Rejected By My Mate, Claimed By His Stepbrother
After two years of love and unwavering commitment to her mate Adrian, Amelia's world shatters when she finds Adrian, cheating on her with his ex-fated mate, Mara. The pain deepens when she is framed for a crime she didn't commit, and forced to leave the pack she once called home. Yet, as time passes and Adrian's regrets grow, he embarks on a desperate quest to find Amelia and win her back.
Years later, Amelia has rebuilt her life as a successful medical doctor, only to find herself drawn to Alex Darlington, a charming and caring doctor who turns out to be none other than Adrian's stepbrother. But when their bond grows undeniable, Amelia must face the shocking truth-Adrian, the man who once betrayed her, is now the one asking for her forgiveness. Torn between her past love and her new feelings for Alex, Amelia's heart is pulled in two directions.
As Adrian fights to reclaim the woman he lost, he must confront his own mistakes and battle the darkness inside. But when Alex's true motives come to light, Amelia must decide who is truly worthy of her love, and whether she can find a future with the man who shattered her heart-or the one who might just heal it.
In a world where loyalty is tested, love is fragile, and betrayal runs deep, will Amelia find peace, or will she be forced to choose between two men who will stop at nothing to claim her heart?
Settings : Moonstone Pack, Present Day, Human World, New York City, Present Day, 21st Century.
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Chapter 4
*Five Years Later*
**Amelia**
The hum of New York City traffic filled the air as I drove along the bustling streets, heading to the university where I had spent the past five years pouring my heart into my studies. Today marked a monumental milestone-I was graduating as a medical doctor.
It had taken relentless effort and commitment, but I had finally made it. After escaping the Moonstone Pack five years ago, I'd used my savings-hard-earned from my time as Luna-to pursue my lifelong dream of becoming a doctor.
This was a dream I'd once abandoned when Adrian chose me as his Luna, demanding my focus and sacrifice for the Pack. But none of it had mattered to him in the end. He cheated on me, discarded me for his ex-mate, and left me broken. Still, in that heartbreak, I found my freedom and reclaimed my dream.
My hands gripped the steering wheel tightly as I navigated through the congested traffic, the weight of the day sinking in. This wasn't just any graduation-it was a turning point, a declaration that I had taken back control of my life. The thought brought a bittersweet smile to my lips as I glanced at the time on the dashboard. I was running late, thanks to an endless traffic jam.
'Great. Just great.'
The cars inched forward, and I tapped my fingers impatiently against the wheel. My thoughts wandered to the moment I decided to leave the Moonstone Pack. It was one of the hardest decisions I'd ever made, but looking back now, I knew it was the right one.
Adrian may have broken my heart, but he also set me free.
The traffic finally began to clear, and I pressed the accelerator, my determination renewed. Today wasn't just about the diploma-it was about proving to myself that I could rebuild, that I was more than the title of Luna or the mate who wasn't enough.
---
Twenty minutes later, I arrived at the university, hastily grabbing the graduation gown from my passenger seat and slipping it on. The ceremony had already begun, and I could hear faint applause echoing from the auditorium. Hoping not to attract too much attention, I slipped in through the back entrance.
Scanning the hall, I spotted my best friend, Becky, sitting near the back. I quickly made my way to her and settled into the empty seat beside her.
"What took you so long, Lia?" Becky whispered, her brow furrowed.
"Traffic jam," I replied with an apologetic shrug.
She sighed. "You just missed Dr. Edward's speech. But don't worry-you're just in time for Dr. Alex Darlington."
My eyes widened. "Wait-Alex Darlington is here? The Alex Darlington?"
Becky grinned and nodded.
My heart skipped a beat. Alex Darlington was a renowned doctor, a legend in the medical field, and my role model. I'd admired him from afar for years and had always hoped to meet him someday. The idea of seeing him in person sent a thrill through me.
"Please give a warm welcome to Dr. Alex Darlington, one of the most celebrated and successful doctors in New York City," the announcer declared.
The audience erupted into applause as a tall, strikingly handsome man stepped onto the stage. His presence commanded attention, his dark suit perfectly tailored, and his confident smile radiating charm.
I joined in the applause, but as I did, a familiar scent of lavender and strawberries hit me like a wave, making my breath hitch.
'No...'
My wolf, Ivy, leaped excitedly in my mind. "Mate!"
Panic surged through me as the realization hit-Alex Darlington, the man I idolized, was my fated mate.
"No, no, this can't be happening," I muttered under my breath, my heart racing.
Becky glanced at me, her brows furrowing in concern. "Lia? Are you okay?"
I forced a shaky smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just... need some air. I'll be right back."
Without waiting for her response, I slipped out of my seat and hurried toward the nearest bathroom.
---
Inside the bathroom, I splashed cold water on my face, trying to calm my racing thoughts.
"What is wrong with you, Amelia? Isn't this what you've always wanted?" Ivy's voice echoed in my mind, tinged with frustration.
"No, Ivy. This is the last thing I want," I shot back. "After what I went through with Adrian, you expect me to trust another mate?"
Ivy fell silent for a moment before asking quietly, "So... what are you going to do?"
"I'll reject him," I said firmly. "If he refuses to acknowledge it, I'll leave. As long as he can't find me, he'll never claim me."
Without hesitating, I grabbed my bag and exited the bathroom, determined to slip away before Alex could discover the bond.
---
I texted Becky, telling her I felt sick and had to leave, then made my way to the elevator. My plan was simple: leave now, collect my certificate later, and avoid the fanfare entirely.
The elevator dinged softly as the doors slid open, and I stepped inside, pressing the button for the ground floor. I took a steadying breath, hoping I could escape without incident.
Just as the doors were about to close, a foot blocked them. The doors slid open again, and the scent of lavender and strawberries hit me like a tidal wave.
My stomach churned.
Dr. Alex Darlington stepped into the elevator, the same confident smile playing on his lips. Only now, his eyes-intense and captivating-were fixed on me.
"Little mate," he said, his voice smooth and teasing, "running away already?"
My breath hitched, and I instinctively backed up against the wall of the elevator, my heart pounding wildly.
"Dr. A-Alex Darlington," I stammered, my voice barely above a whisper.
He stepped closer, his smirk widening. "No need to be formal. We're fated, after all."
His words sent a jolt through me, and I clenched my fists. "I know you don't want this Dr. Alex so just go on and reject me," I said to him and immediately he furrowed his brows at me.
"Reject you, is that what you want?"
His smirk faltered slightly, but his expression remained calm.
" Yes." My voice shook, but I stood my ground.
"Okay," he replied calmly.
To be continued...
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7.4
I was the bankrupt socialite everyone pitied, standing in the mud at my mother's grave with nothing left but a pair of old Louboutins and a single white rose. My bank account was overdrawn by three hundred dollars, but I still believed Julian, my fiancé, was the one person who hadn't abandoned the toxic Compton name.
Then I saw his Maybach shaking in the cemetery parking lot. Through a crack in the window, I heard the man I loved whispering to my stepsister, Tiffany.
"Don't worry about the broke princess. Once I secure her voting proxy for the trust, I'm dumping her."
Tiffany laughed, clutching the scarlet coat she'd charged to my own maxed-out credit card.
"She's so pathetic, Julian. She actually thinks you love her."
I didn't scream; I recorded them. But when I tried to use that leverage, my family turned into vipers. To protect Julian's status, they framed me for causing Tiffany to miscarry a fake pregnancy and planted stolen documents in my bag. My own father stood by as they locked me in a room, planning to sell me to a predatory creditor named Hightower to settle his gambling debts. I ended up in a freezing police cell, my ankle shattered and my reputation destroyed.
I sat on that metal bench, shivering as I realized my own blood had traded my life for a check. I called the only man powerful enough to burn them all-Julian's uncle, the "Butcher of Wall Street," Alden Stark. The phone just kept ringing. He wasn't coming. To the world, I was just a walking bankruptcy filing, a girl who had finally run out of luck.
I didn't wait for a savior. I escaped custody and ran barefoot through the rain, leaving a trail of blood on the marble floor of Stark Tower. When I collapsed at Alden's feet, he didn't look at me with pity; he looked at me like a rare, damaged artifact he finally owned.
"Inform the board that this is my fiancée," he announced, lifting me into his arms.
I signed the marriage contract that night, trading my freedom for the power to ensure my family's liabilities exceeded their assets for the rest of their natural lives.
7.7
I was suffocating in a borrowed Valentino gown at the Met Gala, but it wasn't the corset that was killing me. It was the debt collector, Vargo, stalking me through the crowd like a wolf.
Desperate to hide, I ducked into a private lounge and threw myself at the silhouette of a man sitting in the shadows, pressing my lips to his in a frantic plea for cover. When I pulled back, the air turned to ice; I was staring into the ocean-blue eyes of Kingsley Osborn, the billionaire who believed I’d sold his company secrets six years ago.
Kingsley didn’t save me; he trapped me. The next morning, he slid a "Marriage Service Agreement" across his desk, revealing he knew everything about my father’s illegal Ponzi scheme and the quarter-million dollars I owed to loan sharks. He offered to pay my debts and protect my father, but only if I signed over two years of my life to be his trophy wife.
"I don't want your money, Cassidy. I want your life."
The marriage was a cold, calculated war. He forced me into his glass fortress, banned me from contacting my friends, and treated me with a distilled hatred that felt like a physical weight. When I accidentally broke his grandfather’s vintage watch during a nightmare, he didn't see an accident—he saw a crime, threatening to destroy my father if I didn't "charm" his board of directors into submission.
I was a prisoner in a three-piece suit, until I found a mislabeled file buried in his company’s server. It contained evidence of a massive, illegal hostile takeover that would ruin Kingsley if the Feds ever saw it.
I held the gun that could destroy the man who had cornered me. But as I looked at the champagne roses he’d secretly kept from my "peace offering," I realized I didn't want to pull the trigger. I wanted to see how far he’d go to keep me from leaving.
9.3
Born into privilege, Eleanor never imagined her life could shatter in a single night. Then her father disappeared with his mistress, her mother fell from a building and slipped into a coma, and everything she once owned turned to dust.
Determined not to ruin Jonathan's future with her family's disgrace, she ended their relationship and became the bride of a man trapped in a vegetative state.
She believed that was the last time their paths would cross. But two years later, Jonathan pinned her in the dark and whispered, "Long time no see, my sister-in-law."
9.1
For three years, June played the perfect, submissive wife to billionaire Augustus Pruitt, hoping a child would finally warm his cold heart and secure their marriage.
But when she cautiously suggested they have a baby, he looked at her with pure, unfiltered disgust.
"A woman who schemes her way into a marriage doesn't get to carry my blood."
He sneered, leaving immediately to lavish his mistress with diamonds. The nightmare only escalated from there. Augustus bought the one painting June desperately wanted—a piece she had secretly created herself—just to gift it to his mistress. He publicly outbid June at the gallery, mocking her lack of wealth, and left her to collapse in the freezing rain. When the storm gave her a severe 104-degree fever and she nearly died on their staircase, he didn't even stay by her hospital bed. Instead, he sent an assistant with a box of jewelry to buy her silence, then forced her to attend a family dinner where his mother and sister viciously mocked her barren womb and background.
Looking at Augustus, who sat there casually cutting his steak while his family tore her apart, the last flicker of hope in June's chest sputtered and died.
She finally understood that her three years of bleeding devotion were nothing but a pathetic joke to them.
She dropped her silverware, the sharp clatter silencing the entire room. She wasn't going to be their punching bag anymore. It was time to finalize the divorce papers, reclaim her hidden identity as the world-renowned artist 'mr.sun', and make them all regret it.
8.5
Series One:
On her wedding day, Isabella Hernando stared into the mirror and wondered-
how could she possibly marry someone she barely remembered?
Miguel Martez, the man she was arranged to wed, was only a childhood friend who had long since disappeared.
But just before the ceremony was about to begin, Miguel vanished without a trace.
To save the family's reputation, Maximilian Martez, his elder brother, was forced to take his place at the altar-
without anyone knowing, not even the bride herself.
But when Isabella finally stood before the man,
she was shocked.
That face, those eyes... that voice...
Series Two:
Adeline Martez is a quiet, introverted girl who grew up cherished and spoiled by her parents. Marriage was never something she worried about-until the day her parents announced her arranged match.
Her groom-to-be?
Jason Castello-the man she despised most.
Her senior.
Her tormentor.
The shameless bully who had made her school days miserable.
Adeline fought with everything she had to escape the engagement.
But the harder she pushed him away, the tighter Jason held on.
One stubborn cat.
One relentless dog.
When hatred sparks, tempers clash, and neither is willing to surrender-
how does a battlefield turn into a marriage?
7.9
On my wedding day, my fiancé Connor received an urgent phone call.
He told me a D-list actress had broken her leg on set, then abandoned me right at the altar.
In my past life, I cried until my throat bled, begging him not to leave.
But my tears only brought endless humiliation. My mother and adopted sister mocked me, framed me, and forged my signature to steal my multi-million dollar trust fund.
They kicked me out of the family estate without a single dime.
I ended up freezing to death in the minus-twenty-degree New York blizzard, listening to my mother's voicemail telling me to die in the street as long as I didn't bleed on her carpets.
Until my last breath, I couldn't understand why my own blood relatives hated me so much, yet treated an adopted daughter like a precious princess.
The only person who showed me any mercy—draping his wool coat over my frozen corpse and giving me a proper burial—was Connor's ruthless, untouchable uncle, Harding Snow.
Opening my eyes again, I was back in the bridal suite, right as Connor was rushing out the door.
This time, I didn't shed a single tear.
I let him run to his actress, then walked straight into the VIP room to face the most feared billionaire on Wall Street.
"The wedding proceeds as planned, but the groom's name changes to yours."