The Mating Ceremony

Olivia's POV

“Mate,” Lucy howled inside my head, fierce and wild. The golden cord binding me was also binding Alpha Kingsley with a strong magnetic pull, drawing us closer to each other at an uncomfortable distance. I felt my heart pounding in my chest like it wanted to break free and run away.

“This can’t be,” I whispered to myself. “Haven’t I suffered enough? Or is the Moon Goddess playing a prank on me?” I asked myself again, my throat tightening. Of all the males present, why must it be him? I was already prepared for not being able to find a mate, but who could have warned me or prepared me for this kind of situation? My hands were shaking slightly, and I folded them behind me so no one would notice.

“How can this be?” Alpha Kingsley scoffed. “You… my mate?” A dark, mocking grin spread across his face. His eyes roamed over me slowly, cruelly, like he was looking at something unbelievable—something wrong. “Is the Moon Goddess bored?” he continued coldly. “Or does she need entertainment?”

The words hit me hard.

“To think that you would be bound to me,” he said with a short laugh. “For years, I never wanted a mate. I never even dreamed of one. And now fate gives me this.” He gestured vaguely in my direction, as if I were nothing more than an inconvenience.

His gaze hardened as it met mine—sharp, filled with pure dislike. “There is nothing about you I want,” he said flatly. “Nothing.”

The hatred in his eyes was impossible to miss. It was clear. Open. Undeniable.

And in that moment, I understood something painful.

He didn’t just reject the bond. He despised the idea of me.

“I don’t accept this union. Proceed with the rejection process,” he said to the priestess, his face cold as ice.

“Are you sure you want to reject her? You must think carefully about the consequences,” she warned, turning to look at me expressionlessly. Her voice held no pity.

I was full of shame, anger, hurt, betrayal, and fear. Was I that bad? Or was I just destined to never find happiness? My cheeks burned, and I could feel the judgmental stares around me like needles poking into my skin.

“I accept,” I voiced softly, my mind still bewildered by everything. A part of me was relieved that I didn’t have to face any more ridicule or hurt from a mate who didn’t want me, but another part of me felt sad. Well, this is how it was always meant to be, I thought bitterly. Alone. Lonely.

After all, who would want a fat pig?

Sophia’s mocking voice echoed cruelly in my head.

“Wait. I, Alpha Kingsley of the Ancient Blue Moon Pack, accept you as my mate.”

Immediately, a blinding light shone from the cord holding us. It rotated around us and went into our foreheads. The mate bond snapped into place, and I felt a strange connection with him—something heavy, cold, and unfamiliar. My breath caught in my throat.

“Why?” I asked, barely able to speak. My voice trembled. Why the sudden change of mind? Or did he want to suck my blood, just as the rumors said? Did he think I would have more blood or taste better because of my size? I shuddered at the mere thought, a chill running through my body. I wrapped my arms around myself, feeling exposed.

I was still lost in thought when a hand suddenly grabbed me and pulled me away. I almost stumbled as his grip was strong and rough.

Looking up, I noticed that I was being led away by Alpha Kingsley—now my mate—to a distance away from the questioning and mocking stares of the crowd. Their whispers still followed us.

“Why did you change your mind? I don’t think I can be good enough for you,” I stuttered. My voice cracked halfway, and embarrassment washed over me.

“Good. You know your place. And don’t get any funny ideas in that head of yours. I only accepted you because I’m running for the Lycan chairman position and don’t want to be weakened by a useless, broken mate bond,” he replied sarcastically.

His words were sharp, thrown straight at me like daggers. His face showed no sign of regret—not even a small one.

I had never felt so afraid and humiliated in my life. My chest tightened painfully. “I don’t think I can play this game with you. Can you please just reject me?” I barely spoke, my legs already shaking from our close distance. I didn’t want to look him in the eye, so I stared at the ground.

Immediately, a chilling sensation washed over my body. I turned to face him, and his gaze was dark and ruthless—the kind of look that made the air around us feel colder.

“I don’t like being rejected, questioned, or challenged. I will count this as a slip-up. Don’t test my patience. We leave in three days,” he commanded, then turned around. With one hand resting behind him on his hip, he walked away with a strange, majestic confidence, oozing arrogance and danger.

I watched him move like he owned every step he took. People shifted out of his way without him saying a word. Even his back looked intimidating. Everything about him screamed power and authority.

I stood there, transfixed and still confused. My heart felt heavy, like something was pressing down on it. I wrapped my arms around myself again, trying to hold myself together.

“My life is going to be anything but peaceful,” I whispered to no one in particular.

My legs finally regained feeling, and I slowly walked away from the area, each step heavier than the last. The whispers followed behind me, but I tried to block them out. I didn’t know whether to cry, scream, or laugh at the cruelty of fate.

All I knew was that nothing about my life would ever remain the same again.