The night I met my mate was the night he destroyed me.
The moon hung high above the Shadow Fang Pack, full and bright, casting silver light across the ceremonial clearing. The air smelled of pine, smoke, and anticipation.
Tonight was the night every wolf dreamed of.
Mate Night.
My fingers trembled as I stood at the edge of the clearing, clutching the thin fabric of my dress. The pack had gathered in a large circle around the sacred fire, their voices buzzing with excitement.
But not for me.
Never for me.
I kept my head down, trying to ignore the looks they threw my way—some filled with pity, most filled with disdain.
"Omegas shouldn't even be allowed at mate ceremonies," someone whispered behind me.
"Who would ever want her?" another voice snickered.
My chest tightened, but I forced myself to keep breathing.
I had endured worse.
Growing up in the Shadow Fang Pack had never been easy. My parents died when I was young, leaving me alone in a pack that saw omegas as nothing more than servants. I cleaned the packhouse floors, washed dishes, and stayed out of everyone's way.
Invisible.
That was how they liked me.
But tonight was different.
Because tonight, the Moon Goddess would reveal everyone's fated mate.
And somewhere deep inside me, my wolf stirred with nervous excitement.
What if…
No. I pushed the thought away before it could bloom into hope.
Hope was dangerous.
The drums began to beat slowly, their rhythm echoing through the clearing.
Boom.
Boom.
Boom.
The pack members stepped forward one by one as their mates were revealed, cheers erupting whenever a couple found each other.
Laughter filled the night.
Love.
Happiness.
Everything I had never known.
I watched quietly from the sidelines, my heart aching in a way I couldn't explain.
Then suddenly—
My wolf jolted awake.
A strange warmth spread through my chest, pulling me forward like an invisible thread tied to my soul.
My breath caught.
Mate.
The word echoed inside my mind like a sacred whisper.
My heart began racing.
No… it couldn't be.
Slowly, I lifted my head.
And that was when I saw him.
Standing across the clearing, surrounded by the pack's warriors, was Alpha Kael Thorn.
Tall.
Powerful.
Dominant in every way a wolf could be.
His dark hair fell across sharp features carved like stone, and his piercing gray eyes scanned the crowd with natural authority. Even standing still, he radiated strength that made lesser wolves instinctively bow their heads.
The Alpha.
My mate was the Alpha.
Shock flooded through me so quickly my knees nearly buckled.
The Moon Goddess had chosen him for me?
For a moment, hope blossomed in my chest like fragile glass.
Maybe… maybe this meant my life would finally change.
Maybe I wouldn't always be the unwanted omega.
Maybe I would finally belong.
My wolf whimpered softly in excitement.
Mate…
The pull between us grew stronger with every second, urging me forward.
My feet began moving before I could stop them.
One step.
Then another.
Whispers rippled through the crowd as people noticed where I was going.
Confusion.
Disbelief.
Disgust.
By the time I reached the center of the clearing, the entire pack had fallen silent.
All eyes were on me.
And on the Alpha.
Kael's gaze finally landed on me.
The moment our eyes met, I saw the flash of recognition there.
He felt it too.
The mate bond.
For a brief second, his expression shifted—surprise, maybe even shock.
My heart lifted.
But then his face hardened.
Cold.
Cruel.
Disgusted.
"No," he muttered under his breath.
The single word sliced through me like a blade.
The pack Elder stepped forward, sensing the bond between us.
His voice boomed across the clearing.
"The Moon Goddess has spoken! Alpha Kael Thorn and Lyla Nightshade have been chosen as fated mates!"
Gasps erupted from the crowd.
An omega.
Mated to the Alpha.
I could hear the disbelief in their voices.
But I didn't care.
Because Kael was staring at me now, his expression darkening with every passing second.
I forced the words out, my voice trembling.
"Mate…"
The sacred word barely left my lips before Kael's aura exploded outward.
The overwhelming power of an Alpha slammed into me like a wave, forcing my body to tremble.
His eyes burned with anger.
"I refuse," he said sharply.
My heart dropped.
The Elder frowned. "Alpha, the Moon Goddess—"
"I said I refuse."
Kael's voice thundered through the clearing, silencing everyone instantly.
He stepped forward until he was standing directly in front of me.
Up close, he was even more intimidating.
His scent—pine, leather, and dominance—wrapped around me, making my wolf whine with desperate longing.
But his eyes held nothing but contempt.
"You?" he said quietly, his lip curling in disgust. "The Moon Goddess expects me to accept an omega as my Luna?"
My chest tightened painfully.
"I… I didn't choose this either," I whispered.
A cruel smile appeared on his face.
"Then we agree on something."
Before I could react, he raised his voice for the entire pack to hear.
"I, Alpha Kael Thorn, reject you, Lyla Nightshade, as my mate and future Luna."
The words echoed like thunder.
Pain exploded through my chest.
It felt like claws were tearing my heart apart from the inside.
My wolf screamed.
I collapsed to my knees, gasping as the bond between us shattered violently.
The agony was unbearable.
Tears blurred my vision as laughter broke out around the clearing.
Through the haze of pain, I saw someone step forward.
Selene Frost.
The most beautiful she-wolf in the pack.
Her long silver hair shimmered in the moonlight as she wrapped her arms around Kael possessively.
"I told you she wasn't worthy of you," Selene said sweetly.
Kael placed his arm around her waist.
And just like that…
I understood everything.
This had never been about the Moon Goddess.
He had already chosen someone else.
The pack began laughing openly now.
"Pathetic omega."
"She actually thought the Alpha would accept her."
Humiliation burned through me hotter than the rejection pain.
I forced myself to stand, even though every step felt like walking through fire.
Without saying another word, I turned and ran.
The sound of their laughter followed me into the forest.
Branches tore at my skin as I stumbled deeper into the dark woods separating the pack lands from forbidden territory.
My vision blurred.
My chest felt hollow.
My wolf lay silent inside me.
Rejected.
Abandoned.
Alone.
Finally, my legs gave out.
I collapsed onto the cold forest floor beneath the moonlight.
The world slowly faded to black as the last of my strength drained away.
But somewhere in the darkness…
A new scent appeared.
Cold.
Ancient.
Dangerous.
And the last thing I heard before losing consciousness was a deep male voice whispering in the night.
"Well… what do we have here?"