2. Rejection
1425 Words
Ara's POV
"Pathetic," Bianca sneered, her emerald eyes glinting with cruel amusement. "Can’t you even cook the food properly?”
The plates shattered, splashing hot stew all over on me. A hiss left my lips as blisters formed on my arms.
But the physical pain was nothing compared to the humiliation of standing there, dripping, scalded… while the pack’s kitchen staff averted their eyes. Not one dared to speak. Not one dared to help.
I couldn’t blame them. That omega Lila, a kitchen maid, sneaked me extra bread a few days back. She was punished severely for stealing, then she was forced to scrub the entire packhouse. Bianca made sure to cut off every helping hand I ever had.
Bianca’s perfectly manicured nails tapped impatiently against the wooden table, "clean this mess. And do it right this time."
I swallowed the bile rising in my throat, "yes, Bianca."
Her hand slammed down, making the cutleries jump.
"Luna," she corrected, her voice dripping with venom. "You will address me as your Luna.”
I lifted my chin, meeting her gaze. Once, those eyes had held warmth and kindness. Once, they’d sparkled with laughter as we whispered each other's secrets.
Now?
Now they were as cold as the winter winds that howled through the mountains.
What changed?
Everything!
Alpha Adrian had passed away a few months ago, and with him, the last shred of protection I had was gone too. Lucian became the new alpha. He no longer hid his love for Bianca.
The pack whispered about their tragic love story— how they were fated mates, forced apart by the selfish, wolfless woman who clung to a marriage that meant nothing.
Five years!
Five damn years of being a ghost in my own life.
Five years of a husband who never touched me, never marked me, who looked at me with indifference instead of love!
"Haven’t you heard me, mutt?" Bianca’s voice snapped me back to reality.
When did you become this monster? I wondered. Or were you always hiding behind those pretty tears?
It didn't matter anymore. I made my choice five years back, when Bianca was begging on her knees. I was a fool back then to agree to this stupid arrangement. Was it my blind love for Lucian? Maybe. Or was it the pity I felt towards my best friend? I couldn't tell. Either way, it was the worst decision I ever made. I was the future luna, a hollow title.
“Call me Luna,” Bianca demanded.
That’s right. Despite everything, Lucian still hadn’t officially made her Luna. I was still his wife— maybe out of some lingering respect for his father’s last wish.
But then Bianca was pregnant.
And I was nothing!
Bianca might have Lucian's love, sympathy of others but she still wasn't Luna and it infuriated her the most.
A sharp slap jerked me back to reality. My head snapped to the side, the metallic taste of blood flooding my mouth where my teeth had cut my cheek.
"I said, call me Luna!" Bianca shrieked.
Before I could react, her fingers tangled in my hair, yanking me forward until our noses nearly touched. The scent of her perfume made my stomach churn.
"Look at you," she spat. "No wolf. No mate. No family. You’re nothing but a worthless burden this pack has tolerated for too long. Still trying to cling to the title which should have been mine to begin with."
The words should have hurt. But after five years of this, I’d become numb.
A commotion at the door made Bianca’s grip loosen. Like magic, her expression morphed from fury to fragility as she collapsed to the floor with a theatrical gasp.
"Ara, please!" she whimpered, hands cradling her barely-showing bump. "I know you hate me, but my baby’s innocent! Please don't hurt him."
The kitchen door burst open.
Lucian.
My husband, no… my tormentor stormed in, his alpha aura making the air crackle with tension. In three strides, he was at Bianca’s side, gathering her into his arms like something precious and fragile.
"What happened?" he demanded, running his hands frantically over her.
“Why don't you ask your mate?” I gritted my teeth.
Bianca buried her face in his chest, "the stew...it slipped.”
“Did it really slip?” Lucian narrowed his eyes on me.
“I think Ara was upset about the baby… This is all my fault…" Bianca sobbed.
And here goes her acting skill. Some tears, sobbing and Lucian melted.
"Liar," I whispered.
Lucian’s head snapped up, his dark eyes blazing, "what did you say?"
I wiped blood from my lip, "I said she’s lying. Again."
Bianca let out a heart-wrenching sob, "why would I lie? Our baby could have been hurt! I… I don't know why you would… I thought of you as my family…."
She trailed off as if I were to do something despicable. See the irony! I had to pretend this marriage for all these years so that the pack didn't see Bianca as a bully. The moment Alpha Adrian was gone, her mark lifted.
“You are my wife. You are supposed to take care of the pack,” my so-called husband barked.
How convenient! He never treated me as his wife. He never spared me a simple glance of love or affection.
A bitter laugh escaped my lips, “your wife? Or your sister? Decide first.”
Lucian’s expression hardened as he helped Bianca to a chair. When he turned to me, the man I’d loved since childhood was gone. In his place stood a stranger. A cold, merciless Alpha.
"Enough," he growled. "I’ve tolerated your jealousy long enough. Bianca is carrying my heir. It’s time to end this farce."
My breath hitched. After everything, the humiliation, the loneliness, the endless pretending… this was how it would end? With me being cast aside like yesterday’s trash?
When I went along with the plan, a fragile hope lit in my heart. Maybe, just maybe, Lucian would fall for me. Just like they mention in the novels.
But the reality was harsher. I laughed again. It was all my fault to begin with. I should have never agreed to their arrangement. I was naive!
Lucian stepped forward, his voice echoing through the suddenly silent kitchen.
"I, Lucian Black, Alpha of Blue Moon Pack, reject the bond created between Ara Vaelcrest and myself by marriage. I hereby reject Ara as my future Luna."
The words hit like a physical blow. My knees nearly buckled, but I forced myself to stand tall.
"Well?" Lucian demanded. "Do you accept?"
I looked past him to Bianca. Her lips curled in a triumphant smirk only I could see. So she won! Finally she could have what she always wanted.
Taking a shuddering breath, I raised my chin and met Lucian's gaze.
"I, Ara Vaelcrest, accept your rejection."
Something inside me snapped. Was it the last of hope I had? The pack’s gasps sounded distant, like I was underwater.
Bianca suddenly appeared at my side, her arm looping through mine with false sweetness.
"You didn't have to do it before everyone,” she purred at Lucian, as if she was clearly disappointed.
“Bianca…” Lucian tried to reach for her but she ignored.
Then her eyes turned to me, “Are you ok, Ara? Let me help you to your room.”
What was she up to now? I wanted to refuse. But I didn't have strength left to start another fight.
As we climbed the stairs, her grip tightened viciously. As we reached the top, she leaned in, her breath hot against my ear.
"You should have died with your parents. Your are just a burden."
Then, with a strength that belied her delicate frame, she shoved.
The world tilted.
I reached out desperately, fingers scraping against empty air as I tumbled down the wooden steps.
Pain exploded through my body… shoulder, ribs, spine… each impact a fresh agony.
Then my head struck the final step with a sickening thud.
Darkness crept in.
I heard distant screams. Someone shouting for a doctor. Lucian’s voice, sharp with...was that concern? How touchy!
Was this it?
Was this how my story ended?
Betrayed.
Broken.
Alone.
But as the cold embrace of unconsciousness pulled me under, a single thought flickered in the void—
Maybe death was kinder than living in a world that never wanted me.
Then what about my fairytale? My prince charming? Or was just another fool to belive in these?
- Writer
