Chapter 1 The Rejection

• ~ Elara ~
• “I, Alpha Kieran Silverwood, reject you, Elara Emberheart, as my mate and Luna of Silverwood pack,” I heard Kieran say.
• My heart shattered into a million pieces.
• Tears rolled down my cheeks instantly, my breathing pace slowed down and I found myself panting in despair.
• “Kieran, this can’t be…” I muttered. A lot of words - questions - formed in my mind but my voice was completely lost at the moment. I had to use my head to process the event that had just happened right in front of me.
• Alpha Kieran Silverwood, my destined mate, had just rejected me on the night of the full moon, in front of the whole pack! This was more humiliating than the embarrassment I’ve received as an omega!
• He had given me the reassurance that we were going to be married, right from the first day we discovered that we were mates. I had walked into his room on the day I turned twenty-one, to serve him his usual morning tea when I sensed his scent in the room. It was a combination of cedarwood and vanilla, a rich earthy flavor had enriched her nostrils and when he came out of the bathroom with his wet hair and body, I almost went crazy as I drooled over his hotness. He also noticed my presence and almost marked me as his mate if not for his self control, he promised me that he would mark me once he announced me as his Luna.
• Now, I watched in disbelief as Kieran gave me a straight look. He wasn’t guilty or remorseful at all, for rejecting her. He looked rather satisfied with the decision he made.
• “But why?” I managed to ask him.
• “Look at yourself, Elara. You are an omega, a weak one for that matter. Making you my Luna would seem like an unfair choice and a mere bonus for you. Meanwhile, Silverwood pack comes first and deserves a strong Luna to be by my side and you , Elara, are not qualified for this role,” he said firmly.
• The low purr that came from my wolf made me realize that this was indeed happening. Enya withdrew from me and locked in herself , I could feel nothing from my wolf.
• I had lost her.
• “You promised me that we will be together, Kieran. You said this yourself that you can’t wait to mark me tonight, then why did you suddenly change your mind?”
• “You don’t have any other choice but to accept my rejection, Elara. Don’t waste my time,” Kieran warned.
• “No! You can’t do this to me, I beg of you!” I cried desperately. I was in love with him and our mate bond had strengthened over the weeks that we had spent together, he can’t dump me like this.
• “Elara!” Kieran called me with an authoritative tone, “Accept my rejection now or face a severe punishment for your actions!” He threatened.
• I realized that nothing could be done about this. I was not just rejected, but humiliated too by my so-called mate.
• “I, Elara Emberheart, accept your rejection… ahh!” I yelped in pain as I felt the mate bond break in a zap. The strong scent of cedarwood and vanilla disappeared instantly and everything between us went blank.
• But I was not expecting Kieran to make another announcement.
• “Tonight, we shall honor the bond that will strengthen the bond of our pack,” Kieran announced, his voice echoing through the clearing. “Tonight, I will choose my Luna.”
• The drums began to beat, the people looked very excited and my rejection was forgotten in a second. I had no other choice but to watch who Kieran had chosen as his Luna.
• After a few minutes of celebration, Kieran raised his hand and signaled the drummers to stop. The instant silence was accompanied by a commanding aura that emanated from Kieran. I watched his eyes as they navigated through the crowd and soon fixated upon my beloved best friend, Seraphina. My eyes widened in disbelief.
• No.
• “I hereby announce Seraphina Sal, the daughter of the ancient Alpha Sal, as my Luna,” Kieran said. He stretched out his hands toward Seraphina and she walked majestically to him, taking his hand.
• The people cheered loudly while some jeered at me scornfully. This was entirely ridiculous. Seraphina was my best friend, why would she do such a thing to me?
• I was not only rejected and humiliated, I was also betrayed and abandoned. I lost my mate, my wolf and my best friend in one night!
• “We shall celebrate our union tomorrow night with prominent leaders and Alphas gracing us with their presence!” Kieran continued but I couldn’t stand this devastation.
• I dashed out to the woods, running as fast as my legs could carry me. It was when I tried to shift that I remembered that my wolf was gone, I hit a stone and stumbled to the ground.
• “Wake up, Enya! I need you!” I screamed at my wolf to answer but it never happened. I had no choice than to go back to my room and cry myself to sleep.
• I refused to leave my room until the night of the union celebration. I could hear the loud noise of celebration coming from the crowd outside but I didn’t want to leave. Suddenly, my door was opened forcefully and Seraphina barged in with rage.
• “What are you doing here, Elara? Are you not aware that there are distinguished guests amongst us?” Seraphina asked in anger.
• “Leave me alone,” I muttered instead.
• “I would have left you alone if not for the fact that you are an omega and it is required for you to serve these guests. If Kieran learns that you did not participate in this event, he’ll kick you out of this pack,” Seraphina reminded me.
• I looked up at her, my anger flaring up in a flash. “Why do you care, huh? You have already ruined my life, Seraphina. You backstabbed me and betrayed me, now you want to act like you care about me. Get lost!”
• “How dare you talk to our Luna like that!” The gamma scolded me and landed a hot slap on my cheek.
• I fell down and the pain stung me so hard.
• Seraphina smirked and bent down to my level, then she pulled my hair. “Listen here, Elara Emberheart. The Alpha was not yours to begin with. No omega deserves such a special treatment, not even you. Do you think I’m doing this because I care about you? No, I’m doing this because I am your Luna and you shall listen to whatever I have to say. I give you ten minutes to get yourself ready and serve my guests , okay?”
• I had no choice. Seraphina had won the battle. She is the pack’s Luna and I am still the irrelevant omega, I have to listen to her.
• “Yes, Luna Seraphina,” I replied in defeat.
• “Good,” she said and left with the gamma.
• I got ready to serve ‘her distinguished guests’, and before leaving, I made up my mind to be strong in the whole situation. After all, it was my weakness that got me rejected in the first place.
• At the party, I did my job well. Serving the guests while ignoring the jests and mockery that came from my fellow omegas. Unknowingly, my eyes landed on Kieran at where he was sitting with Seraphina. I watched in horror as they kissed passionately in each other’s arms, my heart was burning in despair. But my attention was called back when someone spilled a drink on me. I could hear them laughing around me, I was embarrassed.
• Angry that I’ve been humiliated so much by them, I stormed out of the hall. My mind was clouded with the series of events that had happened , I was too preoccupied to notice the stranger coming inside in front of me. I bumped into him and fell flat on the floor.
• Suddenly, I caught a whiff of something familiar yet intoxicating. It was a blend of Sandalwood and honey, earthy and grounding with a hint of sweetness and golden warmth. My heart skipped a beat as the scent heightened, making me feel safe and cherished.
• I raised my head to look at the stranger in front of me and my eyes met with an intense gaze of deep green eyes. The scent was coming from him, I was sure of it.
• The soft growl that came out from inside me sent sparks of excitement down my spine, it was Enya! She opened up and let out another growl inside me that melted my heart.
• Mate!