Rejected by my Alpha, the moon goddess chose me.

May’s Pov.

The evening air was filled with the scent of roses and burning incense, caressing through the crowds. The night was serene as petals and shadowed plantations beautify the premises. The moon shone bright above, making the premises glowy, as the wolves of the BlueCrest pack were gathered. Tonight was a big deal— Our Alpha was about to be crowned and his mate would be revealed.

And me? I was just there to serve wine and patch up any injuries.

I adjusted the leather purse at the side of my waist, and my hands wouldn’t stop trembling. My purse was torn and old and packed with poultices, bandages, ointments, and calming herbs. Those were the tools I used as a healer’s apprentice. These were what defined my place in the pack– just a healer and nothing more.

I was meant to stay in the background. That is my role as always, though it sucks but I was already used to it.

Everything seemed fine until I looked up—and saw him.

Alpha Castello!

He looked like he stepped right out of a hall of golden flames. A very dominant figure, broad shoulders wrapped in a black ceremonial clothing, a well-defined chiseled jaw, and eyes like thunderclouds—cold and wild, impossible to hold. Both every female wolf and half the males tried.

He moved through the crowd, followed by his Beta and the candidate for his mate, Ceryn. Her platinum braid sparkled in the moonlight. The pack adored her—she had a powerful lineage, a strong wolf, with a perfect shift, and had been groomed since birth to be Luna.

I felt so small next to her, so irrelevant, and then... everything changed

Castello turned to face me, his eyes locked onto mine.

Time stopped! My breath trembled, and my heart palpitated like it would break free from my ribs. The cheers and the chatters made by the wolves all faded away, leaving a thud of silence between us. It felt like he and I were in a different world, just the two of us.

And just like that, our bond moved into place like a thunderstorm in my soul, and I begin to shift

Fated mate!

It wasn’t just wishful thinking. It was real, not expected, or explainable.

He widened his eyes, he was shocked, he barely knew me so he didn’t expect that i

Would be his fated mate. I put my hands to my chest, I could feel a sharp and excruciating pain underneath my ribs, because there and then, I felt something I hadn’t felt before.

My wolf stirred.

The one everyone said I didn’t have. The one I had wished to have since I was eight. She whispered a name through the shock.

*Castillo.*

But then his expression shifted. The lit and eagerness I saw in his eyes earlier changed to horror, disgust, and anger.

He approached me, his moves were fast and unpredictable, his approach wasn't in a welcoming way, but more like disdain or hate

“No,”