My Fated Mate Planned My Public Rejection

The Summer Solstice Pack Run was supposed to be my first official appearance as Shadowveil’s future Luna.

Hundreds of wolves from allied territories gathered along the southern shore of the lake. Bonfires cracked against the night sky, their smoke blending with the scent of roasted meat, pine, and wet earth. By my side, Sebastian stood tall, his hand resting warm and possessive over mine. Every few minutes, he leaned down to brush his lips against my temple. The scent of crushed cedar and thunderstorm rolled off him, drowning out every doubt I had harbored since meeting Karina.

When the horn sounded for the midnight run, our pack shed human skin.

Bones cracked and shifted in unison. Sebastian’s wolf was magnificent—an enormous, pitch-black beast with broad shoulders and glowing golden eyes. Beside him, my tawny wolf felt small, but as we surged into the dense timber together, my chest swelled with joy. For once, I belonged.

Then the forest turned cold.

A sharp, rancid stench cut through the pine needles. Rogue scent.

A guttural roar ripped through the trees. Shadows exploded from the thick brush on our left. Heavy bodies slammed into the pack's outer flank. Timber snapped like gunfire. In the sudden frenzy of snapping jaws and thrashing limbs, a massive gray rogue shoved hard into my side.

I tumbled down a steep embankment, thorns clawing at my flanks. My paws scrambled for traction in the slick mud. When I fought my way back up, disoriented and panting, a wall of dense briars separated me from the trail.

Through the tangled branches, I saw Sebastian.

His dark wolf leaped into the clearing with thunderous ferocity. He slammed into two lean rogues, tearing and snarling with theatrical fury. The battle looked terrifying, yet something felt strange. The attackers never truly lunged for his throat. They snapped at the air, tumbling backward the moment Sebastian made contact. Within seconds, the rogues broke formation and scattered into the dark.

Sebastian let out a ragged growl and dropped to three paws. A thin line of crimson bloomed across his left shoulder—a shallow scratch, barely deep enough to bleed.

I whined, scrambling through the briars to reach him, but his Beta, Marcus Hale, stepped smoothly between us.

"Stay back, Lennon," Marcus barked, shifting back to human form and throwing on a spare pair of shorts. "The Alpha needs to secure the perimeter. He’s taking the northern line toward the Silverfang border."

Sebastian shifted back as well, breathing hard. Sweat gleamed on his chest. He looked at me, his jaw tight. "Stay with Marcus, Lennon. I have to make sure our allies aren't under attack. Silverfang borders our north."

"Let me come," I pleaded, human words tumbling out as I shifted back, trembling in the cold dirt. "I can tend to your shoulder."

"No," he said flatly. "Stay where it's safe."

He vanished into the trees before I could answer.

It was only hours later, as the dawn light filtered through the canopy, that the quiet talk began. Wolves murmured by the dying embers of the fires. Sebastian had indeed checked the border—and several allied scouts had seen him at the boundary line, standing close to Karina Morales in the pale moonlight. They spoke with their heads together, her small hands resting gently against his uninjured arm. The pack dismissed it as a urgent security council between neighbors.

A quiet unease coiled in my stomach.

***

Two days later, the unease turned to ice.

I was crossing the stone courtyard outside the armory when an older delta warrior nodded respectfully to me.

"Glad the Alpha's shoulder healed so fast, Lady Lennon," the man said casually, wiping oil on a training blade. "Good thing Lady Karina had those Silverfang healing salves ready at the border the other night. They were out there talking until nearly four in the morning."

My breath hitched. Four in the morning? Sebastian had told me he was inspecting defensive trenches alone.

I walked straight to Sebastian’s second-floor study.

The heavy mahogany door was cracked open. Sebastian sat behind his desk, reviewing boundary patrol maps. Sunlight caught the sharp angles of his cheekbones. When I stepped inside, he looked up, his expression softening into an easy smile.

"Lennon. Come here."

I stayed by the edge of the rug, my fingers digging into the fabric of my sweater. "Were you with Karina the night of the rogue attack?"

The pen in his hand stilled. His dark eyes flicked up, assessing me. "Who told you that?"

"It doesn't matter who," I said, my voice wavering despite my best efforts to keep it steady. "You said you were checking security outposts. You told me you were alone. Why were you with her until dawn?"

Sebastian set the pen down with a quiet, deliberate click. He stood up and rounded the desk. He didn't raise his voice. He didn't look angry. Instead, he stepped into my space, exuding an aura of pure, immovable weight.

When he spoke, the heavy resonance of his Alpha tone vibrated through the floorboards. It wasn't an aggressive roar; it was an suffocating command that demanded surrender.

"You're letting old fears poison your mind, Lennon," he said softly, looking down at me with cold pity. "Dawnridge broke your spirit. Three rejections made you jump at every shadow."

A sharp pang lanced through my chest. "Sebastian, I just want the truth—"

"The truth is that Silverfang is our most crucial ally," he interrupted, his hand rising to cup my cheek. His fingers felt heavy, almost suffocating against my skin. "Karina’s father demanded a report on the rogue breach. I handled pack business. Are you questioning my loyalty to our bond?"

The Alpha command pressed down hard on my shoulders. Deep inside me, my wolf whimpered and tucked her tail, overwhelmed by his dominance.

"No," I whispered, the word dragged out of my throat.

"Good," Sebastian murmured, smoothing a stray lock of hair behind my ear. His tone softened, returning to warm charm as if a switch had been flipped. "You are safe here, Lennon. Stop looking for betrayal where there is none. You're simply paranoid because of your past."

I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded.

I looked up into his handsome face, inhaling the scent of cedar and rain, and told myself he was right. I was broken. I was carrying Dawnridge's scars into our future. I forced a faint smile, desperately wanting to believe that the man who had claimed me would never lie to my face.