Rejected By My Mate Claimed By His Alpha King

Aria

Today was supposed to be the happiest day of my life.

After twenty-two years of being treated like a burden, I was finally going to stand before the entire Blackthorn Pack and discover who the Moon Goddess had chosen as my mate.

I had dreamed about this day for as long as I could remember. While other girls talked about handsome warriors and powerful Alphas, I had always wanted something simple. I wanted someone who would love me, protect me, and make me feel like I belonged somewhere.

But perhaps I had been asking for too much.

"Stop looking so nervous, Aria." Selena stood behind me, adjusting the back of my dress. "You look beautiful. I'm sure the Goddess has someone wonderful waiting for you."

I looked at her through the mirror and managed a small smile.

Selena was my stepsister, but she had always acted like she was the better daughter. She had a wolf, beautiful clothes, and everyone in the pack adored her. I had none of those things.

Still, I had never hated her.

She was the closest thing I had to a sister, and I wanted to believe that she was happy for me.

"Do you really think I'll find my mate today?" I asked.

"Of course." She smiled. "Who knows? Maybe you'll get someone powerful."

I laughed nervously. "Someone powerful would never choose me."

"Don't say that." She touched my shoulder. "You never know what the Moon Goddess has planned."

I wanted to believe her.

For as long as I could remember, everyone had called me wolfless. I had reached the age when most werewolves could shift, but my wolf had never awakened. My father had taken me to healers, priests, and even a pack seer, but none of them could explain what was wrong with me.

Eventually, he stopped trying.

My stepmother, Mirelle, made sure I never forgot how much of a disappointment I was. She gave Selena the best things in the house while I wore old clothes and worked like a servant.

My father never stopped her.

Sometimes, I wondered whether my mother would have protected me if she had been alive. She disappeared when I was a child, leaving me with nothing but a small silver pendant and memories I could barely hold on to.

My father refused to talk about her.

Whenever I asked questions, he told me to stop digging up the past.

So I learned to keep quiet.

But today was different.

Today, the Moon Goddess might finally give me something that belonged only to me.

"Come on," Selena said, taking my hand. "Everyone is waiting."

I followed her out of the room.

The pack's ceremonial grounds were already crowded when we arrived. Warriors stood in neat rows, while the elders gathered near the stone altar. The Alpha's guards watched the entrance, making sure everyone followed the rules.

At the center stood Alpha Darius Blackthorn.

My breath caught.

Darius was the youngest Alpha in the region, known for his strength and his cold nature. Even other Alphas respected him. His black hair was neatly combed, and his dark suit made him look even more powerful.

I had admired him from a distance for years.

He had never paid much attention to me, but sometimes I caught him looking in my direction. Once, when a warrior pushed me into the mud, Darius had ordered him to apologize.

I had remembered that moment for months.

Perhaps it was foolish, but I had wondered whether there was something between us.

Now, as I looked at him, my heart began to race.

What if he was my mate?

The thought was ridiculous. A man like Darius would never want a wolfless girl like me.

Still, when his eyes met mine, he didn't look away.

My heart skipped.

The ceremony began, and one by one, the young wolves stepped forward. Some discovered their mates and embraced them with tears in their eyes. Others received disappointing news and walked away quietly.

I watched everything with trembling hands.

Then the elder called my name.

"Aria Vale!"

The crowd fell silent.

I stepped forward, trying not to trip over my dress. The elder placed his hand on my head and began the ancient blessing.

"May the Moon Goddess reveal the one whose soul is bound to yours."

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then a sharp pull struck my chest.

I gasped and grabbed the front of my dress.

A strange warmth spread through my body. It was unlike anything I had ever felt before, and suddenly, I knew.

My mate was here.

My eyes moved across the crowd until they landed on Darius.

He was staring at me.

The same invisible pull connected us, growing stronger with every passing second.

Then the words came.

"Mate," I whispered.

Darius's expression changed.

He looked shocked, but only for a moment. His jaw tightened, and his hands curled into fists.

Before I could take another step toward him, he walked onto the ceremonial platform.

"Alpha Darius," the elder said carefully. "The Moon Goddess has revealed your mate."

"I know."

Darius looked directly at me.

My heart pounded so hard I could barely breathe. I wanted him to smile. I wanted him to walk toward me and take my hand.

Instead, he turned to face the entire pack.

"I have an announcement to make."

The crowd quieted.

"Selena is the woman I intend to take as my Luna."

For a moment, I didn't understand what he had said.

I looked at Selena.

She stood near the front, her head lowered as if she were embarrassed by the attention. But when she glanced at me, I saw the tiny smile on her lips.

My stomach twisted.

No. It couldn't be.

Darius was my mate. The Moon Goddess had chosen him for me.

"Alpha," the elder said, looking uncomfortable. "The bond has already been revealed. Aria is your fated mate."

"I am aware of that."

Darius's voice was cold.

"But I will not take a wolfless woman as my Luna."

The words struck me harder than a slap.

A few people whispered. Others stared at me with pity.

I shook my head, unable to accept what I was hearing.

"Darius?"

He looked at me.

"Please," I whispered. "You can't mean that."

His face showed no kindness.

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

Pain exploded through my chest.

I screamed and dropped to my knees, clutching my heart. It felt as if something inside me had been ripped apart. Tears blurred my vision as the bond that had connected us moments ago began to break.

My wolf, the one everyone claimed didn't exist, let out a cry deep inside me.

Then everything went quiet.

I couldn't breathe properly. My hands shook against the ground, and I struggled to keep myself from collapsing completely.

Darius watched without moving.

He didn't come to help me.

He didn't even look sorry.

"Please," I begged, lifting my head. "Why are you doing this? I never asked to be your mate."

"Exactly," he replied. "You never asked for anything, yet the Goddess decided to burden me with you."

A fresh wave of pain washed over me.

The crowd began to murmur louder.

I could hear them talking about me, calling me unlucky, weak, and useless. Some even laughed.

I wanted the ground to open and swallow me.

Then Selena stepped forward.

She moved to Darius's side and slipped her hand into his.

My breath caught.

She looked at me with a gentle expression that didn't reach her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Aria," she said. "I never wanted you to get hurt."

I stared at her hand resting on Darius's arm.

"You knew?"

Her smile faltered for a second.

"Please don't make this difficult."

"Did you know he was going to reject me?"

She didn't answer.

That was enough.

I felt something inside me break that had nothing to do with the mate bond.

My own stepsister had known.

She had stood in my room, comforted me, and encouraged me to hope, all while knowing that the man I had dreamed of would destroy me in front of everyone.

I tried to stand, but my legs were too weak.

Darius looked away from me and addressed the guards.

"Take her out of here."

Two guards approached.

I pulled away when one reached for my arm. "Don't touch me!"

"Then walk," Darius snapped.

I forced myself to stand, even though every breath hurt. I would not give him the satisfaction of seeing me beg again.

As the guards led me away, I looked back one last time.

Darius had already turned toward Selena.

He was speaking to her quietly, his hand resting on her waist. She leaned against him as if she had always belonged there.

And I understood something terrible.

The man the Moon Goddess had chosen for me had never wanted me.

I was nothing more than a mistake he wanted to erase.

But just as I reached the edge of the ceremonial grounds, a strange heat spread across my chest.

I stopped.

Beneath the neckline of my dress, my mother's silver pendant began to glow.

I grabbed it, staring at the faint red light spreading across its surface.

What was happening?

The guards tried to pull me forward, but the pendant grew hotter. A sharp pain shot through my palm, and I gasped.

For one brief moment, I heard a voice inside my head.

The Bloodmoon heir lives.

My blood ran cold.

Before I could understand what the words meant, a messenger rushed into the ceremonial grounds. He dropped to one knee before Darius and handed him a sealed letter.

Darius broke the seal and read it.

The color drained from his face.

"What is it?" Selena asked.

He looked toward the place where I stood.

For the first time that day, there was something other than disgust in his eyes.

Fear.

"The Lycan King," he said slowly. "He's demanding payment for our pack's debt."

The messenger lowered his head.

"His Majesty has given you until the next full moon, Alpha. If the debt remains unpaid, Blackthorn Pack will lose its lands and protection."

Darius crushed the letter in his fist.

Then his eyes returned to me.

I didn't know what he was thinking, but the look on his face made my stomach tighten.

He had rejected me in front of the entire pack.

He had watched me suffer without caring.

So why was he looking at me like I was suddenly worth something?

Darius turned to his Beta and spoke in a low voice.

"Find out whether the Lycan King is still accepting a personal offering in place of payment."

My blood turned to ice.

Personal offering?

His gaze met mine again.

And this time, I knew I had every reason to be afraid.