REJECTED YET CHOSEN

Chapter 54

_Dorian's POV_

I stood in the room for a long moment, staring at the door Lyla had just walked through. My heart pounded in my chest. My emotions were a mixture of anger, confusion, and something else—something far worse.

Emptiness.

She wasn’t my Lyla anymore.

Her voice, her scent, her touch—everything about her was different. Cold. Distant. Like I was nothing more than a stranger to her. My mind raced with possibilities. Had Aaron done something to her? Had he erased her memories? Or worse—had he truly changed her heart?

I exhaled sharply, shaking my head. No. That couldn’t be it. Somewhere deep inside, the real Lyla was still there. I just had to find her.

I turned to the closet and grabbed the first set of clothes I saw. A simple black shirt and dark jeans. They fit well enough, but I hardly paid attention. My mind was still replaying our conversation, her blank golden eyes, her smooth, detached voice.

I don’t think I have ever loved you.

I clenched my jaw as a sharp pain stabbed through my chest. Lies. All of it was lies.

I had to get out of here.

I finished dressing and walked out of the room. Jason and Marcus were waiting outside. Jason stood with his hands behind his back, his expression unreadable, while Marcus leaned casually against the wall, arms crossed, looking bored.

Jason nodded at me. “Alpha Dorian, I will escort you outside.”

I didn’t respond. I just started walking, my fists clenched at my sides.

The silence was thick as we made our way through the hall. The Blood Moon Pack’s estate was grand, built with dark stone and towering walls that felt suffocating. My wolf, Shadow, was restless, pacing inside my head.

We need to get her out of here, he growled.

I know.

We stepped outside, the cool evening air doing little to calm the fire burning inside me. Jason led us toward the black SUV parked near the entrance.

Just as I was about to get in, Jason pulled something from his pocket and handed it to me.

An invitation card.

I took it without a word, staring at the gold and cream design. The paper was thick, expensive and embossed with elegant patterns. My stomach twisted before I even opened it.

Jason’s lips curled into a small, knowing smirk. “Alpha Aaron has personally invited you to his wedding next week.”

My grip on the card tightened.

Jason tilted his head slightly. “Do attend.”

And with that, he turned and walked away.

I didn’t move. I didn’t breathe.

My heart pounded against my ribs as I slowly opened the card.

The words were written in elegant, flowing script.

Alpha Aaron Blackwood of the Blood Moon Pack & Lyla Grace cordially invite you to their wedding ceremony, to be held on the night of the full moon. A celebration of fate, love, and unity.

My hands trembled.

But then, at the bottom right corner of the card, in red ink, a different handwriting stood out.

A great mistake, Dorian. You lost her. She is mine now.

Aaron.

That bastard.

My vision blurred with rage. My wolf howled in fury inside me, scratching at my mind, demanding to be let out.

He’s mocking us! Shadow snarled. He’s laughing in our faces!

I know! I gritted my teeth.

My breathing was uneven, my chest rising and falling too fast. The edges of the invitation crumpled under my grip.

Aaron was taunting me. Flaunting the fact that he had Lyla.

He knew exactly what he was doing.

I slammed the car door shut behind me as I got in.

Marcus started the engine but glanced at me. “What’s wrong?”

I didn’t answer right away. I just handed him the invitation.

Marcus took it, his eyes scanning the words. His face darkened, his fingers tightening around the card.

“Aaron knew she was your ex-mate,” he muttered. “And he’s rubbing it in your face.”

I laughed bitterly. “That bastard wants me to suffer.”

Marcus flipped the card over, staring at it like it held the answers to the universe. “This isn’t just about the wedding,” he said slowly. “Something’s off.”

I turned to him. “I was thinking the same thing.”

Marcus set the card down on the dashboard and exhaled. “Dorian… Aaron is the Alpha of the Blood Moon Pack. One of the strongest packs in the country. He’s powerful. He’s ambitious.” He looked at me, his expression serious. “Do you really think a man like him would choose an omega like Lyla for his Luna unless he had a reason?”

I swallowed hard.

No.

He wouldn’t.

Lyla was strong, but she had no political standing. No alliances. Nothing to offer a power-hungry Alpha.

Unless…

Marcus tapped the card. “Maybe this wedding is a sham. Maybe he’s only planning to use her.”

I clenched my jaw. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”

My hands curled into fists. “And Lyla—she’s in danger. I can feel it. The seer even warned us about this.”

Marcus nodded. “Then we need answers.”

I exhaled sharply. “I don’t know what to do, Marcus. She doesn’t even remember me. She acts like we never met before.”

Marcus was quiet for a moment. Then he spoke.

“It’s like Aaron has manipulated her,” he said. “Like he has made her his puppet.”

A shiver ran down my spine.

“That’s exactly what it feels like,” I admitted. “Like her memories have been… rewritten.”

Marcus’s fingers tapped against the steering wheel. “Then we need to see the seer.”

I turned to him sharply. “In person?”

“She might have the answers we need,” Marcus said. “You said it yourself—something is wrong. We need to find out what.”

I stared out the window, my mind racing.

The seer had already warned me that Lyla was in danger. That Aaron was involved.

And now, Lyla had completely changed.

I didn’t believe in coincidences.

I took a deep breath. “Then let’s go.”

Marcus nodded, shifting the car into gear. “Let’s find out what the hell is really going on.”

As we drove, the invitation card sat between us on the dashboard.

Gold and cream. Beautiful. Elegant.

But to me, it looked like a funeral notice.

And I wasn’t about to let it become one.