Chapter One: The rejection

Today was the day. The day Zane, the heir, would be crowned Alpha of the Blood Moon Pack, following his father's passing. It was also the day he would likely find his mate. A shiver ran down Maya's spine, a mix of fear and resignation.

Maya was a weak omega, the most looked down upon in the pack. As the beta's daughter, she carried a double burden: the shame of her low status and the pressure to uphold her family's honor. She always avoided gatherings, preferring the solitude of the forest to the judging eyes of the pack members.

But today was different. Everyone was required to be present. The coronation was a sacred event, a display of unity and strength. There was no escaping it.

"Maya, make sure you attend the ceremony, and don't disgrace us," her father instructed, his voice stern and devoid of warmth. He didn't meet her gaze as he spoke, preoccupied with his duties.

Maya nodded silently, her heart sinking. How could she not disgrace them? She was an omega, weak and insignificant. Her mere presence was an embarrassment.

---

As she made her way to the ceremony, she couldn't shake the feeling of impending doom. What if Zane were her mate? Would he reject her in front of the entire pack? The thought sent a wave of nausea through her, making her steps falter.

Maya's mind echoed with bitter thoughts. "You're delusional, and maybe even the Moon Goddess is for making you weak." She mocked herself, the words tasting like acid on her tongue. She forced a dark chuckle, but it caught in her throat. Lana whimpered in her head, sensing the pain behind Maya's words.

She continued walking absent-mindedly till she got to the Alpha hall and met a large crowd there. She heaved a sigh of relief, grateful that no one would notice her enough to bully her.

Soon an uproar erupted signifying the entrance of the new Alpha. Everybody stood up to pay respect, but Maya was restless. She was perceiving a faint delicious scent that was pulling her against her will. The closer the scent, the more the pull. She began running towards the front and she heard a loud growl too. That was when she realised the Alpha was running towards her too.

Her heart leapt with hope, but nothing prepared her for what was to come next.

Zane stopped in front of her. She expected him to engulf her in a warm embrace and claim her there in the front of the pack and end her sufferings, but that was far from being the case.

"I, Zane, the Alpha of the Blood Moon Pack, hereby reject you, Maya, as my mate," he said, earning a gasp from the pack members.

Maya held her chest, gasping for air. I never knew rejection hurts this much, she thought. She looked in his eyes hoping he would take his word back, but nothing of such happened. Instead, he grabbed her neck.

"I command you to accept the rejection, Amaya," he said, calling her full name.

"I... I accept the rejection," Maya said, tears glistening in her eyes, voice quivering. He released his hold roughly, walking away without sparing a glance.

He walked back to the podium and began addressing the crowd like nothing had happened. Maya couldn’t lift her head. She sat on the floor, head bent, and tears poured down like a flood.

"Everyone, I have an announcement to make," Zane said, making her head snap up. He could feel her burning stare, but he didn’t flinch.

"Zara is my fiancée and your future Luna," he said, stretching his hands to Zara. She took them, climbing up the podium. "Pay her some respect," he added, and all the members growled in unison.

He chooses my sister over me because she is the strongest female in the pack, Maya murmured with a feeling of emptiness.

She stood up, running out of the place with no destination in mind, allowing Lana to take over.

The cool night wind was howling softly when Maya reached outside. The moon was in the middle of the sky, like a reassurance from the Moon Goddess that all would be well, but Maya had no time to pay attention to that.

Lana was in control, so she kept on running. She didn't know when she crossed the pack’s territory. The sound of guttural growls made her pause. She turned around to see a huge wolf and her heart skipped. She was bracing to fight it, vowing to go down fighting, but six more wolves came out of the bush snarling.

From their looks, she could tell they were rogues. The leader had a scary scar beneath his left eye, making her shrink in fear.

"Hey, little pretty," the leader said. But Maya couldn’t respond.

He started coming towards her, and she was also shifting backward.

"Be calm and let’s have fun, or else I will force you," he said with a warning snarl.

"She looks so delicate," another chirped in, and others laughed in mockery.

"Stay away from me, y'all," Maya screamed, tears streaming down her face and her voice hoarse.

"You choose the hard way, girl," the leader said, and Maya began running. She’d rather die than allow these rogues to defile her.

Her legs wobbled, her strength was failing her, and the rogues were already closing up on her. She could hear their grunts. She picked up a large piece of wood and hurled it towards them. It hit one of them, and a loud howl escaped his lips as he fell, grunting. He couldn't continue, so he remained lying on the ground.

Maya kept looking back while running. She couldn't see the piece of wood on the ground. She stumbled on it and fell down. Her toe stung, she could feel the sting in her brain, and she couldn't stand up.

"If today is the day I'm destined to die, so be it," she said, closing her eyes, awaiting death.

She could hear their approaching footsteps and her heart slammed in rhythm with the sound of their footsteps.

"I warned you to let me do it the easy way, but you are proving stubborn," he said in a menacing tone.

Maya lay still, not moving.

"Not only will I have you, my partners will have you. After we are done with you, I will kill you myself," he said, making Maya shudder.

He grabbed the hem of her dress, trying to tear it off, but Maya held it too, refusing to let go. In anger, he sank his teeth into her lap.

"Arrgggghhh!" she screamed her lungs out in agony.

"Moon Goddess, save me this once, please," she pleaded, staring at the moon.

Soon a loud growl echoed, shaking the forest, and a huge beautiful white wolf stormed there with fury in his emerald eyes. Four other wolves were behind him. They were good-looking too, but not like the white one. He looked unique.

He lunged at the rogue leader, tearing his limbs with his teeth. The other wolves faced the remaining five rogues, and soon growling and the slashing of teeth against skin filled the air. Maya’s eyes were wide open, watching everything.

Two rogues went down dead, while the others fled on sensing they were no match for the wolves. The rogue leader lay motionless on the ground, eyes frozen in death.

The white wolf shifted to his human form, and his partner handed him some clothes to put on.

He hurriedly walked up to Maya. "Hey, are you okay? You seem to have lost a lot of blood," he said, concern edged on his face. He tore off his shirt, tying the bleeding spot with it.

Maya stared at the huge handsome man and was grateful for his help.

"Are you the Moon Goddess’ brother? Please tell your sister she hasn’t been fair to me," Maya said softly before everything went black.