THE ALPHA KING'S REJECTED MATE (TO BE OR NOT TO BE)

POV Mara

"Repeat that again for me."

The words came out before I could stop them.

The entire hall fell silent.

Hundreds of wolves surrounded the dais, all in their packs' colors. Silver banners fluttered from the great pillars, and the crescent moon hanging above the throne pulsed with an almost sentient glow.

A single figure was imprinted into my vision.

Damian Blackthorn.

The Alpha King.

His mate.

He loomed over me, a good few feet taller in his ceremonial dark clothes, his face as cold as the winter moon.

Our eyes locked.

A heartbeat of recognition.

A flash of something like shock.

Pure, undiluted fear.

Then he turned his face away. A mask of indifference slid back into place,

"I reject you as my mate."

My heart frozen, a murmur of shock swept through the crowd.

A wave of nausea rolled over me. The tight pressure in my chest intensified with every beat of my heart - the mate bond magic clamping down with white-hot force.

This wasn't how it was supposed to be. Not at all

A lifetime of dreams whirled past my eyes, mixing in a chaotic blur.

Finding my mate. A kind smile. Warmth. Acceptance. Not this - not the sneering disdain of the most powerful man in the land.

"I-"

"You what? You don't even really know me, do you, Mara?"

The whisper of someone's name slithered through the silence.

Mara Vale.

The worthless little lamb from the outskirts, the forgotten filial stray. The nobody who had risen high enough to catch the eye of the throne - but fallen just as fast.

My knees shook as I dropped my eyes.

Then it happened

The moonstone pendant hanging from my neck grew warm.

It burned against my skin, and I absently traced its edge with a fingertip.

My mother's pendant.

The artifact she'd left me before vanishing into history's mist.

Damian went rigid.

His eyes dropped to the amulet. For the first time since our eyes met, his carefully constructed mask slipped.

"You..."

He couldn't seem to form words.

"What?"

I stared up at him, confusion warring with something else, something deeper in my gut that had nothing to do with the sudden heat in my veins

"Where did you get that?" His voice was barely more than a rasp. A king's command tangled up with something else entirely - a desperate need that didn't quite make sense.

I curled my fingers around the pendant.

"It was my mother's."

A flicker of something shot across his face so fast I could have sworn I imagined it.

"What was her name?"

"What?"

"You know her name." The tremor in his voice deepened. "Tell me."

I swallowed.

"Elara."

Damian reeled backward as if I'd slapped him.

"What was her name?"

"Why do you ask?" I asked.

"Mara."

The name was practically ripped from him.

"What does it matter?" I asked

He was staring at something only I could see.

His whole body had gone tense.

"Mara."

"I'm right here."

Damian didn't respond. Not right away.

"Come with me," he said abruptly. "You need to leave."

Two royal guards stepped forward to escort me out.

I held his gaze.

"You knew her.

"Excuse me?"

"I said you knew her." I took a step closer.

"Her name was Elara." I hissed. "Now stop holding your breath, Damian, because I'm in no mood for games."

Suddenly, his mouth stretched into a mirthless smile.

The blood drained from my face.

No.

It couldn't be

"Did you just call me... Damian?"

His hands closed into fists.

"What is this about your mother?"

A gust of wind whipped my hair across my face. I blinked rapidly, pushing the tears of confusion from my eyes.

"I don't know what this is, but it makes absolutely no sense!"

As I spoke the words, a sharp pang of pain hit my ribs.

The moonstone pulsed against my chest, and Damian's eyes went wide.

Wait

He opened his mouth

It was too late. The pendant was already igniting beneath my touch, and a single word escaped the alpha king's lips.

Moonborn.