CHAPTER 3
As I gazed at Asher, everything else around me gradually blurred into the background. The bond we shared seemed to breathe with life, intertwining us in a manner beyond my understanding. A surge of both thrill and dread quickened my heartbeat, sending a rush of emotions through me. This was the moment that would change everything.
Alpha Dominic's voice cut through the hushed whispers of the pack. We're about to start the ritual for accepting a mate, he declared in a slightly tense manner.
I paused, took a breath and attempted to calm my shaking hands. This is really happening Asher, the future alpha of our pack, was my mate. Me, Aurora Nightshade, the omega, the girl everyone looked down upon. It was a dream come true.
Following tradition, I reached out my hand to Asher, offering it with my palm up, anticipating his grasp to solidify our connection. I gazed into his eyes, hoping to witness the awe and happiness mirrored back at me.
Asher's expression had changed. The initial shock of our bonding had faded, replaced by something that made my stomach churn. Was that… disgust?
I faltered, my outstretched hand wavering. "Asher?" I whispered, too quietly for anyone but him to hear.
He didn't respond. His gaze once filled with warmth now appeared distant and chilly. The group surrounding us fell into a hushed silence, the air, with anticipation as we all awaited Asher's reply.
Suddenly, Luna Sarah pushed through the crowd. Her expression turned fierce as she approached her son, speaking urgently in his ear. I couldn't catch the words. Asher's reaction was swift. His jaw tightened, his gaze becoming more intense.
Time seemed to slow down as Asher took a deliberate step back from me. The loss of proximity made the mate bond ache, a physical pain that radiates through my chest.
"I Asher Thorn rejects Aurora Nightshade as my mate and future Luna of this pack," Asher declared, his voice ringing out clearly across the clearing.
The words hit me like a physical blow. I stumbled backward, my mind reeling. This couldn't be happening. Mate bonds were sacred, unbreakable. To reject one was… unthinkable.
Gasps and murmurs erupted from the pack. I was vaguely aware of people pointing, whispering, but it all felt distant, as if I was underwater.
"Asher!" Alpha Dominic's voice boomed out, silencing the crowd. "Explain yourself."
I glanced up at Asher praying that there had been an error, and he would retract his words. However, the expression on his face crushed any lingering hope, instantly.
Asher sneered down at me, his handsome features twisted into something ugly. "Explain myself?" he spat. "It's simple. I won't be saddled with her as my Luna. She's weak, pathetic. The omega." He practically spat the word. "Can you imagine her bearing my pups? Leading this pack beside me? It's laughable."
Every word felt like a needle piercing my heart. I had the urge to escape, to find shelter. My limbs refused to cooperate. I remained motionless, unable to move, while Asher shattered all the hopes and dreams I had.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Beta Marcus and Gamma Tyler exchanging satisfied smirks. They never liked me. Now they are enjoying seeing me humiliated…
"Stupid omega thought she could be Luna!"
"As if Asher would ever want you!"
"Go back to the kitchen where you belong!"
Their disapproval weighed heavily on me. I collapsed, my legs failing me. I dropped to the ground, the force sending a shockwave through my body. Tears ran down my cheeks, though I was hardly aware of them. How could this turn of events unfolds? How could the pinnacle of my existence unravel into such an ordeal?
Luna Sarah stepped forward, her face a picture of smug satisfaction. "My son has made the right choice," she announced to the pack. "We can't let someone like her tarnish our family line. She's a servant. That's all she'll ever amount to."
Her statement was greeted with cheers of approval. I cowered down attempting to shrink into the background, wishing I could vanish.
All a sudden something struck me. I raised my head to see Kara, a bully who had plagued me for years, picking up another clump of soil. "Here you go omega " she jeered, this is your specialty – wallowing in the dirt!"
She threw the dirt at me, and others quickly joined in. Clumps of earth and small stones pelted me, adding physical pain to the emotional agony I was already enduring.
Through it all, Alpha Dominic stood silent. I looked to him, a last desperate hope for intervention. But his face was a mask of resignation. "If this is your decision, Asher," he said finally, "then as Alpha, I… I accept your rejection of the mate bond."
Those words sealed my fate. The tiny bit of hope I was holding on to just shattered. It felt like the end. All my dreams and aspirations had vanished.
I reached my breaking point. I needed to leave that place. I quickly stood up planning to flee, desperate to get out of this horrifying situation.
"Where do you think you're going, omega?"
"Stay here and entertain us!"
"Yeah, dance for us, reject!"
Their cruel laughter washed over me. I turned around searching for an escape route only to find Asher walking away without a glance. He was accompanied by his friends, all chuckling at my situation. Watching him depart emphasized the reality of the situation. There was no coming back from this.
The excitement of the mate ceremony was over, replaced by the thrill of new gossip. I heard snippets of conversation as they left:
"Can you believe what happened?"
"I always knew she was worthless."
"Thank the Moon Goddess, Asher didn't get stuck with her."
What would happen to me now? I was still an omega, but now I was worse than that. I was the rejected mate.
As I came to terms with my circumstances, a fresh feeling started to emerge, growing stronger with each passing moment. Anger. Not just at Asher, or Luna Sarah, or the cruel pack members. I was angry at myself. For daring to hope. For believing that I could be more.
I glanced at the blue dress I was eager to put on earlier. It was now dirty and ripped from my tumble. Just like my hopes, it had started out lovely and full of potential, but ended up damaged and left behind.
At that instant, I felt a change within me. The part of me that always believed things could get better, faded away and was gone… In its place, a cold determination took root. I couldn't stay here.
I had to leave.
The thought should have terrified me. I had never been outside of pack lands, never had to fend for myself. Standing there, alone and feeling defeated, the thought of going away seemed like the only choice I had.
I ran into the dark woods, leaving everything familiar behind, I silently promised myself. One day, in some way, I will grow strong.