2

Aurora couldn’t hear a thing. It was as if the entire world beneath her feet had suddenly vanished, and all the sounds around her had simply disappeared. All that remained now was the pounding of her own heart and the sharp, cold gaze Alpha Ryder Thorn was fixing on her.

“I can’t have Luna the way she is. I can’t make someone like her as my Luna.”

Those words kept echoing over and over in her head. Her hands began to shake violently. Her chest felt so tight she could barely breathe. Aurora truly hoped she had misheard Ryder’s words. She really did.

Aurora would even be willing to believe all of this was a nightmare, if that meant she no longer had to feel the pain that was slowly crushing her chest. Yet Ryder’s expression before her remained unchanged.

The man stood perfectly upright, his expression cold and impassive. It was clear there wasn’t even a hint of the tenderness one should feel upon finally meeting the destined mate granted by the Moon Goddess.

“Alpha Ryder truly doesn’t want to accept Aurora as his mate.”

“If I were an Alpha, I’d be ashamed to have a mate like her, too.”

“Luna is the symbol of a pack and of the Alpha himself.”

“Imagine if other Alphas saw a Luna like Aurora, what would they say about our pack in the future?”

Some people even began to chuckle. Aurora recognized the voices around her. They were the people who praised her cooking every single day. The people who were always asking her for seconds of apple pie. The very same people who also said her soup was the best. But tonight, they were only looking at her body. Nothing more.

“What are you doing, Alpha?!” Lily immediately rushed through the crowd. Her voice shook with anger.

Everyone around her gasped. No omegas had ever spoken to Alpha Ryder like that before. Lila stopped in front of Aurora, shielding her with her own body.

“She’s your fated mate! You don’t get to humiliate her in front of everyone like this!”

Aurora grabbed Lila’s wrist weakly. “Lila... stop it.”

Tears streamed down Lila’s cheeks. “You’ve done nothing wrong, Aurora. You don’t deserve all of this.”

Ryder remained silent. Looking at them as if he had never said anything bad about Aurora as his fated mate. 

“Alpha Ryder Thorn.” An elder of the pack stepped forward, his tone cautious, worried that he might say the wrong thing.

“Are you sure about the decision you just made? The Moon Goddess would never choose the wrong mate for a werewolf.”

Ryder took a deep breath. “I certainly hold the Moon Goddess in the highest regard.”

He paused for a moment. “But I also have a great responsibility to the Silver Pine Pack that I lead.”

Ryder’s gaze then shifted to Aurora, who was still standing there in silence.

“I need a Luna who can be a symbol of strength and the pack’s primary emblem.”

Aurora felt tears begin to blur her vision. Ryder continued speaking.

“The Alphas from other packs will be coming to attend various meetings. They might also see my Luna afterward.”

Ryder clenched his jaw. “I can’t choose someone who doesn’t reflect the image of a true Luna like her.”

Ryder’s words felt far more painful than even a physical slap. Aurora slowly bowed her head even lower. She didn’t want to see anyone’s face. Nor did she want to see the pitying glances directed at her, let alone mockery.

But it seemed the Moon Goddess wasn’t quite done testing her in this life. Because Ryder’s voice rang out again, loud and clear, firm, and without the slightest hint of doubt.

“Aurora Ashcroft, I, Alpha Ryder Thorn, reject you as my mate.”

An excruciating pain immediately struck Aurora’s chest. It felt as though an invisible hand were tearing something out from within her. Aurora gasped for breath. Her hands immediately clutched her chest tightly.

“Ngh...”

Tears streamed down her face, unstoppable. Across from her, Ryder also closed his eyes for a moment. He, too, could still feel the pain of the rejection he had just uttered himself. But that pain lasted only a moment. Once their mate bond was severed, all that pain slowly faded away.

Aurora, on the other hand, felt the exact opposite. Her heart felt like a huge, empty void. Her body even nearly lost its balance. If it weren’t for Lila, who immediately grabbed Aurora’s shoulders, she might have already fallen to the ground by now. And she might have become the subject of further ridicule from many people.

“Alpha Ryder has already turned her down. Let’s just hope she doesn’t do anything weird tomorrow.” Someone whispered.

“Do you think she’ll still be able to make breakfast for all of us tomorrow?”

“Hopefully she still stays, we still need her cooking.”

Lila immediately clasped Aurora’s hand tightly. Her face was flushed, and tears kept streaming down her cheeks.

“Aurora...” Lila cried. “Please, don’t listen to what they’re saying.”

But Aurora was no longer able to respond to Lila. She just stared at Ryder. The man didn’t even seem to feel the slightest bit of remorse toward Aurora now.

Before long, a beautiful woman stepped up to Ryder. Her name was Selena. She was the daughter of the Gamma Pack. Selena was tall with a slender waist and a flawlessly beautiful face. She immediately stood right beside Ryder without the slightest hint of shyness.

“I’m so sorry to hear that, Chef Aurora.” Her tone sounded sympathetic. But the faint smile on Selena’s lips suggested otherwise.

“I suppose the Moon Goddess does sometimes give different trials to the werewolves living in this world.”

Aurora knew. Selena had liked Ryder for a long time. And now, she looked very satisfied. Several other women nodded in agreement.

“Alpha Ryder truly deserves someone far better than Luna.”

“That’s right. Just imagine if Aurora were sitting in Luna’s seat in the Silver Pine Pack.”

“That would be a terrible mismatch!”

Aurora bit her lower lip until she could taste a faint trace of blood. Why? Why did everyone judge her so easily? Was her body really such a huge mistake?

“The festival is over!” the Pack Elder spoke again.

The festival crowd slowly began to disperse. But no one came over to Aurora, except for Lila, who was still faithfully holding her shoulders.

“Let’s just go home, Aurora.” Lila whispered.

Aurora slowly shook her head. “I can’t...”

“Aurora, please... listen to me. Let’s just go home, okay?”

“Lila, I need some time.” Her voice sounded hoarse.

Lila held both of Aurora’s hands. “Then I’ll stay with you.”

Aurora forced a smile. “If you stay with me, you’ll only get dragged into this mess.”

“I don’t care.” Lila looked hesitant. “Aurora, I can’t leave you alone.”

“I do.” Aurora’s voice finally broke. “You’ve defended me enough tonight. I won’t let anyone hate you because of me.”

With tears welling up in her eyes, Lila hugged Aurora tightly. “Then promise me.”

Aurora stayed silent. “Promise me you’ll come home. I’ll waiting for you. No matter how late it gets, I’ll wait.”

Aurora nodded with tears in her eyes. “I promise.”

Then Aurora began walking slowly, her steps unsteady, through the crowd that was still there. With every step, Aurora’s feet felt heavier. She left Lila, who was still staring at her back, feeling utterly helpless.

Lila was worried about what would happen to her best friend, but she promised to wait and let Aurora calm down first. Behind Aurora, soft laughter and whispers still continued to drift her way. Aurora tried hard not to listen to anything. But it all still reached her ears.

“Poor Aurora.”

“I’ve been saying that for a long time, haven’t I?”

“Anyone with a mate like Aurora would definitely be ashamed of her.”

Ryder watched Aurora’s back as she walked further and further away. And for some reason, his chest felt uneasy. In fact, it felt very uneasy.

“Alpha.” Beta Damien approached him. “Are you sure this is the right decision?”

Ryder kept his eyes on Aurora. “I have no other choice.”

“You have that choice, Alpha,” Damien replied softly. “You just chose to give in to your immense pride.”

Ryder immediately turned to face him with a piercing gaze. “I’m doing all this for the Silver Pine Pack, too, Beta Damien.”

Damien sighed. “Yes, you’re right. Everything you do is certainly for the good of this pack. But hopefully, someday you’ll still be able to say all those words without a shred of regret.”

After saying that, Beta Damien walked away, leaving Ryder alone.

Meanwhile, Aurora returned to the pack’s main kitchen. The room was empty. But the scent of the apple pie she’d baked that afternoon still lingered. Aurora looked at the wooden table where she usually kneaded dough. Tomorrow morning, she was supposed to cook again and prepare breakfast for all the pack members, including Ryder.

Aurora wiped the tears streaming down her face. No. She wouldn’t be able to do any of that. Immediately, Aurora opened the small cabinet in the corner of the kitchen and took out her cloth bag. Aurora began packing a few simple items of clothing, her favorite kitchen knife, the recipe book passed down from her mother, and a few bags of dried spices.

That was all. Aurora’s entire life with the Silver Pine Pack over the years turned out to fit into just one bag. Aurora looked back at the pack’s kitchen one last time. Lila was probably still waiting exactly where she’d promised. The thought alone almost made Aurora turn around. But, if she saw Lila again, she knew she wouldn’t have the strength to leave.

“I’m sorry...” Aurora whispered into the night. “Please, forgive me. I have to leave before you find me, Lila. I don’t want you to choose between me and your home.”

The tears she’d been holding back finally spilled over again. “Thank you so much,” she whispered softly. “For being my home all these past few years.”

Shortly after, Aurora turned off all the lights and walked out, without looking back. At the Silver Pine Pack gate, two guards stopped her in her tracks. The guards exchanged uneasy glances as Aurora approached the gate.

“Where are you going at a time like this, Aurora?” One of them called softly.

Aurora stopped. She forced a small smile. That smile looked even more painful than the tears that had just streamed from her eyes and wet her face.

“I’m going far away from here.”

“At this... hour?”

Aurora slowly removed the wooden token hanging around her neck. The official identification every member of Silver Pine Pack carried. She placed it in the guard’s hand.

“Please, give this to Elder.”

The guard frowned. “What are you doing, Aurora?”

Aurora lowered her gaze. “There’s no reason for me to stay anymore.”

“Aurora...”

“Please. Just tell him, I’m grateful for everything the pack has given me.”

One of the guards looked at Aurora with pity. “Are you really going to leave?”

Aurora nodded. “If I stay here,” she took a deep breath, “People will only remember tonight. And every time Alpha Ryder sees me, he’ll be reminded of the mate he rejected. Neither of us deserves to live like that.”

The guard stay silent. Then the large wooden gate slowly swung open. Aurora stepped out alone. She couldn’t even bring herself to say goodbye to Lila, because she would undoubtedly be thinking about and weighing so many other things.

Aurora continued to quicken her pace under the light of the full moon. Unbeknownst to her, a few kilometers ahead, a pair of golden eyes had just opened. For the first time in centuries, the scent she had long awaited had just been carried on the silent night breeze.