Fractured Mate

The sky above MoonClaw Pack looked like someone had spilled blue ink and glitter all over it. Lanterns hung everywhere, bobbing in the breeze, tossing light across the birch trees and making the courtyard look-honestly?-like a scene straight out of a fairy tale, if fairy tales had barbecue smoke and a bunch of sweaty werewolves. They were celebrating the warriors coming back from taking down some rogues. Everyone was laughing, someone was absolutely murdering the drums, and the air? Forget about breathing, it was just wall-to-wall roasted meat and herbs.

But Evangeline Draven-Eva to her actual friends-wasn't really feeling the party vibes.

Tonight was her nineteenth birthday. Big deal, right? Except, for werewolves, it kind of was. Tonight was "find your mate" night. Supposedly magical, but Eva mostly felt her heart doing that annoying fluttering thing. Not because she was excited. Not really. Her heart was a mess anyway, always had been-a busted, traitorous piece of garbage that made every day feel like walking a tightrope. But tonight, she was hoping for something different. Like maybe, just maybe, she'd find the person who was supposed to love her, broken parts and all.

"Eva!" Hann's voice cut through the noise, and thank the Moon Goddess for her. Hann was basically her ride-or-die, the only one who didn't treat her like she was about to fall over dead at any second. Hann pushed through the crowd, braid swinging, grinning like she owned the place.

"You look like you fell out of a legend," Hann said, dusting off Eva's dress in a way that was more for show than anything. "Not like the girl with the cursed heart."

Eva snorted. "You're gonna jinx it, you know. Maybe the Moon Goddess will throw me a bone for once."

"You deserve it."

Maybe. Eva chewed her lip, eyes sliding over to the platform where the big man himself was supposed to show up-Alpha Kieran Cross. Youngest Alpha ever, yadda yadda, everyone acted like he was some kind of werewolf superhero. Whispers went around that he could kill a rogue just by looking at him funny. The guy had that vibe, sure-dark, intense, the kind of dude you'd cross the street to avoid, but also, like, hot. Stupidly hot, if she was being honest. And yeah, maybe a tiny, traitorous part of her hoped he was her mate. Ridiculous, right?

The music faded out, everyone straightened up like soldiers, and then-boom, there he was. Kieran, all in black, stepping out of the shadows with his warriors behind him, looking like he owned the moon itself. His eyes were sharp enough to cut glass, and when he scanned the crowd, Eva felt like a mouse in front of a really good-looking hawk.

Then he saw her.

Everything stopped. Her heart tripped, then forgot how to work entirely. He looked right at her-eyes narrowing, jaw clenched-and for a second, she couldn't breathe. It felt like the whole world pressed in on her, hot and heavy, and for the first time ever, her wolf actually woke up. Like, hey, what's up, you're alive.

Mate.

That single word crashed through her like a wrecking ball.

Kieran's nostrils flared. He started walking straight toward her. The crowd parted like he was Moses and they were the Red Sea or whatever. Silence fell, everyone watching.

She shook, honestly seconds away from ugly-crying. After everything, all the pain, the whispers, the feeling like a walking cautionary tale-here it was. Her mate. The real deal.

"Kieran..." she managed, looking up at him. He was a solid wall of unreadable, cold perfection.

And then he said it. "I reject you."

It punched the breath out of her. Her knees went jelly.

"I, Alpha Kieran Cross of MoonClaw, reject you, Evangeline Draven, as my mate."

The crowd gasped. Like, actual audible gasps. So dramatic.

"No..." The word barely made it past her lips. "You can't."

Kieran didn't even flinch. "I need a Luna strong enough to stand beside me. Not a burden."

Wow. Just, wow. Like her heart needed another crack in it.

Kieran turned, didn't even bother to look back, and headed for the stage. Ariella Moon-the blonde from Red Dawn Pack, the one who looked like she belonged on a perfume ad-wrapped herself around his arm like she'd been waiting for this exact moment. He held her hand up, all proud.

"This is my mate," he announced.

The crowd went nuts.