Chapter 3: Rejected Before I Can Speak

The sun isn't even up yet when someone pounds on my door.

"Sera! Get up! Alpha Morrison wants you in his office now!"

It's one of the pack enforcers, his voice rough and impatient. I drag myself out of bed, my body still aching from yesterday. I barely slept, and when I did, the nightmares were terrible—endless loops of rejection and those cold golden eyes.

I splash water on my face from the small basin in my room, trying to make myself look presentable. It doesn't help much. My eyes are still puffy and red from crying. My skin is pale. I look exactly like what I am—a rejected mate who spent the night falling apart.

But there's no time to do better. The enforcer is still waiting outside my door, and Alpha Morrison doesn't like to be kept waiting.

I follow the enforcer through the quiet pack house. Most wolves are still sleeping, but a few early risers watch me pass with curious, judgmental eyes. By now, everyone knows what happened. Everyone has an opinion about it.

Alpha Morrison's office is on the top floor of the pack house, in the best location with the best view. I've only been here a handful of times, always to be lectured or punished for something my father did.

The enforcer knocks twice and opens the door without waiting for a response. "The Blackwood girl, Alpha."

"Send her in."

I step inside, and the enforcer closes the door behind me, leaving me alone with Alpha Morrison.

He's sitting behind his massive desk, looking every bit the powerful Alpha he is. He's in his fifties, with gray streaking through his dark hair, and he has the kind of presence that makes you want to submit and look away. I've always been terrified of him.

But he's not alone.

There are three other people in the room. I recognize them immediately even though I've never been this close to them before. They're from the Thornridge Pack—I can tell by the silver wolf emblems on their jackets.

An elderly man with kind eyes sits in one of the chairs facing Alpha Morrison's desk. Next to him is a middle-aged woman with sharp features and an even sharper gaze. And standing by the window, arms crossed, is a younger man who looks like he'd rather be anywhere else.

None of them are Kade, and I don't know if I'm relieved or disappointed.

"Sit," Alpha Morrison commands, gesturing to an empty chair.

I sit quickly, keeping my eyes down, trying to make myself as small as possible. My wolf is anxious, pressing close to the surface, ready to flee if needed.

"Do you know who these people are?" Alpha Morrison asks.

"Thornridge Pack," I say quietly. "But I don't know their names."

The elderly man speaks, his voice much gentler than I expected. "I am Elder Thorne, head of the Thornridge Council. This is Beta Catherine, and that is Marcus, one of our senior warriors."

I nod, not sure what to say. Why are they here? Why do they want to talk about me?

Alpha Morrison leans forward, his hands folded on his desk. "Sera, the Thornridge Pack has come to us with a... situation. Regarding you and Alpha Kade."

My stomach drops. "I understand if Alpha Kade wants me to stay away from his territory. I'll never—"

"That's not why we're here," Elder Thorne interrupts gently. "Actually, it's quite the opposite."

I look up at him, confused. "What do you mean?"

Beta Catherine speaks next, her voice crisp and businesslike. "Alpha Kade attempted to reject the mate bond last night. However, a formal rejection requires more than just words spoken in anger. It requires ceremony, witnesses, and blood magic to properly sever a fated mate bond."

"I don't understand," I say, looking between them. "He rejected me. Everyone heard him."

"He stated his rejection," Elder Thorne explains. "But he didn't complete the ritual. Which means, according to ancient pack law, the mate bond still exists. Damaged, yes. Painful, certainly. But not severed."

The ache in my chest suddenly makes more sense. The bond is still there, broken and hurting, but not gone.

"We can fix that," I say quickly. "I'll agree to the ritual. I'll do whatever needs to be done to—"

"That's the problem," Marcus speaks up from his position by the window. His voice is rough, annoyed. "Alpha Kade can't perform the rejection ritual yet. Not according to pack law."

Alpha Morrison takes over the explanation. "When a mate bond is recognized by multiple witnesses from multiple packs—as yours was at the Harvest Moon gathering—ancient laws take effect. Laws that haven't been invoked in decades, but are still legally binding."

"What laws?" I ask, my anxiety growing with every word.

Elder Thorne pulls out an old leather-bound book from his bag. He opens it to a marked page and reads aloud: "When a fated mate bond is publicly acknowledged before representatives of three or more packs, the bond must be given a trial period of no less than three moon cycles. During this time, the mated pair must cohabitate and make a genuine effort to honor the bond. Only after this trial period can a formal rejection be performed, if both parties still desire it."

Three moon cycles. Three months.

"No," I say immediately. "No, that's not fair. Alpha Kade doesn't want me. I don't want to force him—"

"The law doesn't care about wants," Beta Catherine says bluntly. "It cares about preserving fated mate bonds. They're rare enough that our ancestors felt they should be protected, given every chance to succeed."

"But this is different," I protest, my voice getting desperate. "I look like his dead mate. Every time he sees me, it hurts him. How is forcing us together helping anyone?"

"The law makes no exceptions," Elder Thorne says, though his eyes are sympathetic. "Believe me, we've spent the entire night researching, trying to find a loophole. There isn't one."

Alpha Morrison speaks again. "The Thornridge Pack has formally requested that you be transferred to their pack house for the required three-month trial period."

The room spins. "What?"

"You'll live in the Thornridge Pack house," Beta Catherine explains. "You'll go through the motions of being Alpha Kade's mate—attending pack functions, taking on Luna duties, giving the bond a chance to develop naturally."

"And if it doesn't work?" I ask, though I already know the answer.

"Then after three months, Alpha Kade can perform the full rejection ritual," Elder Thorne says. "The bond will be properly severed, and you can both move on with your lives."

Three months of living with a man who hates me. Three months of pretending to be his mate while he wishes I was someone else. Three months of constant rejection and pain.

"I can't," I whisper. "Please, there has to be another way."

"There isn't," Alpha Morrison says firmly. "And frankly, Sera, you don't have a choice. This law is binding. If you refuse, both packs will be in violation of ancient treaty. The consequences would be severe."

"What Alpha Morrison means," Elder Thorne says more gently, "is that this situation is bigger than personal feelings. If we ignore these laws, other packs could challenge our authority, question our leadership. We'd be setting a dangerous precedent."

I look at the elder, seeing the apology in his eyes. He doesn't want this either. None of them do. But they're trapped by laws that are older than any of us.

"What about Alpha Kade?" I ask. "Does he know about this?"

Marcus snorts. "Oh, he knows. He's been raging about it all night. Threw three chairs through a window. But even he can't defy pack law."

"He's agreed to honor the law," Beta Catherine adds. "But he's made his feelings very clear. This is a formality to him. Three months, and then you're gone."

The words hurt, but they're not surprising. At least he's being honest about it.

"When do I have to go?" I ask quietly.

"Today," Alpha Morrison says. "Pack your things. The Thornridge representatives will escort you back with them this morning."

Today. I have hours, not days, to say goodbye to the only life I've ever known.

"Can I at least say goodbye to my father?" I ask, though I'm not sure why I care. He's never been much of a father to me.

Alpha Morrison's expression hardens. "Your father is being dealt with separately. He's caused enough embarrassment to this pack. You'll leave without speaking to him."

So that's it. I'm being shipped off like unwanted cargo, and I don't even get to say goodbye to anyone.

Elder Thorne stands, and the other Thornridge wolves follow his lead. "We'll give you two hours to pack. We'll meet you at the front entrance."

They file out of the room, leaving me alone with Alpha Morrison.

He studies me for a long moment, his expression unreadable. "Sera, I know you think this is a punishment. But in three months, you'll be free of this bond. Free to start over somewhere else, if you want. This pack has never treated you well because of your father's crimes. Maybe this is your chance to build a different life."

"In three months, I'll be a rejected mate," I say bitterly. "No pack will want me. I'll be even more of an outcast than I already am."

"Perhaps," he concedes. "Or perhaps Alpha Kade will surprise everyone and accept the bond."

I laugh, but there's no humor in it. "He looked at me like I was garbage. Like I was the worst thing that ever happened to him. There's no coming back from that."

Alpha Morrison doesn't argue. He just waves his hand dismissively. "Two hours. Don't be late."

I leave his office in a daze, my mind spinning with everything that just happened. Three months. I have to survive three months living with Alpha Kade, pretending to be his mate, all while knowing he's counting down the days until he can officially reject me.

As I walk back to my room to pack, I pass Maya in the hallway. She takes one look at my face and pulls me into a hug.

"They're making you go, aren't they?" she whispers.

I nod against her shoulder, not trusting my voice.

"I'm so sorry, Sera. This isn't fair."

"Nothing ever is," I say, pulling back and wiping my eyes. "I have to pack. I'm leaving in two hours."

"I'll help you," Maya says immediately.

We walk to my room together, and she helps me gather my few belongings. I don't have much—some clothes, a few books, a photo of my mother that's the only thing I have left of her. Everything fits into one small bag.

"Maybe it won't be as bad as you think," Maya says, trying to sound hopeful. "Maybe Alpha Kade will calm down and give you a real chance."

"Or maybe it'll be three months of torture," I counter. "Three months of him wishing I was someone else. Someone better. Someone who doesn't remind him of everything he lost."

Maya doesn't have an answer for that.

When my bag is packed, we sit on my bed, and Maya holds my hand. "Promise me you'll call if you need anything. Or if it gets too bad. Promise me you won't just suffer in silence."

"I promise," I lie. We both know I won't call. I never ask for help. I've learned it's better to handle things alone.

Too soon, it's time to go. Maya walks me to the front entrance where the Thornridge wolves are waiting. Elder Thorne looks at my single small bag with sad eyes, like he's realizing just how little I have in this world.

"Ready?" he asks gently.

No. I'll never be ready for this.

But I nod anyway. "Yes."

As we walk toward the SUV that will take me to my new prison, I look back at the pack house one last time. It was never really home, but it was familiar. Safe, in its own way.

Now I'm heading into the unknown, toward a man who hates me, for three months that will probably feel like three years.

The Moon Goddess must have a twisted sense of humor, because this feels less like a blessing and more like a curse.

I climb into the back seat of the SUV, and as we drive away from the only life I've ever known, one thought keeps running through my mind:

How am I supposed to survive three months with someone who can't even stand to look at me?