(Thea)
The moon hung high above the grounds of the Nightshade pack. It cast a silver glow across the forest making the lights look liquid. The air around was pulsing with energy—it was the kind that made your wolf stir restlessly inside you whilst trying to ground your human form.
Every pack member had gathered near the sacred stone grove. They were all dressed in the ceremonial white attire, waiting for the Moon's blessing to reveal new bonds.
Tonight was supposed to be beautiful.
Tonight, I was supposed to find the one that the Moon Goddess had made for me.
I had spent all my life imagining what it would be like to meet my mate for the first time. I had heard that nothing comes close to the feeling of being marked by your mate and tonight, I'll finally get to experience that thrill.
My heart pounded as I stood at the edge of the crowd, my fingers were twisting the hem of my worn dress. I could feel the weight of the stares and whispers of the omegas and warriors alike. I wasn't anyone special here. Just Thea Hale, the orphaned omega girl who cleaned the training grounds and fetched water for warriors who didn't even bother to remember my name.
Not like I wanted them to. I was okay with being unseen.
But tonight… maybe everything would change.
"Oh look, the servant girl wants a mate too," I heard someone say from a corner.
I didn't need to look at the face to know who the voice belonged to.
"Everyone is allowed to dream, Lia," another person replied as they both chuckled.
Lia, the Alpha's sister had made it her life's mission to torment my life. It was her routine and she recruited her friends to join her.
But tonight wasn't about her.
When the Elders began their chant, the air thickened with mystic power. A soft hum built in my chest as my wolf, Lyra, stirred. He's here, she whispered. Our mate is here.
I swallowed hard as I scanned the faces of all who were present; the warriors, the ranked wolves, the elites — until my eyes locked on him.
Alpha Kael Draven.
He was tall and had broad shoulders. His hair was as dark as midnight and his presence; his presence was like gravity which seemed to pull the world toward him. He was a cold Alpha which every wolf respected and feared. The same man who had barely spared me a glance in all my years in this pack.
And when our eyes met, I felt it.
The mate bond.
A spark of something ancient and mystical rushed through my veins. My breath caught in my throat as the world around us blurred, the connection snapped into place like lightning between our souls.
It was real.
The Goddess had chosen him for me.
My mate.
My Alpha.
I watched as Kael's jaw tightened. His silver eyes widened for a split second before hardening back into ice. He stepped back, as if the very air around me was poison.
I heard the pack members whispering as I waited for my mate to speak.
"She's his mate?"
"An omega? Impossible."
"The Alpha's mate is a servant girl?"
I couldn't breathe. The words cut deeper than any blade.
Kael took a slow step forward, his aura was undeniable as it made the pack members bow in respect, me included. His Beta, Ronan, stood behind him, expression unreadable. It was rare to see any sort of emotion on each of their faces.
"Thea Hale," Kael's voice was low but it could be heard across the ceremony. "You claim the Moon has chosen you as my mate?"
My lips parted in confusion. I wasn't in control of the mate bond. "I–I don't claim anything, Alpha. The bond….."
"Is a mistake."
The crowd gasped.
In the history of the nightshade pack, no bond has ever been considered a mistake….until now.
Kael's voice rose from the crowd. It echoed across the trees and brought the whole pack to a standstill. He was using his Alpha Voice.
"Before this pack and under the Moon's witness, I, Kael Draven, reject you as my mate and Luna." He said those words while looking straight into my eyes.
It felt like the world shattered.
My knees buckled as the rejection slammed into me…..it was a tearing sensation deep in my chest, like claws ripping my heart apart. My wolf howled inside, her grief echoing through my head. I dropped to the ground, gasping, clutching my chest as the pain enveloped me.
"No," I whispered in tears. "Please… don't."
Kael's gaze flickered, for just a heartbeat. It was like he almost regretted it. But it vanished as quickly as it came.
"You are weak," he said coldly. "The Moon must have made a mistake. I will not let a powerless omega lead my pack."
Laughter shot through the crowd. The sound was cruel and sharp.
No one cared how I felt.
Tears blurred my vision as I forced myself to stand on my feet. Every instinct begged me to collapse, to weep, to beg for him to take it back. But I wouldn't give them that satisfaction.
I had taken enough from them.
I lifted my chin, even as the pain burned through me. "Then may the Goddess have mercy on you, Alpha," I whispered, my voice was trembling but stubborn.
Kael's eyes darkened, but he said nothing.
The ceremony ended in silence. No one came to help me. No one dared to speak.
I stumbled from the clearing, each step I took was heavy, my wolf was whimpering in the back of my mind. The cold bit into my skin, and the scent of pine and ash filled my lungs. Somewhere deep inside, something broke into pieces and in its place, something else began to awaken.
As the moonlight touched the mark on my shoulder, a faint silver glow bled through my skin. It was unnoticed by anyone but me.
The
bond may have been rejected, but the Goddess wasn't done with me.
Not yet.