REJECTED BY MY MATE, CLAIMED BY HIS ALPHA FATHER

From the edge of the cliff, Maya Hart stared at the waves glowing under the moon as they crash against dark rocks.

Most students loved coming here but tonight, Maya could hardly breathe.

This was it. The Annual Mate Ceremony. The most important night in every female young wolf's life. The night the Moon Goddess revealed who their mate was.

Behind her, thousands of students walked to the arena.

The huge stone arena curved around a silver platform covered in glowing symbols. Torches burned along the walls while moonstones lit the area with a soft silver light.

Everyone looked excited. Everyone except Maya.

"You're doing that thing again."

Maya jumped and turned around.

Ethan Vale stood beside her holding two cups of hot chocolate. His dark hair was messy as always and his uniform tie hung loosely around his neck. He looked completely calm.

Maya wished she felt that way "What thing?" she asked.

"The worrying thing." He handed her one of the cups. “You’ve looked terrified all week.”

Maya let out a small laugh. Ethan always knew how to make her smile. “Maybe I am terrified.”

For a moment they stood quietly together.

The wind tugged at Maya's dark hair. Far below, waves crashed against stone.

Ethan glanced at her. "This is about Lucas, isn’t it."

Maya immediately looked away.

Of course it was. In her heart, everything was always about Lucas Blackwood.

For three full years she'd loved him, stolen glances and acted unbothered.

It was embarrassing. Lucas Blackwood barely knew she existed.

He was the future Alpha King, captain of the combat team and the most popular student at Mooncrest Academy.

Girls followed him everywhere, teachers praised him and students admired him.

Maya? She was nobody. Just an ordinary quiet girl raised by her grandmother.

"You should tell him," Ethan said.

Maya almost choked on her drink. "Tell him what?"

"That you've been in love with him forever."

"No, I am not in love with him"

“You stare at him all the time.”

“I do not.”

"You absolutely do."

Maya groaned and Ethan laughed.

A horn sounded across the academy. The ceremony was starting. Students began entering the arena.

Ethan offered his arm dramatically. "After you."

Maya laughed as they joined the crowd together.

****

The Moon Altar looked beautiful.

Thousands of silver candles surrounded the platform and ancient symbols glowed on the stone floor. Above them, the full moon hung brightly in the sky.

Maya sat near the back, exactly where she liked to be, far away from attention, judgment…and Lucas Blackwood.

Unfortunately, Lucas was impossible to ignore. He stood near the front with the other royal students.

Maya hated how quickly her eyes found him.

Lucas laughed at something his friend said and the sound carried across the crowd.

The Headmistress stepped onto the platform and everyone immediately fell silent.

"Tonight," she announced, "the Moon Goddess will reveal the mate fate has chosen for some of you."

Excited whispers spread through the crowd

Maya's stomach twisted as the ritual began.

The students stepped forward one at a time. Some found their mates. Others did not. Cheers filled the air whenever a match was revealed.

The mood grew lighter with each passing minute.

Maya relaxed slowly. Maybe Ethan was right and there was nothing to worry about.

"Maya Hart." Her name echoed through the arena.

She froze. She was not sure she did not imagine it.

Ethan nudged her slightly. "That's you."

Her heart started racing as she stood.

Eyes followed her as she walked between rows of students and heat rushed into her face. She hated being the center of attention.

When she finally reached the altar, she forced herself to breathe.

The Headmistress smiled kindly. "Place your hand on the stone."

Maya nodded and put her hand down. The altar felt cold.

Nothing happened at first, then suddenly she felt a sharp burning feeling spread through her wrist and she gasped.

Silver light appeared beneath her skin and the crescent moon mate mark slowly formed.

The Moon Goddess had chosen one of the students as mate for her. Excited whispers spread through the arena.

Her body shook as she stared at the mark on her wrist. This was real. She was given a mate.

Then someone shouted. "Look!"

Across the platform, another wrist was glowing.

Maya looked up and everything stopped.

Lucas Blackwood stood frozen. The exact same mark shone on his wrist.

Silence filled the arena. Maya's heart pounded. Lucas. Lucas was her mate…her mate. It was no longer a daydream.

Gasps spread through the crowd. Students immediately pulled out their phones and began recording.

The future Alpha King's mate had been revealed. And somehow…somehow, it was Maya Hart.

For one perfect second, pure happiness filled her chest and tears filled her eyes because she was happy.

Lucas's expression changed. The warmth disappeared from his face and confusion appeared. His jaw tightened as he stared at the mark on his wrist.

Everyone watched and waited.

Lucas took a step forward. The moonlight lit his face but his expression was hard and unreadable. "Maya Hart."

Her heart skipped.

Lucas looked straight into her eyes and spoke the words that destroyed her life. "I reject Maya Hart as my mate."

The words echoed through the arena.

Maya stopped breathing.

The crowd exploded with noise, gasps, shouts and shock.

Maya couldn't move; humiliation flooded through her. Tears blurred her vision and the faces around her became a blur.

She turned around and ran.

Tears were streaming down her face by the time she reached the courtyard.

"Maya!" Ethan's voice called after her.

She kept running until she was near the dormitories.

Maya quickly wiped her tears as footsteps approached and Ethan appeared a moment later, breathing heavily. "Maya…"

"I'm fine," she said but it didn’t sound true at all.

Ethan looked at her. "No, you're not."

She looked away because if she looked at him, the crying might start again.

Time slipped by in silence. Then Ethan quietly took off his jacket and handed it to her.

Her hands shook as she reached for it. "I don't understand," she whispered.

Ethan didn't answer because there was no answer.

The future king publicly rejected the girl the Moon Goddess chose for him.

The whole kingdom would have known by morning.

Maya's phone buzzed again and again. Slowly she looked at her phone. A video of the rejection had already been posted online and it already had thousands of views.