Tonight was supposed to be the happiest night of my life.
I stood before Cedric Nightbane, the Alpha Prince of the kingdom—my fated mate. My heart pounded wildly in my chest, anticipation thrumming through my veins. Everything in me ached for him, for the bond that had been pulling me toward him since childhood.
I had spent years dreaming of this moment, of his voice whispering my name, of his hands marking me as his forever.
And yet, something was wrong.
Cedric's gaze was cold. Detached. The warmth I had longed for, the longing I had prayed to see in his eyes—it wasn't there.
A shiver crawled down my spine. My Omega instincts screamed at me to submit, to make him want me, but I refused to fall to my knees. I would not beg for what was meant to be mine.
The murmurs around us grew louder, a restless energy crackling in the air. The other Alphas stood tall, watching in anticipation. The Betas whispered behind their hands. The Omegas in the crowd looked at me with something close to pity.
And then, the moment that shattered me—
Cedric took a step back, his voice cold and sharp as steel.
"I, Cedric Nightbane, reject you as my mate."
For a moment, the world stopped, my world stopped.
The bond between us—the invisible thread tying our souls together—snapped. A searing pain shot through my chest, so sharp I gasped, clutching my stomach as if it could stop the ache that burrowed deep inside me.
My legs trembled. My breath came in short, shallow pants. No, no, this isn't real.
The pain was unbearable, like claws sinking into my very soul, tearing something vital from me. I had heard stories of what a rejection felt like, but nothing had prepared me for this.
My mate didn't want me.
A sharp laugh rang out, cruel and filled with disdain. Cedric's voice.
"You actually thought I would accept you?" He sneered, his eyes filled with something I couldn't name. Disgust? Amusement? "You're pathetic, Arielle. Weak. An Omega like you would only be a burden to me."
The gasps from the crowd felt distant, muffled. My heartbeat roared in my ears, drowning out everything but the sharp agony of his words.
He stepped closer, lowering his voice so only I could hear. "Did you really think I'd want a mate like you?"
I sucked in a sharp breath, my hands balling into fists at my sides. My body wanted to crumble, to submit to the rejection, but a fire sparked inside me, fighting against the pain.
I had spent my whole life waiting for him. I had spent my whole life believing he was my destiny. And he had just thrown me away like I was nothing.
A cold realization settled in my chest, cutting through the haze of pain.
I would not beg for him.
I straightened my spine, lifting my chin even as my vision blurred with unshed tears. "You will regret this, Cedric."
His smirk only deepened. "Doubtful."
A sharp gust of wind howled through the courtyard as if the goddess herself mourned my broken bond. The murmurs of the crowd turned into an unbearable roar, but I refused to stay and let them see me break.
I turned on my heel and ran.
Away from the palace. Away from the life I had spent years believing was mine. Away from the mate who had just shattered my heart.
The scent of pine and storm clouds filled the air as I stumbled through the darkened forest, my breath coming in ragged gasps. The rejection still burned inside me, but something deeper stirred beneath the pain.
Something new.
Something dangerous.
And as the wind howled through the trees, a presence loomed behind me.
A scent unlike any I had ever known—rich, intoxicating, and utterly Alpha.
Slowly, I turned. My breath hitched.
Before me stood a man cloaked in darkness, his golden eyes glowing like molten fire in the night. He was taller than Cedric, broader, more imposing. Everything about him radiated power, danger…
Possession.
My heart pounded wildly as he took a slow, deliberate step toward me.
"Your mate was a fool to let you go, little Omega."
And as his words wrapped around me like a claim, my shattered world tilted once more.