Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

Mate.

The word kept repeating in my head like a cruel joke.

“You knew for two whole years,” I said quietly, my voice shaking. “Two years, Rhunar… and you never told me.”

We stood in my bedroom—just the two of us. The air between us felt heavy, suffocating. Rhunar kept his back to me, eyes locked on the window like the sky outside could explain everything. He couldn’t even look at me.

I had just turned eighteen, hoping the mate bond would bring something magical—something more. Instead, I got this: silence, avoidance, rejection.

Rhunar had known all along. He turned eighteen two years ago. He’d sensed it then... that I was his mate. But he kept it to himself.

“Do you even understand what this means to me?” My voice cracked as I took a step closer. “Knowing you're my mate... my forever?”

He finally turned to face me. Slowly, like it hurt him. His eyes didn’t shine like they used to. They looked cold.

“No, Agatha,” he said softly, almost like he was comforting a child. “We can’t. We can’t be lovers. Or mates. Or anything beyond what we already are.”

I blinked, trying to understand. “But... we’re meant to be. We were chosen. This bond—it’s not something you just throw away.”

He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck like he was tired of the conversation. “I like what we have. I like being friends. But that’s all I can give you. I have... responsibilities.”

There it was. Not him too.

I swallowed the lump rising in my throat. “So... I’m good enough to be your best friend. But not your mate?” My voice barely rose above a whisper. “Say it, Rhunar. Say the real reason.”

He looked away again. Coward.

“I love Lya,” he said at last. “She’s Beta blood. She’ll make a strong Luna. With her by my side, I’ll be the Alpha my pack deserves.”

That wasn’t it. Not the real reason. Not the one that burned behind his careful words.

My chest tightened. “But I love you,” I said, my voice breaking. “Not just as a friend—I love you. You know that. And you know we’re mates. You can feel it. You’re just choosing to ignore it.”

A silence fell between us. Cold and cruel.

Then he looked at me. Really looked at me. And his next words stabbed like daggers.

“You’re a weak omega, Agatha.”

The air vanished from my lungs.

“If I accept you,” he continued, “I’ll lose everything. My title. The respect of the pack. I’d be seen as a weak Alpha with a weak mate. I can’t afford that.”

Tears stung my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. Not in front of him. Not after this.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “But I have to say it.”

He stepped back. The final blow came sharp and cruel.

“I, Rhunar Vale, reject you, Agatha Morrow, as my mate.”

The room spun. My knees almost buckled. His words felt like a blade shoved straight through my chest.

And just like that... the bond I’d waited for all my life shattered into dust.

……

For the past week, I’d buried myself in silence.

I stopped answering his calls. Ignored his texts. My days blurred into a routine of pack college classes and crying under the covers like I was five years old again. Food lost its taste. Laughter felt like a memory.

I only left my room when I had to. And even then, I moved like a ghost through the halls of our house—present but not alive.

“Agatha,” my mom called gently from downstairs. “Rhunar is here.”

My stomach twisted. Not again.

I sat up in bed, blanket tangled around my legs. “Tell him to go away! I don’t want to see his ugly face!” I shouted back.

A voice answered instead—too close.

“Ouch,” he said, dramatic and smug. “That hurt my poor little heart.”

I snapped my head toward the door. Of course. He was already in my room.

I really needed to tell Mom to stop letting him stroll in like he still had access to my life.

“Get out, Rhunar,” I muttered, dragging the blanket over my head. “I don’t want to talk to anyone. Especially not you.”

“It’s been a week, Agatha,” he said, his voice softer now. “Seven days without my best friend. Do you even know how that feels?”

I threw the blanket off and looked at him angrily. “Do you even know how it feels when someone bestfriend says you’re not good enough?”

He twitched a little—I noticed it.

“I’m sorry,” he said softly, taking a step toward me.

“I sent you texts. I’ve been trying to—”

“You said I was weak,” I snapped, voice sharp and raw. “You said being with me would ruin you.”

He didn’t argue. Just lowered himself onto one knee in front of my bed, eyes wide and soft. Those stupid ocean-blue eyes that always made me forget how angry I was.

“Please,” he said. “I messed up. I know I did. But you’re still my best friend, Agatha. I don’t want to lose that. Can we just… go see a movie? Like old times?”

He held up two crumpled tickets like they were peace offerings.

I hesitated, biting the inside of my cheek. “Why?”

“Because you’re my movie buddy,” he said with a small smile. “And because I miss you. And I want to fix things, even if I can’t take everything back.”

I stared at him, heart aching. He still didn’t get it. Or maybe he did and just didn’t care the way I needed him to.

He wanted to pretend nothing had changed. But everything had.

Still… I wanted to see him smile again. Even if it hurt.

“Fine,” I mumbled. “Let me change into something nice.”

“Okay, I’ll wait for you downstairs,” Rhunar said.

He turned and left the room, but I couldn’t stop looking at him—his messy brown hair shining in the light, the way he walked like he was in charge of everything. Everything about him made my heart ache and beat faster all at once. The reason for my happiness is always going to be Rhunar Vale.

I should stay away. I knew that.

The closer I got, the deeper I fell. And the deeper I fell, the harder it hurt.

But my heart didn’t care. It still whispered maybe.

Maybe if I just showed him how much I truly loved him…

Maybe if I proved I could be more than just a friend…

Maybe then, he’d finally see me as his Luna.

I slipped into my soft purple gown—the one that hugged my waist just enough to feel confident—and ran a brush through my curls. A touch of mascara, some pink gloss, and a small prayer that he’d look at me differently tonight.

When I walked downstairs, his gaze swept over me.

“Wow,” he said, eyebrows raised. “New clothing style, I see.”

Thank the heavens. He noticed.

“Okay, let’s go,” I said, smiling as sweetly as I could. “Mom, I’m heading out with Rhunar!”

“Alright, dear. Don’t come home too late,” Mom called from the kitchen.

We got into his car. The quiet between us felt almost normal. For a moment, it was like the old days.

Then he turned the key and said casually, “Oh, Agatha—I forgot to say. Lya’s coming too.”

My heart stopped.

“What?”