Rejected Before The Apocalypse, Now I'm The Queen

BOOK#1

ELENA'S POV.

I have a secret.

For three years, I had carried feelings for one man.

I had first seen him when I was seventeen.

It had been only a brief glance, barely enough to remember, but I had remembered it anyway.

After that, I found myself noticing everything about him. But i knew better than to imagine that a man like him would ever look at someone like me.

Still, I had sometimes wondered whether the Moon Goddess had something different planned for my life.

Tonight, I was going to find out.

“Elena.”

I turned to find my friend Mara approaching with two cups of berry juice. She handed one to me before examining my face.

“You’re doing it again.”

“Doing what?”

“Looking toward the entrance every few seconds.”

Heat crept into my cheeks. “I’m not.”

“Of course not.” She took a sip of her drink. “And I’m the future Luna of the Blackthorn Pack.”

I nearly choked. “Mara!”

She laughed, drawing a few curious glances from the wolves standing nearby.

“Keep your voice down,” I whispered.

“Then stop making it so easy to tease you.” Her smile softened as she glanced toward the ceremonial entrance. “Although I must admit, I understand why you’re nervous. This is your first Moon Ceremony since turning twenty-one. Anything could happen tonight.”

I followed her gaze. The entrance remained empty.

“What if nothing happens?” I asked quietly.

Mara studied me for a moment. “Then you’ll wake up tomorrow and still be Elena Voss. You’re a good person. You don’t need a mate to make you worth something.”

I smiled, grateful for her words even though they did little to calm my heart.

“I know.”

But deep down, I wanted more.

I wanted someone who would look at me and see more than a healer. 

A sudden hush swept through the ceremonial grounds.

Conversations faded one after another. 

Mara’s fingers tightened around my arm.

“He’s here.”

My heart skipped.

At the far end of the clearing, the ceremonial gates swung open.

Alpha Kaiden Blackthorn stepped into the moonlight.

He wore a fitted black suit that emphasized his broad shoulders, the silver insignia of his pack fastened to his chest. His dark hair was brushed away from his forehead, revealing sharp features and a strong jaw. His expression was as composed as ever, and the confidence with which he walked made it seem as though the entire territory belonged to him.

In a way, it did.

The pack bowed their heads as he passed.

“Alpha.”

He acknowledged them with brief nods, his attention fixed on the ceremonial altar.

Then he stopped.

And looked in my direction.

For one strange, suspended moment, the world disappeared.

The music faded. The crowd became a blur. Even the cool night breeze seemed to stop against my skin.

Something stirred deep inside me.

My wolf, usually content to remain quiet beneath my thoughts, suddenly surged forward with such force that I gasped.

Mate.

The word echoed through my mind.

I froze.

No.

It couldn’t be.

My heart pounded as warmth rushed through my body, spreading from my chest to my fingertips. A strange pull tightened inside me, drawing me toward the man standing across the clearing.

Kaiden.

My Alpha.

My fated mate.

The bond snapped into place with a force that stole the breath from my lungs.

I pressed a trembling hand against my chest.

For years I had dreamed of meeting my mate. I had imagined the moment countless times, wondering whether I would recognize him immediately or whether the Moon Goddess would reveal him to me gradually.

Never had I imagined it would feel like this.

It was as though a missing piece of my soul had suddenly returned.

My wolf whimpered with joy.

Our mate. He’s here. He’s finally here.

Tears blurred my vision.

I had never prayed as hard as I had prayed tonight. Before leaving my room, I had stood beside my window and asked the Moon Goddess to guide me toward whatever future she had chosen for me.

I had not expected her answer to be the one man I had secretly loved for three years.

Kaiden was staring at me.

I could see it now—the moment he felt the bond too. His shoulders stiffened. His eyes widened almost imperceptibly. His wolf’s presence surged beneath his skin. Even from where I stood, I could sense the sudden tension radiating from him.

He knew.

He knew exactly what had happened.

For one beautiful second, hope blossomed inside me.

Perhaps he had been waiting for this too. Perhaps the Moon Goddess had placed us in the same pack for a reason neither of us had understood until now.

I imagined him crossing the clearing, taking my hand, and saying the words I had longed to hear.

Mate.

Just one word would have been enough. I would have remembered it for the rest of my life.

But Kaiden did not move.

Instead, his expression changed. The recognition in his eyes disappeared beneath a cold, impenetrable mask.

He looked away.

My smile faltered.

I stared at him, waiting for him to look at me again, but he continued toward the altar as though nothing had happened.

My wolf paced restlessly inside me, confused by the sudden distance between us.

Why isn’t he coming?

I had no answer.

Perhaps he needed a moment. Perhaps he was overwhelmed, just as I was. He was the Alpha of the largest pack in the region, and the entire gathering was watching him. Maybe he wanted to speak to me privately.

Yes. That had to be it.

I clung to the explanation because the alternative hurt too much to consider.

Kaiden reached the altar, where the elders waited to greet him.

Elder Rowan, the oldest member of the council, stepped forward.

“Alpha Kaiden, the Moon Goddess has blessed us with a beautiful night. May this ceremony bring happiness and strength to our pack.”

“May it be so,” Kaiden replied.

His voice was steady. Too steady for a man who had just discovered his mate.

I watched him exchange greetings with the elders. He did not look in my direction again.

Then I noticed Isabelle approaching him.

She moved with the confidence of someone who had never doubted her place in the world. When she reached Kaiden, she offered him a dazzling smile and touched his arm as though the gesture were perfectly natural.

“Alpha Kaiden,” she said. “You look exceptionally handsome tonight.”

“Thank you, Isabelle.”

She laughed softly. “I hope you haven’t forgotten our conversation with the council tomorrow. My father is eager to finalize the arrangements.”

Something cold settled in my stomach.

Arrangements?

Kaiden inclined his head. “I haven’t forgotten.”

Isabelle’s smile widened. “Good. He believes our union will bring both packs the stability we need.”

Our union.

The words struck me harder than they should have.

I glanced at Kaiden, waiting for him to correct her. Waiting for him to explain that he had just found his fated mate and that whatever arrangements the council had made would have to change.

He said nothing.

Instead, he allowed Isabelle to remain beside him.

A terrible feeling began to spread through my chest.

I wanted to believe that I had misunderstood. That there was some reasonable explanation for his behavior.

But my wolf had recognized him. The bond was real. And Kaiden had felt it too.

Why, then, was he standing beside another woman?