Rejected by Her Mate, Claimed by Four Alphas

CHAPTER 2

Clara’s POV

I walked back to the dining hall, my steps heavy with disappointment. The hallway stretched before me, seeming longer than it had been just moments ago. My chest felt tight, as if someone had wrapped a band around it and pulled until I could barely breathe.

When I reached the dining hall doorway, I paused. Inside, Elsa and the other pack members were still discussing table arrangements and flower placements. Their excited voices carried through the air, a stark contrast to the heaviness I felt inside.

They hadn't noticed me yet. I stood at the threshold, watching them talk about a wedding that might never happen. My fingers curled into fists at my sides.

"The wedding is off until further notice," I announced, my voice steadier than I expected.

The room fell silent. All eyes turned to me, wide with shock.

Elsa stood from her chair, her clipboard clutched against her chest. "Luna Clara, is everything—"

"Just... put everything on hold," I said, cutting her off. I couldn't bear to hear her call me Luna right now. Not when that title seemed to be slipping further away with each passing day.

Without waiting for a response, I turned and walked toward my room. Behind me, whispers erupted like a swarm of angry bees.

"Did you see her face?"

"What happened?"

"Did Alpha Jaden change his mind about her?"

"They always postpone the wedding and don't even attempt to do an official mating ceremony. Are you sure they're fated mates and aren't lying to us?"

Each word stung like a knife in my back, but I kept my head high, my steps measured. I would not give them the satisfaction of seeing me break.

Only when I reached my room and shut the door behind me did I allow the mask to slip. My back pressed against the cool wood as I slid down to the floor, my legs no longer able to hold me up.

The tears came then, hot and fast. They burned trails down my cheeks as sobs wracked my body. Three years of my life devoted to him, to this pack, to becoming the perfect Luna. And for what? To be pushed aside again and again?

"I told you," my wolf whispered in my mind, her voice gentler now, almost sad. "He doesn't deserve us."

I pressed my palms against my eyes, trying to stem the flow of tears. "He's my mate," I whispered back. "The goddess chose him for me."

My wolf remained silent, but her doubt hung heavy in my mind.

I knew she was right but I didn't want to believe it all. I didn't want to believe that my bond with my mate was so weak.

**********

Three months passed.

Three months of strained smiles and hollow reassurances. Three months of Jaden promising that "soon" we would set a new date, that "soon" everything would be perfect for our union.

I walked toward the pack gathering hall, my shoulders squared despite the weight I carried. Today's meeting was important—discussions about pack welfare and border security were on the agenda, and as future Luna, I needed to be present.

As I approached the massive doors of the gathering hall, snippets of conversation reached my ears.

"There she is—the Luna who can't even get her mate to claim her properly," someone whispered, not bothering to lower their voice enough.

"Third postponement in a row. Something's definitely wrong with her," another added with a snicker.

I kept my gaze forward, pretending not to hear, but their words sliced through me like claws.

"My cousin in the Moonstone Pack says their Luna was claimed within a month of being chosen," a female voice said pointedly. "A whole year of delays? The goddess must have made a mistake."

"If she was worthy of being Luna, he would have marked her by now."

"I heard he's looking for a replacement. A real Luna who knows her place."

"Can't even keep her mate interested enough to go through with the ceremony—"

I clenched my jaw tight enough to hurt as I passed a group of younger pack females, their eyes following me with undisguised contempt.

"My mother says a real Luna would have given the Alpha pups by now," one of them whispered loudly. "She's probably barren."

"Or he just can't stand to touch her that way," another responded with a cruel laugh that echoed in the hall.

The whispers died down as I entered the main chamber, replaced by forced smiles and nods of acknowledgment. I had grown used to this dance, this pretense that everything was fine when clearly it wasn't.

I took my seat to the right of Jaden's empty chair, feeling eyes boring into me from every direction. Some gazes held pity, others satisfaction. I could almost hear their thoughts: This is what happens when a warrior tries to be a Luna.

When Jaden finally entered, the pack rose in respect. Several females straightened their posture, preening as he passed. One even had the audacity to shoot me a triumphant smile, as if to say, Watch how easily I could replace you.

Jaden's eyes briefly met mine, a flash of something unreadable passing between us before he addressed the gathering.

The meeting progressed as usual, with reports from various pack sectors and discussions about resource allocation. My attention drifted occasionally, my wolf restless within me.

"If it weren't for the mate bond," she growled, "I'd have left long ago. It's been a year of these empty promises."

"Hush," I thought back, trying to focus on the meeting.

"The next item," Jaden announced, "is border security. We've had reports of rogue wolves near our northern territory."

My ears perked up. This was something I knew about. Before being chosen as Jaden's mate, I had been trained as a warrior, specializing in territorial defense.

"I propose we double the patrols on the northern border," Jaden continued, "and reduce our presence in the east."

The council members nodded in agreement, but alarm bells rang in my head. The eastern territory bordered the Silver Claw Pack, known for their opportunistic nature. Reducing our presence there would be a mistake.

I listened as they discussed the details, my unease growing with each word. Finally, I couldn't contain myself any longer.

"That won't work," I said, my voice cutting through the conversation.

The room fell silent. All eyes turned to me, including Jaden's, which had narrowed dangerously.

"The east needs constant surveillance," I continued, ignoring the warning looks from the council members. "The Silver Claws will see a reduced patrol as a sign of weakness. We should instead rotate our strongest warriors between both borders."

I wasn't trying to challenge Jaden. I was offering a solution based on my training, my experience. But as soon as the words left my mouth, I knew I had made a mistake.

Jaden's face darkened, his jaw clenching. "You think you know better than your Alpha?" he asked, his voice deceptively quiet.

"No, I just—"

The crack of his palm against my cheek echoed through the silent hall.

Pain exploded across my face, my vision blurring as I stumbled backward. A high-pitched ringing filled my ears, drowning out the shocked gasps of the council members. My hand flew to my burning cheek, fingers trembling against the heated skin where his palm had connected.

At that moment, everything went still. The room. My breath. Even my heart seemed to stop beating for a second as the reality of what had just happened sank in.

My mate—the man chosen for me by the goddess herself—had struck me in front of our entire pack.