Chapter 1：Rejected

Corie POV:

I sat in front of the vanity mirror, unable to hide the smile tugging at my lips.

The reflection staring back at me was the most beautiful version of myself in twenty years.

The white wedding gown, off-the-shoulder with long sleeves, was simple yet breathtaking.

My best friend, Linda, was applying the final touches with her makeup brush.

I stole another glance at the door—lost count of how many times my eyes had strayed there.

Still, Kent hadn’t shown up.

"Corie, you are the most beautiful bride I've ever seen," Linda sighed, her eyes beaming.

"And you're marrying our insanely handsome Alpha. Do you have any idea how many girls in this pack are dying to be you right now?"

My smile widened, though a tiny flicker of unease danced in my chest.

"Why hasn't he shown up yet? Not even a call."

Linda smirked, nudging my shoulder. "Did you guys sneak out for a midnight quickie or something?"

I pressed my lips together, fighting off a blush.

"No."

Last night, he had pressed me into the sheets, kissing every inch of my skin while whispering I love you over and over until I lost my mind.

Heat rushed straight to my face.

Linda set the powder brush down on the dressing table with a grand, theatrical flourish.

"Done! Feast your eyes on our new Luna."

I stood up, my heavy train sweeping gracefully across the floor.

I had envisioned this moment in my dreams a thousand times, and today, fantasy was finally becoming reality.

I lifted my gown and opened the door.

A blinding sea of white slammed into my vision right in the hallway.

My mind went blank, yet my instincts screamed out before I could stop myself.

"Sarah—"

My twin sister...

Wasn't she supposed to be my bridesmaid?

Why was she wearing a white wedding gown?

Her train stretched far longer than mine, cascading like a royal veil.

Her diamond tiara caught the light, sparkling mockingly brighter than mine.

The makeup artist catered to her every step, carefully holding up her train from behind.

And my parents walked right beside her, their eyes overflowing with a pride they had never once shown me.

Sarah caught my eye from the corner of her glance and strode right past me, her hips swaying with unbothered arrogance.

A triumphant smirk painted her face.

My grip on the doorknob tightened until my knuckles turned white.

After all these years, I had grown numb to her casual cruelties, but I had rarely seen her look this openly vicious.

"Mom, what is..."

My parents didn't stop for me. They didn't even cast a glance my way.

The whole entourage swept past, leaving me in their dust.

Other guests were hovering in the hallway, so I forced a composure I didn't feel onto my face.

Linda's jaw dropped before she grumbled in a harsh whisper.

"What the hell is going on? You're the bride. How can Sarah act like she owns the damn runway?"

"Drop it," I hushed her, my voice barely a strain. "Not here. Not now."

I took a shaky breath, trying to steady the frantic beating in my chest.

"Let's go."

A sharp, cold knot twisted deep in my gut.

I gripped my dress tightly, feeling the delicate fabric crush beneath my trembling fingers.

"It's fine," I lied to myself. "The ceremony is about to start. It's just Sarah being Sarah."

Outside, the entire pack had assembled, music and roaring laughter floating through the crisp air.

Sarah was already holding court in the center of the lawn, waving gracefully as if the entire night were built in her honor.

"Who does she think she is? Just because she stole your face?" Linda sneered under her breath.

I nudged her with my elbow, signaling her to shut it, though every fiber of my being wanted to scream.

My eyes desperately combed the sea of faces for Kent, a quiet dread creeping up my spine.

Finally, a sudden hush washed over the entrance before a commotion broke out, and Kent stepped into view, flanked by his highest guards in a sharp, tailored suit.

Tall, devastatingly built, with a profile carved from stone, he commanded the room without even trying.

All the cold terror from moments ago evaporated; I stared at him, my lips curving up in pure relief.

As his polished shoes touched the grass, the whole pack erupted into deafening cheers and wild whistles.

He walked toward the alter, taking measured, powerful steps.

Every single eye on the lawn locked onto us.

My heart hammered violently against my ribs.

He reached me—and then, without so much as a glance, he kept walking, taking three deliberate steps past me straight to Sarah.

I grabbed the fabric of my gown so hard my fingers went numb.

"Kent..."

I'm right here...

He couldn't possibly mistake Sarah for me. They knew every line of my body.

He had bypassed me on purpose.

My brain revolted against the reality unfolding before me.

Only last night, he held me against his chest and whispered that I was the only woman he would ever want.

"Kent!"

I raised my voice.

He finally turned his head, his eyes dead, stripped of all warmth. Ice-cold.

"Corie, face reality. Silvercrest needs a strong Luna."

Hot, suffocating tears instantly pooled in my eyes.

"Then why didn't you say something earlier?" My voice cracked.

"If you had given me even a whisper of the truth, I would have walked away!"

I never would have put on this dress to stand here like a fool and be publicly torn apart.

Every breath felt like liquid fire in my lungs, the sheer betrayal making my vision blur.

"I had my reasons," he said, his tone as flat as if he were reviewing a routine pack report. "You need to trust me."

"Trust you?" I shook my head, taking a step back. "I'm done buying your lies."

The last sliver of patience vanished from his posture, replaced by the suffocating aura of the ruthless Alpha everyone feared.

"Then consider it an Alpha command, Corie. End of story."

Behind him, Sarah shot me a sweet, sickening smile.

She won.

Once more, she effortlessly reached out and claimed what was mine.

Kent swept his icy gaze across the crowd and projected his voice, sending a wave of power through the air.

"Silvercrest welcomes its new Luna—"

A suffocating silence fell over the pack.

My nails dug deep into my palms, breaking skin; I couldn't catch my breath.

"Sarah Voss—!"

The quiet shattered as cheers exploded off the lawn, roaring toward the night sky as everyone blindly celebrated their new Luna.

And I stood there, paralyzed, forced to watch as Kent cupped Sarah's face, pressed a deep, possessive kiss to her lips, and then sank his fangs into her neck—stamping her with his mark.

The mark that was meant for me.

Deep inside my chest, my wolf, Mia, threw her head back in a furious, agonizing howl.

"He can't do this! He's ours!"

It changed nothing.

Her voice was weak, buried under years of illness; no one heard her, and no one cared.

My mind snapped, going completely blank as my feet moved on their own, retreating toward the shadows outside the lights.

This was my wedding.

Yet I turned out to be the only outsider.