Rejected By My Fated Alpha

At our engagement ceremony, I stood in the grand hall of the packhouse, the Victorian-style dress my grandmother Holly had sewn for me flowing elegantly around me. The room was filled with pack members, their auras buzzing with excitement. Atharv, the Alpha of the Crimson Moon Pack and my supposed mate, stood beside me, his imposing figure radiating authority. But his dark eyes weren’t on me—they were fixed on Ada, a cunning she-wolf who had always lingered too close to him.

When Atharv turned to me, his alpha tone cut through the murmurs of the crowd. “Sariah,” he commanded, his voice cold and unyielding, “perform a dance for Ada. She deserves some entertainment.”

My heart stuttered. A dance? At an engagement ceremony? And for Ada, of all people? I clenched my fists, my wolf stirring uneasily within me. “Alpha,” I said, keeping my voice steady, “this is our ceremony. I won’t—”

Before I could finish, Atharv gestured to the warriors flanking the hall. “Strip her,” he ordered, his tone sharp and final.

The room fell silent as the warriors stepped forward, their hands reaching for me. I froze, my mind screaming, but no sound escaped my lips. The dress Holly had made for me—the one she’d poured her love and hope into—was torn away, leaving me exposed in front of the entire pack. The laughter of the guests echoed in my ears, their auras dripping with mockery.

Then, Atharv did the unthinkable. He took the mate mark—the symbol of our bond—and placed it on Ada’s neck instead of mine. The crowd erupted in gasps and whispers, their eyes flicking between me and Ada, who stood there with a triumphant smile.

“I, Atharv, Alpha of the Crimson Moon Pack, reject you, Sariah, as my mate,” he declared, his voice cutting through the chaos. The words struck me like a physical blow, the mate bond burning with a searing pain that nearly brought me to my knees.

From the crowd, Nina, my best friend and the pack’s Gamma, stepped forward, her aura flaring with anger. “Alpha, this is—”

Atharv cut her off with a wave of his hand, his alpha tone silencing her instantly. “She’s nothing,” he said, his voice dripping with disdain. “An Omega who couldn’t even hold my interest. Ada is the one who deserves to stand beside me as Luna.”

The room erupted in murmurs, some of pity, others of scorn. My vision blurred, but I held my head high. Just as the humiliation threatened to consume me, my phone buzzed in my hand. A message from the hospital—Holly was gone.

I managed a smile through my tears. This was my chance to escape.

---

Days later, I was at the hospital, arranging Holly’s affairs, when I encountered Atharv and Ada. They looked momentarily stunned, but Ada quickly composed herself, her eyes welling with fake tears.

“Sariah,” she said, her voice trembling with faux innocence. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have suggested that dance at our engagement ceremony. I just thought it would liven things up.”

The dance she’d suggested was anything but appropriate, and she’d proposed it in front of the entire pack. Yet, Atharv pulled her into his arms, his face full of concern. “Ada, your intentions were good,” he said, his alpha voice softening. “Remember, the healer said to stay calm. Just take deep breaths.” Then he turned to me, his tone sharp. “Some people don’t recognize kindness.”

“Sariah,” he continued, his voice cold, “do you know that after you left, Ada was so anxious she nearly collapsed? Apologize to her, and we can move past this. Otherwise, your grandmother’s medical bills…”

Ada glanced at me with a smug expression, basking in her triumph. My hand shook slightly as I clutched my purse.

I remembered the year I’d won the pack’s annual Moonlight Games, my agility and grace earning me the top spot. Atharv had carried me off the field, his alpha aura possessive, his voice a low growl. “From now on, you dance only for me, or you’ll regret it.”

But now, he wanted me to perform a humiliating dance in public.

In my darkest hour, Atharv had appeared as my savior, offering to help my family in exchange for our mate pairing. Yet, within six short months, he became the source of my suffering. Love, it seemed, was as fleeting as it was fickle.

Numb, I walked into the hospital room to gather Holly’s belongings. When I emerged, I was holding a bundle.

An accidental bump sent me stumbling forward into Atharv’s arms. He grimaced, pushing me away with disdain. “What are you trying to pull? It’s just a dance.”

“Thank you,” I said flatly, moving past him like a ghost.

Atharv furrowed his brow, starting to say something.

Suddenly, Ada whimpered, “Atharv, I’m feeling a bit dizzy.”

Atharv immediately lifted her, urgently calling for the healer, but Ada stopped him.

She clung to him like a vine, her gaze cautiously darting to me, her voice weak. “Atharv, I’m just feeling a little faint. The chicken soup Sariah made last time helped me recover. I’d like to have more.”

Atharv swiftly grabbed my hand, commanding, “Sariah, go home and make that chicken soup for Ada. She’s having these tests because of you!”