Rejected by the alpha, chosen by Destiny

The market was chaotic, wolves bustling through the dirt roads, merchants shouting about fresh meat and rare spices, the scent of roasted venison and freshly baked bread filling the air. But beneath all the liveliness, there was an unspoken hierarchy.

And Amara?

She was at the very bottom of it.

An omega, the lowest rank, the unwanted, the invisible. But today, she was very visible.

Because today, they had decided to entertain themselves with her misery.

Laughter rang through the air as a rotten apple smashed against the side of her face.

She stumbled, gripping the rough edge of her basket as jeers erupted around her.

"Clumsy little rat!" someone cackled.

"Bet she's only good for scrubbing floors!"

"Or warming beds!"

Her cheeks burned, not just from the impact, but from the sheer humiliation. She had been minding her business, just trying to get a few scraps of bread when a group of warriors-in-training decided she was their new source of amusement.

Amara clenched her fists around the basket straps. She should ignore them. Just keep walking. Don't react.

But the moment she took another step, someone shoved her from behind.

Her foot caught on a jagged stone, and she crashed hard into the dirt. The contents of her basket, her only meal for the day, scattered onto the ground.

The laughter doubled.

"Pathetic."

"You're worse than a rogue. At least rogues fight back!"

A boot pressed down on her wrist, making her flinch.

She looked up and met the cruel smirk of one of the pack guards, his sharp, dark eyes gleaming with amusement.

"Maybe she just needs to be tamed," he murmured, glancing at his companions. "What do you think, boys? And omega like her must be desperate for some attention."

A few others chuckled. Another warrior leaned in. "I heard omegas are extra obedient. Maybe we should test that out."

Amara's blood ran cold.

Her heart pounded, but she forced herself to glare at them. "Get off me."

"Feisty," the guard grinned, pressing down harder. "I like it when they fight back."

Fear gripped her chest. She was alone. No one would step in to help. No one would care.

Until a sharp voice cut through the noise.

"Move. Now."

The boot immediately lifted from Amara's wrist as the crowd went dead silent.

Everyone turned, eyes widening as a young woman strode forward, confident, powerful, and utterly untouchable.

Elena Hawthorne.

The Beta's daughter.

Unlike Amara, Elena was respected, her bloodline noble, her father second only to the Alpha. She was everything Amara wasn't. But she was also the only person who had ever cared.

Her fiery red hair was pulled back in a tight braid, her piercing green eyes flashing with anger as she stepped between Amara and the guards.

"Are you deaf?" Elena's voice was cold as steel. "I said move."

The guard hesitated. "Elena, we were just-"

"Harassing an omega for fun?" she cut in sharply. "Real impressive. What next? Kicking pups?"

A few warriors shifted uncomfortably. Others still looked defiant.

Elena crossed her arms. "Or maybe you'd rather explain to my father why you're wasting time attacking an unarmed girl instead of actually training?"

That did it.

The guards backed off, grumbling under their breath.

Elena waited until they disappeared before turning to Amara, her expression softening.

"Come on," she said gently, offering her hand. "Let's get out of here."

Amara hesitated. She wasn't used to kindness.

But Elena?

She had been different ever since the day Amara saved her life, a day no one else had cared to remember.

So Amara took her hand.

And for the first time that day, she felt a little less invisible.

Inside Elena's private chambers, Amara finally let herself breathe.

The luxurious room was everything her own life wasn't warm, safe, and filled with things she'd never have.

Elena handed her a plate of food, and Amara hesitated before accepting it.

"You don't have to do this," Amara muttered.

Elena rolled her eyes. "And you don't have to keep acting like you deserve to be treated like dirt."

Amara lowered her gaze, picking at the bread.

Elena sighed, sitting across from her. "Forget those idiots. Tomorrow's going to be different."

Amara blinked. "Tomorrow?"

Elena grinned. "My birthday. The festival. You know, the day I finally find my mate?" She sighed dramatically. "I hope he's handsome. And rich. That would be nice."

Amara forced a smile. "I'm happy for you."

"You don't sound happy."

Amara hesitated.

Because tomorrow was her birthday, too.

Which meant she would find her mate as well.

But unlike Elena, Amara had no dreams of a fairy tale ending.

What kind of mate would want a worthless omega?

No one.

She had no illusions.

Tomorrow would change everything for Elena.

But for Amara?

It would just be another reminder that she would always be alone.

Meanwhile, in the grand council chambers of the Bloodfang Pack, Kieran leaned back in his chair, bored out of his mind as the Elders droned on.

His father's voice was firm. "You will choose wisely, Kieran."

Kieran smirked lazily. "I always do."

Elder Garrick scoffed. "You need a strong Luna. If your mate is weak, reject her."

Kieran's smirk widened. "Weak wolves don't survive in my pack."

The Elders nodded in approval.

None of them knew that fate had already sealed his bond.

And tomorrow, he would meet the one person he was never supposed to be tied to.

Lena ran a golden brush through her hair, admiring her reflection in her vanity mirror.

"Tomorrow's the day," she murmured to herself.

Her maid, Rose, nodded hesitantly. "You're sure Alpha Kieran will choose you?"

Lena's eyes glinted dangerously.

"Of course he will."

She had spent years making sure of it.

And if fate dared to choose someone else?

Well.

She would simply have to correct that mistake.

The next day, everything changed.

Amara had tried to stay away from the festival, away from the wolves finding their mates, away from disappointment. Away from Elena's birthday party.

But something had other plans.

A strong wind suddenly roared through the air, wrapping around her like a vice. Her breath hitched as her feet moved against her will, her body drawn forward, toward something, toward someone.

Toward the Bloodfang Pack's festival grounds.

And at the center of it all stood Kieran Valhan, the powerful, untouchable Alpha.

Their eyes locked.

And in that moment, the world stopped.

Kieran's expression froze.

Because standing before him...

Was his mate.

An omega.

The lowest rank.

The one thing he could never accept.

Fate had betrayed him.