The Healer He Rejected: A White Wolf Reborn

For six months, I drained my very soul to heal Alpha Coleton's paralyzed spine. I gave so much energy that I lost the ability to shift into my wolf form. I thought when he finally stood up, he would announce to the pack that I was his Fated Mate.

Instead, he looked right through me.

"You have served the pack well as a servant," he said coldly.

Then he welcomed back Charly, the woman who had abandoned him the moment he was injured. To protect Charly from a harmless spider, he shoved me into a purification pool laced with liquid silver. It burned my skin like acid, leaving scars that refused to fade.

When Charly faked a cough during lunch, he accused me of poisoning her with Wolfsbane. He didn't check the food. He simply grabbed my jaw and forced boiling hot soup down my throat while I gagged and begged for mercy.

"If you hurt her again, I'll make you a slave," he threatened, his eyes full of disgust.

I finally understood. My sacrifice meant nothing to him. He would kill me to please a liar.

So, I sent a single text: "I accept your rejection, Alpha Coleton."

Then I disappeared.

Three years later, I returned. Not as a weak, broken healer, but as a legendary White Wolf, with the most powerful Alpha Prime in Europe holding my hand.

Coleton fell to his knees in the middle of the airport, tears streaming down his face as he begged for the bond to return.

I looked down at him with glowing golden eyes.

"You broke me so I could rebuild myself," I said softly. "And I built a world where you don't exist."

Chapter 1

Arminda POV:

The bass at the Blood Moon Pack house was loud enough to rattle the crystal chandeliers, but it couldn't drown out the nervous thrumming of my own heart. Tonight was the Full Moon Party. Tonight, everyone was celebrating the miracle recovery of Alpha Coleton Barron.

I stood in the shadows near the kitchen entrance, smoothing the fabric of my simple grey dress. My hands were trembling-not from cold, but from exhaustion. For six months, I had poured every ounce of my spiritual energy into Coleton's broken spine. I had sat by his bedside while the silver poison from a Rogue's dagger ate away at his nerves. I had taken his pain into my own body until I was too weak to even shift into my wolf form.

But it was worth it.

Coleton stood in the center of the room, tall, broad-shouldered, and radiating power. His dark hair was perfectly styled, and his tuxedo fit him like a second skin. He was laughing at something an Elder said, his teeth flashing white. He looked magnificent. He looked alive.

My wolf, usually dormant from my fatigue, stirred feebly in my chest. Mate, she whispered. He is strong again.

I took a step forward. Surely, tonight was the night. Now that he was healed, he would acknowledge what we were. He would announce to the pack that the humble healer who saved his life was actually his Fated Mate.

"He looks good, doesn't he?" Beta Jaydan appeared beside me, holding a glass of champagne. He gave me a sympathetic smile. "You pulled off a miracle, Arminda. The doctors said he'd never walk again."

"It was my duty," I whispered, my eyes fixed on Coleton.

"Duty?" An Elder nearby scoffed, overhearing us. "It was sorcery. But effective. Perhaps the Alpha will finally cut his little nurse a check."

The music died down as Coleton raised a hand. The room fell instantly silent. This was the power of an Alpha-his mere presence commanded absolute attention.

"My pack," Coleton's voice boomed, deep and resonant. It sent a shiver down my spine, a mix of fear and adoration. "Six months ago, I was a cripple. Tonight, I stand before you, stronger than ever."

Cheers erupted. He waited for them to subside.

"I owe my recovery to the strength of my bloodline," he continued, puffing out his chest. "And, of course, to the loyal service of my staff."

My heart stuttered. Staff?

His eyes scanned the room and landed on me. For a second, I thought I saw a flicker of warmth, the golden flash of his wolf recognizing mine. But then, a steel shutter slammed down over his gaze. It became cold, detached.

"Arminda," he said.

I stepped into the light, my breath catching. "Alpha?"

"You have served the pack well," he said, his tone flat. "As a servant, your dedication is noted."

Servant. The word hung in the air like a guillotine blade. The murmurs started instantly.

"Just a servant?"

"I thought she was... you know..."

"Look at her. She's practically an Omega. She can't even shift. How could she be a Mate to an Alpha?"

Tears pricked my eyes. I wanted to scream that I couldn't shift because I gave my wolf's essence to fix his broken back.

Before I could speak, the double doors at the top of the grand staircase swung open. A collective gasp went through the room.

Charly Mack descended the stairs.

She was stunning. Her blonde hair cascaded in waves, and she wore a white silk gown that hugged every curve-a gown that looked suspiciously like the ceremonial dress of a Luna. Charly was a high-ranking Beta, vicious and calculating, but physically flawless. She had left Coleton the moment he was paralyzed.

Now, she was back.

Coleton turned. I saw his nostrils flare. I saw his knuckles turn white as he gripped his champagne flute. His Inner Wolf was fighting him-I could feel the waves of rejection rolling off him-but his human side, his arrogant, prideful human side, was winning.

"Coleton, darling," Charly purred, reaching the bottom of the stairs. She ignored me completely, walking straight to him. "I'm so happy you're whole again."

"Charly," Coleton breathed.

"I've missed you," she whispered, placing a hand on his chest.

The crowd watched in stunned silence. This was the woman who abandoned him.

Suddenly, Charly gasped. She stumbled back, her heels clicking on the marble floor near the indoor decorative pool.

"Oh! A spider!" she shrieked, pointing at nothing.

It was a pathetic act. But she flailed her arms, "losing her balance" dramatically.

Coleton moved with supernatural speed. But instead of catching her, he shoved the person standing closest to the pool to make room for Charly's safety.

That person was me.

"Move!" he roared, using his Alpha Voice.

The Alpha Voice is a compulsion. It forces a wolf's body to obey against their will. My knees locked, and his hand slammed into my shoulder with the force of a battering ram.

I flew backward.

Splash.

I hit the water hard. But this wasn't normal water. It was the pack's purification pool, treated with trace amounts of liquid silver to cleanse ritual objects. For a human, it was harmless. For a wolf, especially one as depleted as me, it was acid.

"Ahhh!" I screamed as the water touched my skin.

It felt like a thousand hot needles were piercing my pores. The silver reacted with my wolf blood, sizzling against my flesh. I thrashed, trying to find the surface, choking on the metallic-tasting water.

"My dress!" Charly cried out from the dry safety of the deck. "I almost got wet!"

Coleton didn't even look at the pool. He had his arms wrapped around Charly, his face buried in her neck, inhaling her scent-a scent that was likely masked with expensive perfumes to hide her fear.

"Are you hurt?" Coleton asked her, his voice tender.

I dragged myself to the edge of the pool, my skin red and blistering. My grey dress clung to me, heavy and burning. I coughed up water, my body shaking violently.

"Alpha..." I croaked.

Coleton turned his head. He looked at me struggling to climb out, looking like a drowned rat. There was no pity in his eyes. Only annoyance.

"Clumsy," he sneered. "Get out of sight, Arminda. You're ruining the mood."

The pain in my skin was nothing compared to the sound of my heart shattering.

Arminda.

A voice echoed in my head. It was Esther, the former Luna and Coleton's mother. She was watching from the balcony, a glass of wine in her hand.

Mind-Link: Come to my office tomorrow morning. I have a check prepared for you. It is time you moved on. My son needs a strong Luna, not a nursemaid.

I looked up at Coleton one last time. He was leading Charly to the dance floor, his hand resting possessively on her lower back.

My wolf let out a low, mournful whimper and curled into a ball deep within my soul. She was giving up.

"Yes," I whispered to the empty air, dragging my burning body toward the exit. "It is time."