FATED TO MY REJECTED MATE

Preparation For The Mating Ball Arielle's POVThe cold stone floor bit into my knees, but I dared not move. I was nothing here—a stain on their territory, a disgrace before their eyes.“You cannot bring her into the pack’s territory. You're defiling our territory!” Elder Zion yelled, his hands clenched as he hit the majestic table before him and the other elders. “Elder Orion, you know better. She is the daughter of a rogue. She can't stay with us as equals!” Elder Rufus added, his eyes darted towards me, the rest of the council of elders and the Alpha that sat quietly on his throne witnessing the chaos before him. I sat on my knees, my knee cap kissing the cold stone floor. My clothes were tattered and I could feel the cool evening air caressing my skin as I shivered within the piece of rag I had worn. “She is just a child. What danger could she possibly cause?” Elder Orion said. I knew I didn't belong here, I knew I wouldn't fit in. My parents were banished from their pack and

Locked In The Dungeon Arielle's POV The grip on my arms loosened as I was thrown into the dungeon, my face hitting the cold stone floor that seemed to reek of rust, decay, and the sweet, primal aroma of werewolf sweat. I could hear the sound of the iron bars locking behind me. I laid there for a moment breathing in and out, taking in everything that had just happened. Why did I have to be there at that exact moment? Why did I have to drop the tray of drinks? This was so unfair, I lifted myself up with my arms crawling towards the end of the dungeon, my back resting on the cold stone walls. What had just happened inside the ballroom earlier? I could still remember the unfamiliar sensation that filled my body and the way each strand of hair on my skin stood as if I was struck by lighting. I still remember the dramatic shift in Adrian's eyes but what I didn't expect was his sudden reaction. He was usually cold and indifferent to everyone but never aggressive. Did he really have me th

Arielle's Dilemma Arielle's POV Three days later Is it true? Are the rumors true?Few days ago I was locked in the dungeon, the cold stone walls and rats were my only companion but now I'm expected to take over a prestigious position, a position I would never dream of ascertaining. I couldn't understand why the sudden change of plans but I was happy it changed although it left unsettling feelings in me.My waist felt heavy because of the loads of royal paraphernalia I was draped in. I stood in front of a mirror, my hand tracing the diamond necklace that sat on my neck. I was shining as the light that peeped through the window reflected on my silver gown. I still couldn't believe this was happening, I couldn't believe that I was going to marry the Alpha of our pack and become the Luna. What would the people think? They hate me and think I'm a spy. This could definitely be Elder Orion's influence, right? Speaking of elder Orion, where is he? Ever since I was released I've not seen

Adrian's POVThe hall was very quiet.Not the comfortable kind of quiet — not the quiet of a room between conversations, or the quiet of wolves at rest. This was the quiet of held breath and averted eyes, the quiet that fills a room when something has gone irreversibly wrong, and everyone present is waiting to see who will be the first to name it.I stared at the wooden stretcher.At the shape beneath the cloth. At the blood that had dried dark along its edges, and at the hands visible at the bottom — small hands, the knuckles scraped raw, the nails broken.Something cold moved through me. Something that started in my chest and traveled outward, slowly, like frost spreading across a window.Arielle.The name sat in my mouth like a stone. I could not say it. Could not push it past my teeth and into the air of this hall where Beta Lucian was smiling with his face arranged into an expression of grieving concern, where Elder Zion was shaking his head in the performance of a man receiving

Adrian's POVThe trackers returned before the moon rose.I was in my study when Kael, my lead tracker, knocked twice and waited. I had not slept. I had sat at my desk with a glass of untouched wine and worked methodically through everything I knew about the events of the last twelve hours, arranging them and rearranging them the way you work a knot — gently, with attention, without force, waiting for the place where it would loosen."Come in."Kael entered. He was a lean man, older than me, with the particular quietness of wolves who spent more time in the forest than in company. He carried his hat in both hands."Report," I said.He set his hat on the edge of the desk and spread a rough sketch on the surface — a map of the road between the pack and the estate, with markings at several points."Ambush point here," he said, indicating a narrow stretch where the road curved through dense forest. "Smart location. Road curves twice within fifty yards, so the carriage would have slowed. Mu