SELENE
Today, I will finally meet my mate.
I gripped the soft fabric of my simple yet decent lavender dress, my heart racing uncontrollably against my ribs and my palms clammy with sweat. I was excited and anxious at the same time.
We were having a mating masquerade ball today for all those who were of age to find their mates and for the first time, I was among the people inside this hall.
It was not easy to snag an invitation as an omega but I successfully did it this time. I snatched it from a regular wolf who got it from giving a blow job to a high ranking wolf.
Being an omega means being poor and an outcast in my pack. When I was much younger, I had to steal most times to eat. I was stealthy and nimble on my feet with quick hands. I felt guilty about stealing this invite because I knew that the female wolf must be going crazy right now but I needed this more than anything.
I would soon find the man the moon goddess had destined for me. The one that will save me from the damn depressing hole I find myself falling deeper into with each passing day. I bit my lips as my hand tightened against the edge of my lavender dress, wrinkling the damn edges I spent hours pressing to perfection. This just goes to show the level of my nervousness about today. I took off my mask at the door because it felt itchy against my face. No one here would recognize me, they would be too busy to care about a nobody like me and they would think I was here as a plus one if they perceived that I was a omega.
The grand hall of our pack, the Silver Moon Pack bustled with wolves coming from different packs, countries and ranks: warriors, Betas, Alphas, regular wolves and a few omegas who were sleeping with right ranking wolves and were their pets.
The air thrummed with a beautiful energy, the aroma of roasted and well assorted meat, and sweet wine, a perfect combo for the atmosphere.
I inhaled slowly with my eyes keenly observing everything, my stomach twisting with tension. If the Moon Goddess, in her goodness, was kind to me, my mate would be strong, a great warrior. Mighty. Someone who could be there to help me escape the invisible cage I had dwelled in all my life. I dared to dream big. And then, like a dream, it happened.
A scent of deep pinewood and crisp winter air engulfed me like a secret promise. My body couldn't hold it as it went tense, my wolf within me howling in acknowledgment. My mate, the one I had waited for was here in this hall. Everything was happening so quickly, I did not have the time to process my thoughts.
I turned, my breath hitching in my throat only to see none other than Alpha Kael Blackthorn, the only Crowned Alpha. The strongest alpha in the entire pack located in the North was standing before me. It was easy to recognize him because like me, he did not have his mask on and his picture was everywhere on the street of my pack.
My legs nearly failed to hold me up as my wolf screamed "Mate," in my head. How could I have been mated to him? An alpha. Yes, I wanted someone strong and of high rank but to be given an alpha as mate? And not just any alpha but the one before me? Ha!
I had heard many terrible tales about him: his ruthless power, how much of a selfish Alpha he was, not to mention his unparalleled leadership. And now, he was my mate.
His golden eyes immediately locked with mine. Something flickered in his mean gaze, something I could describe as enigmatic. I could feel every attention on us… no, on him. Since he was a powerful alpha, his people followed him around and people from other packs wanted to catch a glimpse of him.
My tongue made way to the roof of my mouth as my lips parted, my heart racing uncontrollably. He was staring so intensely at me, causing fear to envelop me but then I saw his eyes soften and my calm returned.
Maybe… Maybe the Moon Goddess in her goodness hadn't forsaken me after all, or allowed me to be shamed. I took the most trembling step forward.
"A…alpha Kael…" I murmured his name but I knew that he could hear me with his heightened hearing. As if me calling his name has snapped him back to reality, his eyes hardened again.
"You're my mate." His voice came out very deep but it lacked emotion.
I swallowed an invisible lump, waiting for some acceptance, anything. But instead, his jaw clenched.
"What's your name?" He asked in the same emotionless voice.
My palms become sweaty and my mouth went dry but I wet my lips and managed to respond, "Selene Wilder of Silver Moon pack,"
His next words were something I wasn't expecting, it cut through me like a dagger aimed directly for my chest. "I, Alpha Kael Blackthorn, of the Black Indigo pack, reject you, Selene Wilder, of Silver Moon pack as my mate."
The entire hall was filled with loud gasps. Maybe just like me, they were not expecting what he's just said. I even forgot where I was as soon as I caught the scent of my mate.
His rejection made me feel as if I had been cruelly struck in the gut. Harsh breath escaped my lungs but they hurt a whole lot. My knees shook uncontrollably, threatening to give way.
No. No, this couldn't be happening to me. This wasn't real in any way. Maybe I was in a bad dream and soon I'll wake up and everything will be alright.
"W-What?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
A loud murmur spread through the crowd. Whispers. Laughter.
"An ordinary Omega? His mate? How embarrassing could that be?"
"She should have seen it coming. The hell would Alpha Kael accept a nobody like her?"
"Poor thing. She truly believed he would leave Seraphina and accept her."
Kael's expression remained the most unyielding. Unmoved. As if rejecting me was simply a normal thing to him. Almost like he had just finished talking about the weather. He faced the pack, his voice vibrating greatly through the hall.
"A mere Omega can never be my Luna. My pack needs nothing short of strength and Seraphina is the only one worthy of the position of my Luna, not… this." His voice was laced with disgust and a hard edge as his eyes came to rest upon me again.
"This?" I murmured as shame so deep settled over one.
He spoke about me as if I was the dirt beneath his shiny shoes. I could not blame him for actually picking his current girlfriend and lover over me. I've heard so much about her and her accomplishments and background. She was the second child of an alpha and she was a strong warrior who had led armies to battle and won. I could not compare.
I felt something strange within me snap at my thoughts. I wanted to least scream. I wanted to plead for something…. Maybe for him to take back his rejection. No words left my mouth.
Yes, I was an omega but I was still his fated mate. The moon goddess was not a fool for pairing us together. But I wouldn't grant them the pleasure of seeing me in pain. I won't let them see me break again. I raised my chin, swallowed thickly and forced my voice to come out steady.
"I, Selene Wilder of Silver Moon pack, accept your rejection."
The instant I mentioned those words, it felt as though the whole world was fracturing. The mate bond shattered drastically, leaving a deep gash in my soul. An unbearable ache from nowhere tore through me like flames.
Kael didn't even react to my acceptance. It appeared that I was the only one feeling the pains of our mating bond that was breaking. Maybe it was because he was the first to initiate the rejection. He simply turned and walked away like I was someone of no importance to him. That was actually the case. We did not know each other anyways. This was our first meeting.
I couldn't remain there among other people. I wouldn't. I pivoted on my heels and fled from the hall amidst the murmurs and laughter from others without looking back.
The frigid and horrible night air hit me hard and seared my lungs as I pressed on, my messed up dress snagging on branches as I raced through the woods in the dark of the night. My sight was instantly blurred by the tears I had stubbornly refused to let drop from my eyes. I didn't try to look back not until I reached the very border of my pack's land.
My legs buckled in pain, and I fell on my knees, clutching tightly the earth beneath me. I had foolishly dedicated my entire life hoping, dreaming, believing that my fated mate would be the one who would somehow truly see me. Who would complete everything about me. Who would save me. That was a dream I now need to wake up from.
My mate instead, had been the one to shatter and ruin me forever