CHAPTER 2: Unchosen

“Gwen?”  

Rumi’s voice snapped me out of my daze after I froze at what I had just witnessed. 

For a second, I tried to convince myself it was nothing, desperately gaslighting my own thoughts. 

But my heart had already dropped the moment Soren and the woman kissed.  

She has blonde hair, effortlessly beautiful and polished, dressed in a stylish designer outfit, her bag resting neatly on her arm. 

Rumi looked at me. The pity on her face said everything. 

I couldn’t hold it in anymore. Tears slipped down my cheeks before I turned and walked away. 

“Gwen, wait!” she called after me. 

“Did you know about this?” I demanded, my voice rising as I kept walking. 

She hesitated, clearly struggling to find the right words. When we reached the corner, I stopped and turned to face her. 

“I need to talk to him,” I said. “Maybe it’s nothing… We have an agreement, Rumi!” Even as I said it, I could hear how desperate it sounded. But in that moment, I was willing to accept any explanation Soren could give me. 

She let out a shaky breath. “Soren and Muriel are a couple. The whole university knows. He chose her at last season’s Moon Party… They’ve already chosen each other as mates, Gwen…” 

I went completely still. 

Soren had chosen another mate three months ago, and I hadn’t known a thing. I had been walking around dreaming, praying to the Moon Goddess to bring us together, while he had already given his heart to someone else. 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” The hurt in my voice was impossible to hide. That my own best friend had kept this from me felt like a second betrayal on top of the first. 

“How could I?” she said weakly. “I didn’t want you to lose your chance to get into this academy.” 

“This morning, I told my dad that Soren is my mate!” My voice cracked. “How am I supposed to explain that I’ve been living in a delusion?” 

Rumi gasped, guilt flooding her expression. “I-I didn’t know…” 

By the moon, it hurt so much! Everything came crashing down all at once. 

My father wanted to marry me off to another pack, my best friend had kept the secret from me, and the man I believed was my destiny had already chosen someone else. 

My tears wouldn’t stop. 

“Out of everyone in the Hollow pack, you should know better than anyone how they all look down on me. Were you laughing at me, too? Did you think I was nothing but a joke?” 

That was when Rumi finally broke. 

“Every time we talk, you’re so excited, and I know how badly you want to study here because of Soren. But I didn’t want you chasing this place just because of another wolf!” Her voice wavered. “You need to study to grow stronger, intellectually and emotionally, so you can protect yourself. After everything we’ve been through, I can’t believe you’d think I look down on you!” 

She stepped away, clearly hurt by the accusation I had thrown at her. But what else was I supposed to do? 

I was still wiping my tears when Soren approached. 

“You’re here.” His voice was calm as he studied my face. “I heard Rumi call your name earlier, so I came to check if it was really you. Did you two fight?” 

I scrambled for something neutral to say. My feelings were too tangled to sort through, and the last thing I wanted was to fall apart in front of him. 

“It’s nothing,” I said. “Just a petty argument.” 

“I’ll walk you to your dormitory.” 

“I’m fine.” I wanted to be alone. My heart still ached from everything that had happened today. 

“I need to talk to you,” he insisted. 

I didn’t have the energy to argue, so I nodded.  

When we arrived, a few she-wolves turned to stare. Some openly admired Soren; he was, after all, undeniably handsome. It didn’t take long before we became the center of attention. 

“What are you doing here?” a woman in her forties asked from the entrance, her tone firm. “Male wolves are not allowed in this dormitory.” 

“I’m aware, House Matron,” Soren replied calmly. “Her sister is married to my brother; we’re practically family.” 

The woman studied me carefully, searching for any sign of lies, before finally letting us in. 

Inside the room, Soren and I were left alone. He cleared his throat before speaking. 

“Anyway, what I wanted to tell you is that I’ve already chosen a mate, but it’s nothing serious. Muriel and I have an understanding; it’s for appearances, nothing more. I’m in my third year now, and it doesn’t reflect well on me, on my standing as the Alpha’s son, to still be unclaimed. It’s a matter of reputation.” 

I understood the logic. He was twenty-one. By pack standards, the absence of a mate at his age spoke for itself. 

“But you promised me, Soren!” I couldn’t help but remind him. 

His expression darkened, irritation slipping into his voice. 

“I know, that’s exactly why I’m here, telling you this myself. The agreement still stands. We’ve already waited two years; a few more months shouldn’t change anything.” His tone carried a finality that left little room for my feelings. 

My chest tightened. 

Standing there, I realized I was looking at him as if seeing a stranger wearing his face. 

Then his tone softened, as if he had regained control of himself. “I know how much you love me, Gwen. I know you can do this. I need to maintain my position here, and choosing you right now isn’t…” 

“…good for your reputation,” I finished quietly. 

“That’s not what I mean.” He said it like a correction, not an apology. “I’m explaining this so you won’t be caught off guard. You know you belong to me, Gwen… and I know you’re hurting. I’ll make it up to you, so don’t worry.” 

He walked toward the door and left. 

The moment it closed, something inside me broke. 

I sank onto the bed and cried.