“I, Darius Castellano, future Alpha of the Silverfang Pack, reject you, Serena Moreno, as my mate,” he said, his voice icy and detached.

A sharp, searing pain pierced through me. When Darius Castellano—my mate and the future Alpha of the Silverfang Pack—rejected me, in front of all the pack members, at the coming-of-age ceremony where I’d just learned he was my destined mate, the world didn’t shatter. Not immediately.

No, it was slower than that. Like watching cracks spider across glass, knowing it will break, but powerless to stop it.

For a moment, the room was silent, as if even the air had been sucked out. Then came the murmurs, the whispers, the gasps that felt like knives slicing through me.

The grand hall, which only seconds ago had been filled with laughter and celebration, now felt suffocating. Hundreds of wolves stared at me, their expressions ranging from pity to scorn.

My legs wobbled, but I stood my ground. “No,” I whispered, my voice barely audible.

But Darius heard it. He always did. His dark eyes locked on mine, and for a fleeting second, I thought I saw something—hesitation, regret. But it was gone in an instant, replaced by a smirk so cruel it made my stomach churn.

“Did you really think you were worthy of me?” he asked, his voice carrying across the hall.

My heart twisted painfully, and I felt Asha, my wolf, whimper in the back of my mind.

He doesn’t mean it, she said weakly. He can’t.

....

I wanted to believe her, but the way Darius looked at me—with condescension, with disgust—left no room for doubt.

“Look at yourself, Serena,” he continued, his tone sharper now, cutting me open in front of everyone. “Weak. Plain. Unremarkable. The Moon Goddess must have made a mistake.”

The crowd rippled with laughter, their amusement at my expense echoing in my ears.

“Darius, please,” I said, my voice cracking.

“Stop embarrassing yourself,” he snapped, his smirk widening. “Do you think I want someone like you standing beside me as Luna? You’d drag me—and this pack—down with your mediocrity.”

A lump formed in my throat, but I refused to cry. Not here. Not in front of them.

“She’s not Luna material,” someone whispered behind me.

“He’s right. She’s too ordinary,” another said, their words like poison.

And then she stepped forward.

Liana.

The golden-haired princess of the Lycan Kingdom. She was beautiful in a way that felt cruel—perfection carved by the Moon Goddess herself. Every step she took seemed calculated, her smile soft and sweet, though her eyes glinted with triumph.

“Serena,” she said, her voice dripping with sympathy, “I know this must be hard for you. But Darius has to think of the pack. He needs a Luna who can match his strength. Someone... capable.”

Her hand slid over his arm, possessive, claiming him in front of everyone.

“You must be so relieved, though,” she continued, tilting her head like a predator playing with its prey. “Being Luna is such a burden. It’s better for someone... stronger to handle it, don’t you think?”

Her words stabbed at me, but it was her expression—so soft, so understanding—that twisted the knife.

The whispers around me grew louder.

“She’s right. Serena could never handle it.”

“Liana’s a better fit. Look at her.”

I turned to Darius, desperate for him to deny it, to say something—anything—that would undo the nightmare unraveling around me.

“Darius,” I said, my voice trembling. “Please don’t do this.”

My mate Darius looked at me as if I were something beneath him.

“Accept it, Serena,” he said. “This is bigger than you. I’m thinking of the pack, something you clearly wouldn’t understand.”

The laughter that followed was deafening, the sound ringing in my ears as I turned and ran.

The cool night air hit my face as I stumbled into the forest, tears streaming down my cheeks. My knees buckled, and I collapsed onto the ground, clutching my chest as the mate bond burned through me like fire.

Why? I asked, my voice shaking.

He’s a fool, Asha, my wolf growled, though her voice was tinged with pain. He’ll regret this.

But I wasn’t so sure.

The voices from the hall carried into the night, faint but sharp enough to pierce through my despair.

“She’s nothing,” Liana’s voice said, sweet and mocking. “Just a pebble under our feet.”

The words echoed in my mind as I curled into myself, the bond screaming its agony through every part of me.

The next morning, I stayed in my room, my body numb with exhaustion. But I couldn’t hide forever.

A sharp knock on the door jolted me from my thoughts.

When I opened it, Darius stood there, his presence as overwhelming as ever.

“What do you want?” I snapped, though my voice lacked strength.

He leaned against the doorframe, his lips curling into a smirk.

“I thought about it,” he said casually, as if last night hadn’t happened. “And I’ve decided I can’t let you go entirely.”

I blinked at him, stunned. “What?”

He stepped inside without waiting for permission, his dark eyes scanning the room.

“You feel it, don’t you?” he said, his voice soft but patronizing. “The bond. It’s still there. I can feel it too.”

My stomach churned. “So what?”

“So,” he said, his smirk widening, “I’ve come up with a solution. You’ll stay by my side. Secretly, of course. Liana doesn’t have to know.”

It took a moment for his words to sink in, but when they did, my chest burned with anger.

“You want me to be your mistress?” I asked, my voice rising.

“Don’t think of it that way,” he said, waving off my words as if they were ridiculous. “You’ll be fulfilling the bond, and I’ll be securing the pack’s future. It’s a win-win, really.”

My hand moved before I could stop it. The sharp crack echoed in the room, louder than anything I could’ve said.

For a moment, Darius froze, his head snapping to the side. But then, to my horror, he laughed. Low and cold. His smirk widened as he turned back to me, his dark eyes glinting with amusement.

“You really are braver than I thought,” he said, his voice sharp and mocking. “But bravery won’t save you.”

Before I could back away, his hand shot out, gripping my wrist. His fingers dug into my skin just enough to remind me of his strength, his dominance. He pulled me closer, his breath brushing against my ear.

“I’ll have my way, Serena,” he murmured. “Sooner or later, you’ll accept your place.”

The heat of his presence suffocated me, but I yanked my arm free, my heart pounding. “Never,” I spat, my voice trembling with fury.

The cold smirk never left his face. “We’ll see,” he said, stepping back, his expression unreadable now. “Don’t forget—no one else will have you. I’m your mate, Serena. No one else would want a rejected Luna.”

His words cut deeper than I wanted to admit, but I forced myself to lift my chin. “You’re not my alpha, Darius. Not anymore.”

I didn’t wait for his response. I turned and walked away, my knees shaking, my chest heaving.

---

The days that followed were worse than I could’ve imagined.

Darius didn’t touch me again, but his cold disdain was suffocating. He didn’t need to lay a hand on me to make his feelings clear. Every time I entered a room, he acted as if I were invisible. When his gaze did fall on me, it was with an indifference that cut deeper than anger ever could.

But that wasn’t the worst of it.

The pack turned against me, their whispers trailing me everywhere I went.

“Rejected by the alpha.”

“She’s not Luna material.”

“Pathetic.”

Even my so-called friends avoided me. Camila, the one person I thought I could count on, barely acknowledged me. Her loyalty shifted overnight, her laughter now reserved for Liana’s jokes and Darius’s approval.

And Liana...

She didn’t even try to hide her glee. Every time I saw her, she was draped over Darius, her golden hair spilling over his arm, her smile smug and victorious. She didn’t need to say anything most of the time—her presence was enough.

But when she did speak, her words were weapons.

“Oh, Serena,” she said one morning, cornering me in the hallway. “You look so tired. Are you sleeping well? Rejection must be so exhausting.”

I clenched my fists, my wolf Asha growling in my mind. Don’t react. She’s not worth it.

Liana leaned closer, her tone dropping to a mockingly gentle whisper. “You should try accepting it. Maybe then you’ll stop embarrassing yourself.”

I walked away without a word, but her laughter followed me, light and cruel.