Chapter three: The rejection

Aria Blackwood

The spark of recognition burned so bright it was blinding. My chest ached with the force of it, my wolf clawing at me, begging me to move toward him.

My mate.

My Alpha.

Damien Storm.

But as his eyes swept over me, cold and sharp as ice, I realized something was terribly wrong.

There was no flicker of joy in his gaze. No warmth. No sign that his wolf was howling as mine was.

He looked at me the way one might glance at a servant — barely worth the effort.

And then he looked away.

Selene whimpered inside me, confusion and agony tangled together. “Why doesn’t he—? He must feel it. He has to.”

I couldn’t answer her. My throat had closed up, my breath uneven.

Maya leaned close, whispering urgently, “Aria, you’re pale. What’s wrong?”

I didn't notice when she came beside me looking very worried 

I opened my mouth, but no words came out. How could I explain? How could I tell her that the bond had lit inside me like wildfire, only for him to extinguish it with a single cold glance?

I bowed to him and walked away with Maya going to sulk in a corner.

---

The night stretched on in a blur. Toasts were made, laughter rang through the hall, but I felt trapped in a nightmare. My heart beat too fast, my skin prickled with heat, and every time Damien’s deep voice carried over the crowd, my wolf cried out for him.

Yet he never looked at me again.

Not until Serena decided to act.

She swept across the room with her silver gown trailing behind her like moonlight, her clique of admirers scattering out of her way. The smirk on her lips made my stomach drop.

“Oh, Aria,” she cooed, her voice loud enough for those nearby to hear. 

"Haven't you found your mate yet?" She asked 

I bowed my head low in shame feeling eyes all over me

“You’ve been staring at the Alpha all night. Don’t tell me you’ve convinced yourself he’s your mate.” she said again 

Heat flooded my cheeks. “That’s none of your—”

Her laughter cut me off, cruel and shrill. “You? The Alpha’s mate? Please. You’re a Beta’s daughter with dirt under your nails. Look at you. Do you really think the Moon Goddess would waste Alpha Damien on… this?” She gestured at me as if I were something foul.

Whispers spread quickly, wolves glancing between me and Damien at the front of the room. My chest tightened as humiliation scorched through me.

Maya stepped forward, eyes flashing. “Shut your mouth, Serena, before I—”

But Serena wasn’t afraid. If anything, her grin widened. Because she knew exactly what she was doing.

“Go on, Aria,” she pressed, her voice sugary sweet. “Tell everyone. Tell us all who you think your mate is.”

The room grew quiet, attention turning toward me. Even Damien’s icy gaze shifted in my direction, sharp and calculating and glaring 

My throat worked painfully. The bond screamed the truth inside me, clawing to be acknowledged. My wolf howled in agony, begging me to claim him.

But before I could speak, Serena did it for me.

“Oh, it’s obvious, isn’t it?” she said brightly. “She thinks it’s Alpha Damien.”

Gasps rippled through the hall. My father stiffened where he stood. Elias took a step toward me, anger flashing in his eyes.

Damien’s face remained unreadable, carved from stone.

Until he finally moved.

His steps were slow, deliberate, each one echoing against the polished floor as he approached. The crowd parted instinctively, bowing their heads in respect, though curiosity burned in every gaze.

He stopped in front of me. His presence was suffocating up close, his scent overwhelming — cedar and storm air, sharp and intoxicating. My wolf whimpered, desperate to collapse at his feet.

For one fleeting heartbeat, I let myself hope.

Maybe he had been hiding it. Maybe he had felt the bond too, but he needed to maintain his Alpha composure. Maybe…

“Is it true?” His voice was low, cold, slicing through my fragile hope. “Do you believe the Moon Goddess paired you with me?”

I swallowed hard, trembling under his gaze. My lips parted, but no sound came.

Selene howled inside me, desperate: “Say yes! Claim him!”

But before I could gather the courage, he spoke again.

“Pathetic.”

The word struck like a physical blow. My breath hitched, my chest aching, my eyes blurred with tears 

“You dare to imagine yourself my mate?” he continued, his voice cutting through the silence of the hall. “You? A weakling Beta’s daughter who can’t even control her temper in training? Do you think the Goddess would curse me with you?”

Gasps and murmurs filled the room. My vision blurred with unshed tears, humiliation burning hotter than fire.

“Alpha—” my father began, but Damien raised a hand, silencing him instantly. His eyes never left mine, cold and merciless.

“The bond is nothing but a mistake,” he said flatly. “I reject you, Aria Blackwood. Here and now.”

The words shattered me.

The mate bond snapped, tearing through my soul like claws raking across raw flesh. Selene screamed, her wail echoing in my mind, a sound of pure grief and pain. My knees buckled, the room spinning violently.

“No!” I gasped, clutching my chest as agony ripped me apart from the inside, the pain was searing and overwhelming 

"No please!!!" I begged as I felt the last snap of the bond break, I howled with paid and cradled and bleeding heart which was shattered.

But Damien didn’t flinch. He didn’t move.

He just stood there, tall and unyielding, watching me break.

---

I crumpled to the floor, every nerve alight with pain. My wolf clawed against my skin, desperate to reach him, desperate to mend the bond that he had torn apart without hesitation.

“Get up,” he ordered coldly. “You’re embarrassing yourself.”

Laughter bubbled from Serena’s throat, high and victorious.

“See? Even the Alpha knows your place.”

Maya dropped to her knees beside me, wrapping her arms around my trembling body. “Aria, breathe! Please, breathe!”

I gasped, choking on sobs, my vision swimming with tears. Every beat of my heart felt wrong now, broken, hollow.

I forced myself to look up at him, even through the haze of pain. 

“Why?” My voice cracked, raw and desperate. “Why would you—?”

His gaze was like ice. “Because you are nothing I want in a mate. Weak. Ordinary. Forgettable. The Goddess must have erred.”

His words sliced deeper than claws.

Around us, whispers spread like wildfire. Pity. Scorn. Curiosity.

I wanted to disappear. I wanted to crawl into the floor and never be seen again.

I couldn't breathe, the world was spinning from beneath me, I could only head voices, 

..All my life I've been bullied and compared to other girls, I was never good enough 

Even for my mate..

I wouldn’t let him destroy me.

Not forever.

I sucked in a ragged breath, forcing strength into my trembling voice. “You may reject me, Alpha,” I whispered, “but I will not be broken. The Moon Goddess makes no mistakes. Someday you’ll see that.”

His expression didn’t change, but something flickered in his icy gaze — annoyance? Amusement? I couldn’t tell.

“Take her away,” he ordered, dismissing me as though I were nothing more than a nuisance.

Maya helped me to my feet, her arms strong around me, guiding me out of the ballroom. My father moved to follow, but Damien’s cold voice stopped him.

“She is not your concern tonight, Beta Jonathan. Return to your duties.”

My father froze, torn between duty and love, but he obeyed. My heart broke all over again, I saw my mother crying and clutching her chest.

As Maya led me out into the cool night air, I staggered, clutching my chest. Selene whimpered weakly, her once-bright presence dimming.

“Aria,” Maya whispered, tears in her eyes. “I’m so sorry.”

I lifted my gaze to the moon above, tears streaming down my face.

“He can reject me,” I whispered to the night, my voice trembling but fierce. “But I won’t reject myself. One day… one day I’ll rise from this. Stronger. And he’ll regret ever casting me aside.”

The Goddess was listening. I knew she was.

And though my heart lay in ruins, though my wolf cried in agony, I clung to that vow.

Because it was all I had left.

*****