Chapter 3

_Leah's POV_

I ran as fast as I could, the cold night air biting against my skin. I didn’t care where I was going—I just needed to get away. My legs felt weak, but I kept moving until I reached my room and slammed the door behind me. I collapsed onto my bed, burying my face in the pillow, and let the tears flow freely. Everything inside me was breaking, the pain from the rejection still raw and burning in my chest.

Why? Why had the Moon Goddess paired me with Kayden of all people? She could have given me anyone—another omega, someone who would have loved me for who I was. But no, she had chosen the Alpha. The one person who would never accept me. He had rejected me, publicly humiliated me in front of the entire pack, and now I was left with nothing.

I sobbed into the pillow, my body trembling as the reality of it all sank in. I had heard stories of wolves who found second-chance mates, but they were so rare. The chances of me finding another mate were slim to none. No one would want an omega who had already been rejected. My life felt hopeless, and the weight of that truth crushed me.

As I lay there, exhausted from crying, I heard a knock at the door. I ignored it, not wanting to face anyone. Whoever it was, they could go away. I didn’t want to talk. Not now. But the knocking continued.

I groaned and slowly got up, dragging myself toward the door. When I opened it, my heart sank. Selena stood there with a cruel smile on her lips.

“Well, well,” she said, her voice dripping with satisfaction. “I thought I would come by and check on you. After all, it’s not every day that a lowly omega gets rejected in front of the whole pack.”

I stayed silent, my eyes red and puffy from crying. I didn’t have the energy to argue with her, to fight back. She had already won. There was no point.

Selena stepped closer, her eyes gleaming with malice. “Did you really think Kayden would choose you over me? You? An omega? You should have known better. He was always mine, Leah. He’ll never leave me, not for someone like you.”

I bit my lip, trying to keep my emotions in check. Every word she said felt like a dagger twisting deeper into my heart. I wanted to scream at her, to tell her to leave me alone, but I couldn’t. I just didn’t have the strength.

Selena’s expression darkened when she saw that I wasn’t responding. “What? No words? Nothing to say? You really are pathetic, Leah.” She moved closer and grabbed a fistful of my hair, yanking it hard. “Maybe I need to teach you a lesson about staying in your place.”

I gasped in pain, my scalp burning as she pulled harder. “Stop… Selena, let go,” I whispered, trying to free myself from her grip, but she only laughed, twisting my hair more painfully.

“You think you can tell me what to do?” she spat. “You don’t deserve to even speak to me!”

Something inside me snapped. I had endured enough. I couldn’t take her cruelty anymore. Without thinking, I grabbed her hand and twisted her wrist, forcing her to let go of my hair. She yelped in surprise, but I didn’t stop there. I kicked her hard in the stomach, sending her stumbling backward. She lost her balance, and as she fell, her nose hit the edge of the doorframe with a sickening crack. Blood poured from her nose, and she screamed in pain.

Within seconds, Kayden came rushing down the hallway, his eyes wide with fury. He ran to Selena’s side, helping her to her feet. She clutched her nose, still bleeding, and glared at me with venom in her eyes.

“She attacked me!” Selena wailed. “She grabbed my hair and threw me into the door! Look what she did to my face!”

Kayden’s expression darkened as he turned to me. “How dare you touch my mate?” he growled, his voice low and dangerous.

My heart raced. “Kayden, I didn’t—she started it! She was pulling my hair, and I just… I just wanted her to stop.”

But he wasn’t listening. His eyes were filled with anger and disgust as he stepped toward me. “I knew you would be jealous after the rejection, but I didn’t think you would stoop this low, Leah. Hurting my mate? Do you have any idea what you have done?”

“I didn’t mean to hurt her!” I pleaded, desperation creeping into my voice. “She attacked me first! I just—”

“Enough!” Kayden’s voice thundered through the hallway, silencing me instantly. “I don’t want to hear your excuses. You have crossed the line, Leah.”

Tears filled my eyes as I looked at him, trying to make him understand. “Please, Kayden… she was hurting me…”

He shook his head. “Guards!” he shouted, and two guards immediately appeared. “Take her to the cellar.”

The cellar. My blood ran cold at his words. The cellar was a dark, damp place where disobedient pack members were thrown for punishment. It was a place of isolation, where no one could hear you, where no one cared what happened to you. I had heard the stories. I had never imagined I would end up there.

“Kayden, no, please…” I begged, my voice trembling with fear. “Don’t do this. Please, I didn’t....”

But it was too late. The guards grabbed my arms roughly and began dragging me down the hallway. I struggled against them, my heart pounding in terror, but they were too strong. I glanced back at Kayden, hoping for some sign of mercy, but he didn’t even look at me. He had already turned his back.

As the guards dragged me away, I could still hear Selena’s mocking laughter echoing in my ears. I had lost everything—my mate, my dignity, and now my freedom. I didn’t know how long I would be in the cellar, but I knew one thing for sure: I was truly alone.

They led me down the stone stairs, the air growing colder and damper with each step. The cellar was as horrible as I had imagined—dark, cold, and filled with the stench of mildew. The guards shoved me into a small, damp room with no windows and slammed the door shut behind me.

I collapsed onto the cold stone floor, my heart aching in my chest. The rejection had been painful enough, but this? This was unbearable. I had never felt so broken, so completely lost. I didn’t know how much more I could take.