2

Aurora couldn’t hear a thing. It was as if the entire world beneath her feet had suddenly vanished, taking every sound with it. The music, the murmurs, even the wind seemed to fade into nothingness. All she could hear was the pounding of her own heart. And the cold voice of Alpha Ryder Thorn.

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

The words echoed endlessly inside her head. Aurora’s hands began to tremble. Her chest tightened until every breath felt like a struggle. She desperately wished she had misunderstood him.

She would gladly believe this was nothing more than a nightmare, if it that meant she could wake up and escape the pain slowly crushing her heart. But Ryder’s expression remained unchanged.

He stood before her with his back straight and his face cold, showing none of the tenderness one might expect from a man meeting his fated mate for the first time. Then the whispers began again.

“Alpha Ryder really 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 supposed to be the symbol of the pack.”

“Imagine what other Alphas would think if they saw someone like Aurora sitting in the Luna’s position.”

A few people even laughed quietly. Aurora recognized those voices. They were the same people who praised her cooking every day. The same people who begged for seconds of her apple pie. The same warriors who always said her soup was the best they had ever tasted. Yet tonight, none of that mattered. All they could see was her body. Nothing more.

“What are you doing, Alpha?!” Lily suddenly pushed through the crowd. Her voice trembled with anger.

Everyone around her gasped. No omega had ever dared speak to Alpha Ryder like that. Lila rushed to Aurora’s side and immediately positioned herself between her best friend and the crowd.

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

Aurora weakly grabbed her wrist. “Lila... stop.”

Tears were already streaming down Lila’s cheeks.

“You’ve done nothing wrong, Aurora. You don’t deserve this.”

Ryder remained silent. He simply looked at the two women as though he hadn’t just shattered Aurora’s heart in front of the entire pack. 

One of the elders cautiously stepped forward. “Alpha Ryder Thorn.”

His voice was careful, as though he feared saying the wrong thing.

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

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

He paused before continuing. “But I also have a responsibility to the Silver Pine Pack.”

His gaze shifted back to Aurora. She was still standing there silently, her face pale.

“I need a Luna who can represent the strength and dignity of this pack.”

Aurora’s vision blurred with tears. Ryder continued.

“Alphas from other packs will visit us for meetings and gatherings. They may also meet my Luna.”

His jaw tightened. “I cannot choose someone who doesn’t reflect the image of a true Luna.”

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 their faces anymore. She didn’t want to see the pity in their eyes. And she certainly didn’t want to see the mockery.

But the Moon Goddess apparently wasn’t finished testing her. Because Ryder spoke again. This time, his voice rang clearly across the entire field.

“Aurora Ashcroft.” Aurora slowly raised her head.

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

Pain exploded through Aurora’s chest. “Ngh...”

She gasped, immediately clutching her chest. It felt as though an invisible hand had reached inside her body and ripped something apart. Tears spilled freely down her cheeks.

Across from her, Ryder closed his eyes for a brief moment. He could feel the pain of the rejection, too. But for him, it lasted only a moment. As the mate bond began to sever, the pain gradually faded.

For Aurora, however, it was different. The pain remained. Her heart felt as though it had been hollowed out, leaving behind nothing but an unbearable emptiness. Her knees nearly buckled. Lila immediately caught her shoulders.

“Aurora!”

If Lila hadn’t been there, Aurora might have collapsed in front of everyone. And she refused to give them another reason to laugh at her. But the whispers continued.

“Alpha Ryder rejected her. Let’s just hope she doesn’t do anything strange tomorrow.”

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

“I hope she stays. We still need her cooking.”

Lila squeezed Aurora’s hand tightly. Her face was flushed with anger, tears continuing to stream down her cheeks.

“Aurora... please, don’t listen to them.”

But Aurora couldn’t respond. Her eyes remained fixed on Ryder. The man who had rejected her didn’t even seem remorseful.

Then a beautiful woman stepped forward. Selena, the Gamma’s daughter. She was tall and slender, with a flawless face and an elegant figure. She walked toward Ryder without the slightest hesitation and stopped beside him.

“I’m so sorry to hear that, Chef Aurora.”

Her voice sounded sympathetic. But the faint smile playing at the corners of her lips told Aurora otherwise.

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

Aurora knew exactly what Selena was thinking. Selena had wanted Ryder for years. And now, she had finally gotten what she wanted. Several women nearby nodded in agreement.

“Alpha Ryder deserves someone far better than her.”

“That’s right.”

“Just imagine Aurora sitting in the Luna’s seat.”

“It would be a terrible mismatch.”

Aurora bit her lower lip until she taste blood. Why? Why was everyone so quick to judge her? Was her body really such a terrible mistake?

“The festival is over!” The Pack Elder’s announcement finally broke the tension.

Slowly, the crowd began to disperse. But Lila remained beside Aurora, refusing to leave her.

“Let’s go home, Aurora.” Lila whispered. Her voice was soft.

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

“Aurora, please...” Lila held her hands. “Let’s just go home.”

“Lila, I need some time.” Aurora’s voice was hoarse.

“Then I’ll stay with you.”

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

“I don’t care.” Lila hesitated, tears gathering in her eyes. “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.”

Lila’s eyes filled with tears. She pulled Aurora into a tight embrace. “Then promise me.”

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

Aurora finally nodded. “I promise.”

Then she slowly pulled away. Aurora walked through the remaining crowd with unsteady steps. Every step felt heavier than the last. Behind her, Lila remained where she was, watching her best friend disappear into the darkness.

She wanted to follow. She wanted to stop Aurora. But she had promised to wait. And perhaps Aurora simply needed some time alone. Still, Lila couldn't shake the terrible feeling in her chest. Behind Aurora, the whispers continued.

“Poor Aurora.”

“I’ve been saying it for years?”

“Anyone would be ashamed to have a mate like her.”

Aurora tried not to listen. But every word still reached her ears. Meanwhile, Ryder watched her back as she walked farther away. For some reason, his chest felt strangely heavy. Uneasy. Very uneasy.

“Alpha.” Beta Damien approached him. “Are you certain this was the right decision?”

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

“You did.”

Ryder immediately turned toward him. Damien met his gaze calmly.

“You had a choice, Alpha. You simply chose to let your pride make it for you.”

Ryder’s expression hardened. “I’m doing this for the Silver Pine Pack, Beta Damien.”

Damien sighed. “Yes. Everything you do is always for the good of this pack.” He paused.

“I only hope that someday, you’ll still be able to say those words without regret.”

With that, Damien walked away. Ryder remained where he was. Alone.

***

Aurora eventually returned to the pack’s main kitchen. The room was empty. Yet the scent of the apple pie she had baked earlier still lingered in the air. Aurora stood silently in the middle of the kitchen. Her gaze fell on the wooden table where she usually kneaded dough. Tomorrow morning, she was supposed to prepare breakfast again. For the warriors. For the elders. For the children. For Ryder.

Aurora wiped the tears from her face. No. She couldn't do it anymore. She couldn't wake up tomorrow and pretend nothing had happened. She couldn't continue living in a place where every time she looked at Ryder, she would remember the moment he had rejected her in front of everyone.

Aurora walked toward a small cabinet in the corner of the kitchen. She opened it and pulled out her old cloth bag. One by one, she packed a few simple dresses. Her favorite kitchen knife. The recipe book her mother had left behind. And a few bags of dried herbs and spices.

That was all. Her entire life in the Silver Pine Pack could fit inside one small bag. Aurora stared around the kitchen one last time. This place had been her entire world for years. The place where she had spent countless mornings preparing food. The place where she had laughed.

The place where she had cried when no one was watching. And the place where she had spent years believing she belonged. Lila was probably still waiting for her. The thought 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 empty kitchen.

“Please, forgive me.” Her voice trembled.

“I have to leave before you find me, Lila.” She wiped another tear from her cheek.

“I don’t want you to have to choose between me and your home.”

The tears she had been holding back finally spilled over. “Thank you.”  

Aurora looked around one last time. “Thank you for being my home all these years.”

Then she turned off the lights. And walked away. Without looking back.

At the Silver Pine Pack's main gate, two guards immediately noticed Aurora approaching. They exchanged uneasy glances.

“Where are you going at this hour, Aurora?”

Aurora stopped. She forced a small smile. But somehow, that smile looked even more painful than her tears.

“I’m going far away from here.”

“At this... hour?”

Aurora slowly reached for the wooden token hanging around her neck. Every member of the Silver Pine Pack carried one as their official identification. She removed it and placed it in the guard’s hand.

“Please give this to the Elder.”

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

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

“Aurora...”

“Please.” She took a deep breath. “Just tell him that I’m grateful for everything the pack has given me.”

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

Aurora nodded. “If I stay here...” She paused, forcing herself to breathe.

“People will only remember tonight.” Her voice trembled.

“And every time Alpha Ryder sees me, he’ll be reminded of the mate he rejected.”

Aurora looked toward the dark forest beyond the gate. “Neither of us deserves to live like that.”

The guard fell silent. After a long moment, the massive wooden gate slowly began to open. Aurora stepped outside alone. She couldn't even bring herself to say goodbye to Lila. If she did, she knew Lila would try to stop her. And Aurora didn't have the strength to say no to the only person who had ever stood by her.

So she simply kept walking. Under the light of the full moon. Her footsteps gradually carried her farther and farther away from the only home she had ever known. Behind her, the Silver Pine Pack slowly disappeared into the darkness. And ahead of her, the forest waited. Aurora quickened her pace.

She didn't know where she was going. She didn't know what would happen tomorrow. She only knew one thing. She could no longer stay. Unbeknownst to Aurora, several kilometers ahead, a pair of golden eyes suddenly opened in the darkness. A powerful presence stirred deep within the forest.

For the first time in centuries, a familiar scent had reached him. A scent he had been waiting for his entire life. His one and only. Tonight, the Moon Goddess had finally brought her to him.