The Rejected Queen Werewolf

"Darius? Are you here?"

Sasha inhaled deeply, the intoxicating scent of Darius's pheromones filling the air around her. It was a scent so alluring, so addictive, that she hadn't realized until now how it could drive her nearly insane with desire.

For a werewolf with a mate, the smell of their partner's pheromones was enough to make them feel lightheaded, overwhelmed by need. Sasha was still adjusting to this-she had only met her mate a week ago, and every time she caught a whiff of Darius's scent, her body responded as if it were beyond her control.

"Darius?"

Her voice echoed through the empty hallway as she followed the growing intensity of his scent.

When Sasha finally reached his door, she paused, her heart skipping a beat at the soft, unmistakable sigh of a woman's voice from inside. Her brow furrowed in confusion. Her hand hesitated on the doorknob, but it was unlocked. Slowly, she pushed the door open.

"Darius? I've been looking for you...."

The words died in her throat.

Sasha froze. Her breath caught in her chest as her gaze locked onto the sight before her. Darius-her mate-was entangled with another woman, their bodies intertwined in a bedsheet with a naked body. Sasha's heart plummeted, the world around her tilting on its axis as if the ground had been ripped out from under her. It felt like a boulder had fallen straight onto her chest, crushing her until she could barely breathe.

"Rachel?" Sasha's voice trembled with disbelief as she recognized the woman beside Darius. Her best friend. "You ...."

"Don't you have any manners?!" Darius snapped, startled by her presence, his voice sharp as he yanked the blanket over himself. "Knock if you want to come into my room, you idiot!"

Sasha barely heard him. Her eyes remained fixed on Rachel, her pulse pounding painfully in her ears.

"What are you doing here with my mate, Rach?!" Sasha's voice shook, tears welling in her eyes, her heart splintering.

Rachel rolled her eyes, unbothered, her expression cold and indifferent. "Oh, come on. You seriously don't get it?"

Sasha's chest tightened, the betrayal cutting deeper with each passing second. 

"I thought you were my friend! How could you do this to me?!" she cried, her voice breaking under the weight of her pain.

Tears spilled down her cheeks as she clutched her chest, the agony too much to bear. Darius, her mate, and Rachel, her closest friend, had betrayed her in the cruelest way possible. 

"Betrayal? Who's the betrayer here, really? Did Darius ever love you, Sasha? Let me guess the answer." Rachel sauntered toward Sasha, her lips curving into a cruel, mocking smile. "No one wants a weak girl like you, dear."

Rachel's voice dripped with malice as she closed the distance between them. "Sasha, think about it. An Alpha-to-be can't possibly be stuck with a mate who can't even shift into her wolf form, right? The Moon Goddess must've made a mistake pairing Darius with someone as weak as you."

Sasha's body tensed, rage flooding her veins. Without thinking, her hand shot out, grabbing a fistful of Rachel's hair and yanking it with all the strength she could muster.

"Argh!" Rachel screamed, stumbling back, her face contorting in pain.

Before Sasha could react further, Darius's strong hands pried hers from Rachel's hair and shoved her roughly to the floor.

"Get out of my room, you bitch! What I do with anyone is none of your business!" Darius raised his voice.