NOT FIT TO BE HIS LUNA

ELENA'S POV

The ceremonial music began again, and the elders invited the unmated wolves to gather near the altar. I barely heard their instructions. My attention remained fixed on Kaiden, who stood with his hands clasped behind his back while Isabelle spoke to him.

Every passing second made the knot in my stomach tighter.

Then Kaiden raised his hand.

The music stopped. Conversations died away as hundreds of wolves turned toward him.

“Members of the Blackthorn Pack,” he announced, his deep voice carrying across the grounds. “Before we begin tonight’s ceremony, there is something important I must address.”

My heart began to race for an entirely different reason.

Kaiden’s gaze swept over the gathering.

Then, at last, his eyes found mine.

I forgot how to breathe.

“Tonight,” he continued, “the Moon Goddess has revealed a bond that concerns the future of this pack.”

A murmur passed through the crowd.

I could feel Mara’s hand searching for mine.

Kaiden did not look away.

“I have discovered my fated mate.”

The entire clearing erupted into whispers. Someone gasped. Another wolf congratulated him before the surrounding conversations swallowed the words.

My knees weakened.

He was going to acknowledge me. He was going to tell them.

I stepped forward before I could stop myself, my heart swelling with a happiness so overwhelming that it hurt.

Kaiden’s expression remained cold.

“The bond is between me and Elena Voss.”

Silence fell.

Hundreds of eyes turned toward me.

For a moment, I couldn’t understand what was happening. I could only stare at Kaiden, stunned by the sound of my name coming from his lips.

He knew. He had known all along.

I waited for him to call me forward.

He didn’t.

Instead, he drew a slow breath.

“However, the existence of a fated bond does not automatically make two wolves suitable for one another.”

The words were quiet. Yet I heard every single one.

My heart stopped.

Kaiden continued before anyone could speak.

“As Alpha, I have a responsibility that extends beyond my personal desires. The future of this pack depends on sound decisions, strong alliances, and the stability of our territory.”

I stared at him, my lips parting in disbelief.

No. He couldn’t be saying what I thought he was saying.

“Therefore,” he declared, “I, Kaiden Blackthorn, Alpha of the Blackthorn Pack, reject Elena Voss as my fated mate.”

For several seconds, the world refused to make sense.

I heard the words. I understood their meaning. But my heart could not accept them.

A sharp, unbearable pain tore through my chest.

My wolf screamed.

I stumbled backward, clutching my dress as though I could somehow hold myself together by gripping the fabric.

Around me, the pack remained silent. No one spoke. No one protested. They simply watched.

The man I had loved for three years had rejected me in front of the entire pack. He had taken the most beautiful moment of my life and turned it into my greatest humiliation.

I forced myself to look at him.

Kaiden stood beside the altar, his expression unreadable. He did not look relieved. He did not look pleased. For the briefest moment, I thought I saw something flicker in his eyes.

Regret, perhaps.

But it disappeared before I could be certain.

“Alpha Kaiden,” Elder Rowan said cautiously, “such a decision should not be taken lightly. A fated bond is a sacred gift from the Moon Goddess.”

“I am aware of that, Elder.”

“Then you understand the consequences of rejecting your mate?”

“I do.”

His answer came without hesitation.

My wolf whimpered inside me.

Ask him why.

The thought was so desperate that it almost made me laugh.

I had spent years imagining what I would say when I finally met my mate. I had pictured myself smiling shyly while he held my hand. I had imagined asking him about his wolf, his favorite places, and the things that made him happy.

I had never imagined standing before him and begging to understand why he didn’t want me.

But I needed an answer. I needed to hear him say it.

I stepped forward.

“Kaiden.”

The sound of his name seemed unnaturally small in the vast clearing.

His gaze returned to me.

I swallowed, fighting against the pain burning in my throat.

“Is that truly what you want?”

A murmur passed through the gathering.

Kaiden’s jaw tightened. “Elena, this is neither the time nor the place for a discussion.”

“Then tell me privately.” My voice trembled despite my efforts to control it. “But please, don’t stand there and pretend this means nothing.”

His eyes hardened. “The bond does not change what I must do.”

“What you must do?” I repeated. I could barely recognize my own voice. “You’re rejecting me because you have to?”

“Do not twist my words.”

“Then explain them to me!”

The words escaped before I could stop them.

Several wolves shifted uneasily.

I had never raised my voice at an Alpha, much less the Alpha who ruled my pack. But something inside me had shattered, and I could no longer pretend that I was fine.

“I felt the bond,” I continued, pressing a trembling hand against my chest. “You felt it too. I saw your face when it happened. You knew I was your mate, Kaiden.”

“I know what happened.”

“Then how can you do this?”

For the first time, his expression changed. Not with tenderness. Not with the warmth I had foolishly hoped to find.

With irritation.

“Because being fated mates does not mean you are suitable to become my Luna.”

The words landed like a slap.

I went still.