Chapter 2 THE REJECTION

Daemon stepped back. His face transformed into a mask of ice and stone and absolute rejection.

"You are nothing to me." His voice carried to every corner of the silent hall. He wanted everyone to hear this. "A servant girl with no wolf. No strength. No value to offer an Alpha, let alone an Alpha King."

Each word stripped away another layer of the hope I'd stupidly let myself feel.

"The Moon Goddess has made an error," he continued. "Or perhaps this is some cruel test. Either way, I will not let sentiment or biology dictate my future."

My vision blurred. This couldn't be happening. The mate bond was sacred. Unbreakable. Given by the Goddess herself.

"As Alpha King of the United Territories, I require a Luna Queen who can stand beside me in battle." His silver eyes never left mine. Making sure I understood every word. "Someone who can lead-command armies. Inspire loyalty. Produce strong heirs."

He paused. The silence was deafening.

"You are not that Luna. You will never be that Luna."

My legs started to shake. The bond in my chest felt like an iron fist was squeezing it.

"And so," Daemon's voice rang out clear and final, "before the Moon Goddess and all assembled here as witness, I, Daemon Alaric Blackthorne, Alpha King of the United Territories, reject you, Aria Winters, as my mate and Luna Queen."

Pain.

Pure, absolute, devastating pain.

It felt like my chest was being ripped open. Like my heart was being torn out, still beating. Silver fire burned through my veins where the mate bond had connected us. Every cell in my body screamed.

I couldn't breathe. Couldn't see. Couldn't do anything but collapse.

My knees hit the marble floor so hard I felt something crack. A scream tore from my throat. Around me, the pack watched. Some looked away in pity. Others smiled. Celeste's laugh tinkled like breaking glass.

Daemon had already turned his back. Walking away like I'd ceased to exist.

"Pathetic," someone whispered.

"Told you she was cursed."

"As if the Alpha King would want that."

The bond was dying. I could feel it shattering into pieces, each break sending fresh waves of agony through me. This was how rejected mates died. The pain was too much. No one survived this.

Except.

Except something was pushing back.

Something deep inside me was fighting the pain. Refusing to break. Getting angrier.

No. The voice in my head roared. My wolf. Fully awake now and absolutely furious. We will NOT die for him. We will NOT break for a male who doesn't deserve us.

But the pain-

GET UP.

I couldn't. It was too much.

"Someone remove her," Alpha Gregor said dismissively. "Before she ruins the entire ceremony. Thomas, have some omegas clean up this mess."

GET. UP.

My wolf surged forward with a force that made my bones crack.

And then-

Light.

Silver light exploded from my body like a bomb going off.

The chandeliers burst. Glass rained down. Wolves shouted and dove for cover. The temperature plummeted so fast that frost formed on the windows.

Power poured into me where the dying mate bond had been. Ancient power. Infinite power. Power that felt like moonlight made solid.

My bones were breaking. Reshaping. My skin burned and froze at the same time. Every nerve was on fire.

I heard screaming. Realized it was me. Realized I didn't care.

Because this was it. After nineteen years of being told I was broken, after being called defective and worthless and less than nothing-

My wolf was coming.

Through the chaos and light and pain, I heard Daemon's voice. Shocked. Almost afraid.

"What-"

But I couldn't see him anymore. Couldn't see anything but silver light.

The last thing I thought before the transformation took me completely was this:

He rejected the wrong girl.