I meet my First BxB

​The Moon Festival was supposed to be the happiest night of the year for the Ashwood Pack, but for Elara, it was a living nightmare.

While the scent of roasted meat and pine needles filled the air, and laughter echoed through the village square, Elara stood in the shadows of the banquet hall, her hands trembling as she polished silver platters.

​At twenty years old, she was the pack's "broken" Omega. In a world where strength was everything, Elara had no visible power. Her wolf had never roared; it had never even whispered. To her adoptive parents, she was a burden. To the pack, she was a servant.

​But tonight, she had held onto one small, flickering flame of hope: Valerius.

​Valerius was the future Alpha of Ashwood, a man with hair like midnight and eyes that burned like amber. He was her fated mate. She had felt the pull the moment she turned eighteen, the invisible thread that tied her soul to his. She believed that once he claimed her, her life would change. He would protect her. He would love her.

​The music suddenly died down. The heavy oak doors of the hall swung open, and Valerius stepped onto the raised platform, his presence radiating authority. Beside him stood Lyra, a beautiful Beta with a cruel smirk and eyes full of triumph.

​Elara stepped forward, her heart hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird. This is it, she thought. He's going to announce our bond.

​Valerius scanned the crowd, his gaze landing on Elara for a split second. There was no love in his eyes; only cold, sharpened disgust.

​"Members of the Ashwood Pack," Valerius's voice boomed, cutting through the silence. "As your future Alpha, I have a duty to ensure our bloodline remains strong. A pack is only as formidable as its Luna."

​He reached out and took Lyra's hand, lacing his fingers through hers. Elara felt a sharp, stabbing pain in her chest.

​"I, Valerius of Ashwood, publicly reject the weakling Elara as my mate," he declared, his voice echoing off the stone walls. "She is a wolf without a soul, a defect in our ranks. Instead, I choose Lyra to be my Luna and my equal."

​The room gasped, and then a heavy, suffocating silence followed. The rejection hit Elara like a physical blow. The invisible thread in her soul snapped, sending a wave of agony through her body that made her knees buckle. She collapsed onto the cold floor, the silver platter she was holding clattering loudly, echoing her shame.

​"Please..." Elara whispered, her voice cracking. "Valerius, the bond..."

​"The bond is a mistake of nature," Valerius sneered, stepping down from the platform to tower over her. "Look at yourself, Elara. You are nothing. You serve no purpose here. Do not ever speak my name again."

​Lyra leaned down, whispering so only Elara could hear, "I told you he'd never pick a stray over a queen."

​Before Elara could even draw breath to cry, her adoptive father, Alpha Damon, stepped forward. He didn't offer a hand to help her up. Instead, he looked at her with pure resentment.

​"You've humiliated this family for the last time," Damon growled. "A rejected Omega brings bad luck to the hearth. You are stripped of your name and your place. Pack your rags and leave. If you are seen on Ashwood land by sunrise, you will be hunted as a rogue."

​The crowd parted as Elara stumbled to her feet. She ran. She ran past the mocking whispers, past the bonfire that felt like it was burning her skin, and deep into the black heart of the surrounding forest.

​The forest was unforgiving. Rain began to pour, a cold, biting deluge that soaked through her thin dress and chilled her to the bone. Elara collapsed at the base of an ancient willow tree, far beyond the pack's borders. She was truly alone. No family, no mate, and no wolf to comfort her.