on the platform, but he seemed cold and distant.
"Welcome, honored guests," Damien's voice boomed through the hall.
Visiting Alphas took their seats. I noticed Alpha Ronan Vale among them - the Iron Alpha of Shadowfang Pack.
Even sitting, his huge frame commanded attention. His hazel eyes swept the room before settling on me as something flickered across his scarred features.
"We gather tonight," Damien continued, "to witness the Moon Goddess's will."
Elder Silas stepped forward. "Alpha Damien Black, do you claim this woman as your mate and Luna?"
I stepped forward on shaking legs, blue eyes fixed on my fated mate. This was it. After everything - the abuse, the isolation, being told I was worthless - this moment would change everything.
The silence stretched. I held my breath, waiting for the words that would make my dreams come true.
Damien raised his hand as the hall went completely quiet.
"I, Alpha Damien Black of the Bloodmoon Pack," his voice rang clear, "reject you, Alina Gray, as my mate and Luna."
The words hit like a punch to the gut. I gasped, doubling over as the mate bond snapped.
White-hot pain exploded through my chest, like my soul was being ripped apart. I fell to my knees on the marble floor, hair tumbling around my face as I fought to breathe.
The hall erupted. Some pack members looked shocked, others - those loyal to the Gray family - smirked with satisfaction. Through my pain, I heard Luna howling in my mind.
"No," I whispered, but my voice was lost in the noise. This couldn't be happening. Not after he'd claimed me so completely. Not after those promises he whispered in the dark.
Why? Luna's voice was broken. We felt the bond. It was real.
Damien stood on the platform, watching me suffer with cold eyes. The man who had once touched my scars gently and promised to protect me was gone, replaced by this stranger.
"The rejection is witnessed," Elder Silas announced with satisfaction. "Guards, remove the rejected wolf from these proceedings. This ceremony is for pack members only."
My legs wouldn't support my weight. The guards had to half-carry me toward the doors as whispers followed my retreat.
"Always knew she didn't belong here," someone said.
"Poor thing thought she could rise above her station," another voice added with false sympathy.
Lilith Gray stepped forward from the crowd, her face a mask of concern that didn't reach her eyes. "Perhaps it's for the best, dear. You can return to your old room and help with the kitchen duties again."
The words cut deeper than the rejection. Back to being a servant. Back to scrubbing floors and emptying chamber pots while my stepfamily lived in luxury.
Through my haze of pain, I noticed Alpha Ronan Vale hadn't moved from his seat. His hazel eyes tracked my movement with an intensity that made my skin prickle. Unlike the others, his expression held no pity or satisfaction. Just calculation.
Two guards stepped forward, faces blank but not cruel. I tried to find my voice, to protest, to demand answers, but nothing came. The broken mate bond had left me speechless and powerless, drowning in pain I'd never imagined.
As the guards lifted me from the floor, I caught one last look at Damien. For just a moment, I thought I saw something cross his face - regret? Pain? But it vanished so fast I might have imagined it.
The heavy doors closed behind me with a boom that echoed through the stone corridor.
But through the woods, I heard Damien's voice ring out again: "However, I have an announcement that will bring great joy to this pack."