Her Scarred Alpha Currently R

The crowd gathered under the silver glow of the full moon, their murmurs echoing like whispers of doom in my little ears.

 My heart pounded against my chest so loudly, I was sure everyone could hear it. This was supposed to be the most magical night of my life - the night I'd shift for the first time and meet my fated mate.

But something in the air felt wrong. Very wrong.

I stood at the edge of the circle, trembling in my thin dress, barefoot in the snow-covered clearing. The cold bit into my skin, but nothing compared to the icy dread crawling down my spine.

My name was Aria Nightshade - the omega no one wanted, the girl the pack forgot until they needed someone to scrub floors or bleed. I was always the least choice in everything.

Yet, tonight, they were all watching. Watching with so much disgust on their faces.

Because tonight, fate would bind me to my mate.

And fate, as always, hated me. I was so unlucky when it came to fate.

The elders began the ritual, chanting ancient words that hummed in my blood. A strange warmth spread through my chest, colliding with a sudden, violent tug. It was like an invisible thread wrapping around my ribs and yanking - hard.

I gasped. My knees buckled.

Across the circle, Alpha Kael Draven turned to me, looking like a beast about to devour me with so much hate in his eyes.

The moment our eyes met, the bond hit like a thunderstorm - electric, breathless, undeniable. My soul screamed for him. My wolf stirred inside me for the first time, clawing to get to him with desperation I couldn't understand.

He was mine. My mate, that I thought.

Kael's expression didn't change, still as fierce as and wicked as ever.  

His storm-grey eyes darkened, and his jaw tensed. Not with recognition. Not with awe. But with disgust. Like he'd just been served rotting meat.

He looked at me like I was dirt on his boots.

"No," he said, voice like a blade. "The Moon Goddess made a mistake."

For a moment, no one reacted. Not even me.

I was too stunned to even utter a word.

My breath caught in my throat.

What... what did he mean, no?

Whispers began to stir. One woman gasped. A warrior across the circle chuckled cruelly. But I stood frozen, unable to move, to breathe my world started spilling.  

Kael stepped forward, towering, god-like in his black ceremonial armor. Power radiated off him in waves - strong, ruthless, untouchable.

I opened my mouth to speak, but he didn't let me.

"I reject you, Aria Nightshade, as my mate."

The words landed like a slap across the face - sharp, humiliating, final.

The crowd reacted instantly. Some gasped. Others laughed. A group of young warriors high-fived one another like this was a victory.

I didn't understand.

He was my fated mate. This wasn't how it was supposed to go.

"No..." I choked. "You can't. You-"

"I won't be bonded to an omega disgrace," he snapped, cutting me off. His voice dripped venom. "You're weak. Worthless. Not worthy to be Luna."

He spat the last word like poison.

Pain erupted in my chest - not the kind you can see or explain, but something deeper. A soul-deep crack. Like my heart was being ripped apart from the inside out.

My wolf whimpered - a soft, barely-there sound in my head - and then... silence.

She was gone.

The crowd started whispering again. Some were enjoying the show. Others just turned away like I didn't exist.