Chapter 3: I Reject Your Rejection

Zoriana jerked awake. Her entire body was aching, but the steady beep-beep of the monitor told her she was still alive. Gamma Scott was sitting next to her bed, his face lighting up with a mixture of relief and exhaustion the moment she opened her eyes.

"Luna, you scared the wits out of us," he muttered, quickly passing her a glass of water.

She took it with trembling hands, her voice coming out as a dry rasp. "What happened?"

"You didn't shift, and the rogues were clawing you apart. If I had arrived even a few minutes later..." He trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.

Scott had always been more than a Gamma to her; he was a loyal friend who finally stood like a knight in shining armour when it mattered most. Zoriana offered a faint, genuine smile and squeezed his hand.

"Thank you for saving me, Scott. I don't know what I would do without you having my back."

A possessive, low growl and a sharp spike of Alpha aura shattered the moment.

"Scott. Out," Ryder roared from the doorway.

Scott didn't move immediately. He looked at Zoriana first, searching for her approval. The silent defiance made Ryder’s eyes darken with fury.

"I'll be fine," Zoriana whispered, nodding to Scott. He bowed to her with more respect than he showed his own Alpha and exited the room.

The door had barely clicked shut before Ryder snapped. "What was that? Getting lovely-dovely with a Gamma now?"

"He saved my life while you were playing hero for your little dove," Zoriana replied, her voice laced with ice. "Your Luna almost died, Ryder."

"Don't say nonsense. Milana is a weak Omega, and you are the best female warrior on the entire continent. You could have shifted and taken them down easily, but you decided to play dirty. You played the victim just to see if I’d protect you over her and get Milana injured...or even dead. You should be ashamed."

The blood drained from Zoriana’s face. She couldn't believe her own mate was capable of such a twisted accusation. "Ryder, you’ve known me since birth. Do you really think I’m capable of stepping that low? My tea was laced with wolfsbane. I couldn't shift."

He actually chuckled—a dry, mocking sound. "Your imagination is getting wild. Now it’s poisoning? I know you’re blind with jealousy, but this is overboard. Milana is traumatised and blaming herself for the incident. Just apologise to her for your attitude, and I’ll let your lies slide this time."

His words felt like physical slaps, shredding her dignity and incinerating the last traces of love she held for him. Within her, Kalina was pacing furiously, her wolf howling with a primal rage. Zoriana inhaled deeply, gathering her courage.

"I, Zoriana Roux, Luna of the Silver Moonlight Pack, reject you, Ryder Armstrong, as my mate and Alpha."

Ryder’s face went dark, his body shaking with a terrifying rage.

"I reject your rejection," he hissed. He lunged forward, grabbing her jaw roughly to force her to look at him. "You are mine. You will always be mine."

He crushed his mouth against hers. It wasn't a kiss of passion; it was a brutal declaration of ownership, hungry and dominant. His hands roamed over her body possessively, ignoring the way she tried to push him off. His mouth moved to her neck, biting and marking her as if she were a property he was re-staking.

"Stop," she groaned, but he ignored her, convinced she was just playing hard to get to fuel his desire.

Suddenly, Zoriana went completely still. The lack of fight in her seemed to catch him off guard, and he released his grip.

"Ryder, how did we reach this?" she pleaded, her voice hollow. "If you don't love me, just let me go."

"You are an excellent Luna and a sensible partner," he said coldly. No words of care, no mention of his heart—pure business. "The pack needs you."

"What if I want to leave?" she challenged.

He let out a short, arrogant laugh. "You can't. You have nowhere to go, and you wouldn't leave the pack you put your soul into. Besides, you don't have the guts to leave me. A pampered princess can't just go rogue. Unless you want to run to your daddy’s protection again."

He stormed out, leaving her in the ringing silence of the hospital room. With shaky hands, Zoriana dialled her father’s number.

"Hello, princess," Alpha Clayton answered. "I’m sorry I couldn't attend the birthday banquet. How did it go?"

"Dad... Ryder found his fated mate. A rogue Omega. He brought her into our home."

"Oh, dear, don't worry," her father said, his voice maddeningly dismissive. "He knows how valuable you are. You’re the heir to the Black Rose Pack. He’ll grow tired of his little adventure and come back to you. Just wait it out."

Zoriana realised she was listening to a master of betrayal; her father had broken her mother’s heart a hundred times with his own mistresses.

"Dad, I want to divorce Ryder."

"Okay, divorce him. Come home and I’ll find you a better match. Ryder isn't that bright anyway."

"I don't want another match, Dad. I want to be the next Alpha of the Black Rose. Not my husband. Me."

The line went silent for several long, agonising seconds. When Alpha Clayton spoke again, his voice was like ice. "That is not going to happen. A she-wolf Alpha? No. Either divorce and remarry, or endure your current husband. Even if he has a fated mate, you are still Luna. Enjoy your reign."

Zoriana ended the call, her heart slamming against her ribs. Her own father had refused her. But the betrayal didn't break her; it hardened her. She narrowed her eyes and began typing on her phone, filing a formal Dissolution of Mating and Division of Assets through the Council’s emergency portal.

An hour later, needing to escape the sterile hospital walls, she slipped out for air. She took a route through the guest quarters to avoid the prying eyes of the pack members.

The silence of the hallway was broken by a sound that made her blood run cold. A low, guttural growl—unmistakable Ryder’s voice—and a high, breathless whimper. Zoriana should have left, but her feet moved on their own toward the partially open door of the VIP guest suite.

Through the gap, the smell hit her first—the ocean and citrus of his skin drowned out by the suffocating scent of jasmine. Then she saw them. The sight hit her like a physical blow to her heart, turning her insides into a churning acid that rose in her throat.

Ryder’s shirtless back tensed, the dark ink of his tattoo rippling as he moved. He was claiming Milana with a feral intensity Zoriana had never seen. Milana was arched beneath him, her hands buried in his hair, her face a mask of triumph even in her pleasure.

There was no hesitation in his movements. He did not care about the wife who had been bleeding in the dirt only hours ago. He looked possessed.

Zoriana didn't scream, did not rush to confront them. She just stood there as the last string of her love for him snapped in her chest. The man she had built an empire for was dead. In his place was a stranger.

She backed away silently, her heart finally going cold. He had told her she had nowhere to go. He was wrong. She could go anywhere—just to be away from him and she would not just survive, but thrive.

She returned to her room and checked her phone. A notification from the Council glowed in the dark: "Petition Received. Hearing set for 24 hours."

Zoriana closed her eyes, praying for the strength to endure just one more day.