Rejected by My Fated Mate

I awoke with a start, my head pounding as if someone had taken a hammer to my skull. The silk sheets beneath me felt cool against my skin, but something was wrong. My body ached in places it shouldn't, and when I tried to sit up, a sharp pain shot through my ribs.

The evening sun cast long shadows across the bedroom—Alexander's guest suite where I'd been staying since my arrival three days ago. I remembered dinner with him, the rich food, the wine that had tasted slightly bitter...

And then nothing. A complete blank where memories should be.

Slowly, I pulled back the covers and gasped. Purple bruises blossomed across my arms and thighs like violent flowers. I didn't remember falling or hitting anything. I didn't remember coming to bed at all.

*Something is wrong,* Lyra whispered, her voice trembling within me. *We need to be careful. We need to watch.*

My wolf's fear sent chills down my spine. She had been so quiet since our arrival, the pendant Alexander gave me seeming to soothe her distress. But now she was alert, wary.

"What happened to me?" I whispered, fingers tracing a particularly dark bruise on my forearm.

A soft knock at the door made me quickly pull the covers up. Alexander entered without waiting for a response, his imposing figure silhouetted against the hallway light.

"You're awake," he said, his voice carrying that natural Alpha command. "How are you feeling?"

"I..." I hesitated, uncertain how much to reveal. "I don't remember coming to bed. And I have bruises."

He approached, sitting on the edge of the bed with practiced casualness. His hand reached out to brush my hair back, and I fought the urge to flinch.

"You had too much wine at dinner," he explained, his tone gentle but dismissive. "You were quite disoriented. I had to help you to your room, and you stumbled several times. Nothing to worry about—just nerves adjusting to your new home."

Lyra growled softly in disbelief, but I pushed her down. Alexander was my protector now. My only chance at survival.

"I don't usually react that way to wine," I said carefully.

His eyes—those striking silver-blue eyes—hardened for just a moment before softening again. "Everyone reacts differently under stress. Rest today. Tomorrow you'll join me for the pack council meeting."

He left before I could ask more questions, the door closing with a soft click that somehow felt final.

*He's lying,* Lyra insisted. *Something happened last night.*

I wished I could silence her fears, but they mirrored my own. I just couldn't afford to indulge them. Alexander was all I had now.

---

The next day, I sat in Alexander's study, dressed in the clothes he'd provided—elegant but conservative, befitting a Luna. The pack council meeting was being conducted via mind-link, a connection I should have been part of as Luna.

Instead, I sat excluded, watching Alexander's face as he communicated silently with his Beta and council members. Occasionally, his eyes would flick to me, assessing, before returning to his mental conversation.

I pretended to read a book about pack history, but my attention was on the subtle shifts in Alexander's expression. When the meeting appeared to conclude, he remained seated, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Gideon, stay," he said aloud, presumably keeping his Beta on the mind-link.

I kept my eyes down, turning a page I hadn't read.

"You let her wander unsupervised yesterday," Alexander said, his voice low but sharp with anger. "That wasn't our arrangement."

My breath caught. Who was "her"? Me?

"It won't happen again," Alexander continued. "She's still adjusting. We need to be... careful with her. Make sure the cameras are functioning properly."

Cameras? A chill ran through me as Alexander's gaze suddenly locked with mine, his expression shifting seamlessly to a warm smile.

"The council is pleased with our arrangement," he told me. "You're officially recognized as Luna Sterling now."

I forced a grateful smile, but Lyra was pacing anxiously within me. What arrangement had he been discussing with Gideon? Why did I need supervision? Why cameras?

---

The ritual wolf howl gathering took place at moonrise, the pack members assembled in a large clearing behind the lodge. As Alexander's Luna, I stood beside him, the moonstone pendant heavy against my throat.

I was surprised to see a familiar face approach through the crowd—Madison Harper, my stepsister. The sight of her sent a jolt through me. What was she doing here, so far from Moonstone territory?

"Violet," she greeted, her smile not quite reaching her eyes. "What a pleasant surprise to see you... recovered."

Alexander's hand pressed against the small of my back. "Madison is visiting from the Moonstone Pack as their ambassador," he explained.

Madison offered me a delicate china cup. "I brought your favorite tea. I thought it might comfort you after everything."

I accepted it cautiously, the warmth seeping into my cold fingers.

"Thank you," I murmured, taking a small sip. It did taste like my favorite blend.

As Alexander turned to greet another pack member, Madison leaned close, her lips nearly touching my ear.

"Enjoy your temporary position," she whispered, her voice honey-sweet with venom. "Soon everyone will see who truly deserves power."

She pulled back, her smile perfect as she nodded respectfully to Alexander and moved away into the crowd.

The tea suddenly tasted bitter on my tongue. As I looked around at the unfamiliar faces of my new pack, at Alexander's watchful gaze, at Madison's retreating figure, I felt the first stirrings of true fear.

I was surrounded by wolves, but I had never felt more like prey.