The night of the mating ceremony was supposed to be the happiest night of my life.
The entire pack had gathered in the clearing, their voices echoing softly under the silver glow of the full moon. Lanterns hung from tall wooden posts, lighting the sacred ground where generations of Alphas had claimed their mates.
Tonight was supposed to be my night.
Tonight, I would finally become Luna.
My heart pounded nervously as I stood beside the man I had loved for years—Alpha Damon of the Nightfall Pack. Tall, powerful, and feared by many, he was the strongest Alpha our pack had ever known.
And he was my mate.
Or at least… that was what I believed.
I looked up at him, hoping to see the same warmth in his dark eyes that he used to show me. But something felt wrong.
His expression was cold.
Distant.
Almost… annoyed.
A strange knot formed in my stomach.
The pack elder stepped forward, raising his staff toward the glowing moon above us.
"Tonight," the elder announced loudly, "we gather to witness the sacred union between Alpha Damon and his chosen mate."
The crowd cheered.
I felt heat rise to my cheeks as excitement rushed through me.
This was the moment I had dreamed about since I first discovered he was my mate.
The elder turned toward Damon.
"Alpha Damon," he said respectfully. "Do you accept your mate and make her Luna of this pack?"
For a brief moment, silence fell over the entire clearing.
Then Damon slowly stepped forward.
But instead of holding my hand like I expected… he looked at me with pure indifference.
My wolf stirred uneasily inside me.
Something was terribly wrong.
Damon's voice cut through the silence like a blade.
"I, Alpha Damon of the Nightfall Pack…"
My heart raced faster.
"…reject you as my mate."
The world stopped.
Gasps erupted from the crowd.
My body froze as the words echoed in my ears.
Reject.
Did he just… reject me?
"No…" I whispered weakly.
My chest tightened painfully as tears blurred my vision.
"D-Damon… what are you saying?" I asked, my voice trembling.
But he looked at me as if I were nothing.
As if I were just another stranger in the crowd.
"You heard me," he said coldly. "I reject you."
Pain shot through my entire body as the mate bond cracked violently inside me.
My wolf howled in agony.
It felt like my heart was being ripped apart.
"Why?" I asked desperately. "We're mates… you said you loved me."
A cruel smile appeared on Damon's lips.
"That was before I met someone better."
Before I could react, a woman stepped forward from the crowd.
She was beautiful.
Tall, confident, with long silver-blonde hair and sharp golden eyes.
My stomach dropped.
It was Selena.
The Alpha of the neighboring Moonfang Pack's daughter.
She walked straight to Damon and wrapped her arm around his.
The crowd whispered in shock.
Damon looked down at her with affection I had never seen before.
"This," he said proudly, "is my true Luna."
My heart shattered.
"You can't do this," I whispered.
But Damon's eyes hardened.
"You were never worthy of being Luna," he said coldly.
The humiliation burned through my veins as the entire pack stared at me.
Some looked shocked.
Some looked amused.
Others looked… relieved.
I suddenly realized something horrifying.
No one was going to defend me.
I was alone.
"Leave," Damon ordered.
My breathing became uneven as my wolf whimpered in pain.
The rejection was tearing me apart from the inside.
"I don't want to see your face in this pack ever again."
The words struck deeper than any blade.
With trembling legs, I turned around and ran.
The sound of laughter followed me into the darkness of the forest.
Tears streamed down my face as I ran blindly between the towering trees.
My chest burned.
My heart ached.
Everything I believed in was gone.
My mate.
My pack.
My future.
Gone.
I finally collapsed near the edge of a dark road deep in the forest.
My body trembled violently as I struggled to breathe.
Why did this happen to me?
Why would the Moon Goddess give me a mate… only for him to reject me?
Suddenly, bright headlights appeared in the distance.
A black luxury car stopped in front of me.
The door opened slowly.
A tall man stepped out.
The moment his eyes met mine, my wolf stirred again.
But this time…
Not in pain.
In shock.
"M-Mate…" my wolf whispered.
The man stared at me with intense golden eyes.
Then he spoke in a deep, dangerous voice.
"Well… this is unexpected."