Rejected Mate, Reborn in the Delta’s Embrace

The cool night air bit at my skin as I stepped out of the prison gates, the scent of pine and damp earth filling my nostrils. The moon hung low in the sky, its pale light casting long shadows across the ground. I took a deep breath, savoring the freedom I had been denied for three long years.

“Raquel,” a familiar voice called out, sharp and commanding.

I turned to see Joshua, Alpha of the Silver Moon Pack, standing beside his sleek black car. His towering frame, broad shoulders, and chiseled features were as imposing as ever, his aura radiating dominance even in the stillness of the night. His dark eyes, once filled with warmth, now held a cold detachment that made my stomach churn.

He held out a coat, his voice softer than I expected. “Now that your sentence is complete, make sure to apologize to Adele. There’s still a place for you in this pack.”

His words were a slap in the face. Three years ago, he had dismissed my pleas, his alpha tone silencing me as he testified against me, sending me to prison for a crime I didn’t commit—all for the sake of Adele, his first love.

I ignored the coat and squared my shoulders, meeting his gaze head-on. “I’m not coming back. I want to dissolve our mate bond.”

Joshua let out a derisive laugh, tossing the coat at me with a mocking smirk. “Stop pretending. You’ve just spent three years in prison. Who else would want you besides me?”

His words cut deeper than I cared to admit. The brief gentleness in his voice had been an illusion, a fleeting moment of weakness.

Just then, the car door opened, and Adele stepped out, her golden hair gleaming under the moonlight. She stood beside Joshua, her delicate features twisted into a look of disdain. “Raquel, three years ago, you stabbed me out of jealousy over Alpha Joshua’s kindness to me. I’ve forgiven you now, so why are you still putting on this act?”

Her voice was sweet, but her words were laced with venom. They dragged me back to that fateful night, the night that had ruined my life.

It was supposed to be our anniversary. Joshua and I had planned a candlelit dinner at a charming Italian restaurant. I had waited for three hours, my heart sinking with each passing minute. When he didn’t show and his phone was unreachable, I rushed home, only to find Adele there.

She was Joshua’s first love, and ever since she returned from abroad, they had been in frequent contact, leading to countless arguments between us. That night, she claimed she had been drinking heavily with friends and that Joshua had rushed to the pub to bring her back, leaving to buy aspirin.

Anger and frustration boiled inside me as I told her to stay away from my mate. But she ignored me, suddenly pulling out a small knife and lunging at me. Instinctively, I fought back, finally