Chapter 2 Rejection

• Sophia's POV
• “Alpha…” I took a hesitant step forward.
• “Step back.” His voice was cold and commanding, forcing my feet to retreat. Tears spilled down my cheeks before I could stop them.
• So many thoughts whirled through my head. Why was he acting like this? Couldn’t he feel it too? Couldn’t he feel the pull of the bond tying us together?
• “Levi, please don’t—”
• “Address me by my name one more time and I will slit your throat.” His snarl was vicious, making my whole body tremble with fear.
• “I’m sorry… Alpha.” My voice cracked. “But I’m not lying. We’re mates.”
• “I know that.” His eyes narrowed, gleaming with disgust. “But I refuse to be mated to a wolfless, worthless outcast. The Gray Moon Pack needs strength. Not a pathetic pushover who can’t even shift.”
• His words cut deeper than any blade ever could, each one slicing into my chest until my knees felt weak beneath me. My heart was screaming in agony. Why would he say such horrible things? Why did he hate me so much?
• “Please…” My plea came out as a broken whisper.
• “I, Levi Colton, reject you…” He paused, his eyes cold and unfeeling as they scanned my face. He didn’t even know my name. That hurt more than anything else.
• “Sophia… Sophia Everest,” I croaked out between tears. I had no choice than to say my name or I was so sure it would be forced out of me.
• “I, Levi Colton, reject you, Sophia Everest, as my mate.” His words fell heavy and final, and the scream that tore from my throat echoed across the clearing. My knees hit the ground hard. Pain unlike anything I had ever felt before ripped through my chest, tearing at my soul until I could hardly breathe. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I clutched my chest, trying to hold myself together.
• He turned away and walked off, leaving me crumbling on the ground like my pain was nothing more than a fleeting inconvenience.
• Laughter erupted around me. Cruel, mocking laughter that gnawed at my remaining strength.
• “I must commend you for making this night memorable.” Lucy’s voice sliced into my ears. “First, you can’t get your wolf, and now your mate rejects you. What else do you have for us tonight?”
• Their laughter roared in my ears as I forced myself up, each step heavy with humiliation and heartbreak. I didn’t look back. I couldn’t.
• “Sophia!” Joel’s worried voice rang out behind me, but I didn’t dare stop. If I stopped now, I would shatter completely.
• I ran to my small room, slamming the door shut before falling onto my thin mattress. My body shook as sob after sob ripped out of me, my chest aching from the intensity of it all. I needed something to dull the agony but there was nothing. No comfort, no relief. Just raw, suffocating pain.
• Everything I had ever hoped for was gone in a single night. My wolf. My mate. My dignity. My worth. All snatched from me like they meant nothing.
• Taking my own life felt like the only way out. It was tempting. I had been treated like trash my entire life. I thought finding my mate would change everything, that he would love me, protect me, give me purpose. But he didn’t even want to know my name.
• How was I supposed to keep living like this?
• They would never let me forget. Lucy would make sure of it. Every waking day would be a reminder that I was nothing.
• My tears kept pouring until there were no tears left to cry. I was empty, drained, and hollow.
• You will be fine, Sophia.
• Isla’s voice was gentle in my head, but it only made my heart ache more. She didn’t understand. She couldn’t. Nothing would ever be fine again. Everything would only get worse from here.
• I cried myself to sleep because that was the only thing I could do.
• When morning came, I didn’t want to move. I lay there, staring at the cracked ceiling, wishing I could disappear into it and never wake up. I knew what awaited me outside these four walls, and I wasn’t ready.
• But the banging on my door was relentless.
• “Sophia!” Mistress’s shrill voice made my heart drop. “Do I need to remind you of your chores every morning?”
• I groaned, turning to bury my face in the pillow, desperate to block out the world.
• “Be useful for once in your pathetic life!” She screamed, slamming her fist against the door so hard it rattled. If she broke it, I would be forced to pay for repairs with money I didn’t have. No one would listen to a worthless maid against her.
• I forced myself up, dragging my aching body across the room to open the door. The moment I did, her hand flew across my face, the slap stinging so hard my head spun.
• “How dare you keep me waiting? Have you forgotten your place?” She spat at me.
• “I’m sorry,” I whispered, cradling my burning cheek.
• “Don’t stand there like a statue! Get downstairs this instant!” She stormed off, and I stumbled after her.
• Their stares followed me as I descended the stairs. Some eyes were curious, others disgusted. But most were mocking.
• “There she is, the girl without a wolf.”
• “You mean the outcast who got rejected by the Alpha?”
• “I can’t believe the moon goddess would make such a disgusting mistake.”
• “When I saw that silver hair, I knew something was wrong with her.”
• Each word was another dagger lodged deep into my heart. I kept my gaze low and hurried to the kitchen, hoping to disappear into my chores.
• Even the other maids giggled and whispered amongst themselves, glancing at me with condescending smirks.
• “She’s so pathetic. Imagine getting rejected in front of everyone.”
• “I almost feel sorry for her. Almost.”
• I wished I could find it funny like they did. But it wasn’t funny to me. It was torture.
• As I scrubbed dishes, their voices floated around me like venomous fog.
• “Have you heard?” one maid whispered loudly, making sure I heard.
• “Heard what?” another asked eagerly.
• “The Alpha will introduce his new Luna tonight.”
• My hands froze in the soapy water, the plate slipping from my fingers and clattering into the sink. Their laughter was instant.
• “Look at her face!” one howled.
• “She thought she was going to be Luna!” another cackled.
• I bit back my tears, forcing myself to focus on the plates. The goddess knew I never once imagined being Luna. I just wanted a mate who would love me, treat me like I mattered. Someone like Joel. But clearly, the goddess thought I was nothing more than a joke.
• I swallowed the tears burning in my eyes and scrubbed harder. Who cared if he chose another Luna? He had rejected me. It shouldn’t matter anymore.
• But it did. It mattered so much that my chest felt like it was caving in.
• Hours later, the entire pack gathered for a meeting. I kept my head down as I joined them, ignoring the glares and scoffs thrown my way.
• “This meeting is for pack members,” someone hissed.
• “Since when did the outcast become a pack member?” another snickered.
• Their chuckles rang in my ears like cruel bells. I clenched my fists and kept my gaze fixed on the ground.
• “I apologize for the sudden gathering,” Alpha Levi began, his deep voice resonating through the hall. “But the Luna ceremony approaches, and it is only right that I introduce your future Luna.”
• Cheers erupted around me, loud and deafening.
• My heart pounded so hard it hurt. A tiny, foolish part of me still hoped he would look at me and call my name.
• That was how desperate and delusional I had become.
• “Allow me to introduce the future Luna of the Gray Moon Pack… Lucy Hart.”
• The cheers grew louder, echoing off the walls. I staggered back, each step feeling like my legs were made of lead.
• Lucy. Of course, it was her. Who else would it be? My tormentor. My bully. The one person who had ensured my life was miserable from the very start.
• She walked down the stairs with perfect grace, her smile bright and polished. No one would ever believe how cruel she was. She moved to Levi’s side, looping her arm through his as he looked down at her with a proud smile.
• “She is beautiful, strong, and worthy to lead this pack,” Levi said, his voice filled with affection and approval I had never heard directed at me.
• Tears blurred my vision, warm and bitter as they rolled down my cheeks. This couldn’t be happening. It felt like a nightmare I couldn’t wake up from.
• Then his eyes locked onto mine. Those cold, dark eyes pinned me in place, draining the last bit of strength I had left. Without thinking, I turned and ran. Ran away from his gaze, from her victorious smirk, from the laughter and cheers filling the hall.
• I ran as if my life depended on it. Because in that moment, it did.