Chapter 1 – The Blood Moon Rejection

The Blood Moon hung high above the Nightfang Pack grounds, its crimson glow bathing everything in an ominous, fiery light. Wolves howled in celebration, the festival drums echoing through the cold night air. Tonight was supposed to mark my ascension as Luna, Alpha Killian’s mate, and the future queen of this pack.

But instead, it became the night that shattered me.

I stood at the center of the pack’s ceremonial grounds, my hands trembling as I clutched the cloak my mother had draped over my shoulders earlier. My heart pounded wildly—not from excitement, but from fear. Killian’s piercing silver eyes had been cold all evening, distant in a way that made my stomach churn.

The Elders gathered around the sacred bonfire, chanting the age-old mating blessing. Pack members whispered and smiled, already celebrating the official union between the ruthless Alpha and his supposedly weak, human-born mate—me.

Killian stepped forward, his towering frame exuding dominance that silenced every murmur. His dark hair glimmered under the moonlight, his chiseled jaw set tight. He was every bit the powerful Alpha everyone revered—and feared. And for a fleeting moment, I hoped the hardness in his expression would melt, that he’d reach for me like he used to in private.

But then, his voice cut through the night like a blade.

“I, Alpha Killian Nightfang…” He paused, his gaze locking on mine with a cold intensity that froze me where I stood. “…reject you, Aria Rosewood, as my mate and future Luna of this pack.”

Gasps erupted around us. My knees buckled. The words echoed in my skull, louder than the flames crackling in the bonfire.

Reject.

He rejected me.

Killian’s face didn’t flinch, his tone calm and authoritative, as if he hadn’t just crushed me in front of hundreds. “You are too weak,” he continued, his voice booming, commanding. “A Luna must be strong, unbreakable, a leader who can stand beside me. You… are not that woman.”

Pain tore through my chest, sharp and unforgiving. My wolf whimpered in my mind, howling in despair at the severed bond. My heart felt like it had been ripped out, stomped on, and tossed into the flames.

“I gave you my heart,” I whispered, my voice trembling as tears blurred my vision. “And you throw me away like I’m nothing?”

His jaw tightened, but he didn’t speak. Not a word. Not a flicker of regret in those silver eyes.

The Elders shifted uncomfortably. Murmurs of disapproval rippled through the pack, but no one dared challenge their Alpha.

Humiliation burned my skin. My dreams, my love, my future—it was all crumbling beneath my feet. I felt like I couldn’t breathe.

With trembling hands, I tore off the ceremonial cloak and threw it to the ground. My voice cracked but rose loud enough for everyone to hear:

“You’ll regret this, Killian Nightfang. I swear you’ll regret breaking me tonight.”

Before anyone could stop me, I ran. Through the crowd, past the shocked faces of wolves who would forever remember this night as the Blood Moon Rejection.

I didn’t stop running until the howls faded behind me. Branches clawed at my skin as I darted through the forest, tears streaming down my cheeks. My chest ached with rejection pain, each heartbeat like a dagger.

I finally collapsed beside the riverbank miles away, sobbing uncontrollably. My mind replayed every moment—Killian holding me close under starlit skies, whispering promises of forever… lies that had turned to ash.

Hours passed. I sat there numb, broken, staring at the reflection of the blood moon on the water.

And then, nausea hit me like a wave.

I staggered to my feet, clutching my stomach. The thought crashed over me with terrifying certainty.

I was late. My wolf’s instincts screamed what my mind refused to believe.

I was carrying Alpha Killian’s pup.

From that night on, I became a ghost. I left Nightfang lands, traveling in secrecy, hiding from hunters and rogues, surviving on scraps. The rejection pain lingered like a curse, yet I refused to die—not when a tiny life grew inside me.

Every night, I swore to myself: I’ll raise this pup far away from him. He’ll never know. He doesn’t deserve us.

But destiny has a cruel sense of humor.

Because no matter how far I ran, fate had already decided… this wasn’t the end of our story. It was only the beginning.

The forest was silent except for the sound of my uneven breaths and the distant howls of wolves celebrating a union that never happened. I wiped my tears with shaky hands, forcing myself to stand. My body trembled from exhaustion, but something far deeper than physical weakness clawed at my soul.

“This isn’t how my story ends,” I whispered to myself, clutching my stomach protectively.

I had no plan, no money, and no home beyond Nightfang territory. But I had determination—and now, I wasn’t just fighting for myself. There was a life inside me, a tiny heartbeat that deserved more than rejection and cruelty.

I pulled my hood over my head and stumbled through the woods, heading toward the borderlands where the rogue wolves roamed. It was dangerous, but anything was better than crawling back to a pack that saw me as worthless.

The journey was brutal. For days, I trekked through unforgiving terrain, sleeping in caves, surviving on berries and small game. Each night, nightmares of Killian’s cold silver eyes haunted me, yet every morning, I woke up more determined.

Weeks passed. My belly began to swell ever so slightly, a silent reminder of the bond Killian had tried to sever but could never truly break. My wolf, though weak from the rejection, whispered encouragement in my mind.

One evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon and painted the sky crimson, I found refuge in an abandoned cabin deep in the wilderness. Its wooden walls were weathered, but it had a roof, a hearth, and safety from predators. For the first time since that fateful Blood Moon night, I felt a sliver of hope.

I made that cabin my sanctuary. Days turned into months as I learned to survive alone. I hunted, gathered herbs, and stitched together crude clothing. At night, I would talk softly to my growing child, promising them a life far away from Nightfang cruelty.

But no matter how much I tried to erase Killian from my thoughts, his presence lingered like a shadow.

Sometimes, I’d wake in the middle of the night, clutching my chest from phantom pain, knowing he felt it too—the rejected bond tugging at him from afar.

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On the night of the first snowfall, as I sat by the fire rubbing my swollen belly, my wolf stirred urgently.

Something’s coming, she whispered in my mind, her voice shaky.

Before I could react, a distant howl echoed through the forest—not a wild rogue, but a pack wolf. My heart raced. They’d never searched for me before. Why now?

I blew out the candle and crouched low, my senses sharp. The crunch of snow under heavy boots grew louder, closer. A familiar scent drifted in with the icy wind—pine, musk, and dominance.

Killian.

I froze, my breath hitching. Panic and something far more dangerous—longing—collided within me.

Why was he here? Had he come to finish breaking me? To take what was left of my shattered soul?

My hand instinctively covered my belly. No. I couldn’t let him find out. I wouldn’t let him destroy the only good thing that had come from our bond.

I slipped out the back of the cabin, my bare feet crunching in the snow, and ran into the darkness, heart pounding. The icy air burned my lungs, but I didn’t stop.

Not when I could still feel his aura closing in like a predator hunting prey.

But destiny has a cruel sense of humor.

No matter how far I ran that night, I knew it deep in my bones… this wasn’t the end of our story.

It was only the beginning.