Chapter One: Absolute Humiliation

Sarah

I stood trembling with a mix of rage and shame. Half the pack was behind me, witnessing my absolute humiliation as my mate stood, ready to reject me in front of everyone.

“Sarah Hunter,” the face I had once thought so handsome, was now twisted with cruel derision. “In what world could a weird, ugly b.itch like you, be my mate, and the future Luna? Who do you think you are?”

My hands shook, and I swallowed down the vomit in the back of my throat. I wanted to scream at the unfairness of it all. For months, Jasper had pretended to love me. He had invited me into the pack house, taken me into his bed, and wooed me with empty promises.

I’ll tell my father soon, he’ll be so excited I’ve found my fated mate.

I don’t care how you look, Sarah, you are perfect to me.

As soon as I finish training, I will plan the mating ceremony.

He’d planned a ceremony alright. With the daughter of the beta, Scarlet. The beautiful red-head was standing right behind Jasper, barely concealing a small victorious smile. She wore a strapless dress so the whole world could see the fresh mark on her shoulder, still red and inflamed and barely scabbed over.

My mate had marked another woman. I had felt it the moment he had broken our bond. He hadn’t even had the decency to tell me in private. He had to do it like this, make a show of it, reject me in public.

To be rejected by your fated mate was practically worse than death. I would forever be looked upon as an unworthy she-wolf. Used and damaged goods. My family would throw me out, and I would become an outcast within the pack.

But I wasn't going to cry. Not in front of Jasper, not in front of his new, chosen mate, and not in front of the Crimson Falls pack. I lifted my head and threw back my shoulders and stared back at him defiantly. Not many wolves could look an alpha in the eye, but since we were meant to be mates, he couldn’t dominate me.

When I spoke, my words were loud and clear, carrying across the clearing to every wolf present. “You are absolutely right, Jasper Harlow. There is no world where an ordinary, self-respecting she-wolf would degrade herself to be the mate of a spoiled, weak, unfaithful a.sshole like you!”

There was a shocked gasp from the crowd, and an infuriated growl from Jasper, but I continued on, determined to finish it. “I, Sarah Hunter, of the Crimson Falls pack, reject you, Jasper Harlow, as my fated mate. May the Goddess break the bond between me and you, forever.”

I’ve always heard that rejection is brutally painful. They said that weak wolves even die from the ripping of the mate bond. But, it wasn’t really that bad. It burned in my chest like a bad case of indigestion.

Perhaps it was because Jasper had already done half the job when he f.ucked Scarlet and gave her his mark.

But Jasper was feeling it. He yowled and dropped to his knees, clutching his chest. Scarlet ran to him and grabbed his shoulders, but his enraged wolf snarled at her, and pushed her away. She stumbled back with a whimper.

He turned back to me, and I noticed with some satisfaction that the pain had wiped that mocking, arrogant gleam from his eyes. His gaze was now filled with some mix of panic, hatred, and resentment that I had spoken the rejection first.

He didn’t get to reject me. I rejected him. All he could do now was accept it.

“I, Jasper Harlow,” his voice was weak and shaky, “future alpha of the Crimson Falls pack, also reject you, Sarah Hunter. From this moment, may the Goddess break the bond– ugh!” He grunted in pain.

It was over. I burped and rubbed my chest, which felt immediately better. But Jasper was still rolling on the ground in agony. Scarlett flew at me with her claws out. “You bitch! What did you do to him?” She screeched. I ducked away from her clumsy, impulsive attack.

“I gave him exactly what he wanted,” I said flatly.

“You freak! You witch! Everyone knows it!”

I shrugged away her accusations; they were nothing new to me.

“He ruined you! He took your virginity!” Scarlet sneered. “What man is ever going to want the Alpha’s cast offs!”

“Yeah, well,” I tossed my hair over my shoulder and spit in the direction of the man who was still moaning on the ground. “You are the one picking up my cast-offs. And trust me, the sex isn’t that great.”

I turned and the crowd parted to let me pass, too shocked by the exchange to jeer at me any more. I kept my head held high, picked up the backpack of my belongings that the servants had cleared out of the pack house in advance of Jasper's planned rejection, and headed towards my home.

Once I was away from the pack house, away from the crowd, and out of sight of any onlookers, I let my shoulders droop in defeat.

I’d put on a good show, for the sake of my pride. But Scarlet was right. Jasper had just effectively ruined my life. I trudged on toward my childhood home, but I already knew my father and my stepmother would no longer let me stay under their roof. Jasper hadn’t just embarrassed me today, he’d made a laughing stock of my whole family. A family that had barely tolerated me, even before Jasper showed up.

My father was at work at the mill, he hadn’t been in the crowd, but it was only a matter of time. Pack gossip always spread at the speed of light.

At least I had a little time to pack up my things and prepare myself for the inevitable.