Chapter three: The Rejection.

Evans' POV

The cold air of the pack clunged to my skin as I stepped out of Kian’s chamber, my trembling legs struggling to make its way on the ground, my heart heavier than its normal. The scent of our night together still glued to my skin, mixing with the faint traces of his intoxicating scent that connected us. But there was no warmth left. Only an unbearable and painful hollowness gnawed deep inside of me.

He commanded me to leave.  

No remorse. No hesitation. Just a cruel command that required immediate response, as if what we shared was absurd.

The venom of his rejection wasn't immediate—it infiltrated slowly, creeping into my bones as I walked through the silent passages of the packhouse. My fingers clutched at the hem of my clothes, my body throbbing from his touch, my soul shrieking for the mate who had already dismissed me in disdain.

“Why didn't he mark me?” Liesendra whimpered inside of me, her presence weak and concerned.

I was always aware of Kian’s past—his acts were whispered about in the pack and I was foolish to ever believe that mine would be a different story. But he is my fated mate. That should have meant something valuable and important to him.

Yet, to him, I was just another fish in the bait.

I stepped outside, the cold morning chill cascading on my skin, and I inhaled sharply, reeling myself through the event between I and Kian, holding back the tears threatening to spill on my face. I refused to cry for him. Not now.

  

The familiar scent of earth furred my senses as I made my way to the omega quarters, a place I had desperately placed in my mind of not returning.

But I was left with no choice.

My momentary escape had been thwarted.

The strong scent of oppression and brutality filled me the moment I opened the door to the dimly lit kitchen where the slaves worked tirelessly. The clatter of dishes, the bubbling sound of cooking stew in the big pot, and the whisper conversations that filled the space. I had barely taken a bold step inside when I was interrupted by a familiar voice.

  

“You stupid Evans, where the heck have you been all this while?”

Chief Kim.  

I turned slowly, my body already reeling from its turmoil. The older woman stood in the middle of the kitchen, arms crossed, her eyes shot at me like a bullet.

“The garden still looks very dirty, and the dishes are dirty. Do you think your absence can be stealth?” Her voice carried an edge of disgust.

“I….I’m really sorry Chief,” I said, trying to maintain a low voice as I bowed my head, forcing the budge in my throat down my gut.

  

“You better be sorry for your stupid self,” she snapped. “You think just because you warmed the Alpha's bed, you are above the slave rules?”

A few gasps and whispers filled the kitchen. My skin burned with humiliation.

She knew. They all knew.  

The reality hit me like a blow, sending a shock down my spine. Did Kian not even bother to be discreet? Did he parade me as other omegas he used as a bait for his satisfaction?

“Get to work immediately.” Chief Kim’s commanding voice was clipped and dismissive.  

I held my pride and moved hesitantly towards the sink, ignoring the whispers as I soaked my hands into the soapy water. The warmth of the water did little to soothe my trembling fingers. I scrubbed, losing myself in the repetitive motion, trying to remove the pain threatening to take over me.

But my mind wouldn’t let go.

Kian’s hands on my skin. His cock inside me. His moans. The manner he held me as if I mattered—only to trash me like a paper.

A sharp pain sent me back to reality. I gasped for breath, looking down to see blood seeping through my palm. The knife I had been washing had made a cut on my skin.

The room went silent as my breath hitched.  

Then it happened.  

A sudden warmth suffused through me. Not from the cut, but from something that seemed familiar. Something primal and instinctual. Liesendra stirred violently in my chest, her sadness turning into feverish excitement.

I knew this feeling.  

He was here.  

Before I could process it, a familiar voice spoke from behind me.  

“What happened to you?”  

My spine stiffened at the sound of Alpha Kian’s voice. It was softer than before, a hint of concern lacing his words, but I didn’t dare look at him.  

  

I hurriedly turned towards him, placing my hands to my back as I clenched my fist to halt the bleeding, refusing to let him see my pain.

“It’s nothing,” I said, trying to steady my already quivering and frightened voice.

I could feel his piercing silver eyes pressing against my skin. The bond flared between us, alive, demanding, but he saw it as absurd—just as he had ignored me earlier this morning.

The silence grew between us as though we were the only one's in the kitchen

Then he sighed. “If you say so.”  

Just like that, he turned to leave.  

My heart clenched. Is that it?

No apology. No explanation. No persisting.

Nothing.  

I bit my lip, steadying my tears at bay as I forced my legs to motion, to pretend that his presence didn't affect me.

But just as he reached the door, his voice held me in my tracks.  

“By the way, Evans, you’re invited to the Lunar Convergence Ceremony tonight.”  

I froze.  

Slowly, I raised my head to look at him.  

The Lunar Convergence? The sacred night where mates were revealed before the entire pack? Omegas were never allowed anywhere near the ceremony—except as servers.  

Yet Kian was inviting me.  

Was this it? Was this the moment he would finally announce me as his fated mate and Luna?  

“I’ll send my Beta to bring you something good to wear. Not those rag of yours ,” he added, his voice impassive before he disappeared through the door, leaving me in a fog of confusion.  

For the first time since I left his chamber, hope came alive in my chest.  

Maybe—just maybe—the Moon Goddess had her plans and will. 

********

The dress arrived later in the afternoon.  

A beautiful royal blue gown, the exact reflection of the moon on a clear night, with delicate and exquisite embroidery that gleamed under the candlelight. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever owned for myself.

I am eighteen today. A day I finally find my solace in the hands of my lovely fated mate. The Alpha of this great pack.

My fingers running over the fabric, unable to halt the small smile that tugged at my lips. This wasn't a dream.

Tonight, my life would take a good turn.

Dressed in the gown, my hair cascading over my shoulders, I made my way to the grand hall. The sight in front of me exhibiting its sleekness over me—crystal chandeliers hung high, golden ribbons wrapping the hall elegantly, and the aroma of natural roses filled the air.

It was beautiful.

My heart raced as my eyes scanned the crowd for Kian. And then, I saw him. 

Manned in a regal golden colour suit, he stood at the middle of the hall, his authoritative presence commanding as usual. Liesendra leaping for joy within me making the butterflies in my belly to awaken.

Then he spoke his first words.  

“I, Alpha Kian Silverstein, leader of the Dawnshade pack, stand before you tonight as tradition demands. The time has come for me to choose me to bring to the pack m my fated mate and Luna.”  

A hush fell over the room.  

My hands trembled at my sides in anticipation.

And then—  

“I call upon Miss Evans Blackthorn to step to the centre of the hall.”  

The murmurs were instant.  

“An omega?”

  

“There is a mistake somewhere!”

“She can’t be Luna!”

I ignored them, stepping forward, my heart thundering in my chest. This was it. This was—  

I tried to ignore them, making my way to where Kian stood, my heart race becoming primal. This was it. This was—

“This is to openely and officially announce to the pack of Dawnshade that I, Alpha Kian Silverstein, reject you, Evans Blackthorn, as my mate and Luna of this pack.”

The world spinned as though it was rapture.  

Whispers grew in the air, but I became more defiant to them. My breath caught in my throat, my knees threatening to fail as the rejection hit me with large force.

“But… but… we’re fated mates,” I whispered, my voice budging.

Kian’s silver eyes remained cold. “The Moon Goddess made a mistake.”  

A malicious grin sounded beside him. Amelia Christensen, my best friend—the girl I had trusted.  

“And I officially accept Amelia Christensen here as my Luna.”  

The final blow.  

The bomb of pain exploded in my chest, an unbearable agony that blurred my vision.

Amelia moved closer to me, her voice a whisper only me was audible to.

“You have been nothing but a pawn in my game. And if you stand in my way, Evans, I will kill you.”  

Her lips curled into a smirk.  

And just like that, my world ended.