2. REJECTED FOR MY SIZE

~WILLOW

A shocked gasp escaped my lips.

I staggered back as my tremors intensified and stinging hot tears filled my eyes.

"A Luna is supposed to be the face of Blue Lake Pack," Axel said before he began to circle me slowly. "She is supposed to be someone elegant."

I felt a sharp pain pierce my heart.

"Someone gracious..." He whispered and finally stopped in front of me. "Someone beautiful."

The piercing pain intensified and I felt my wolf howl again.

Memories of my friendship with Axel— of him smiling at me, his warmth just hours ago— everything started replaying in my mind and I started to see him for what he truly was.

A hypocrite.

He was no different from the rest of the pack.

"Just say it to my face, Axel," I stated in a shaky voice.

Yet no ounce of guilt passed through his eyes. He remained cold toward me.

"Say what everyone else has always been telling me since I was young enough to understand."

"Fine." Then he came closer. "You are too fat to be my Luna. Be honest to yourself, Willow... You look like an overfed cow."

He looked me over like he pitied me.

"It's so bad that you'd scare away partnerships from other packs because they'd think all of Blue Lake Pack is as greedy as you."

My mouth dropped in disbelief.

I searched the crowd for someone... Anyone to stand against this injustice.

But no one came. They all continued to stare as whispers and snickering started to fly around.

Not even Violet, who stood quietly beside my father, came to my aid. They instead looked away, completely abandoning me to my fate.

Axel sighed as if this whole matter was beneath him. "For this reason, Willow... I am going to have to break this bond. You understand, right?"

I was at a loss for words. I could only stare at him as he went on like this matter was not that important.

"Willow Mist?" He called. "I, Axel Hale, reject you as my mate."

Instant pain erupted within my soul and I cried out as I went down on my knees.

The sound echoed through the field.

My vision blurred. I started trembling violently. My wolf cried with pain within me as we both burned.

"How pathetic of her, did she really think the future Alpha would accept her?"

"I guess fat people are very shameless. People like her don't even understand their place."

"A pig like her actually thinks she can rule us."

I remained hurting on my knees as the tears from earlier finally began to flow. Soft soundless sobs escaped me as I remained there unable to raise my face.

On the one hand, my wolf and I were burning. On the other hand, I felt too embarrassed to move. I wished the ground would open up and swallow me at this moment.

Why did the goddess decide to finally give me a mate and then rip him away from me?

Why did the world have to be so cruel to me?

Slowly, Axel's boots approached me and he squatted before me. He patted my hair gently.

"You look pathetic crying here like this, Willow. You are making me feel like I hurt you..."

I wanted to push his hand away from my head but I was too weak to react.

"How about this, for old times sake..." He trailed. "You don't have to accept the rejection. We can just go back to the way we were. You keep depending on me, you keep being useful and you can stay quietly by my side. Isn't that a better option?"

I stopped my sobs and slowly looked up at him, surprised that these words were coming from him.

"Great idea, right? I knew it," then he rose to his feet. "Now that it's settled, let me finish the main business of the day."

I watched as he walked over to Violet. A palace maid stepped forward and presented the chrysanthemums I had picked for him to Violet.

"Please, Ms Violet Mist, accept these chrysanthemums I had specially picked for you," he revealed.

And I felt my heart shatter all over again. I laughed painfully at how pathetic and delusional I had been this whole time.

He never cared about me from the start. And as much as I hated to admit it, River Hale had been right.

Friends never make each other do unhealthy things.

"Will you do me the honor of becoming my Luna?" Axel asked as he took my sister's hands.

Her eyes went wide. The crowd gasped and the whispers intensified.

And in this moment, I realised there was no point holding on to something that had never been mine from the start.

So before my sister could reply, my wolf fueled me to my feet as our anger ran through my veins.

"Axel!" I roared as my body continued to tremble.

He stopped and turned to look at me with raised brows. "What is it? Do you want snacks added to our arrangement?"

I gritted my teeth at his words before focusing back on what I was about to do. "I, Willow Mist, accept your rejection."

"Shit!" Axel roared as he instantly went down on one knee.

He grabbed his chest as if he was in pain before slowly raising his face to me.

His green eyes turned completely murderous.

"How dare you?"

I didn't back off. I stood my ground, glaring boldly at him.

"How dare you accept the rejection?" He roared as if he had finally snapped. "Do you have any idea what you've done?"

I didn't care. Not about the consequences or my fate.

"May you have a good life with my sister."

With that, I turned and began to run.

"Willow!" Axel roared but I didn't stop running.

I burst out of the field as my heart hammered heavily with every breath. My vision blurred as fresh tears filled my eyes

But I kept going.

I just wanted to get as far away from Axel and the world as possible.

I just wanted to be alone to cry my eyes out in peace.

I wanted to disappear completely.

And perhaps the goddess heard this plea.

Because in a split second, I stepped on loose surface. The ground gave way beneath me, revealing a pit of spiky spears used as traps for intruders.

I screamed as I began to fall.

Perhaps, this was for the best.

I would never be a burden to anyone ever again.

But even that was snatched from me—

For warm hands suddenly wrapped around my body and pulled me back up with an unimaginable force.

I landed on firm ground once again and looked up at my savior.

That was when I froze.

Because River Hale stared back at me.