Rejected

"Reject her."

The words shattered Seraphina's world.

The Great Hall fell silent.

Hundreds of wolves stood frozen beneath the crystal chandeliers, their shocked gazes darting between the Alpha King and the trembling young woman standing before him.

Seraphina couldn't breathe.

Her heart pounded violently against her ribs as she stared at the man she loved.

The man the Moon Goddess had chosen for her.

Her mate.

Killian Blackthorne.

Alpha King of the Northern Territories.

The most powerful wolf alive.

And the man currently looking at her as though she were nothing.

"Killian..." Her voice cracked. "What are you saying?"

Not long ago, she had dreamed of this day.

She had imagined standing beside him before the entire kingdom.

Not as a servant.

Not as an orphan.

But as his mate.

His Luna.

His equal.

Instead, she stood alone beneath the judgmental stares of the pack.

Humiliated.

Terrified.

Broken.

Killian's silver eyes remained cold.

Emotionless.

"Did I stutter?"

The cruelty in his voice felt like a knife twisting in her chest.

Gasps echoed throughout the hall.

Even the Elders looked uneasy.

Seraphina felt tears burning her eyes.

"No."

She shook her head desperately.

"This isn't right. The Moon Goddess chose us. You felt the bond too."

For a brief second, something flickered in Killian's expression.

Pain.

Regret.

Then it vanished.

"I reject Seraphina Ashbourne as my mate."

The bond exploded.

Agony ripped through her soul.

Seraphina screamed.

Her knees slammed into the marble floor as unbearable pain tore through every part of her being.

It felt as though her heart was being ripped from her chest.

The room spun.

Her wolf howled in despair.

Around her, wolves lowered their heads.

Some out of pity.

Others out of shame.

Nobody dared intervene.

Nobody challenged the Alpha King.

Tears streamed down Seraphina's face.

"Why?" she whispered.

The question hung heavily in the air.

Killian looked away.

The movement hurt more than the rejection itself.

Because it meant he couldn't even bear to look at her.

Then a woman's voice cut through the silence.

"I think we all know why."

Seraphina's stomach dropped.

Lady Selene Thorn stepped forward from the crowd.

Beautiful.

Elegant.

Cruel.

A smug smile curved her lips.

"You should tell them the truth, Seraphina."

Confusion rippled through the hall.

"What truth?" someone asked.

Selene's smile widened.

"That she's a traitor."

The room erupted.

Seraphina stared in disbelief.

"What?"

Selene produced a bundle of letters.

"My guards discovered these hidden in her quarters."

Killian's jaw tightened.

The letters were handed to the Elders.

One by one, their expressions darkened.

"No..." Seraphina whispered.

She had never seen those letters before.

"Those aren't mine."

Nobody listened.

The accusations came quickly.

Spying.

Treason.

Conspiring with rogues.

Betraying the Crown.

Every lie struck harder than the last.

Seraphina looked desperately toward Killian.

Toward the man she loved.

The man who knew her.

The man who should have defended her.

Instead, he remained silent.

That silence destroyed her.

More completely than the rejection ever could.

"You believe this?" she asked softly.

Killian's eyes met hers.

For one terrible moment.

Then he looked away.

And Seraphina knew.

Whether he believed the lies or not no longer mattered.

He had already chosen.

"Exile her."

The order echoed through the hall.

The crowd gasped.

Exile.

The Rogue Lands.

A death sentence.

Tears blurred Seraphina's vision.

Her heart shattered completely.

Yet somehow, she found the strength to stand.

Slowly.

Painfully.

She lifted her chin.

If this was the end, she would not beg.

Not anymore.

Her gaze locked onto Killian's.

One last time.

"I hope," she said quietly, "that one day you learn what it feels like to lose everything."

For the first time, genuine emotion flashed across his face.

But it was too late.

The guards seized her arms.

The doors opened.

Cold wind howled through the hall.

And as Seraphina was dragged toward exile, she pressed a trembling hand against her stomach.

A secret no one knew.

Not even Killian.

A secret that would change everything.

Because she wasn't leaving alone.

She was carrying the Alpha King's child.