The Rejected Luna's Awakening

LIORA “Well, well, well. If it isn’t the pack’s biggest problem.” Caroline sneers, slamming my door open as she and her entourage barge in. I stiffen, glaring at her. She has no right to invade my space like this. “Watch your mouth, Caroline. As you already know, I’m Seth’s true mate, and everyone will know it soon enough too,” I snap, with a smirk, holding my ground. Her expression shifts from shock to fury, her jaw tightening as if my words are a personal attack. Seth Ashford. My childhood friend, my closest companion. Now my mate. I’ve trusted him my whole life, even though he’s still dating Caroline. I believe in him. He’ll tell the pack the truth, and this nonsense will end. But Caroline hates me. Ever since she came to Stormclaw ten years ago, she’s made my life unbearable. The daughter of the Ravenwood’s Alpha, she was sent here after some political deal with Alpha Kazil. She started dating Seth at fourteen and never stopped tormenting me, all because I was close to him and Luke. “You’ll never be Luna! That title is mine, and you don’t deserve it!” she screeches, her voice shrill. Before I can respond, her cronies charge. One yanks me by the hair, dragging me off the bed and slamming me onto the floor. The sharp, acrid stench of wolfsbane burns my nose, leaking from her fingers. Growling, I lash out with a kick, sending her flying into Caroline. But the move leaves me open, and the other two leap at me. Their claws, laced with wolfsbane, tear into my skin. Pain ripples through me as the poison seeps into my veins. I grit my teeth, fighting back as hard as I can, and send a desperate S.O.S. through the pack link—only to find it blocked. Panic sets in. The pack link only fails if the alpha blocks it. Why would he— “What is the meaning of this?” Alpha Kazil’s booming voice silences everyone. Relief floods me, but it’s short-lived as his cold gray eyes land on us…especially me. It's filled with so much disgust. “Liora attacked Caroline,” one of her cronies lies, her tone dripping with fake innocence. I open my mouth to defend myself, but Kazil’s growl cuts me off, his authority forcing me to submit. “I won’t allow anyone to attack a pack delegate!” he snarls. He grabs my wrist and drags me out of Seth’s room. His eyes glaze over in a mind-link as he hauls me downstairs and throws me outside, right in front of the large building. Stumbling, I glare at the man my parents gave their lives to protect. Around us, pack members gather, summoned for what I now realize is a public trial. Dread churns in my stomach. Something isn’t right. "Liora Bloodrose, for your alleged attack on Caroline, the future bride of my son, you are hereby relieved of your beta rank and cast down to the position of omega," Alpha Kazil proclaims, his voice void of emotion. The weight of his words hits me like a stone. My eyes widen, and my body shakes as my rank is ripped away. Confusion and pain churns my stomach. What's going on? Just like that? The pride of being a beta is gone, replaced with the crushing shame of being an omega. What hurts the most is that he saw it happen—he walked in while I was fighting off Caroline’s minions. “Do you have anything to say for yourself?” he asks, his cold gaze boring into me. This isn’t the alpha I once admired, the leader I respected. I meet his gaze, trying to keep my voice steady. “Would it even matter if I told you the truth?” My words are firm, but my doubt is clear. My mind-link is still blocked, and it’s obvious he’s protecting Caroline. Everything about this feels off—wrong in ways I can’t explain. “Of course it matters,” he replies flatly, his tone too casual. The lie is obvious, written across his face. His belief—or lack thereof—isn’t what matters here. It’s whether the pack will listen. “I didn’t attack Caroline,” I state, my voice unwavering as I glare at him. I scan the crowd for support, my eyes landing on Seth—my mate. I try to reach him through the bond, but nothing reaches him. Our eyes meet briefly, and he looks away, guilt flashing across his face. The sight cuts deeper than any wound. My chest tightens with pain and betrayal, but I refuse to crumble. Turning back to Kazil, I fight to keep my voice steady. “I was on my way to find Seth when Caroline and her friends ambushed me. Look at me!” My tone sharpens, louder and more commanding. “I’m bleeding. You can smell the wolfsbane in my wounds—they did this to me!” The wolves in the crowd shift uncomfortably. Some sniff the air, their eyes widening in recognition. Whispers ripple as they pick up the scents—wolfsbane, blood, and the unmistakable scent of my mate. “Why would she attack you?” Kazil scoffs, his voice dripping with disbelief. Stunned, I stumble back, my mind reeling. How can he not sense it? How can he not recognize his own son’s scent all over me? “Your son and I are bonded already” I state, my voice cold. Seth’s head jerks up, his shoulders tense, his fists clenching at his sides. My gaze locks onto his, silently pleading for him to speak, to defend me. But when he finally reacts, it’s nothing like I expected. His face hardens, his jaw tightens, and his glare cuts right through me. “She’s lying. That’s not true!” Seth shouts, his voice sharp with denial. “We discovered the bond yesterday, on my eighteenth birthday!" I tell the gathered wolves, forcing my focus to shift to them. "We spent the day together, and you all can sense him on me. There’s no hiding it.” Seth’s expression darkens, and his head shakes as he stares me down. “Don’t believe her! She’s making it all up!” he yells, his voice echoing across the room. He storms toward me, his steps heavy and full of anger, but two pack members rush forward to block him, holding him back. His words slice through me, the rejection in them leaving me breathless. My chest tightens as the weight of his betrayal settles in. Just last night, he promised me everything—his love, his loyalty—and now, he’s turning on me. “Stop lying, Seth! You know this is the truth!” I shout, my voice raw with emotion. The pain in my words is impossible to hide, as disbelief and hurt crash over me. “Liora turned eighteen yesterday,” Alpha Kazil says in an even tone, addressing his son. “The two of you disappeared not long after the party began. She’s wearing your clothes, and the scent is undeniable.” Kazil’s voice is steady, but the pity in his eyes as he looks at Seth is fleeting, quickly replaced by a cold, detached gaze when he turns back to me. “Liora, this was decided years ago," he says, his words slow and deliberate. "Seth and Caroline are engaged. This marriage is necessary to secure our alliance with Alpha Ivan Butcher and to prevent a war with Ravenwood.” The pack buzzes with whispers as the revelation spreads like wildfire. My head spins, my mind replaying every moment from the night before. I gave myself to Seth, trusting him, believing in our future. Now, that hope has been shattered. “You can’t do this!” I scream, my voice trembling with desperation and anger. “He belongs to me. We’re bonded! You have no right to take him from me!” Kazil’s expression remains impassive. “This isn’t up for debate. Either you reject my son, or he will reject you.” The world tilts as rage and grief crash over me like a tidal wave. I spin to face Seth, my voice shaking with defiance. “No! I won’t do it!” Kazil shrugs indifferently. “Then Seth will handle it himself. It’s for the good of the pack.” Seth wrenches free from the wolves holding him, his eyes blazing with fury. He takes a step forward, and I brace myself for the words I know are coming. “I, Sethaniel Ashford, renounce you, Liora Bloodrose, as my mate. May the goddess show you mercy.” The words hit me like a physical blow. My knees buckle, and a piercing scream escapes my lips as the bond snaps. Agony tears through me, a searing pain ripping apart my chest. My mate—the one meant for me—has chosen duty over destiny, a pack w***e over his fated partner. “No!”