The atmosphere was charged with anticipation as I nervously played with my fingers, my heart racing wildly in my chest while I locked eyes with my mate.

Damon, the Alpha of the Dark Valley pack, was meant to be mated with me today.

I had longed for this moment, yet here I stood, feeling utterly overlooked on what was supposed to be my joyous occasion.

As the ceremony commenced and the officiating elder approached the podium, I caught a brief glimpse of Damon’s gaze, but it vanished too quickly, leaving me feeling despondent.

Out of nowhere, his phone rang, breaking the stillness of the moment.

I watched as his expression darkened, and he abruptly turned away from me, storming out of the hall.

My heart plummeted as I reached out, but my words seemed to vanish into thin air, unheard and unacknowledged.

"Damon! Where are you going? This is our mating ceremony! You can't just abandon me like this—what's happening? Is there something I need to know?" I called out, but he dashed away, kicking up dust that stung my eyes.

Tears welled up, blurring my sight as I stumbled backward, the weight of despair heavy on my shoulders.

The king had coerced his son, Alpha Damon, into marrying me solely because I was a silver wolf, a means to enhance his own powers after the ceremony.

I didn’t protest; every woman dreams of finding happiness, especially someone like me who had endured so much pain throughout her life.

As an ordinary omega scraping by with lowly jobs, marrying the Alpha would provide my younger sister, who was fighting leukemia, a chance at life.

But in this moment, I felt that chance slipping away like grains of sand through my fingers.

I couldn’t remain here, not with the pitying glances everyone was casting my way.

I was the first woman in the pack to be abandoned at the altar.

In a panic, I dashed out of the pack hall and headed straight for the hospital, my breath coming in quick bursts.

My heart raced, not just from the sprint but from the terror of losing my only sister—the only person left in my life after death had cruelly taken our parents away.

Upon arriving at the hospital, the sharp scent of antiseptic overwhelmed me, making my stomach churn for the first time.

I rushed to the nurses at the front desk, my voice quaking with fear.

“Where is my sister, Dianne Sinclair?” I asked, dread lacing my words.

I was supposed to sign a document after my wedding with Damon so that my sister could undergo surgery, but now I felt utterly lost, especially since all of Damon’s phones were turned off.

The nurse’s tone was heavy with sorrow. “I’m sorry, but… she passed away just a few minutes ago. However, we do have something that might lift your spirits,” she said, handing me a sealed envelope, which I angrily threw aside.

“No! My sister can’t be gone! I promised to pay for the surgery today; please, you can’t do this to me—she’s all I have left!”

My legs gave way as I leaned against the counter for support.

Dianne was my everything, and she left me without a word, leaving me shattered. It felt like more than just losing her; it was as if my last glimmer of hope had vanished.

I fumbled for my phone, my hands trembling as I searched for Damon's number. Just as I was about to hit the call button, my heart sank at what I saw on Instagram.

There was a photo of my husband in his wedding suit, laughing and embracing another woman, accompanied by the caption:

“Alpha of Dark Valley pack finally weds his Chosen mate in a secret mating ceremony.”

I crumbled into tears, and soon after, the world around me faded to black as I collapsed.

Days went by as I lay in bed, feeling like a mere shadow in my own existence.

The whispers around me were deafening; pack members openly mocked me, tossing around names like “Rejected Luna” and “Evil Omega.”

I made the decision to leave, to find some clarity, perhaps spend some time with the human pack until I could regain my strength.

It was evident that my mate had turned his back on me.

As I packed my bag, the door swung open, and Damon entered with his new mate, their presence overwhelming as I fought back tears.

“Selena! Where do you think you’re going?” Damon demanded, his tone dripping with authority.

I stood tall, trying to maintain my composure. “I’m just taking some time for myself.”

His new mate stepped closer, a smirk playing on her lips as she ran her fingers through Damon’s beard, and he leaned in to kiss her softly.

“Oh, I see. You’re running away because you can’t handle the fact that Damon is marrying me? How typical of an omega. I’m Laura, by the way. Nice to meet you, co-wife.”

“Enough! You little homewrecker, I swear I’ll kill you myself!” I shot back, my temper fraying.

Damon stood there, arms crossed, his gaze icy.

“Who do you think you are, leaving without my consent? Have you completely lost your mind? I’m your mate, and you can’t just walk away from me, not while I’m around! You belong to me, and you’ll follow my orders!”

“Mate?” I laughed bitterly, the words tasting sour. “You abandoned me at our wedding and married someone else right after, and you have the audacity to call yourself my mate?”

Laura cackled, her laughter slicing through the air. “You really have a high opinion of yourself, don’t you, omega? Damon has been mine for ages, and it’s only right that he marries his true love, a woman who actually fits his status. From now on, you’ll refer to me as Luna, you filthy creature!”

Fury surged within me, my wolf awakening as a whirlwind of emotions crashed over me—anger, jealousy, and pain. I longed to tear this arrogant woman apart for daring to claim my mate.

Silver wolves are fiercely territorial and possessive, and every word she uttered pushed me closer to my breaking point.

The fact that Damon stood by, allowing her to disrespect me, only fueled my anger.

What had I done to deserve this from him? I had always been a loyal mate, even when it was difficult.

“You're not my Luna! Damon is my mate, and you’re just a foolish mistress!”

“Perhaps if you weren’t so busy being a miserable Omega, you’d realize that Damon's heart belongs to someone else. He’s mine now, and you’ll just have to accept it!”

That was the final straw; I had to teach this woman a lesson she wouldn’t forget.

I felt the transformation begin as my bones cracked and my nails morphed into claws, fur erupting from my skin as I fully shifted into my wolf.

Laura’s confident smirk faded into fear, but before she could react, I lunged at her, sinking my teeth into her arm and tearing away a piece of flesh.

The taste of her fresh, metallic blood filled my mouth, and I reveled in the shock that crossed her face.

This was just the start; if she dared to speak again, I would rip her heart from her chest.

“Shift now, or I’ll kill you!”

Damon’s roar echoed as he stepped between us, but I stood my ground.

Just as I prepared to lunge at Laura again, Damon tackled me, sending me crashing to the ground.

I fought against Damon's grip as he seized me by the nape, cutting off my breath.

Panic surged through me as I felt my life flash before my eyes.

“Shift now!”

Damon's furious growl pierced through my haze of near-unconsciousness.

Without hesitation, I carefully transformed back into my human self, my body quaking from the intensity of the shift and the whirlwind of emotions flooding my system.

“Have you completely lost it, Selena?” Damon bellowed, his eyes blazing with rage.

“How could you attack my mate while I’m right here? Have you forgotten the rules? Shifting before your Alpha is an abomination!”

“I don’t give a damn about your ridiculous rules! She deserves even more than what I did to her!” I yelled back, my breath coming in quick gasps.

“You don’t get to act all high and mighty and speak to me like that after you abandoned me at the Altar. You’re not my Alpha, and you’re definitely not my mate!”

Laura held her arm, blood seeping from the wound as tears streamed down her face like a river. “You’ll regret this, Selena. I swear, I’ll make sure you’re kicked out of this pack! I won’t rest until I see you fall!”

“Well, guess what? I was already planning to leave before you showed up with your ugly face. One more word from you, and I’ll finish what I started, you little chihuahua!”

“Enough!” Damon's voice thundered, cutting through the tension. “You’re a disgrace to this pack, Selena! I had even considered organizing a second mating ceremony for you, but now I don’t think…”

“Save your breath…I don’t want it,” I replied, my voice trembling. “I refuse to be a second choice. You can’t just abandon me and treat me like this because I’m an omega. I’m doing you a favor by even considering mating with you, and now I’m leaving!”

“Fine,” he sneered. “But remember this: if you walk out that door, you’ll be rejected. You’ll lose your place in this pack, and I’ll ensure no other pack will take you in until the day you die alone!”

My heart raced at his threat; everyone knows how ruthless Damon can be when things don’t go his way, and I was fully aware he could do even worse. But I couldn’t stay under the same roof with him any longer, not after everything that had happened.

“I’d rather live as a rogue for the rest of my life than be tied to you, Alpha Damon… I’m leaving, and I won’t look back!”

As I turned to go, his voice halted me. “You really think you can survive out there on your own? Trust me, you’ll be dead in no time, and I won’t take you back when you come crawling!”

"What if I'm not the one who needs to crawl back? You might be the one regretting this, Damon. You don't even realize what you're losing. I, Selena Sinclair, officially reject Alpha Damon Brashford as…”

The sharp ring of Damon's phone interrupted me.

He answered, his voice escalating with anger, eyes aflame.

My rejection had clearly bruised his ego—an Omega rejecting an Alpha was unprecedented.

I understood the gravity of my decision; there would be consequences.

Yet, without Dianne, I felt there was nothing left for me. Knowing Damon, he would likely retaliate harshly, pushing me to the brink. But witnessing his pain from my rejection provided a twisted sense of satisfaction that I was willing to endure the repercussions.

I saw his complexion drain of color as he hung up, but I was unprepared for his next question.

"Selena, are you pregnant?"