Rejection?

Sarah's pov.

My gaze followed the direction of the commanding voice. My eyes fell upon a tall and strong man's figure striding towards me.

At first, he appeared as a shadow against the light, and I couldn't see his face clearly, but he definitely was strong and had a muscular frame even from a distance. He appeared like God. His mere presence sent a shiver down my spine.

As he drew nearer, my heart raced in my chest, and I finally began to make out the details of his face. It was a face that seemed as though it had been meticulously sculpted by the hands of gods, each feature perfectly harmonious and well-favored.

He had a sharp defined jaw that gave his face a strong and angular appearance, and his eyes were a striking shade of vivid green, captivating and piercing. They seemed capable of stealing someone's soul without them even realizing it.

It was as if I was seeing something beyond his outward appearance, something that tugged at my instincts. The connection I felt towards him made my stomach churn, but not in a bad way.

"Oh no!" Megan gasped out, in a state of shock as she looked at the man.

"I–" The female Alpha tried to explain herself as she breathed heavily, her face contorted with fear. "She dirtied my shoe."

However, the man seemed impatient as he growled loudly, making everyone flinch, and I had a hard time breathing. What's happening to me? It felt like someone was crushing my bones and flesh. It was very painful.

"Do you want me to repeat what I said?" he asked, breaking the silence, his voice deep and his tone brooking no argument.

The female Alpha, panicked, hastily released my hair. "I'm s-sorry," she cried out an apology to the man.

I was still on my knees, looking up at the man with a shy but grateful expression as I stood up. "Th-Thank you," I lowered my gaze because it was too hard to bear his intense stare. I wondered if this man was my knight sent by the Moon goddess herself to save me.

"You have quite the guts, Isaballe?" He roared, and the female Alpha began to tremble. It was amazing how an Alpha like her was scared of him.

Who is this man?

"It wasn't my…fault–" She ranted, and I stole glances at him.

But as he took a step closer to me, his scent hit me in an unbelievable way I had never experienced before.

It was an intoxicating aroma that seemed to penetrate to my very core, blood, bones, and flesh. It made my insides twist and my breath hitch. I abruptly looked at him, and when our eyes met, my wolf, which had been silent for so long, suddenly howled with recognition. The word screamed in my head.

"Mate!" Raven, my wolf, cried out in excitement. "He's our mate, Sarah."

This was the first time she had talked to me since I shape-shifted at my 18th birthday, which was three months ago. But I couldn't respond back as I was still in shock.

My heart was racing like a bullet train. Neither of us broke the eye contact. I was excited and worried. I was so happy to finally meet my mate, a mate I had longed to find for so long, but now that it finally happened, a strange fear gripped me.

A fear of being rejected by my mate because of my status as a weak Omega.

I stared at him with hope and worry. I was sure that he, too, felt the undeniable bond that marked us as mates.

My breath caught in my throat as I studied our mate standing before me. There was this magnetic pull, an unexplained attraction that I couldn't deny.

But I stopped breathing when his eyes slowly filled with hatred. All my expectations began to shatter. I froze, feeling like I was cast down from heaven to hell. Instead of warmth or recognition, I saw resentment burning in his gaze for me.

Confusion washed over me like a strong wind. He hates me. But…why?

Why would he hate me when we didn't even know each other?! The clashing emotions of pain and despair battled within me.

I wanted to ask him…ask him why his gaze wasn't reciprocating the same interests as mine, but I was too afraid to ask him. My heart ached when I noticed a spark of displeasure on his face. It was a subtle change, from his hatred, but it didn't go unnoticed by me and by everyone else.

My chest tingled as this wasn't the reaction I was expecting from my mate. His jaw tightened and expression hardened. It was as if he wasn't expecting me to be his fated mate.

The reaRitation sent a rush of disappointment crashing over me. Doubt crept into my mind, questioning my worth and the possibility of a mate bond with someone like him.

Is he really my mate? Moon goddess wasn't joking with me, right? No…it's impossible for her to give me a mate who hates me after I had gone through so much hell.

I felt like breaking down and crying. Scream and yell at the world.

Unable to ignore my feelings, I fought to maintain my composure, reminding myself not to read too much into a single expression. There could be countless reasons for his reaction, and I shouldn't jump to conclusions based on a single moment.

But the tragic feeling was making my legs wobbly.

"Hunter?" Megan called out to him, rushing over to him and standing beside him.

Dread settled over me. My heart throbbed painfully, everything inside out hurt so bad I wanted to die. Our mate bond already narrowed little by little. Raven cried out in pain in my head causing my head to ache painfully. The hatred from our mate was unbearable.

It felt horrible. My worst nightmares were coming to life. My mate, the man I should have an inexplicable bond with, was none other than 'Hunter Silver', the ruthless and cold Alpha heir.

Without a moment's hesitation, he vowed the rejection of our bond. "I, Hunter Silver, in the presence of everyone, reject—"

However, before he could finish the rejection, my eyes began to flutter as I was too weak to bear it, and I began to faint.

I felt my body falling forward onto him. He caught me in his strong arms, supporting my passed-out body before I completely lost consciousness.

I could feel the powerful beat of his heart against my cheek. The scent of his Alpha pheromones mixing with my own Omega scent, creating an intoxicating spark that, even in my weakened state, sent shivers down my spine.

The world around me became a blur as I heard murmurs and gasps from the crowd.

"Sarah?!" Megan's voice was filled with worry and disbelief, reached my ears, but it was distant and muffled.

All I could focus on was the puzzle of Hunter Silver, the man who hasn’t finished the rejection vow, cradling me in his arms.

I drifted in and out of consciousness. I couldn't comprehend why he had rejected our bond with such hatred in his eyes. Raven was in agony, her cries echoing in my head, as the bond between us weakened with each passing moment. Until it was about to end.

Despite the rejection, there was an undeniable connection between us, a bond ordained by the Moon goddess herself. The confusion and despair that had consumed me moments ago now mingled with a deep sense of loss.

Why did fate brought me to this point, where the man who was supposed to be my mate despised me?