Chapter 1: Rejected
The bonfire was already burning by the time she arrived.
It stood at the center of the pack grounds, flames licking high into the night sky, crackling loud enough to drown out the hum of conversation. Lanterns hung from wooden poles, their warm glow spilling over laughing faces, moving shadows, light Blue eyes gleaming with excitement.
Tonight was important.
Everyone knew it.
She knew it too.
Mara stopped at the edge of the clearing, fingers curling into the fabric of her dress. Pale blue. Simple. Clean. Not too noticeable. She'd chosen it carefully—something that wouldn't draw attention, something that wouldn't look like she was expecting anything.
Even though she was.
Eighteen.
The age where everything changed.
The age where the mate bond answered.
Her heart thudded hard in her chest as she stepped forward, weaving through familiar faces. People nodded at her. Some smiled. Others looked away too quickly. That was normal. It had always been like that.
Mara was an omega.
Not a weak one. Not a broken one. Just… forgettable, most days.
But tonight wasn't about rank. Tonight was about destiny.
That's what the elders always said.
She found a place near the back, close enough to see, far enough not to be seen. Her fingers brushed against the thin silver bracelet around her wrist—a birthday gift from the pack store. No family heirloom. No sentimental weight. Just something nice.
The Alpha stepped forward.
Instant silence.
Alpha Roderick's presence pressed down on the crowd like a physical force. Tall. Broad. His power rolled off him in waves, calm but absolute. He raised one hand, and every wolf stilled.
"Tonight," he said, voice carrying effortlessly, "we celebrate the coming of age of those who have reached eighteen."
Cheers broke out. Laughter. Whistles.
Mara swallowed.
"This night marks the beginning of a new chapter," the Alpha continued. "The mate bond will awaken. Bonds will be revealed. Futures will be decided."
Her chest tightened.
She tried not to look toward him.
Everyone else did.
Lucien Vale.
The Alpha's son.
The next in line.
He stood beside his father, posture relaxed, expression unreadable. Black hair brushed his collar. His eyes—steel-gray—swept across the crowd with practiced indifference.
He didn't look nervous.
He didn't look hopeful.
He looked bored.
Mara forced herself to look away.
Don't be stupid, she told herself. Don't even think about it.
But fate didn't care what she wanted.
The bond hit her without warning.
It wasn't gentle.
It wasn't romantic.
It was like something deep inside her snapped into place.
Her breath caught sharply, knees weakening as heat spread through her chest, down her spine, curling tight in her stomach. Her wolf surged forward, howling in recognition, in certainty.
Mate.
Her eyes lifted on instinct.
And met his.
Lucien stiffened.
Just for a second.
Just long enough.
The crowd noticed.
Whispers rippled outward like a shockwave.
Mara's heart slammed so hard it hurt.
No.
No no no—
Lucien's jaw tightened. His gaze sharpened, locking onto her like he was seeing her for the first time.
Then his expression darkened.
The Alpha followed his son's line of sight.
His brows drew together.
Silence fell again.
"Mara," Alpha Roderick said slowly.
Her name echoed through the clearing.
Every head turned.
Her legs felt numb as she stepped forward. The ground felt too far away, like she might fall through it if she stopped moving.
She stopped a few feet from them.
Lucien stared at her.
Not with longing.
Not with confusion.
With rejection.
The bond burned between them, undeniable, screaming its truth into her blood.
Lucien exhaled sharply.
"No."
The word was flat. Cold.
The world tilted.
A murmur surged through the crowd.
"Mara," the Alpha said carefully, "the bond—"
"I said no," Lucien repeated, louder now. "I reject it."
Her wolf screamed.
Pain tore through her chest, raw and sudden, like claws ripping something vital out of her. She gasped, staggering as the bond fractured violently.
Rejected.
Publicly.
By the future Alpha.
"I refuse this bond," Lucien said, voice steady, merciless. "I will not take an omega as my mate."
Each word landed like a blow.
The Alpha's face hardened. "Lucien—"
"I know my responsibility," Lucien cut in. His gaze flicked to Mara briefly, sharp and distant. "And she is not it."
The silence was suffocating.
Mara couldn't breathe.
Rejected omegas weren't rare.
But rejected by an Alpha heir?
That was a death sentence wearing a smile.
"By pack law," Alpha Roderick said after a long pause, "the rejected omega will be granted a three-day grace period."
Three days.
Her stomach dropped.
"During this time," he continued, voice formal, "she will retain pack territory access but will no longer be under pack protection."
A collective inhale.
Three days to leave.
Three days to survive.
Lucien turned away.
Just like that.
The bond shattered completely.
Mara didn't remember walking away.
She didn't remember the stares, the whispers, the sudden distance people gave her like she was contagious.
All she knew was the ache in her chest and the numbness creeping through her limbs.
She made it to the edge of the grounds before her legs gave out.
She caught herself against a tree, breathing hard.
Three days.
Rejected.
Unprotected.
Her wolf curled in on itself, wounded and silent.
She straightened slowly.
No tears.
She wouldn't give them that.
Mara walked.
Past the pack houses.
Past familiar paths that no longer belonged to her.
Each step felt heavier than the last.
By the time she reached the boundary markers, the night had grown colder. The forest loomed ahead, dark and alive, shadows shifting between ancient trees.
The Dark Forest.
No one went there unless they were desperate.
Or doomed.
She laughed quietly under her breath.
Figures.
She crossed the boundary.
The air changed instantly.
Thicker. Heavier. Like the forest was watching her.
She took another step.
And then—
[SYSTEM INITIALIZING…]
Mara froze.
Her heart jumped.
"What?" she whispered.
[OMEGA SURVIVAL SYSTEM ACTIVATED]
The voice wasn't loud. It wasn't soft either. It echoed directly inside her mind, clear and emotionless.
She pressed a hand to her temple.
"I'm losing it," she muttered.
[HOST STATUS: REJECTED OMEGA]
[PACK PROTECTION: REMOVED]
[SURVIVAL PROBABILITY: 3%]
Her breath hitched.
"That's not funny," she said, voice shaking.
[FIRST MISSION ASSIGNED]
A translucent blue screen flashed before her eyes.
She stumbled back, heart racing.
MISSION: SURVIVE 7 DAYS IN THE DARK FOREST
TIME LIMIT: 7 DAYS
FAILURE CONSEQUENCE: LIGHTNING STRIKE.
Her blood ran cold.
Seven days?
"That's impossible," she whispered.
[MISSION ACCEPTANCE IS MANDATORY]
The screen flickered.
[REWARD: UNKNOWN]
[PENALTY FOR REFUSAL: IMMEDIATE TERMINATION]
Mara stared into the darkness ahead.
The forest rustled.
Something growled in the distance.
She swallowed hard.
Rejected.
Exiled.
Hunted.
And now… chosen by something else entirely.
Her fingers curled into fists.
"…Fine," she whispered hoarsely. "I'll survive."
The system chimed softly.
[MISSION STARTED]
The forest answered with a howl.
And Mara stepped forward, alone.